The Idol Review: Lily-Rose Depp, The Weeknd foreshadow a tragic end in engaging drama

Euphoria fans will not find Sam Levinson's new series The Idol provocative, explicit and verging on sensationalism. But those who have not seen his daring attempt at peeling off various layers of human complexities, will. In the opening scene, the vulnerability of Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is exposed. She is posing for the cover art of her upcoming single in a skimpy bathrobe. 

The scene is much more than Jocelyn 'selling herself'. It's as much about women empowerment and asserting ownership over one's own body as it is about sex and tantalizing the audience. The Idol's world is soaked in psychedelia but the most interesting aspect is that it offers a glimpse of the times we are living in, one constantly fluctuating between a viral moment, hunger for fame and then the deep urge to disassociate from it.

Lily-Rose Depp digs deep into her 'broken' character 

(The Idol stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, a pop icon | Image: The Idol/Instagram) 

Lily makes an impressive acting debut with The Idol. She carries the trauma of Joss in her eyes but never hides behind it. She scorns those who think she is too naive to fathom the fame that has come her way at such a young age. Between loading herself with drugs, alcohol and indulging in other perversions, she makes music, rehearses for stage shows and lives a normal life, meeting and making new friends. 

From her 'free the nipple' wardrobe to her quick retorts to her creative team, Joss comes across as a very confident young woman, unafraid to venture out to find her true self as an artist. On the way, she meets Tedros (The Weeknd), a mysterious club owner moonlighting as Joss' saviour.

The Weekend adds dark drama to the show

(The Weeknd plays the enigmatic DJ Tedros in The Idol | Image: The Idol/Instagram) 

The Weeknd plays Tedros in The Idol. The air of enigma around him is established in the start and he just takes it from there. It will be interesting to see how much more he has to offer in terms of acting, but the ambient music, scored by The Weeknd, has already set a moody and atmospheric tone to the show. The character with a 'rattail' could very well turn out to be the make or break man in Joss' career and life laden with drug abuse.

The Idol teases with its various states of nudity and scandal, sometimes almost verging on silly, but the coming episodes will show if it manages to unravel the true face of controversial celebrity culture or it's just another surface level drama.