‘Idol’ Creator Sam Levinson Says Jocelyn is ‘Moving From One Cult’ to Another With Tedros (Video)

The third episode of “The Idol” throws audiences deeper into the unraveling world surrounding Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), as creator Sam Levinson notes the rebounding pop star moves from “one cult” to another as she becomes further entangled with shady nightclub owner Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye).

“What we thought was the cult really wasn’t, the cult is the music business,” Levinson said in an HBO featurette, which you can watch at the top of this post. “Jocelyn is essentially moving from one cult, the music business, into another.”

After a music video production for Jocelyn’s newest hit goes awry, the third installment of the HBO drama series sees Jocelyn finding solace with Tedros and his crew as the group shops, drinks and parties the day away, while Jocelyn’s music video has found a new star. Jocelyn’s friend and backup dancer Dyanne (Jennie Ruby Jane) has taken center stage for the video, supervised by record label executive Nikki.

“I think it’s really interesting — the inner workings of somebody who is constantly surrounded by people and people tell her that everything is great even when it’s not, and there’s something deeply lonely about that,” Depp said of her character. “I think Jocelyn is really feeling like she can’t trust anyone around her.”

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Tedros then enters Jocelyn’s life at the perfect time with a gaggle of talented yet alienated followers who see him as a god, according to Suzanna Son, who plays Chloe in the series. “We will follow him to the end,” Son said of the his loyal crew.

For what reason Tedros has climbed to the ranks of this group is unknown — and it’s certainly not due to his talent.

“We’re in Abel’s house, we’re talking it through imagining the character of Tedros,” Levinson recalled. “I would say, ‘imagine you have all of the dreams that you have of what you want to do in life in terms of music and your career, all the aspirations, but imagine you have none of the talent. That’s who this character is.'”

Despite his lack of talent, Tedros somehow finds an opening into Jocelyn’s glamorous life, as “she’s searching for inspiration and Tedros is going, ‘That’s my entry point; that’s how I can weasel my way in,'” Levinson said.

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The transfer of loyalty is clear by the conclusion of Episode 2, when Jocelyn, Tedros, Chloe and the rest of the group sing an emotional song that Son says is about “finding family in other places in nature and whatever you choose to be your family.”

“The ‘family’ song is actually a song I had asked Suzie to write about Jocelyn finding her chosen family, so to speak. It’s about what it’s like to be sort of accepted by people and the desire to belong and to find a community and to find a family,” Levinson said. “At the same time, we’re seeing how Leia and Xander created a similar atmosphere around her work, an artist who also feels pressured by the expectations of her fans, and by the world at large.”

New episodes of “The Idol” premiere Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and streaming on Max.

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