Note: This story contains spoilers from the “The Idol” episode 3.
If there’s one thing “The Idol” is known for by its third episode, it’s shocking viewers with its racy sex scenes filled with an almost nude Lily-Rose Depp, who plays rebounding pop star Jocelyn, alongside arguably cringey lines from Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, who plays nightclub owner Tedros.
While Cannes audiences knew what to expect from the first two episodes of the music drama following its premiere at the festival — which debuted to scandalized reactions — the escalating events of episode 3 took many viewers by surprise.
“The Idol,” which was co-created by Tesfaye, “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, centers on Jocelyn’s best stab at a comeback journey to become the No. 1 pop star after a nervous breakdown derailed her last tour. By the third episode, Tedros is well into convincing Jocelyn he will be instrumental in her music career — likely under the guise of something more suspicious.
Keep reading to see just how much “The Idol” pushed the envelop in its third episode — and we know there is definitely more to come before the series concludes its five-episode season.
Tedros Goes Down on Jocelyn — in a Convertible — With Leia Driving
The third installment of the series opens with Tedros suggesting that he and Jocelyn go shopping — which clearly means that Leia (Rachel Sennott) will drive the dynamic duo to Rodeo drive in their flashy red convertible while Tedros goes down on Jocelyn in the backseat. No one would see that, right?
Tedros Gets Intimidated by a Valentino Retail Associate
Finally at Valentino, Jocelyn has a “Pretty Woman” moment shopping on Rodeo Drive as the store is cleared out for the pop star’s shopping spree. As the sales associates center their attention on Jocelyn and Tedros’ desires, Tedros gets wound up by a male employee paying what he considers too much attention to Jocelyn. “Look at her one more time,” Tedros challenges the staffer as he grabs him and continues to threaten him.
Tedros Pressures Jocelyn to Fire her Employee for Commenting on Her Body
Tedros is definitely setting some sort of record for popping off at multiple men for allegedly hitting on Jocelyn. If getting wound up by the Valentino associate wasn’t enough, it turns out Tedros was also enraged earlier in the day by Jocelyn’s male employee commenting on her body after supplying her probiotic supplements and noting how well they worked. Almost instantly, Tedros slaps him and pressures Jocelyn to end his employment, which she does.
Tedros Pleasures Himself in the Valentino Store
Jocelyn and Tedros make the most out of their privacy in the Valentino store by hooking up in the dressing room. When Jocelyn ends their encounter early, telling Tedros that she doesn’t want him to finish inside of her, Tedros continues to pleasure himself in the dressing room, loudly enough for the workers to hear.
Jocelyn and Tedros Hook Up in Front of Leia Again
If the convertible weren’t enough, Jocelyn and Tedros hook up again at her home after their shopping spree — just a couple hundred feet away from Leia.
Dyanne Takes Center Stage
While Jocelyn romps around with Tedros and the rest of his crew, Dyanne has taken center stage in Jocelyn’s music video from Episode 2, with Nikki supervising.
Tedros and Xander Suggest Jocelyn Use the Leaked Photo as Her Album Cover
As Tedros’ efforts to gain control over Jocelyn’s music and life ramp up, he sidebars with Xander as they plot out a new plan for Jocelyn’s upcoming album: use the leaked photo of Jocelyn with bodily substances on her face as the cover.
Jocelyn Reveals Her Mother Used to Abuse Her Using a Hairbrush
In an unexpected turn of events, Jocelyn reveals at a dinner party with Tedros and their friends that her late mother used to employ an old hairbrush as a correcting tool for her daughter, hitting Jocelyn with it whenever she disobeyed her, didn’t exercise, flirted with someone she didn’t like, and so on and so forth. It appears as though the abuse happened under Xander’s watch, as Jocelyn and Xander clearly have some unresolved feelings regarding whether Xander did enough — or anything — to stop it.
Tedros Instructs Jocelyn to Get the Hairbrush and Uses It on Her
After hearing Jocelyn’s heartbreaking story that brought many of their friends to tears, Tedros tells Jocelyn to go get the hairbrush, assuring her that working through the pain will lead to a better end result. While Levinson and Tesfaye spared us from fully experiencing what happened, it’s clear Tedros used the hairbrush in a similar manner as her mother, before eventually bathing Jocelyn.
By the end, Jocelyn whispers the most shocking words we could expect after that scene: “Thank you for taking care of me.”
