The Idol Finale Recap: Did Jocelyn Break Tedros’ Spell? Plus, Grade the Season
The Idol wrapped up its (truncated) five-episode freshman run on Sunday — and Jocelyn’s season of idol worship might just be over.
As the season finale opens, Jocelyn is recording her new track “Tough Love” with Tedros’ hand-picked producer Mike Dean, with charming lyrics like “Hold me and choke me until I pass out.” The song is coming together, but when Tedros tries to get involved, she abruptly turns on him: “You’ve served your purpose.” Jocelyn laughs to her friends that her first meeting with Tedros was a total set-up by her former backup dancer Dyanne, calling him “a f–king con man and a fraud” before telling him to leave. Well, then!
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Jocelyn gets an urgent call from her Live Nation rep Andrew Finklestein, who needs to meet her face-to-face to discuss her tour. Leia tries to tell her something, but she coldly cuts her off: “Nothing else matters to me right now.” Jocelyn assembles Tedros’ minions and offers them a showcase with her team, snapping at Tedros when he tries to speak: “Are you still here?” But when she leaves, Tedros pulls Xander aside and urges him to stand up for himself and grab this opportunity.
A fleet of luxury cars pull up to Jocelyn’s house, and the minions warmly greet Chaim, Destiny, Nikki and Andrew with warm hugs — and plenty of sexual innuendo. Tedros immediately attacks Nikki, though, for being a “Judas” and an “algorithm c–t” for signing Dyanne without his approval. Andrew cuts him off, telling him he’s leaving in five minutes if Jocelyn doesn’t show up. While they wait, Destiny asks Chloe to sing the song she was working on, and Chaim is impressed, but Andrew is growing impatient — and Leia is fielding frantic calls from Jocelyn’s ex Rob, saying he’s been accused of rape at Jocelyn’s house and he needs Joss to clear his name.
Jocelyn finally emerges, telling Andrew she wants Chloe to be her opening act and asking him to listen to Izaak before she sings. He reluctantly agrees, and yes, Izaak is wildly talented, but Andrew is concerned about Jocelyn’s state of mind… and how it affects his bottom line. But eventually, the talent wins everyone over — even Nikki, who offers Tedros an olive branch and makes plans with him while Destiny and Chaim conspire to keep these kids for themselves. The mood in the room changes, though, when Nikki gets word about Rob’s rape accusation. Jocelyn is stunned… and stares daggers at Tedros, who throws Rob under the bus. Did he set up her ex?
While Xander grabs the mike and sings a dreamy version of “My Sweet Lord,” Jocelyn grabs Tedros and accuses him directly, ordering him to leave. It gets real ugly: She threatens to call the cops, and he says he’ll kill her before they get to him (!). So she goes straight to Chaim and tells him, “Pay him whatever the f–k he wants to get out of my life forever.” Chaim chats with Tedros, telling him the twisted story of the Big Bad Wolf that comes across as a thinly veiled threat, and security hauls him away while Jocelyn dances and writhes to a new song for Andrew. Chaim gives Tedros half a million dollars to disappear, but Tedros defiantly tears up the check. Chaim will go to Plan B, then… which he actually prefers.
Andrew loves the song and loves Jocelyn’s new direction, and the tour is back on. Chaim tells Jocelyn that Tedros is “done,” though he doesn’t get into specifics, and Leia leaves Jocelyn a note that looks like a resignation letter. Nikki breaks the news to Dyanne that they’re holding the release of her song due to a nebulous legal matter… and Dyanne knows it’s about Jocelyn. Chaim meets with Vanity Fair writer Talia and tells her he has a bigger story for her — and we cut to six weeks later, with Joss about to embark on a sold-out stadium tour with a trio of hit singles and Chloe, Izaak and Xander as her opening acts. (Andrew’s Live Nation employees walked out on him, saying Jocelyn’s music is misogynistic, but he shrugs that off.)
Tedros is firmly out of the picture, too, after Talia’s Vanity Fair article exposed his past as a pimp and made him lose his club. Andrew and her team celebrate his downfall, but Tedros still shows up at the stadium, asking if Joss left an artist pass for him. There’s nothing under “Tedros,” but there is a pass under his real name, Mauricio Jackson. He goes to see Jocelyn, only to find Destiny, who pointedly asks him, “What are you going to do now?” (She also threatens to kill him if he hurts Joss.) Jocelyn finally comes out to see him, telling him she’s glad he came and intimately cradling his face. He notices she still has the hairbrush her mom supposedly beat her with… but it’s brand new. Huh? So that story was made up? They hold hands as she rides off to the stage before facing an adoring crowd chanting her name. She wants to introduce them to “the love of her life,” bringing Tedros on stage with her and kissing him while her team looks on with disbelief. “You’re mine, forever,” she tells Tedros before ordering him to stand off to the side.
So were you satisfied by The Idol‘s conclusion? And would you watch a Season 2? (HBO hasn’t officially renewed or cancelled the series yet.) Grade the finale, and Season 1, in our polls, and then hit the comments to share your thoughts.
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