When I think that The Idol season will not exceed six episodes and we’ve already seen two of them, it gives me a certain relief. On the other hand, because the trailers revealed so much and there will only be six episodes, the story makes an even thinner impression. And insistent where it is weakest: in sensuality.

The second episode of Sam Levinson‘s series answers some basic questions, leaving several more up in the air. Mostly — and purposely — about Tedros (The Weeknd), but what’s most important right now is being able to connect with Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and what’s driving her to self-destruction. Once again it is the sincere and cruel owner of the label, Nikki (Jane Adams) who ‘puts her in her place’, rudely rejecting the version of the remix made by the singer before even hearing it, morally harassing her own shadow so that the people understand that she is mean, badass and that she is at least 90% responsible for Jocelyn’s current state.

Okay, so it’s Nikki who reveals to us that Jocelyn feels guilty for keeping her career going while her mother died of cancer (a low and contrary allusion to what Taylor Swift lives and lived), and lets us know that “handsome Rob” dumped the singer while losing everything. Where and who is “Handsome Rob”? Is it Jason Statham from The Italian Job? Hope not. And Nikki is the boss, so everyone obeys. The figure of Nikki is one of the sexist problems of creative men: it is important that abuses come out of a woman to escape the feminist police, but people, when and in what universe did a woman have the chance to be the main voice of a recording company? When one of the most intricate problems in the music industry is precisely the lack of equity? Nikki is obnoxious and clichéd, immediately looking for and finding a replacement for Jocelyn and immediately sending her into the studio to record after a half-second test. It’s also because Levinson had ‘only’ a few episodes to work out that part of the plot, that of Jocelyn’s fear that the world would discover “a new Jocelyn” and forget about her. It would be a relief…

And with Nikki then we confirm that Dyanne’s (Jennie Kim) sympathy was indeed part of Tedros’ plan to invade Jocelyn’s life. The plan seems to be to insist on dominating the singer’s life to destroy it and give Dyanne even more space to shine. Tedros wins anyway, if Jocelyn gets on top, he controls her. And if Dyanne shines, he’s her manager. I think the fight will be between Nikki and Tedros, not exactly between Jocelyn and Dyanne.

All the drama, including the financial pressure on Jocelyn who is not as secure in her lifestyle as she believes, makes her want to be with Tedros even more. In an even more explicit copy of 50 Shades of Gray than the pilot and – in turn – an explicit copy of the 1980s classic, 9 and 1/2 Weeks, the relationship between the nightclub owner and the singer is made in the fourth, where Tedros gives sexual commands to an obedient Jocelyn before physically engaging her. There is nothing sexy in the rudeness he says if you want to understand how women go crazy with a dominating man, you should watch Adrian Lyne’s classic, and that made Mickey Rourke the mystery for current generations of how he was once the most desired guy from the cinema. Of course, before destroying his face and career. No one managed after him to have the mystery and dominance of female fantasies (more clichés and sexist possible) and for those who had the best on screen, it’s painful to see the copy.

So with Leia (Rachel Sennott) being the only one to notice Tedros’ arrival, we’ve stitched together some information about him. He is a thug who blackmails and is a bit of a cult leader (?) where he collects (?) talents (?) like Izaak (Moses Sumney) and Chloe (Suzanna Son), who sing and compose, but also seduce and have sex under the command of the sinister villain. Especially mind-boggling is Izaak’s past and present, being tortured (?) by Tedros while having sex in front of people and clearly on a mission to get Leia out of the picture. Still, he tells how he was discovered in the church choir and how he idolizes Tedros.

And we say goodbye this week with Chloe inspiring Jocelyn with a sad song on the piano, The chorus – this is my family, we don’t like each other very much – should be the singer’s final wake-up call, but she is already blind and has authorized Tedros to move into her house, with all the minions, to ‘get the voice she has inside her out’.

And so, The Idol confirms that it’s vying with True Detective‘s fabled, laughable second season as content so bad it’s even, occasionally, good. In all the wrong ways, the freak they’re all about.

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