The season one finale of The Idol reveals that Jocelyn is the mastermind behind everything. It shows that she has been pulling all the strings behind every single event that unfolds and that she is very calculating and manipulative. While this twist ending didn’t please fans when it came out, some viewers argue that this was hinted at from the start.
It is argued that Jocelyn’s manipulative personality was hinted back in episode one during a photoshoot. There, viewers clearly see that she is able to swap to any emotion in an instant, from being happy and entertained to being lustful or sad. She can also bring out tears on the spot. While this may be a valid argument, many don’t see it that way.
For starters, this scene is during a photoshoot, and models and celebrities must be able to swap to any emotion for the shoot. The same can be said for actors and actresses, whose entire careers involve expressing various emotions instantly. Even online content creators can do that. Saying that Jocelyn is a manipulator because she can do this during a photoshoot just means that everyone else who enjoys taking photos also falls into that category.
Meanwhile, it is also argued that The Idol doesn’t show any character development or backstory that would portray Jocelyn as a manipulator in the first place. People were just shocked to see that all was revealed in the final episode with no context whatsoever. Sure, it means that there is an opportunity to explore that in a potential second season, but to have that dropped on the series finale alone with no explanation is just poor character development.
The Idol star, Lily-Rose Depp, and director Sam Levinson stated in an interview that Jocelyn used Tedros (played by The Weeknd) and that she knew what she is doing from the start. Mind you, none of this is hinted, and people just assumed that Jocelyn was being taken advantage of until the end.
Either way, art is subjective. If people would like to believe that this was hinted at the start during a photoshoot, that’s their opinion. Others believe that this twist reveal is poorly executed. In the end, it’s up to the viewers if they believe the claims made by the people involved in the show.
All five episodes of The Idol are available to stream on Max.