Sam Levinson On Jocelyn’s “Self Sabotage” In Episode 2 – Deadline

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Episode 2 of The Idol on HBO.

Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is supposed to be preparing for her big comeback, but Episode 2 of HBO’s The Idol calls into question whether she’s ready to step back into the spotlight.

Episode 2, titled “Double Fantasy,” opens with Jocelyn trying to convince her team to release a different (and far more sexualized) version of her upcoming single “World Class Sinner” — one that she said felt more authentic but her manager shuts down the idea. Authentic or not, it’s not as commercial as the track they’ve already recorded. She reminds Jocelyn that she needs all the help she can get since she canceled her last tour due to a mental breakdown after she lost her mom to cancer. And anyway, they’re already prepared to shoot the music video for the song as it is. That’s when things start to spiral out of hand.

“She’s feeling creatively stuck and she starts to seek inspiration in some dark places,” creator Sam Levinson explained in a segment after the episode about crafting the pop star. “Part of what we’re exploring in Episode 2 is what happens when someone is so tough on themselves to the point where it becomes self sabotage.”

Her team is already on high alert once they find out that Jocelyn was late to set because the makeup department had to airbrush cuts on her legs. So, when becomes hyper fixated on getting the perfect shot, to the point that her feet start bleeding from the number of takes she’s done, everyone really begins to worry about whether she can handle the pressure. She starts to break down on stage, crying as she nit picks every mistake she makes. As she sits on the stage, staring at her bloody feet, she calls out for her mom. That’s when her team knows it’s time to call it a day. They promise her that they’ll continue the shoot tomorrow, but the next morning she’s told that the label cancelled the shoot entirely.

“It was heartbreaking to shoot because I have so much empathy for her. Even though at that point she is completely unable to go on, I think that it’s really hard for her to finally walk off that stage,” Depp said, adding that the scene encapsulates “being in Jocelyn’s world, all of the moving parts of this machine that’s around her all the time, and how many people are depending on her, and how much pressure that can be.”

In a desperate attempt to feel some sort of validation and control, Jocelyn summons Tedros, Abel Tesfaye’s shady club owner who has taken interest in Jocelyn and her music. He tells her that he thinks she might need a new team — one that believes in her and her creative vision. He also suggests that he move into her house so he can help her lay down a few new tracks to present to the label.

“Jocelyn is going through a complicated time in her life,” Depp said. “And she meets Tedros, Abel’s character, and he turns her world upside down.”

It’s not completely clear what Tedros’ motives are, though Episode 2 makes it clear that they aren’t pure.

In terms of crafting the look for this pop star who is teetering on the edge of stability, the creative team behind The Idol explained that they took inspiration from the biggest female artists of the late ’90s and early 2000s, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Levinson added that he also took notes from actors like Jane Greer in Out of the Past and Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct for the emotional depth of the character.

“These iconic female characters who have this poise to them and unearth truths and a darkness in their life,” he said.

The Idol airs Sundays on HBO at 9 p.m. ET/PT. It is also available on Max at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.