The stakes are alas becoming higher, but Norton and I couldn’t care any less. Sven-ghoulish Tedros Tedros (Abel Tesfaye), takes Joss (Lily-Rose Depp) and heads over to Beverly Hills for some shopping. The ‘head’ will be a running theme in this episode. From Joss receiving it to Tedros annoyingly digging around in her dark headspace for artistic gold, you’d think the episode had more going for it, slowing down for a more cerebral angle, but this series knows not of the meaning ‘subtle’.
How can you be effectively subcutaneous when the entire show beats you over la cabeza? We’ll see Tedros on a tear, firing the crew of Joss, establishing dominance. I’d be in the slightest bit of fear for ‘Chez Joss’ if I felt there was any element of danger to their lives and livelihood. Nope. Zero. Nada. Tedros isn’t menacing, seeming more like a bleeding hemorrhoid than a bloody threat. The only one seeming even remotely freaked is Joss’ bestie Leia (Rachel Sennott) who calls her managers to get some firepower in this piece.
Tedros masculinity is challenged by Joss and the most aggressive act he perpetrates is wiping his expended nut on Valentino product. Tedros is a fucking baby. The only thing he has thus far is a forked tongue and a brainwashed crew that doesn’t know the meaning of “no.” To be fair, that’s 10x more lethal than any bullet in Chaim’s gun and any resistance in Joss’ mind. Izaak (Moses Sumney), the hedonic, sensual automaton with the vox of an angel is a proponent of Tedros’s philosophy, except when Joss is up for discussion.
With Chloe (Suzanna Son) getting Joss to open up and come into the circle, this does bring up big Mansion Spahn Ranch energy (Norton’s prediction) with only an afterthought of music, which in Willy Wonka’s words should be stricken and reversed. Chaim (Hank Azaria) and Destiny (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) interview this mythical manchild and realize that he’s poisoning the well. It’s not that he’s toxic. It’s just that his acting is dead on arrival and its bloated corpse is disintegrating in the water supply.
The fact we get any Dyanne (Jennie Kim) is a heaven-send, and although Xander (Troye Sivan) gets a bit more screen time with his grand idea to spin sales from scandal, the fresh artistic choice ‘comes’ too late. We as the audience don’t care anymore.
Collaboration is vital to creating great entertainment, and memorable moments in television. This whole show is the perfect example of why “NO” in Hollywood holds so much fucking power, though. The power of “YES” can be weaponized into making pablum. I very much hold true blue to pushing the limits of art… but this show isn’t art.
Join Norton and me as we plumb the grossly embarrassing depths of the tertiary episode of The Idol (HBO) titled “Daybreak”.
2/5 Stars.
