Pratik Handore
‘The Idol’ follows aspiring pop idol Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), who starts a tumultuous and complex relationship with Tedros (Tesfaye), a self-help guru and cult leader. As the narrative progresses, Tedros and Jocelyn’s relationship deteriorates when Tedros becomes obsessive and controls Jocelyn’s life choices. Given the turn of events in the finale, Jocelyn regains control of her life, leaving her relationship with Tedros in turmoil. The ending of ‘The Idol’ episode 5 aims to answer how the story concludes and whether Jocelyn and Tedros end up together. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Idol Finale Recap
The fifth episode, ‘Jocelyn Forever,’ sees Jocelyn preparing to meet with Andrew Finkelstein, her tour promoter. Jocelyn regains control of the house and over Tedros’ cult, accepting everyone as her family member. However, Jocelyn is seemingly done with Tedros and wants him out of her life. She is unhappy with Tedros’ behavior, especially after learning that he manipulated events that led to their meeting. Jocelyn asks Izaak, Ramsey, and Chloe to open for her during her tour. She holds a performance for Finkelstein to convince him that the tour could be successful. Meanwhile, Jocelyn asks Chaim to take care of Tedros. Chaim intimidates Tedros and offers him money to leave Jocelyn’s life. Tedros refuses the offer, and Chaim throws him out of the house.
Later, Jocelyn comes up with a plan to take out Tedros for good. Chaim meets Talia, a Vanity Fair writer, who is writing an artist profile on Jocelyn. However, Chaim convinces Talia to hold the piece and dig into Tedros’ past. Eventually, the article about Tedros’ work as a pimp is revealed, and he loses all credibility. Tedros is also forced to give up his club and loses his place as the leader of his modern-day cult. On the other hand, Jocelyn thrives in Tedros’ absence and delivers new hit songs. She also speaks up about the abuse she faced, which helps her sell tickets for her tour. However, just when it seems like Tedros is out of Jocelyn’s life for good, the story delivers a startling twist that raises questions about Jocelyn and Tedros’ future.
The Idol Ending: Do Jocelyn and Tedros End Up Together?
Initially, Jocelyn appears to be in an abusive relationship where Tedros is using and manipulating her. Under the guise of inspiration, Tedros seems to be furthering his own agenda. Getting close to Jocelyn and taking over key aspects of her life allows Tedros to gain control over Jocelyn. However, Jocelyn shatters Tedros’ belief in the penultimate episode when she hooks up with her ex-boyfriend, Rob Turner, when she learns that Tedros used Dyanne to get close to her.
In the finale, Jocelyn and Tedros’ relationship takes a complete 180 turn. Jocelyn shuns Tedros and completely ignores him. Moreover, she takes credit for discovering new artists who were Tedros’ followers. By offering them a bright music career, Jocelyn wins their affection and seemingly turns Tedros’ own cult against him. With his back against the wall, Tedros is forced to leave Jocelyn’s life, and their relationship seemingly ends abruptly. However, in the episode’s final moments, Jocelyn reunites with Tedros, who is present for her concert at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, Jocelyn’s home turf.
At the concert, Jocelyn announces to the world that Tedros is the love of her life, and the couple has supposedly reconciled. However, the power dynamics between Jocelyn and Tedros have completely shifted. Backstage, Jocelyn also reveals that the story about her mother hitting her with a brush was a fabrication, likely devised to see Tedros’ true limits. Jocelyn cleverly uses Tedros to fuel her emotions and channels them into her music, allowing her to deliver hit songs.
Once she has achieved her goal, Jocelyn wrestles back control from Tedros and shows him his place. Jocelyn also leaves a pass for Tedros under his real name, “Mauricio Jackson,” which implies that Jocelyn wants to break Tedros’s delusion about being a revered cult leader. Ultimately, the finale sees Jocelyn emerging on top, controlling all aspects of her life. The roles in Jocelyn and Tedros’ relationship are now revered, with Jocelyn acting as the cult’s leader and Tedros reduced to a mere puppet in the music icon’s hands.
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