'The Idol' Tried So Hard

It’s always sad to watch a TV show that debuted with such promise devolve into an absolute joke. If I’d written this review as the credits rolled on the first episode of Max’s (the HBO streaming platform) The Idol, I’d have fawned over Sam Levinson’s stylish direction, his (and his co-writer’s) clever dialogue, and Lily-Rose Depp’s effortlessly cool performance as the protagonist Jocelyn, a pop star staging a comeback after suffering a mental breakdown in the wake of her mother’s death. I’d have written, “This is the show of the summer,” or something equally trite, adding one more fresh tomato to the show’s review aggregate. Lucky for the readers of this magazine, I was behind on my deadline, which means, after suffering through two subsequent episodes, I am able to tell you the whole truth about The Idol: It’s trash.