Detailed impactful content guide: The Idol, Season 1, Episodes 1-5

The Idol, Season 1, Episode 1

Detailed impactful content guide

Revenge Porn

Time stamp: 22:30

The episode begins with Jocelyn’s management team learning about a sexual viral selfie of Jocelyn. They debate telling her about the photo, questioning how it will affect her mental wellbeing. There is an element of suspense as Jocelyn begins to suspect that there is something going on. At the 22min mark she questions them. A member of staff displays a close-up image of Jocelyn posing with her tongue out and ejaculate on her cheek and mouth. Jocelyn is shocked but tells everyone that it could be a lot worse.

Auto-Erotic Asphyxiation During Masturbation

Time stamp: 33:10

Jocelyn arrives home after spending the evening at a nightclub. She enters her darkened house and sits cross-legged on the couch, smiling and fidgeting with her nails. Peering around the room to ensure she is alone; she reclines on the couch and begins to rub her hand over her neck while her other hand is positioned near her crotch. A close-up shows her tightening her grip around her neck, choking herself. The camera moves down her body to show her hand moving rhythmically between her legs, indicating masturbation. Her slightly flushed face is shown in close-up. Her breathing is laboured. She is then shown from a distance, vigorously masturbating while continuing to obstruct her airway. Her face is shown from side on and in close-up as her breathing intensifies until her implied orgasm.

Jocelyn’s act of asphyxiation is shown to be pleasurable, and she appears to be in control of her breathing. There is no nudity in this scene.

BDSM

Time stamp: 49:50

Jocelyn asks Tedros to listen to her unreleased song because she thinks he’ll give her honest feedback about its quality. After listening to the song, he says “if you’re gonna sing a song called ‘I’m a Freak’ you should at least sing it like you know how to f**k.” He rubs an ice cube on her skin, including around her groin. He tells her to stand up and unwraps her robe, saying “you are too locked up in your head. You’re thinking too much. You need to block out the world…do you trust me?”. He kisses her and she says “no”. A close-up shows him draping her robe over her face and tightening the ribbon around her neck. She breathes heavily while grasping at her neck, sucking the material in and out of her mouth. He kisses her and says, “don’t be scared”. A close-up shows him opening a pocketknife and positioning it over her mouth while she moans and gasps for air. He cuts a small hole in the fabric and rips it open, allowing her to breathe. The scene ends with him saying “now you can sing”.

The BDSM involving asphyxiation is shown to be pleasurable for the characters.

The Idol, Season 1, Episode 2

Detailed impactful content guide

Revenge porn

Time stamp: 10.53

The viral sexual selfie of Jocelyn dealt with in Episode 1 is briefly seen again on her phone in a social media feed. The selfie depicts her face with ejaculate on it.

Mental wellbeing

Time stamp: 12.51

Jocelyn aspires for perfection during a music video shoot despite the negative impact it has on her. The other people involved in the shoot get visibly frustrated with her and her entourage pressure her into persisting despite her wanting to call it a day. The shoot is finally ended when it becomes evident that Jocelyn is both physically and mentally broken. She calls out for her dead mother and her feet are cut and bloody from her high heels.

There are brief non-detailed comments about Jocelyn’s previous psychological breakdown, which appears to have been caused by her mother’s death and her boyfriend cheating on her.

Sadomasochism

Time stamp: 24.14

Izaak (a member of Tedros’ inner circle) dances suggestively standing over a group of women lying on the ground. The women are clothed in underwear and tops and the camera focuses in on the crotch of one woman who has her underwear pulled tightly against her genitalia. Izaak is wearing a pair of tight silk boxer shorts and what appears to be a shock collar. Tedros gives Izaak commands and shocks him when he becomes irritated with him. Izaak writhes uncomfortably and groans with pain when he is shocked. Tedros comments “You’re not a human Izaak. Don’t forget, you’re a f**king star”. It is not entirely clear whether this is an act of sexual violence or a consensual sadomasochistic scenario. Izaak only has positive things to say about Tedros later in the episode.

Strong sex

Time stamp: 40.24

Jocelyn invites Tedros over to her house after the stressful day at the music video shoot. He arrives with two members of his inner circle, Chloe and Izaak. Chloe goes skinny dipping in Jocelyn’s pool and they all enjoy shots and snort cocaine. Jocelyn and Tedros go into her bedroom to have sex. Tedros tells Jocelyn what he is going to do to her as he commands her to perform sexually for him. She gets on the bed and writhes on it while she masturbates. The camera focuses on her body but nothing explicit is shown. Chloe secretly watches them. The scene ends with Jocelyn fellating Tedros off-screen. This is implied by sound effects of gagging. Izaak and Leia (Jocelyn’s assistant) are briefly shown having enthusiastic rear-entry sex in another bedroom.

The Idol, Season 1, Episode 3

Detailed impactful content guide

In summary

This guide contains spoilers for the episode and discusses content that might be challenging for some viewers.

Strong but not graphic sex scenes, elements of sadomasochism, and discussion of revenge porn feature in this episode. These elements have already appeared in episodes 1 & 2 to a similar degree, as described above, so we haven’t detailed them again here.

Jealousy and coercive control

Time stamp: 4.00 and 6.35

Tedros is extremely possessive of Jocelyn. He threatens and slaps Jocelyn’s chef when he interacts with her in an intimate but innocent way. He forces Jocelyn to fire the chef despite her reluctance. Tedros also verbally threatens a retail assistant who is accused of ‘looking’ at Jocelyn. It is clear that Tedros is beginning to take control of Jocelyn’s life. He is isolating her from anyone he sees as a threat. Leia reaches out to Chaim and Destiny, Jocelyn’s management team, for help.

Parental abuse

Time stamp: 32.54

Jocelyn reluctantly discusses how she was psychologically and physically abused by her mother, who is now dead. She describes being hit violently with a large hairbrush. Her mother did this to motivate her and make her focus on her career. Tedros accuses Xander (Jocelyn’s creative director) of doing nothing about the abuse but Jocelyn defends him by insisting it was a situation that no one knew how to handle. Both Jocelyn and Xander are in tears. Tedros suggests Jocelyn has lost her creative spark due to the loss of her mother’s cruel influence.

The Idol, Season 1, Episode 4

Detailed impactful content guide.

Historical sexual violence crimes

Time stamps: 2.42 and 36.59

Tedros’ previous convictions for violent assault and sexual violence against his former girlfriend and others are discussed in moderate detail by Destiny and Chaim, Jocelyn’s management team. When Destiny talks to Jocelyn about it later in the episode, it is clear that Tedros has misrepresented the events to seem as if he was the victim of false allegations.

Promotional drug use

Time stamps: 4.14, 10.07 and 40.50

Drug use – smoking a bong and snorting white power, likely cocaine, - is presented as a normal and glamourous thing that people do as part of their creative process. They also take drugs to party and have a good time. The use of “Molly” is referenced verbally and there is also a non-detailed discussion about heroin use in the past.

Jocelyn smokes cigarettes throughout the episode and other characters are shown enjoying alcohol, sometimes drinking to excess.

Coercive control

Time stamp: 16.30

Tedros blindfolds and masturbates Jocelyn in front of everyone during a public recording session. Nothing explicit is shown but Tedros fondles Jocelyn’s crotch and breasts as she sings into a mic. Jocelyn’s vocalisations indicate she is being sexually stimulated. Tedros claims he is doing this so Jocelyn can achieve a specific vocal effect but in reality, he is excited by the prospect of showing everyone how much power and control he has over Jocelyn.

Leia, Jocelyn’s assistant, is the only person who looks uncomfortable but she does nothing to stop it. She later calls what happened an “assault” but this is dismissed by Izaak, a member of Tedros’ entourage, who believes it is all part of Tedros’ “process”.

Sadistic cruelty

Time stamp: 28.50

Tedros and his entourage restrain Xander, Jocelyn’s creative director. They secure a shock collar around his neck as part of an interrogation. Xander is questioned about his past with Jocelyn and her mother. Tedros shocks Xander repeatedly when Jocelyn states his answers are lies. Xander pleads with Tedros and Jocelyn but finally relents and agrees that he is lying. Xander is later shown having wet himself. He appears to be in a semi-catatonic state due to the trauma.

Parental abuse

Time stamp: 38.59

Jocelyn makes a social media post to her fans outlining the abuse by her mother. This is done at Tedros’ suggestion. He believes the publicity will be a good promotion for her tour sale. Rob, Jocelyn’s ex-boyfriend who was unaware about the abuse, tries to talk to Jocelyn about it in an empathetic manner, but she just wants to have sex with him.

Strong, inexplicit sex scenes

Time stamp: 50.03

Jocelyn invites her ex-boyfriend, Rob, over to the house and has sex with him in a lengthy scene. She appears to do this to make Tedros jealous. The couple are seen naked in various sexual positions. Movements and vocalisations imply intercourse. Jocelyn’s bare breasts are briefly visible.

There is also a brief clip of Tedros and Jocelyn having sex during a montage and several non-detailed BDSM references.

The Idol, Season 1, Episode 5

Detailed impactful content guide

Sexual Violence themes

Time stamp: 16.51

There is a phone call from Rob, Jocelyn’s ex-boyfriend, who has been falsely accused of rape in the media. He asks for help from Jocelyn. Rob’s situation is discussed several times by other characters. The matter is left unresolved.

Implied drug use

Time stamp: 23.41

Drug use is not depicted but several characters appear high and admit to using drugs.

Manipulation

Time stamp: 40.26

It is strongly implied (without any real justification) that Jocelyn has masterfully manipulated everyone around her to get exactly what she wants. Her actions are presented as justified and she ends the episode headlining a sold-out concert tour.

Helplines

• Safe to Talk
• Youthline NZ
• 1737

Further reading

Quick Take: The Idol Episodes 1-5

Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?

How I wished my parents talked to me about upsetting content