The Weeknd Spoiled The Idol Ending Months Ago At His Concert
Around 70,000 people saw The Idol's final moments in September 2022.
The controversial HBO show The Idol aired its finale on Sunday, July 2, leaving viewers divided. Some are confused by the big twist at the end, while others think it was the best way to wrap the story of Lily-Rose Depp's pop star Jocelyn and her shadowy lover Tedros, played by Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye.
In the finale, Jocelyn shows her true colors, turning out to be the main villain of the story, not the innocent victim she played in previous episodes. The pop star completely destroys Tedros by taking all of his singers under her wing and ruining his reputation with the help of her manager, Chaim, who organized a brutal expose in Vanity Fair. But that was not the end.
A few weeks later, a devastated Tedros arrives at Jocelyn's sold-out concert hoping to see her, and the star surprises everyone by dragging her lover on stage to introduce him to the tens of thousands of fans who have gathered to hear her new songs. Only this time, Jocelyn becomes the creepy, dark manipulator in the relationship. She basically owns Tedros, who is a puppet in her hands.
Shocking for many, this ending was actually spoiled for thousands of viewers months ago. After seeing the final episode on Sunday, The Weeknd fans realized that they'd already seen and were part of The Idol's final scene, as it was filmed on the real stage of the singer's After Hours Til Dawn tour, which took place in Los Angeles in early September 2022.
This means that the huge audience shown in The Idol was all real. However, they were there to see The Weeknd, not Jocelyn.
'We basically shoot this with a live audience of 70,000 people,' showrunner Sam Levinson said in HBO's Inside Episode 5 featurette. 'We have two takes to do it. We had the Friday night and the Saturday night of the concert. Either we get it or we don't.'
Certainly, this creative decision must have saved the producers a lot of money, and this wasn't actually the first time Abel Tesfaye served as the project's fairy godfather. It's been reported that The Weeknd also owns Jocelyn's mansion, which was a major backdrop for the show.
Was The Idol worth all those sacrifices? The Weeknd seems to think so.
'The finale. Grateful to share this moment with you all as the season comes to an end. Continue to push the vision no matter how bumpy the journey,' the singer wrote on his Instagram after The Idol's finale aired.