Sam Levinson‘s latest series “The Idol” hit HBO two weekends ago after its world premiere at Cannes in May, and the critical response is …not good. In fact, most critics think it’s a trainwreck of a show, which isn’t surprising given the stories that leaked during its production. But “The Idol” star Abel Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, stands by the series and its sleazy, uncomfortable take on the music industry. And EW (via GQ) reports that Tesfaye finds a sex scene between his character Tedros and Lily-Rose Depp‘s Jocelyn an apt example of how deranged and pathetic the show’s characters are.
READ MORE: ‘The Idol’ Review: Sam Levinson’s Crude Provocation With The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp Is Gross & Sexist [Cannes]
“There’s nothing sexy about it,” Tesfaye said to GQ about the scene in the series’ second episode. “When we use “Basic Instinct“ as a reference, we’re using [Paul] Verhoeven. Verhoeven is the king of ’90s satire thriller — yes, there’s moments of ‘sexy’ in his films, but there are other moments that are very cheesy and hilarious.” Tesfaye argues that the scene is meant to make viewers uncomfortable, awkward, and laugh out loud. “However you’re feeling watching that scene, whether it’s discomfort, or you feel gross, or you feel embarrassed for the characters,” the artist continued. “It’s all those emotions adding up to: This guy is in way over his head, this situation is one where he is not supposed to be here.”
If that sounds excessive to some, Tesfaye explained that’s what he, Depp, and Levinson wanted the scene to articulate. “‘Gluttony’ is the only word I can think of [to describe it],” he continued. “He can’t believe he’s there. He comes off like such a loser. Those moments are the humanity that you find in a psychopath, the chink in his armor.” In “The Idol,” Tesfaye plays Tedros, a self-help guru and cult leader who takes a Depp’s damaged pop star under his wing, leading to a severely complicated relationship.
Tesfaye may play Tedros on “The Idol,” but that doesn’t mean he respects him. “The guy’s a douchebag,” Tesfaye described the character. “You can tell he cares so much about what he looks like, and he thinks he looks good. But then you see these weird moments of him alone — he rehearses, he’s calculated. And he needs to do that, or he has nothing, he’s pathetic. Which is true of a lot of people who are a fish out of water, put into these scenarios.” 
That sense of affected self-consciousness made Tesfaye uncomfortable to be around on set. “I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” Depp told EW in another interview. “Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him. I’d be like, ‘He’s in his zone right now.’”
Is all this too cringe-worthy for TV? Based on the reviews of “The Idol” so far, that may be the case. But three more episodes remain before Levinson’s series finishes its run. Will that be the end of the series? Not necessarily. IndieWire reports that HBO backtracked news that “The Idol” will end after its first season this week. “It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of ‘The Idol’ has been determined,” HBO’s official PR Twitter account tweeted yesterday. “It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night.”
And if Tesfaye’s comments above are any indication, expect “The Idol” to bring the cringe again this Sunday.