There are spoilers ahead for the "Idol" series premiere . Even before HBO premieres "Idol" on June 4, the new series has already caused controversy. The series tells the story of fictional pop star Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp), who is preparing for a comeback after enduring a public mental health crisis. Amid the off-screen creative differences, rewrites and reshoots, a March report from Rolling Stone cited 13 sources as saying that the production of "American Idol" had been "wildly and disgustingly derailed," chronicles the alleged decline from HBO's "The Next Euphoria " to "twisted torture porn". Sam Levinson's co-creator and star Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye refuted the reports, and now viewers are finally seeing the first episode for themselves.
Indeed, there are many standout moments. From a leaked photo of Jocelyn ejaculating on her face to a scene involving erotic asphyxiation, the show's premiere generated a lot of buzz on Twitter. Hours before "Idol" premiered, The New York Times published an article in which The Weeknd urged fans to watch the entire show before passing judgment. "When I first started making music, it was the exact same situation. It was provocative and I knew it was going to be hard for people. A lot of people didn't like it," said the four-time Grammy star who plays Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explains the award winner. "Not to compare, but I feel like it's kind of like that again. It's not for everyone, and that's okay. We're not politicians."
Depp added: "We always knew we were going to make something provocative but maybe not for everyone. It was an attraction for all of us. I don't think any of us were interested. Make anything that’s fun for the whole family.”
After "Idol" premiered, many Twitter critics were quick to argue that the new series had little hope of filling the void left by last Sunday's finale of " Succession ," "The Last of Us ," "White Lotus" and "Barry." Whitespace.
The criticisms ranged from plot to dialogue - one user joked that the plot mirrored a real-life spoof video featuring Rachel Sennott, aka Jocelyn's assistant and friend Leia - to conversations, especially those related to mental illness and sexual assault. A scene at the end of the episode shows Tedros almost choking Jocelyn in an attempt to enhance the authenticity of her voice.
The Weeknd's slimy character also got people talking, especially an overly dramatic late scene in which Tedros arrives on Jocelyn's doorstep. Regardless, he seemed to give the audience a creepy feeling.
Another popular moment that fans are talking about is the number of times Jocelyn smoked in the first episode of Idol . One viewer joked: "You'd think 'Idol' was a cigarette commercial, like Jocelyn can't do anything without smoking."
That being said, Twitter did lend its support to Idol's high profile, specifically introducing BLACKPINK singer Jennie Ruby Jane in her first performance as Jocelyn's excellent backup dancer Dyanne.
Euphoria fans were also excited about Alexa Demie (aka Maddy Perez)'s quick cameo in a nightclub scene, leading some to wonder if it would be possible if both Levinson shows existed in the same universe Make a crossover.
Even with so much going on, perhaps what surprised viewers the most (including Roxanne Gay) was how "boring" the first episode still seemed.
Regardless, trending topics on Twitter seem to indicate that perhaps some viewers who initially planned to boycott the show will tune in anyway. Some people think the situation is not as bad as they think. Others have openly admitted that despite some issues, they will still join when the second episode airs next week.
