Where does a man like Tedros Tedros, the rat-tailed, chief pornographer-slash-music producer in The Idol come from? Well, we finally got an answer in the penultimate episode of the much-slammed HBO series, straight from the self-confessed “sick and twisted minds” of Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Sam Levinson. Was it shocking? No, not really. Did it sound cliche and hastily pulled together? It certainly did.
Here, if you can hold tight for one more episode, is exactly what we know about Tedros so far:
Who is Tedros Tedros?
In language used by no-one apart from ‘80s shock rockers, Destiny (the excellent Da'Vine Joy Randolph) tells us that she’s been doing some research and it turns out Teddy is "bad to the fucking bone.”
His real name, she reveals, is Mauricio Costello Jackson – no, he’s not Italian, as Chaim (Hank Azaria) asks – and the same dude was arrested in 2012 for kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, and beating “the living shit out of her” for three days while he held her hostage.
There was a court case, including a 400-page trial transcript which thankfully Destiny didn’t go into detail on, which led to a “slew of other charges”. That’s all we hear, before the pair discussing killing him.
Later on, in a chat with Chloe (Suzanna Son), she tells Destiny that Tedros “saved her” when she was a heroin addict and living on the streets, and that prior to moving into Joss’s place, she was sleeping at his club. Oh, she also revealed that she was likely a minor, and that Tedros definitely knew she was underage.
However, when Destiny has a little word with Jocelyn, asking if she knew that Tedros has already been in jail, with a breezy air she replies: yep. Poor, defenciveless Tedros – it was all a set-up by a spurned ex-lover. It was self defence! She was just a crazy ex-girlfriend who took a swing at him! Sure, Destiny thinks, with her disbelieving eyes rising above her little sunglasses, the new side-eye for The Idol generation.
So, now we know. And now that we know they know, the question is: who’s going to take Tedros out in next week's final episode?
The Idol concludes this weekend on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.
