Recently, the announcement came out that The Weeknd’s HBO show “The Idol” will conclude it’s first season on July 2nd, following the release of its fifth episode. However, it was initially planned for the show to include six episodes. There has been a lot of speculation about the season’s premature ending.
“The Idol” is created by Sam Levinson, The Weeknd, and Reza Fahim. It follows the life of an aspiring Pop star (Lily-Rose Depp) and her relationship with a self-help guru turned cult leader (The Weeknd). It takes place in the same cinematic universe as Sam Levinson’s highly popular HBO show Euphoria. The Weeknd is releasing songs following each episode, as part of the show’s soundtrack.
“The Idol” was announced in 2021 and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, where it received a great response from the audience. However, since the show’s release on HBO, it has received negative reviews. It has been highly criticized and the show and currently has a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This along with the controversy surrounding it, could be a reason for the season ending prematurely.
Controversies
The downfall of “The Idol” began when one of the directors Amy Seimetz decided to leave the project, despite 80 percent of the filming being done. Sam Levinson took over her job in April of 2022. Also, filming for the show was interrupted multiple times by The Weeknd’s touring schedule.
Along with the disorganization throughout the filming process, there has been a large amount of criticism surrounding the show’s plot and various scenes. The overall consensus from critics is that the subject matter is overly sexually explicit and degrading towards the central female character.
We are not completely sure if the show is over for good, or this season is just ending prematurely. But, it is safe to say that, it is unlikely the show will be returning for a season 2.
“‘The Idol’ as the worst TV event of the year and maybe the decade? It will be hard to top for bottom-feeling ineptitude.”
Good Morning America
Soundtrack
Although the show has not been a success, some of The Weeknd’s tracks on the soundtrack have been great. Check them out!
