After just one season, the highly criticized show The Idol has come to an end.
HBO announced on Monday that the TV drama created by Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye will not be returning for a second season.
“The Idol was a provocative original program for HBO, and we appreciate the strong response from the audience,” said HBO in a statement. “After careful consideration, HBO, along with the creators and producers, have decided not to move forward with a second season. We are grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their amazing work.”
The first season of The Idol, which starred Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp, was indeed “provocative,” but it did not receive a positive reception.
The show follows Jocelyn (Depp), a pop superstar who delves into the dark side of Hollywood and falls in love with her abuser, Tedros (Tesfaye), a cult leader with a rat tail. The creators Tesfaye and Levinson crafted a dark and sometimes laughable narrative with explicit nudity and controversial dialogue like “Mental illness is sexy.” This approach was widely criticized by both critics and viewers.
Even before its premiere in June, The Idol was already surrounded by controversy. Director Amy Seimetz quit the production in April and was replaced by Levinson, who had to reshoot many scenes. Rolling Stone also released a report claiming that the show was a “rape fantasy” filmed on a toxic and disorganized set. In response, Tesfaye shared a deleted scene from The Idol where his character calls the publication “irrelevant.”
As The Idol aired, it faced more negative press. GQ described it as having “the worst sex scene in history” and criticized Tesfaye’s performance for lacking energy and sexual appeal. The Guardian even suggested Tesfaye should be tried at The Hague for his performance, as well as criticizing Lily-Rose Depp’s acting.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Idol received only a 19% rating.
Given the negative reception, it is not surprising that HBO chose not to continue with The Idol, despite having Levinson and Tesfaye involved.
On social media, many viewers are already expressing their disappointment at the cancellation, as The Idol had become a popular hate-watch.
The first and only season of The Idol concluded in July and is now available to stream on HBO Max.
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