HBO’s The Idol to End One Week Early, Season Finale Date Announced

The song and dance of The Idol is ending earlier than some fans had thought. On Monday, HBO confirmed that the first (and possibly final) season of The Idol will end with five episodes, as opposed to the originally-reported run of six episodes. The fifth episode of The Idol will air this Sunday, July 2nd at 9/8c, and be titled “Jocelyn Forever.” According to a source cited in TVLine‘s reporting, the decision to shorten Season 1 to five episodes came after series co-creator Sam Levinson stepped in to creatively retool the project. The Girlfriend Experience series co-creator Amy Seimetz was confirmed to have dropped out of the project last year, even after production on most of the series had been completed. 

“The season ended up being five episodes when it was all said and done after Sam [Levinson] took over and made significant changes,” the source claims. “The story only ended up requiring 5.”

Is The Idol Renewed for Season 2?

After The Idol‘s controversy and a shocking critical response, the question has loomed around whether or not the series could get a second season. In a tweet earlier this month, HBO confirmed that a decision on a potential second season of The Idol has yet to be made, but that hasn’t stopped fans from continuing to speculate.

“It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined,” the tweet reads. “It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night.”

What Is The Idol About?

 The Idol follows pop star Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, who is determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America after a nervous breakdown derailed her last tour. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?

The Idol also stars Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Jennie Ruby Jane, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Dean, Ramsey, and Hank Azaria.

Are you tuning in to The Idol? What do you think of the show ending one episode earlier than planned? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

As mentioned above, new episodes of The Idol debut weekly, with the Season 1 finale now airing on Sunday, July 2nd, with episodes also streaming on Max. If you haven’t signed up for Max yet, you can do so here.

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