I'm Ready For 'The Idol' to End. (For Good.)

You know, I’ve never seen a show quite as unsettling as The Idol. The series—created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson and Able “The Weeknd” Tesfaye—explores the life of Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), a pop star who tries to revamp her image after a mental breakdown. One night, she meets Tedros (Tesfaye), a volatile producer who promises to take her career to the next level—by any means necessary.

It should have been a hit. The Idol has a juicy plot, a massive budget, and a star-studded cast. On the call sheet: Jennie from BLACKPINK, comedian Rachel Sennott, plus singers Troye Sivan and Moses Sumney. The marketing had me sold, too. A year before The Idol's premiere, the trailer was projected during The Weeknd’s stellar "After Hours til Dawn Tour." Think about it—The Idol had a successful pop star promoting a show about a failing pop star. The Idol was meta! It was exciting! It was supposed to be great!

And yet, here we are, at the end of the season, and all I can think is, What the hell did I just watch? And yes, I saw the pre-premiere reviews. I knew they were scathing. I was prepared to be uncomfortable. I was even ready to see Tedro’s greasy rattail slink through every scene—and maybe even enjoy the camp of it all. What I didn’t expect to watch? Hours of torture porn presented as a narrative arc. Call me a prude, but watching a cast get choked, tased, whipped, and sexually abused is not what I consider entertainment—or good television.

Needless to say, I’m glad that this train has come to an end. In the season finale, Joselyn finally takes control of her life, the tour is a success, and everyone in the story is just as unhappy and confused as they were before. Now, if you’re in the same boat as me, I have some good news. The Idol is only five episodes long, which means that this past weekend's episode marked the season finale. When the news was announced, viewers assumed The Idol had been cancelled. Apparently, it hasn’t. At least not yet. The production team insists that this was the plan all along. In a recent interview with GQ, Tesfaye referred to The Idol as a “five-hour film” (sure!), which is how it was presented at the Cannes Film Festival as well.

If you thought The Idol would run for six episodes, don’t worry—this isn’t a new Mandela Effect. The Idol's original director, Amy Seimetz, planned for a six-hour arc, but her idea was scrapped when she left the show due to “creative differences.” After that, Sam Levinson took over and narrowed it down to five.

According to HBO, there’s a chance that The Idol will get a second season. On June 16, the streamer tweeted, “It is being misreported that a decision on the second season of The Idol has been determined. It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night."

HBO, I love your optimism. But I'm gonna sit that one out.

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