'The Idol' Shocks Fans As It Wraps Up Earlier Than Expected

HBO's "The Idol" has once again stunned fans after it was revealed that the formerly six-episode show would be coming to an abrupt end after its fifth episode airs.

The Sam Levinson-directed drama series is centered around the life of a young and troubled starlet called Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp), who falls into the clutches of a cult leader, Tedros (played by The Weeknd).

Prior to its release, "The Idol" was already the subject of intense online backlash due to overly racy scenes and heavy displays of nudity.

 Keep on reading to learn more.

Fans of "The Idol" have been left stunned after it was revealed that it would be coming to an end sooner than expected. The raunchy show, which was previously billed as a six-episode series, will reportedly air its final episode on Sunday, June 2nd.

Viewers who tuned in to watch the sex-heavy fourth episode of "The Idol" were greeted with a shocking preview of the fifth installment, but with the "season finale" tag added to it. This new development has left fans wondering how the show could cover and adequately address all its various plot lines in just one episode.

With the sixth episode slashed from "The Idol," fans are now trying to understand what could have caused the change.

Some theorized that it was likely a result of the showrunner, Levinson, editing out controversial scenes to help lessen the blow from critics, while others argued that it was due to "The Idol" being canceled altogether.

A fan wrote on Twitter, "im starting to think either the idol critics were saying stuff just to say it to exaggerate or they were genuinely right and sam cut out certain scenes, hence why we're getting 5 instead of 6 episodes and episode 3 was only 45 minutes."

Another said, "HBO realized what a mess it was and just decided that it wasn't worth fighting for. Especially after having 3 record breaking viewership shows such a HOTD, Succession, and The Last of Us yeah there's no reason for them to renew this shitshow. It's not a loss for them."

A third person added, "It's in my opinion that The Idol isn't going to have a season 2. Up until a week ago most reputable media publications & bloggers were told it would run for 6 episodes." They continued, "I think the powers that be didn't want to 'allegedly announce' the strong possibility of it not coming back cause it would stop people from finishing up the now-labeled limited series."

It was previously alleged that "The Idol" had been canceled amid backlash from fans over its nudity-laden scenes and The Weeknd's "egomaniacal" attitude on the show's set.

According to Page Six, a source claimed that "It was never meant to be a long-running show, it was always … a limited series."

The source also added that HBO wasn't shocked by the negative criticism due to "The Idol" being directed by Levinson. They said, "It's a Sam Levinson show, and you know what you're getting with a Sam Levinson show."

After news of its possible cancelation made headlines, HBO swiftly took to Twitter to shut it down. They wrote, "It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined. It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night."

While speaking with Variety, the "Can't Feel My Face" singer revealed he wasn't shocked by the negative reviews as things were going as they expected.

According to The Weeknd, everything people hate about the show was done intentionally, including his acting, which many have deemed "bad" and "cringy."

 "We're playing with genres with this show, we're doing exactly what we wanted to do," the singer said. "And none of this is a surprise. I'm excited for everyone to watch the rest of the show."

He further claimed that "The Idol" was "almost educational" as it exposes what a lot of famous people tend to go through, which is a massive contrast from the glitz and glam of Hollywood.

"It's almost educational that this is what comes with being incredibly famous," The Weeknd stated. "You're surrounded by people who you're not sure what their true intentions are, even if it seems like they're good. You just never know."