HBO's 'The Idol' to end with five episodes amid negative reviews

HBO's controversial new show The Idol ending sooner than planned despite all the attention.

The series which follows Jocelyn (portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp), a struggling pop star striving for success after a mental breakdown, unfortunately received negative reviews from both critics and audiences, with low ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

Moreover, The Idol will now end after five episodes instead of the initially planned six. Speculation has arisen that the show's premature ending may be attributed to its unfavorable reception.

The show is however not cancelled, despite the alarm bells. HBO's official PR Twitter account debunked reports that the show was getting cancelled. 

While a second season has not been confirmed, the show has not been definitively canceled either. The only certainty is that the first season will conclude one episode earlier than anticipated.

As per Buzzfeed News, The Idol's finale is not airing earlier than expected. in fact, during its premiere at Cannes, the show was promoted as a five-episode series.

However, according to Deadline's November 2021 report, the original plan was for the show to consist of six episodes. It now appears that this particular iteration of The Idol was always intended to wrap up its Season 1 storyline within five episodes. The decision to scrap the sixth episode followed the show's original director, Amy Seimetz, departed due to creative differences.