The Idol: Sam Levinson Reportedly Planned To End Season 1 With Episode 5 All Along

The massive amount of discourse connected to "The Idol" has long been dizzying and complicated to parse through. Ergo, somehow it seems fitting that even the drama's episode count has caused controversy.

The show seemed to be set for a six-episode-long Season 1 run, information which entered the public sphere thanks to a Deadline article that stated as much when "The Idol" was greenlit. But apparently, the situation changed when the program's original director, Amy Seimetz, left the drama after a very public clash of creative intent with Sam Levinson. A source close to "The Idol" quoted by Decider in June 2023 explains that Levinson always intended for his version of the series' first batch of episodes to last for five outings.

"The season was changed from six episodes to five episodes when Sam took over in 2022. Five episodes [are] what his version of the story required," the source explained. Call it a clerical error, call it a fan-related overstatement — either way, it appears that dismal ratings and dire critical reception aside, this first chunk of "The Idol" will conclude in exactly the way Levinson wishes it to.

How "The Idol" will manage to wrap up its first season in a satisfying way remains to be seen. Multiple plot threads lay at loose ends after the conclusion of Episode 4, with no clear sign as to how they may be tied into a bow should the drama get canceled. Besides the intensifying relationship between Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and Tedros (Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd), there's the matter of Dyanne (Jennie Kim), who is being groomed to take Jocelyn's role as a pop princess, the drama going on between Tedros and his flock of acolytes, Jocelyn's attempt at freeing her career from the controlling hands of her handlers, and the existence of Leia (Rachel Sennott) as a canary in the coal mine trying to warn Jocelyn that she's in too deep.

Viewers are still wondering if "The Idol" will be greenlit for a second season, and the show's final fate remains to be seen as of press time. In spite of ratings that have made the drama cable's 144th most popular offering Sunday nights, the official HBO Twitter rebuked rumors put forth by Page Six that the series is set to conclude permanently after a single season.

"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," the tweet read. Canceled or not, viewers will find out how Season 1 wraps up when Episode 5 of "The Idol" airs on HBO on July 2.