Does ‘The Idol’ Set Up a Season 2?

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The IdolHBO’s deeply divisive The Idol just wrapped up its freshman and possibly, only run. The series has become the most controversial show of the summer since it was first announced. Created by Sam Levinson, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim, the show revolves around an aspiring pop idol, Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, and her complex relationship with a self-help guru and cult leader, Tedros, portrayed by Abel Tesfaye himself. With the season finally over, we can only just speculate about what a potential Season 2 could be about.

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What Happens at the End of ‘The Idol’?

In the gripping season finale of The Idol, Jocelyn surprises everyone by declaring her love for Tedros after seemingly escaping his sex cult. In the final episode of The Idol, titled “Jocelyn Forever,” Jocelyn manages to get rid of Tedros, the manipulative cult leader who had taken control of her life. After Tedros falsely accuses her ex-boyfriend of rape, Jocelyn takes charge and poaches his followers, offers him money, and eventually has him dragged out of her mansion. She then teams up with her tour manager, Finkelstein (Eli Roth), and label representative Nikki (Jane Adams), to expose Tedros through an exposé written by a journalist named Talia (Hari Nef). The article subsequently destroys Tedros’ life.

Six weeks later, as Jocelyn prepares for her first concert of the new tour, Tedros reappears under the name Mauricio Jackson. Stripped of his power, he enters the stadium and confronts Jocelyn in her dressing room. Jocelyn reveals that she manipulated him into believing she was an abused woman who craved the abuse in order to create and reinvent herself. She introduces him on stage as the man she loves but commands him to wait in the shadows, emphasizing her alpha status. Despite the unsettling ending, the final episode of The Idol leaves viewers with a mix of satisfaction and lingering questions about the complex dynamics between Jocelyn and Tedros. The five-episode run of the highly controversial show concludes with a grand comeback performance by Jocelyn, accompanied by an album of rejected new songs. As she brings a disheveled Tedros onto the stage and hails him as her muse, her handlers, PR people, and studio executives in the audience look on in shock.

The season ends with Jocelyn reclaiming her position as the true idol, while Tedros is reduced to a powerless figure waiting in the dark. While the finale delivers an unexpected twist, revealing that Jocelyn had been using Tedros all along, it also leaves viewers questioning the authenticity of this revelation.

Does ‘The Idol’ Hint at a Season 2?

So where does that leave us exactly? Will we see this twisted love story play out once again or is this going to be The Weeknd’s only stint at a HBO prime time slot? It’s hard not to recall reports that emerged during the show’s airing that The Idol had already been canceled for a second season, prompting HBO to publicly deny these claims. The network took to Twitter to clarify, stating, “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.” However, there was also speculation about the show’s length, as it was confirmed to be a five-episode season instead of the originally reported six. Some attributed this change to the backlash the show received, but it was also said that the alteration resulted from creative direction shifts when director Amy Seimetz dropped out after shooting most of the series. All of this seems to strongly indicate that the behind-the-scenes drama of the series was just as messy as its reception.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who portrays Jocelyn’s manager, offered some insight into a potential second season. She revealed that the first season was intentionally left open-ended to allow for the possibility of continuation. Randolph stated to Vulture, “I see season one as setting up the world in great detail and character development, to set up a season two where it’s like, now we’re really going to get in the s**t.”

What Would Season 2 of ‘The Idol’ Look Like?

While there is no official announcement yet, Randolph’s comments suggest that there is a desire and intention to continue the series. However, online chatter about the show has been critical, focusing on missed opportunities and underdeveloped characters. The reception among viewers may influence the decision regarding a second season. A future Season 2 could see Jocelyn and Tedros jostle for control over her career, as well as their relationship. The two’s sexual and romantic life has been subject to much controversy due to the show’s handling of the characters. A sophomore run could rectify that, taking into account their new dynamic. There’s no doubt that Tedros is not going to take too kindly to playing second fiddle to Jocelyn, so if The Idol returns, we can expect some kind of revenge to play out. It goes without saying that viewers would probably also expect to see the provocative and titillating elements that have become its trademark, even if we can all agree that their execution left a lot to be desired. A second season could show a new, more aggressive side to Jocelyn, which we saw glimpses of in the finale.

In the finale, we see that Jocelyn appears to have lied about her mother’s abuse, as he finds the hairbrush that Jocelyn claimed her mother used to beat her with in her dressing room and discovers that it’s brand new. So, it would be beneficial for a potential second season to delve deeper into the system surrounding Jocelyn’s pop star persona and offer meaningful commentary on the industry whilst exploring what made her lie and become manipulative herself. The original version of the show seemed to have more about her personal life and Idol Season 2 could finally shed light on her real family and life. While many TV watchers are just glad to have the Sam Levinson show finally wrap up its run, those who are still curious about the world he built could do with one more round of Jocelyn and her world, especially since the first season ends with a complete shift of the power dynamics we got so used to in the show.