Is HBO's "The Idol" Worth The Hype? Twitter Sounds Off On The Weeknd's New Show

Mon, June 5, 2023 at 9:46 AM

The criticism surrounding HBO's The Idol was loud, even before it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. And the show's debut seemingly reinforced it for audiences. Although fans were understandably excited for the all-star cast, including The Weeknd as Tedros and Lily Rose-Depp as Jocelyn, the absurdity of the show hasn't necessarily won fans over just yet. The Sam Levinson-co-created endeavor finds Jocelyn attempting to repair her image after a mental breakdown before being swooped into Tedros' cult-like world.

The first episode of the show debuted on HBO on Sunday night, leading to plenty of mixed reactions from fans. Some feel as though it's an excellent debut that will have them returning week after week while others have sided with critics. Plus, many felt some type of way after it replaced Succession on HBO's weekly scheduled. "oh the idol is BAD bad i cannot believe this monstrosity is replacing succession sunday," one fan wrote on Twitter following The Idol's debut.

Read More: The Weeknd's Biggest Hits

HBO's The Idol Mixed Reviews

oh the idol is BAD bad i cannot believe this monstrosity is replacing succession sunday pic.twitter.com/nZGN43nofX
— elle (@madmens4e7) June 5, 2023

Besides the premise of the show being incredulous on its own, the actual acting was a point of critique among many viewers. Between The Weeknd's hairstyle and his general acting chops, fans were quite disappointed in what he had to offer on screen. Evidently, he's a far better musician than he is an actor. However, BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim earned unanimous applause for her efforts in the series, specifically her dance break.

Overall, it seems like The Idol will continue to draw reactions episode after episode, even if people aren't entirely enthusiastic about the first episode. The Weeknd's formal foray into the world of television is undoubtedly controversial and polarizing but it seems like it's an interesting starting point for what could be the next chapter in his career. After formally changing his stage name to Abel, perhaps, he has more television scripts in store for the future.

Read More: "The Idol" Praise: Sharon Stone Applauds The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp As HBO Series Slammed For Nudity

The Reactions

We've gathered some of the best reactions following the first episode of The Idol. Check them out and let us know whether you agree or not. Is The Idol worth the hype? Sound off in the comment section below.

cant tell if its intentional or not that the weeknd's character behaves like a vampire that needs permission to enter a room pic.twitter.com/rOQeZL8tjl
— pawn with a king's mentality (@MostCrucified) June 5, 2023

The Weeknd might be the worst actor of all time i'm crying dawg what is this
— coffee (@thesolarcoffee) June 5, 2023

Just watched #TheIdol and Jesus Christ it's like a student film with a big budget. Sam Levinson is trying to be deep but his writing is just fucking weird. Also The Weeknd's character is fucking creepy as fuck and makes me hate the actual Weeknd
— Peter v2.5 (@peterropp) June 5, 2023