"The Idol" is one of the more controversial shows airing right now, whether for its subject matter or its general quality. Still, it's clearly an incredibly successful commercial and artistic foray for HBO and The Weeknd. For example, its premiere episode raked in 3.6 million viewers during its first week on streaming, surpassing hit shows like "The White Lotus" and "Euphoria" on equal metrics. However, now the question is whether the show will hold onto that same level of success now that we know some numbers around its second episode. According to a Variety report, live viewership dropped 12% from Episode 1 to 2, from about 913,000 to about 800,000 viewers respectively.
Of course, having a show dip from episode to episode isn't the strangest thing in the world. After all, with the prevalence of streaming, maybe the second episode of "The Idol" will reflect similar numbers in its first week. However, it's not a standard that hit shows on HBO in particular are used to, with "The Last Of Us" and "House Of The Dragon" being two examples of rising viewership using similar comparisons. In addition, the show's critical reception represents a fan divide: some are enticed by the controversy, but many others seem to have seen enough.
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"The Idol" Episode 2 Doesn't Reach The First's Viewership Numbers
Regardless of your take on the show's themes or whether you even like it in the first place, four episodes still remain. Sure, it's causing a lot of conversation and fiery Twitter threads at the moment, but it will be interesting to see what the show is really trying to say by its conclusion. Maybe it will age well within a couple of months for people who turned away from their screens. Still, hopefully "The Idol" has some much better moments ahead, because it isn't just pearl-clutching fans who are dragging it through the mud right now.
At least hardcore Abel fans have more new music from the show to enjoy in the case that they don't like the show. Even though Playboi Carti only appeared on it for a short couple of lines, their collab with Madonna, "Popular," set the stage for an interesting musical diversion for him. It probably won't be "After Hours," but these days, it's hard for The Weeknd to miss musically. Here's hoping that we get some good TV as well. For the latest news and updates on "The Idol," log back into HNHH.
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