Looking for a good show on HBO Max this week, to put on after a long day of work? The legacy prestige service is definitely known for its iconic series of the past, but it still has mojo for new shows—like Hacks, The Pitt, and Rooster, and more coming this month, too.
For this week (May 3 to 10), I thought I’d mix it up a bit with a list that includes a couple of current ongoing series, and a few older shows (not too old, though) that you can binge the heck out of or spread out for a slower burn. We’ve got drama, thriller, surfing, animation, and nature. Let’s go!
5
Half Man
Baby Reindeer’s creator does it again with this new drama
If you were a fan of Rochard Gadd’s chilling stalker Netflix series Baby Reindeer, the Emmy-winning Scottish actor, writer, and comedian has hopped over to HBO Max with his latest dark drama, Half Man. The limited series started streaming weekly beginning April 30, and even at just two episodes in, its story of twisted love, loyalty, toxic masculinity, and obsession is already getting good.
Quiz
HBO Max movies and shows
Trivia challenge
From Westeros to the ER — how well do you know HBO Max’s biggest hits and most talked-about originals?
DramaComedyFantasyMoviesCharacters
In The Pitt, what type of medical facility serves as the primary setting for the series?
Correct! The Pitt is set in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room and follows the staff through a single grueling 15-hour shift. The show stars Noah Wyle and was created as a spiritual successor to the classic ER.
Not quite. The Pitt takes place in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room, not a surgery wing or clinic. The show unfolds in real time over one intense 15-hour shift, giving it a grounded, unrelenting pace.
In Hacks, what is the profession of Deborah Vance, the character played by Jean Smart?
Correct! Deborah Vance is a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian who reluctantly teams up with a young, struggling comedy writer named Ava. Jean Smart’s performance earned her widespread critical acclaim and multiple Emmy Awards.
Not quite. Deborah Vance is a veteran stand-up comedian — a Las Vegas legend who is forced to collaborate with a younger comedy writer to reinvent her act. Jean Smart won Emmy Awards for the role.
House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones — approximately how many years before the events of Game of Thrones does it take place?
Correct! House of the Dragon is set roughly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It depicts the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, a catastrophic conflict over succession to the Iron Throne.
Not quite. House of the Dragon is set approximately 200 years before Game of Thrones, not 50 or 100 years. The series is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood and covers the Targaryen dynasty at the height of its power.
In the 2025 horror film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, what supernatural threat do twin brothers face in the Deep South?
Correct! Sinners features vampires as the central supernatural threat. Ryan Coogler’s film stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as the twin brothers, and blends horror with themes of race, music, and history in 1930s Mississippi.
Not quite. The supernatural menace in Sinners is vampires. Director Ryan Coogler crafted the film as a genre-bending horror story set in 1930s Mississippi, starring Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers caught in a terrifying night of violence.
Weapons, the 2025 horror anthology film on Max, was written and directed by which filmmaker?
Correct! Weapons was written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously broke out with the acclaimed horror film Barbarian in 2022. The anthology follows multiple interconnected stories tied together by a disturbing central mystery.
Not quite. Weapons was directed by Zach Cregger, best known for directing Barbarian. Cregger has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting voices in modern horror, and Weapons continued that momentum on Max.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is another Game of Thrones prequel series — which character does it primarily follow?
Correct! The series centers on Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight, and his young squire Egg — who is secretly the young prince Aegon Targaryen. The story is based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas.
Not quite. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows Ser Duncan the Tall, a wandering hedge knight, alongside his squire Egg. The show is adapted from George R.R. Martin’s beloved Dunk and Egg novellas set a century before Game of Thrones.
One Battle After Another, the 2025 Max limited series, is based on a novel by which author?
Correct! One Battle After Another is adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland. The series marks a rare screen adaptation of Pynchon’s notoriously complex work, and generated significant buzz for its ambitious literary source material.
Not quite. The series is based on the work of Thomas Pynchon, one of American literature’s most elusive and celebrated novelists. Adapting Pynchon for television is a rare and ambitious undertaking given the dense, layered nature of his writing.
In Euphoria, what substance addiction is central to the storyline of the main character, Rue, played by Zendaya?
Correct! Rue’s battle with opioid addiction is a core thread running through Euphoria. The show uses her struggle as a lens to explore trauma, identity, and mental health among teenagers, and Zendaya won Emmy Awards for her portrayal.
Not quite. Rue struggles primarily with opioid addiction throughout Euphoria. Creator Sam Levinson drew on personal experience to shape her character, and Zendaya’s raw, emotionally powerful performance earned her back-to-back Emmy wins.
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Gadd is absolutely frightening as the volatile Ruben, while Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott) is the more submissive Niall. Much of the story is told in flashback, detailing the origins of their deeply complex, co-dependent relationship from childhood—Niall is a sensitive bookworm who is bullied, while Ruben is an aggressive delinquent who becomes Niall’s protector but also his controller, even into adulthood, whether Niall likes it or not. Half Man‘s six-episode run streams every Thursday until May 28.
Half Man
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Alexandra Brodski, Eshref Reybrouck
4
Euphoria
Zendaya and company return after four years
Whether you’re new to Euphoria and just starting from season one (like me), or are happy that season 3 is finally here after the show’s four-year hiatus, either way, you’re in for the chaos and intensity the show is known for. For those in the former camp, Euphoria is Sam Levinson’s controversial HBO drama that follows Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a teenage drug addict trying to navigate her recovery while also dealing with love and the insanity of her chaotic high school friends, which includes Maddy (Alexa Demie), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Cassie’s quieter younger sister Lexi (Maude Apatow), and Kat (Barbie Ferreira).
One of HBO’s most-watched series (and a 9-time Emmy winner), Euphoria is known for its often dreamy and surreal visual style and intense and frank depictions of sex, drug use, and identity. Buckle up for season three, which began on April 12 and picks up five years after high school as the characters deal with the darker realities of adulthood.
Euphoria
- Release Date
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2019 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Sam Levinson
Big-wave surfing’s most spectacular docuseries
I could watch surfing videos and shows all day long. There’s something so soothing and beautiful about rolling, blue waves and whitewater barrelling and crashing that I can’t get enough of. It does get a little tense, however, when those waves are approaching the size of an apartment building, and the insane surfers riding them could be wiped out in an instant.
That is the excitement and terror of HBO’s excellent series 100 Foot Wave, which follows the life and obsession of big-wave surf legend Garrett McNamara and his quest to ride a 100-foot monster off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal, which he helped turn into a global big-wave hotspot. Over three seasons, we watch McNamara struggle with the realities of getting older and his dream dwindling, while he also balances family life. The Emmy-winning sports series also rides along with some of the sport’s greats, such as Andrew «Cotty» Cotton, Justine Dupont, Kai Lenny, and Lucas «Chumbo» Chianca. Don’t miss it, it’s excellent.
2
Common Side Effects
A magic cure-all mushroom and a big pharma conspiracy
This incredible adult animation series from 2025 has been hiding in plain sight as part of Adult Swim’s late-night block, streaming the following day on HBO Max. Common Side Effects comes from the creative mind behind one of my other favorite animated spectacles, Scavengers Reign, and also shares its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The uniquely animated and gorgeous series follows Marshall Cuso (voiced by Dave King), who stumbles upon a magic «Blue Angel» mushroom in the Peruvian Highlands that can cure almost anything. Marshall tells his old high school friend, Frances (Emily Pendergast), about the mushroom and his plans to share it with the world, but Frances is torn because she also works for the big pharmaceutical company responsible for the mushroom’s existence. Common Side Effects is a trippy, cool-looking animated series with a wild story full of conspiracy, shady players, and fun.
1
The Green Planet
Beautiful time-lapse images of the world’s most incredible plants
I always love to add a nature docuseries to these lists of recommendations, and as far as they go, it’s hard to get much better than David Attenborough. And if you like nature shows, you’re in for a mind-blowing feast for the eyes as Attenborough narrates through The Green Planet‘s five stunning episodes of some of the most incredible time-lapse videography you’re ever going to see.
Shot over three years and in 27 countries, The Green Planet offers a revealing look at some of the world’s most incredible plants and how they grow, survive, and thrive. With episodes titled Tropical Worlds, Water Worlds, Seasonal Worlds, Desert Worlds, and Human Worlds, they get super close to these incredible creatures—vines wrapping around things, Venus Fly Traps trapping flies, mushrooms sprouting up in an instant, and helicoptering seeds spinning to the ground. The 2022 series currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is an excellent weeknight watch.
The Green Planet
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Elisabeth Oakham
Whether you’ve got an hour to kill or a whole rainy weekend to disappear, this HBO Max lineup has range. For more weekly picks, How-To Geek runs streaming roundups across Netflix, Prime Video, and Paramount+.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10.99/month
- Simultaneous streams
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2 or 4
HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more. In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut «HBO» from its name.
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