Forget Lanterns, HBO's New Thriller Series Is Officially The Perfect Replacement

Published Oct 4, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT

El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel.

As the first season of DC's Lanterns comes to a close, a new HBO show has already risen to take its place. Lanterns has been a welcome surprise for HBO's Sunday slot after House of the Dragon's violent season 3 finale. As the first Green Lantern-focused live-action adaptation since Ryan Reynolds' maligned big-screen adventure in 2011, the show's mix of superhero antics, extraterrestrial worldbuilding, and small-town detective drama has proven to be a hit, earning a well-deserved, near-perfect 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are excellent as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively.

Still, all good things must come to an end, and thankfully, HBO already has another show waiting in the wings, ready to give audiences another original, high-stakes experience. Created by George Kay, the mastermind behind propulsive crime dramas like Netflix's Lupin and Apple TV's Hijack, HBO and Sky Atlantic's new legal thriller War features British A-listers Dominic West as tech oligarch Morgan Henderson and Sienna Miller as movie star Carla Duval, a wealthy couple on the brink of a nasty, public divorce. The series also stars The Thursday Murder Club's Celia Imrie and Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed, among others.

War's first episode arrived on Thursday, October 1, on HBO and HBO Max, with seven more episodes still to come. Though it hasn't claimed Lanterns' coveted Sunday night slot, War has already risen to fourth place in HBO Max's worldwide Top 10 TV Shows chart, below Lanterns, The Big Bang Theory's sci-fi spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and Adult Swim's animated series, President Curtis. In their review of War, ScreenRant's Dani Kessel Odom praised the series for its "stellar ensemble cast," calling it "so gripping and dramatic that it’s impossible to turn off."

What Is War About?

Credit: Sky Group

While War's central conflict is the bitter relationship between Carla and Morgan, their upcoming divorce frames the battle between two high-powered rival London law firms: Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne. Caught in the middle is Archie Renaux's (Shadow and Bone) junior solicitor Johnny Warren, desperate to prove himself as a lawyer and a worthwhile partner for his rich girlfriend. Everyone is at war, hell-bent on winning and willing to play dirty to secure victory, both for their clients and for themselves.

It's a fun twist on the legal drama genre's usual focus. Family law is a different beast than criminal or commercial law, with more room to explore the characters' deepest desires, flaws, and, most importantly, sins. The first episode offers a taste of the underhanded strategies and deals to come, as Carla enlists her friend's help to prove Morgan's philandering ways, and Morgan agrees to a risky move that could lead to a massive win or the loss of everything he holds dear, including his own public image.

The solicitors themselves are just as ruthless. While the characters aren't necessarily sympathetic, they are undeniably compelling. Just one episode leaves viewers desperate for more. Dominic West and Sienna Miller play their parts beautifully; the tension between them is palpable, ready to explode at any moment.

War Is Already Renewed For Season 2

Credit: Sky Group

War received a two-season order before the first premiered in the US and the UK, and filming is already underway on the new season. Rather than a continuous storyline, the show will use an anthology format, with the second season focusing on a wholly different yet no less publicly scandalous, high-stakes legal battle. Marisa Tomei, David Harewood, and Lanterns' Kelly Macdonald have already been cast to star in the next season, which will focus on a complex defamation case, rather than a divorce.

War season 1 is currently Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a high 87% critics' score. ScreenRant gave it 9 out of 10 stars. If the second season reaches or surpasses season 1's quality, George Kay's new series could last for years, with each new season exploring a different type of case and new lawyers within London's elite circles. It's a smart move, as the story and the characters will never feel stretched thin. This is Shakespearean, propulsive, legal drama at its best. The rest of the season can't come fast enough.

New episodes of War arrive weekly on Thursdays on HBO and HBO Max.

Question 1 of 2

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  Dominic West

  Morgan Henderson

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  Carla Duval

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  Phoebe Fox

  Serena Byrne

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  James McArdle

  Nicholas Taylor