War Season 1 Review: HBO Slow Burn Drama Threads the Line Between Pacing Issues and Intrigue

While American prestige television has certainly taken an approach that leads to fewer episodes, some series still run too long. At times in War, that is a concern. The divorce drama between a famous actress and a tech oligarch could easily have lost some of the fluff to deliver a leaner, meaner version of its story. However, the series also benefits from the rich world it creates for its characters, full of backroom dealings and palace intrigue. War Season 1 gives us a great template for what the show will be in subsequent seasons, and does so with an intriguing tale of its own.

What is War Season 1 about?

As their marriage continues to crumble, tech mogul Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) receives an award for his social media platform that hopes to unite the world. After his glorious night, he returns to his hotel, where a girl he’s been eyeing all night hops in his elevator. After their entanglement for the evening, Henderson’s famous wife, Carla Duval (Sienna Miller), decides it’s time to divorce her husband and destroy their prenuptial agreement.

Heading Carla’s case are Serena Byrne (Phoebe Fox) and Nicholas Taylor (James McArdle), a wife and husband duo that recently started their own firm. They assemble a staff that includes Michael (Nick Mohammed), Saeed (Shaheen Jarfargholi), Molly (Emma Laird), and Johnny (Archie Renaux). However, unbeknownst to Taylor & Byrne, their soon-to-be opponents at the Cathcarts firm get the scoop on Duval’s plans. Led by John Smallwood (Pip Torrens) and Beatrice Ubosi (Nina Sosanya), Henderson’s lawyers spring their own traps to begin a contentious and riveting divorce.

The lawyerly machinations are where the sparks fly, while the interpersonal drama is a bit rote.

Created by George Kay (Hijack, Lupin), War has quite a bit of intrigue going for it. The characters have deeply personal and antagonistic backstories. The writing is sharp, especially when getting into the weeds on criminal or tort procedure. What could easily be a weak part of War instead becomes one of its greatest strengths. This is the kind of process writing you’d expect from Tony Gilroy or Aaron Sorkin. When executed at this level, it’s impossible to ignore the brilliance.

However, the emotional stakes are just as important. What begins as longing glances almost always turn into something more. The directors craft brilliant visual callbacks, including a chipping desk or blurry visions through windows, uniting threads across storylines. Perhaps the lone complaint I felt while watching War comes from its pacing. At times, the episodes slow to a crawl, leaving a step below shows like Industry. Some of these beats are predictable, and a few times they fall into tropes. However, the specificity that the writers pull from some of these interactions is so rewarding, you’re willing to let the missteps go in favor of the grand reveals to come.

Both Miller and West are perfectly at home in their performances. West remains one of television’s greatest actors, building on an already impressive legacy of performances that includes The Wire, The Crown, and The Affair. His brooding persona remains in tact, but more importantly, his never-far-from-the-surface emotional outbursts become one of War‘s greatest strengths. He crushes scenes with his co-stars or sitting alone in his office. West is just that good.

Miller takes an almost meta approach to her character. War might be about a fictional couple, but it’s hard to ignore her own history as tabloid fodder after infidelities from her also famous partner. Miller steps into the role with grace and even allows herself to be painted as a vixen in the events that follow. Willing putting herself into the role of an antihero proves Miller is still willing to take on complicated material, and there is no question of her talent when War asks her to deliver monologues. Without question, War is her best work since The Lost City of Z.

While War features all-star actors in Miller and West, the world of the show is populated by extremely effective character actors. Renaux has been a star on the rise for years, and his inclusion in War should give him the mainstream breakthrough he’s been working toward. He’s compelling when paired with Miller, but gets plenty of time to explore his background as a fish-out-of-water lawyer in high-class London society. It’s both emotionally compelling and surprising to see him maneuver the world.

Even with Renaux’s great role, those unaware of Torrens will be immediately drawn to his brutish performance. It’s one that’s layered in self-hate and bullying, yet his charisma is impossible to ignore. When you have an actor locked into a role like this, all you want to do is follow their character wherever it might lead. War certainly has the goods on this front, and expect Torrens to become something of a TV cult hero because of his performance.

Is War worth watching?

Yes, War features a brilliant cast, stunning writing, and above all, is genuinely a very entertaining experience. Once I started the episodes, I could not put it down and binged the entire series in one sitting. While that’s not recommended, especially given the minutia of the legalese, War proves an excellent opening salvo for the soon-to-be franchise (in the style of Beef). We cannot wait for where the future drama takes us, and as long as Kay continue to drive story like this, War will be a winner.

War debuts on HBO on October 1, 2026. Eight episodes were provided for this review.