is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.
With all the drama surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans to sell itself to another company, it’s not currently clear how much longer HBO Max will continue to exist in its current form. But for the time being, the streamer is chock full of solid series you might want to consider watching if you find yourself bored, chilly, and firmly planted on your couch this holiday season. Whether it’s superhero madness, dark satire, or steamy romance, HBO Max has a little bit of everything. And the streamer has a whole lot more coming down the pipeline, so now’s the time to check out some of what it had to offer in 2025.
Heated Rivalry
At a time when it often feels like TV is shying away from sex in favor of more family friendly stories that appeal to Gen Z’s modest tastes, Heated Rivalry — an adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels — feels like a breath of fresh (and steamy) air. It’s a classic frenemies-to-forbidden lovers romance set against the backdrop of professional ice hockey. But as spicy as the series is, it’s also a strong drama anchored by two stellar lead performances from Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. Canadian streamer Crave (the original studio behind Heated Rivalry) has already greenlit a second season, and if the show strikes your fancy, you should check out the books as well.
I Love LA
Despite its name, Rachell Sennot’s I Love LA is really a love letter to one’s late 20s — that magical time when you understand that life isn’t all sunshine and daisies, but you still have the energy to say “screw it” and go out partying with your friends. The show’s feelings about Los Angeles as a showbiz industry town are much thornier, and its sense of humor is charged with a deliciously pointed nihilism.
The Pitt
In its first season, The Pitt reminded everyone what makes tightly-crafted procedural dramas with hefty episode counts so satisfying to watch. Even though the show’s story took place over the course of a single day, The Pitt felt so much bigger because of how much time it spent developing its characters and making them feel like people with lives outside of the emergency room. Season 2 is right around the corner, but there’s still time to get all caught up. You should probably dig in soon, though, because The Pitt is a show best savored rather than binged.
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake
Adventure Time: Fiona and Cake’s second season digs deeper into its whimsical multiverse as heroines Fionna (Madeleine Martin) and Cake the Cat (Roz Ryan) set out to save Finn the Human’s (Jeremy Shada) life after he’s wounded in battle. Though the second season moves a bit slower than the first, the way it deepens the backstories of some of Adventure Time’s supporting characters like Huntress Wizard (Ashly Burch) and Simon (Tom Kenny) is phenomenal.
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