Review: HBO’s ‘War’ Lacks Moral Clarity in Billionaire Divorce Drama

Early in the third episode of HBO and Sky TV’s new series War, Dominic West’s character, tech billionaire Morgan Henderson, issues a humiliating ultimatum to his divorce attorney, Steven. He offers the lawyer a million-dollar watch on the condition that he strip down to his socks. As Steven frantically complies, Morgan delivers the show’s closest approximation to a moral thesis: for the ultra-wealthy, trust is meaningless because everyone is willing to debase themselves for a piece of the fortune.

Premiering October 1, the series is the inaugural installment of an anthology created by George Kay, known for Lupin and Hijack. Set within London’s elite law firms, the debut season chronicles the acrimonious split between Morgan and his actress wife, Carla Duval, played by Sienna Miller. While the production is aesthetically polished, persuasively acted, and intricately plotted, it ultimately suffers from a frustrating lack of perspective due to sparse character development and minimal insight into the absurdity of hoarding—let alone fighting over—vast sums of money.

The Henderson-Duval separation begins in sordid fashion. Morgan, the founder of a socially responsible social media platform named Zephyr, is seduced by a younger woman, Flora, in what turns out to be a honeytrap orchestrated by Carla. Carla, whose declining film career provides some of the show’s sharpest wit, promptly forwards evidence of the affair to her lawyers during a promotional junket for a period drama called The Milliner.

Despite the compelling setup, the series struggles to flesh out its leads. Carla’s personality remains elusive, with little indication of whether she is cold or cutthroat, and her son from a previous relationship is barely mentioned before appearing in the third episode. The show’s premise suggests the focus should be on the lawyers rather than the clients, dividing them between two opposing firms: the old-school, wood-paneled Cathcarts & Sons and the modern, ethical Taylor & Byrne.

Among the legal teams, a few characters stand out. James McArdle and Phoebe Fox portray partners Nick Taylor and Serena Byrne, whose dynamic explores the tension between career and family. Pip Torrens delivers a chilling performance as St. John Smallwood, a cruel leader at Cathcarts. However, even these standout figures feel underdeveloped. Archie Renaux offers a strong performance as Johnny Warren, a working-class junior lawyer, but much of the supporting cast feels like mere exposition or archetypes.

With so many characters and no clear protagonist, viewers are left unsure where to direct their attention as the case escalates from mediation to a public courtroom spectacle. The series touches on relevant themes, such as the nihilism of wealthy teenagers and the ethical horrors of social media, but these ideas often stall out or recur redundantly. Glib narrative flourishes and misplaced crime-drama clichés further undermine the script.

While the show may intend to illustrate that money destroys families, its resolution feels like a shrug. Unlike Succession, which eloquently explored similar themes of wealth and debasement, War invokes big issues without finding much to say about them. The result is a slick but shallow debut that fails to deliver on the promise of a complete, impactful story.