All's fair in love and 'War' — a well-cast, classy-trashy divorce drama

HBO’s latest prestige drama, War, arrives as a high-stakes anthology series that plunges viewers into the cutthroat world of elite London legal practice. Created by George Kay—the mastermind behind the international hits Lupin and Hijack—the series centers on the explosive, headline-grabbing divorce of tech mogul Morgan Henderson, played by Dominic West, and international film star Carla Duval, portrayed by Sienna Miller. As the couple’s marriage disintegrates, their personal conflict becomes the battleground for two rival law firms: the traditional, dark-wood-paneled Cathcarts & Sons and the sleek, modern Taylor & Byrne. The series, which has already secured a two-season commitment from HBO and Sky, promises a relentless exploration of ambition, betrayal, and the moral decay inherent in high-stakes litigation. By framing the legal profession as a theater of war, Kay delivers a narrative where the lawyers are often more dangerous than the clients they represent, turning a private separation into a public spectacle of destruction. The show’s velocity is bolstered by a strong ensemble cast, including Pip Torrens as the formidable St. John Smallwood and Archie Renaux as a desperate young attorney caught in the crossfire of these warring institutions. As the first season unfolds, the series examines how the pursuit of victory can strip away the humanity of those involved, leaving little room for the amicable resolution once hoped for by the divorcing couple. With its blend of scandal-adjacent intrigue and sharp, character-driven drama, War positions itself as a definitive look at the intersection of celebrity, power, and the law.