# HBO Max’s 'Best Shows' List Is Just a Weird Flex From People Who Haven’t Left Their Couches Since 2020
Look, I get it. We’re all trapped in the same capitalist hellscape where the only escape is a streaming service that costs more than your weekly coffee habit. But HBO Max’s so-called "best shows" list is starting to feel less like a curated collection of genius and more like a desperate cry for help from people who’ve replaced human contact with 4K HDR. Let’s be real: if you’re still claiming *Game of Thrones* Season 8 is "underrated," you need to touch grass, not rewatch the Red Wedding for the 47th time.
First off, can we talk about how HBO Max’s algorithm thinks I want to watch *The Tourist* because I once Googled "Australian accents" for a meme? I don’t need a psychological thriller about a guy with amnesia in the Outback; I need a show that doesn’t make me question my life choices after Episode 3. But no, the "best" list is just a graveyard of prestige TV that’s been hyped into oblivion. *Succession*? Cool, but I can’t afford a therapist to unpack my family trauma, so why would I watch a bunch of rich jerks yell about a media empire? It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion, but the car is a private jet and the driver is a coked-up silver spoon.
And don’t even get me started on *The White Lotus*. Yes, Mike White made a brilliant satire of wealthy tourists. But every time I see a review calling it "relatable," I want to scream. Relatable? I’m trying to afford rent, not deciding whether to tip the pool boy with my trust fund. The only thing I have in common with those characters is that we both hate ourselves, but at least I’m not doing it on a beach in Hawaii while drinking a $20 cocktail. The show is great, but the hype is so loud it’s drowning out the actual nuance.
Then there’s the sacred cow of HBO Max: *The Last of Us*. I get it, it’s a masterpiece. Pedro Pascal is a national treasure. But if I see one more "crying over the giraffe scene" TikTok, I’m going to start a support group for people who haven’t emotionally recovered from a video game adaptation. The show is good, sure, but it’s not "cancel all my plans and ignore my friends for a week" good. It’s literally just *The Walking Dead* with better lighting and a fungus apocalypse. Calm down, people.
And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: *Euphoria*. This show is basically a trauma porn festival for Gen Z, and everyone’s acting like it’s the second coming of *The Wire*. Look, I appreciate the cinematography and the raw performances, but if I wanted to watch teenagers make terrible decisions while crying in a bathroom, I’d just scroll through my Instagram feed. The show is so intense it should come with a trigger warning for "existence." But sure, let’s call it one of the best shows on the platform because it makes you feel something. Spoiler alert: that something is anxiety.
Now, for the true dark horse of the list: *Peacemaker*. Yes, a spin-off of *The Suicide Squad* that’s basically John Cena being a massive himbo with a side of violence and eagles. Is it good? Absolutely. Is it "best show on HBO Max" material? Only if you’re a chaos goblin who thrives on absurdity. The show is a glorious mess, but it’s not exactly *The Sopranos*. It’s more like if a Reddit shitpost got a budget and a soundtrack from the 80s. I love it, but let’s not pretend it’s high art. It’s high entertainment, which is fine, but the list is supposed to be "best," not "most fun to watch while drunk."
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the classics. Yes, *The Wire* is a masterpiece. *The Sopranos* changed television. But if you’re still recommending these shows in 2024 like they’re fresh discoveries, you’re the TV equivalent of a boomer who only listens to Fleetwood Mac. We get it, you have taste. But maybe try something made after the iPhone was invented? *Station Eleven* exists, and it’s actually about a pandemic, which is totally not relevant right now.
The real issue is that HBO Max’s "best" list is a reflection of our collective inability to let go of the past. We’re so scared of missing out on the next cultural touchstone that we cling to the same five shows like a security blanket. Meanwhile, there are actual hidden gems on the platform that no one watches because they don’t have a viral moment. *Somebody Somewhere*? Beautiful, understated, and nobody talks about it. *The Rehearsal*? Nathan Fielder’s anxiety-fueled masterpiece that makes you question reality? Crickets. But sure, let’s keep hyping *House of the Dragon* because dragons are cool and we have the attention span of a goldfish.
At the end of the day, the "best shows on HBO Max" list is just a popularity contest dressed up as criticism. It’s like the Oscars but for streaming, where the winner is determined by how many memes you can generate, not how good the show actually is. So go ahead, rewatch *Game of Thrones* for the billionth time. I’ll be over here, watching *The Gilded Age* because I’m too old to care about what’s "best."
Final Thoughts
After sifting through the endless churn of reboots and franchise fatigue, the real treasure of HBO Max isn't its volume but its curation—a library where a prestige drama like *Succession* sits comfortably next to a gonzo animated masterpiece like *Harley Quinn*, proving that "prestige" isn't a genre but a standard of execution. For my money, the platform’s greatest strength lies in its willingness to let stories breathe, whether that’s a slow-burn crime epic or a half-hour existential comedy, which feels increasingly rare in an industry obsessed with algorithmic speed. Ultimately, if you’re looking for the best of what television can be—raw, literary, and unafraid to challenge the viewer—your remote should stop right here.