The best HBO Max shows to binge-watch this weekend, January 30–February 1, 2026, include a modern classic sports drama, a steamy romance perfect for Bridgerton fans, and an acclaimed series that featured one of the last performances by the late Catherine O’Hara.
While new releases like The Pitt season 2 and Industry season 4 continue to top HBO Max’s worldwide trending charts, there aren’t enough episodes yet to really binge these viral series. Fortunately, HBO Max has a vault of celebrated works that’s worth diving into.
The Last Of Us
The Last of Us is an Emmy-winning series featuring one of Catherine O’Hara’s final roles. Often considered one of the greatest video game adaptations of all time, The Last of Us is a deeply immersive and emotionally profound dystopian sci-fi series starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and more.
While reviews for The Last of Us were less favorable than the masterful first season, the 9-time Emmy-winning series is still outstanding and a must-watch for HBO Max subscribers. Season 2 features new cast additions such as Kaitlyn Dever and Isabela Merced, and connects the stories of the two celebrated video games in The Last of Us franchise.
Like Water For Chocolate
The overlooked yet highly rated HBO Max series Like Water for Chocolate is one of the best series for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton to watch after they’ve binged the first half of the newly released season 4. With a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and a new season arriving on February 15, this Spanish romance series is simply irresistible.
Like Water for Chocolate season 1 consists of only six episodes, all 44 to 52 minutes long and perfect to binge over the course of a weekend, or even one night. The series is based on the novel by Laura Esquivel, which was also adapted into a celebrated feature film of the same name in 1992. While the HBO Max version is not a true adaptation of the source material, it’s still a great quick binge.
Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty
One of the most disappointing cancellations on HBO Max in recent years was Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty after two great seasons. Chronicling the rise of the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s, led by NBA legend Magic Johnson, this series blended historical fact and sensationalized fiction to create a fun and fascinating viewing experience.
Winning Time features a star-studded cast, including John C. Reilly as former Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss, as well as Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Jason Segel, Gaby Hoffman, and more. If you consider yourself a huge basketball fan, you’ll have a blast binge-watching Winning Time on HBO Max this weekend.
Check out Screen Rant’s new TV binge guides for Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+, Hulu on Disney+, and Apple TV.