Can I Watch HBO Max For Free?
Well, there’s good news and bad news when it comes to watching HBO Max for free. First, you’ll be happy to know that yes you can watch “limited episodes” for free. Did you guess the bad news yet? Unfortunately, HBO will only let you watch a select few episodes for free.
What Can I Watch For Free On HBO Max?
HBO Max boasts a vast library of movies and tv series. It offers free episodes of many of its many original series. Here is a sample of what HBO Max offers.
The Time Traveler’s Wife: Adapted by Steven Moffat from the beloved novel of the same name, The Time Traveler’s Wife follows the spellbinding and intricately out-of-order love story between Clare (Rose Leslie of HBO’s Game of Thrones), and Henry (Theo James of Divergent), and a marriage with a problem: time travel.
Cast:
Clare Abshire (Rose Leslie)
Henry DeTamble (Theo James)
Gomez (Desmin Borges)
Charisse (Natasha Lopez)
Young Clare Abshire (Caitlin Shorey and Everleigh McDonell will play younger versions)
Philip Abshire (Michael Park)
Lucille Abshire (Jaime Ray Newman)
Alicia Abshire (Taylor Richardson)
Mark Abshire (Peter Graham)
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Based on Jeff Pearlman’s book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers, and executive produced by Adam McKay (Succession, Q: Into the Storm), the show takes a look at a team that defined its era, both on and off the court.
Cast:
Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly)
Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah)
Jerry West (Jason Clarke)
Pat Riley (Adrien Brody)
Claire Rothman (Gaby Hoffmann)
Jack McKinney (Tracy Letts)
Paul Westhead (Jason Segel)
Cranny McKinney (Julianne Nicholson)
Jeanie Buss (Hadley Robinson)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Dr. Solomon Hughes)
Earleatha “Cookie” Kelly (Tamera Tomakili)
Bill Sharman (Brett Cullen)
Frank Marian (Stephen Adly Guirgis)
Lon Rosen (Joey Brooks)
Cheryl Pistono (Sarah Ramos)
Chick Hearn (Spencer Garrett)
Linda Zafrani (Molly Gordon)
Norm Nixon (DeVaughn Nixon)
Michael Cooper (Delante Desouza)
Jamaal Wilkes (Jimel Atkins)
Mark Landsberger (Austin Aaron)
Brad Holland (Jon Young)
Earvin Johnson Sr. (Rob Morgan)
Jessie Buss (Sally Field)
Donald Sterling (Kirk Bovill)
Red Auerbach (Michael Chiklis)
Paula Abdul (Carina Conti)
Iman (Mariama Diallo)
Richard Pryor (Mike Epps)
Spencer Haywood (Wood Harris)
Phil Knight (Olli Haaskivi)
Christine Johnson (LisaGay Hamilton)
Cindy Day (Rachel Hilson)
David Stern (Andy Hirsch)
Chris Riley (Gillian Jacobs)
Karen West (Lola Kirke)
Jim Chones (Newton Mayenge)
Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small)
Jack Nicholson (Max E. Williams)
We Own This City: Executive produced by George Pelecanos (The Deuce) and David Simon (The Wire) — and based on the book by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton — We Own This City is a six-hour, limited series chronicling the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. It examines the corruption and moral collapse that befell an American city in which the policies of drug prohibition and mass arrest were championed at the expense of actual police work.
Sgt. Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal)
Daniel Hersl (Josh Charles)
Sean M. Suiter (Jamie Hector)
Jemell Rayam (Darrell Britt-Gibson)
Maurice Ward (Rob Brown)
Momodu “G Money” Gondo (McKinley Belcher III)
Scott Kilpatrick (Larry Mitchell)
Nicole Steele (Wunmi Mosaku)
Erika Jensen (Dagmara Domińczyk)
John Sieracki (Don Harvey)
Kevin Davi (Delaney Williams)
David McDougal (David Corenswet)
Ahmed Jackson (Ian Duff)
Leo Wise (Lucas Van Engen)
Brian Grabler (Treat Williams)
Andrea Smith (Gabrielle Carteris)
Stephen Brady (Domenick Lombardozzi)
James Otis (Thaddeus Stree)
Gordon Hawk (Tray Chaney)
Jaquan Dixon (Jermaine Crawford)
Tariq Touré (Nathan E. Corbett)
Brian Hairston (Chris Clanton)
Free Episodes Of HBO’s Most Popular Shows
HBO Max also offers free episodes of its most popular shows. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Game of Thrones, Sex and The City, The Sopranos, True Blood, Veep, and much, much more! If you are one of the few people that have not seen any of these very popular HBO original series, this is a perfect opportunity to watch free episodes and see what the hype is all about.
Free Episodes Of Emmy Award-Winning Shows
There are also free offerings of award-winning shows that do not require a subscription plan. Available shows include;
Euphoria: This show follows a group of high school students as they navigate love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma, and social media. The series is executive produced by Drake, along with manager Future the Prince. The ensemble cast includes actor and singer Zendaya, Maude Apatow (Girls), Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Algee Smith and Sydney Sweeney (Sharp Objects).
Succession: Power, politics, money…it’s all in the family in this award-winning, provocative, funny series about a highly dysfunctional dynasty. When Logan Roy (Brian Cox), CEO of one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates, considers retirement, each of his four grown children follows a personal agenda that doesn’t always sync with those of their siblings–or of their father.
Watchmen: Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, this epic series from Damon Lindelof (Lost; HBO’s The Leftovers) embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own. Regina King stars as a lead detective in the Tulsa Police Force and a wife and mother of three.
Insecure: Created by and starring Issa Rae, this comedy series looks at the friendship of two modern-day black women, as well as all of their uncomfortable experiences and racy tribulations. As they navigate the tricky professional and personal terrain of Los Angeles, best friends Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) face the challenges of being black women who defy all stereotypes.
I Know This Much Is True: A tour-de-force performance from three-time Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo leads this family saga, which follows the parallel lives of identical twin brothers in an epic story of betrayal, sacrifice, and forgiveness set against the backdrop of 20th-century America. The six-episode limited drama series is based on Wally Lamb’s New York Times bestseller and award-winning book.
Visit HBO Max to get a complete catalog listing of the free episodes they offer.
Final Thoughts
Let’s face it, subscription-based services have been a growing trend for years. Although HBO Max is only offering a limited number of free episodes of their catalog, it does allow you to sample their extensive library. I did not watch Breaking Bad until years after the series was concluded. I also did not watch Game of Thrones until its final season, forcing me to binge-watch the first seven seasons before the final season. If I had the ability to watch a free episode early I might have been able to enjoy those shows and many others in real-time. Having the ability to watch an episode or two can go a long way to helping determine if a show is worthy of your time and subscription.