I expected to dislike the people in HBO’s War, since that is basically a given in shows like this. I wasn’t expecting to be this indifferent to what happens to them.
War Season 1 Episode 1 gives us a nasty celebrity divorce without making the marriage, or the people fighting over it, particularly interesting.
There are good performances here. But the writing is so familiar that even its betrayals feel like things we’re waiting to tick off.
Morgan Isn’t Fooling Anyone, Except Possibly Himself
Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) speaking about better online behavior before getting caught in a honey trap tells us exactly what kind of man we’re dealing with.
But his insistence that he doesn’t do one-night stands is more revealing than the speech. Who is he trying to convince?
He leaves his hotel door open for Flora after supposedly ending their evening. Apparently, he needs her to make the decision he’s already made.
West is good at that particular vanity. Morgan wants to enjoy himself while retaining the option of believing this isn’t how he usually behaves.
There’s something to work with there. Unfortunately, the photograph quickly makes his self-deception less important than whether his wife can use it against him.
Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) arranged the encounter, and her lawyers want the photograph resent so they have a record of objecting to how it was obtained.
Of course they do. Giving up useful evidence would be inconvenient, but documenting their disapproval lets them feel suitably removed from the whole business.
It’s the same excuse Morgan gives himself, only with better paperwork. Everyone wants the benefit while leaving someone else responsible for the unpleasant part.
That connection deserves more attention than Morgan announcing he’s going to war. We’ve seen the title. We understand these people intend to fight dirty.
What’s missing is a reason to care who wins. Carla’s anger is understandable, but knowing she wants revenge tells us little about the marriage.
Johnny’s Problems Don’t Automatically Make Him Worth Rooting For
Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux) initially seems easier to support. Being qualified for work nobody will hire you to do is frustrating enough.
Then the episode piles on the humiliation until his eventual deception feels almost pre-excused. How badly can we judge him after everyone treats him terribly?
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Bella admitting she’s embarrassed by his waiting job is particularly ugly. He’s working, and apparently that only counts if the work he does impresses her.
Her excitement over his supposed offer makes the relationship look even worse. Does she want him happy, or does she want a more presentable boyfriend?
But the premiere also treats waiting tables as something shameful he needs to escape. It doesn’t put much distance between its attitude and Bella’s.
Angus is similarly useful as someone we’re meant to hate. His taunts practically invite Johnny to punch him, sparing us much discomfort about the violence.
Bella mentioning that Johnny screwed up in New York is more interesting.
Hold on, how much responsibility is he avoiding while complaining about his circumstances?
Renaux makes the resentment believable. The revelation that Johnny is secretly working for Cathcarts gives him another agenda. However, it doesn’t answer that more revealing question.
His “It’s done” echoes Flora’s, linking their assignments neatly. Still, since we barely know his new colleagues, his betraying them doesn’t feel like much of a loss for viewers.
Carla’s Plan Backfires at Her Own Premiere
Morgan serving Carla at her premiere is awful precisely because it’s her premiere. He could hurt her elsewhere.
But he doesn’t; he chooses the occasion that’s celebrating her work.
Miller makes that indignity register, albeit briefly before plastering a smile. Carla set a trap for him, but that doesn’t mean watching him take over her evening suddenly feels fair.
The discussion of her spy film, however, makes the double-crossing painfully obvious. So far, the series doesn’t trust us to follow along, or at least the premiere doesn’t.
Carla’s son wishing her luck offers a brief glimpse of the family and how it’s affected by all this. If the hour gave us more of that, it might have made the ending sting more.
On that note, here’s hoping the next few episodes of War give us more to care about.
Over to you, War Fanatics.
Did you feel for Carla despite the honeytrap? And are you rooting for Johnny, or already tired of his excuses? Let’s talk in the comments.
You can watch War on Thursdays at 9/8c on HBO. And you can stream new episodes every week on HBO Max.
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