Westworld is getting kicked off HBO Max — and I'm worried

Opinion
By published

The latest HBO Max move changes the calculus on what's safe

Thandiwe Newton as Maeve in Westworld
(Image credit: HBO)

HBO Max's troubles have been obvious since August, but a new twist in the cancelation of Westworld changes things to the point where fans of HBO shows have more cause for concern. Time was, some things felt safe. Now? Not so much.

Yesterday (Dec. 12), Deadline broke the news that both Westworld and The Nevers would be removed from HBO Max. And it was announced that Westworld and other exiled HBO Max shows will be free with ads ... elsewhere.

All of those cancelations and removals are annoying and potentially upsetting, but Westworld and The Nevers are different. While Minx, Love Life and Gordita Chronicles were Max Originals, Westworld and The Nevers were HBO series. And that's where things got very murky and uncertain.

Is nothing on HBO Max safe?

Streaming services 'lose' movies and shows all the time. It's just very rare that the shows are their exclusive originals. Nearly 99% of the shows or movies this happens to were licensed (Netflix has done this once, with Hemlock Grove) from another company — as was the case with Lionsgate TV and Sony TV above.

Now, with actual HBO shows getting deleted from the service, nothing feels safe — and media collectors are likely shouting "I told you so!" And it's probably making some worry about how they'll access some of the best HBO Max shows and best movies on HBO Max if they got cut.

The HBO Max logo on a phone on top of a keyboard

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Yours truly? I love many an HBO Max show, but most seem in good health and have more seasons coming. Tell that to the cast of Minx, which was canceled after season 2 — which won't air on HBO Max — wrapped. So I'm mostly worried about shows and movies that might not be getting enough love to meet some internal metrics at Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max's parent company. 

These recent HBO Max cancelations and removals have mostly been blamed on the concept that shows and movies that don't have a large enough audience aren't profitable enough to store on a streaming service. Not only do royalties need to be paid, but upkeep costs of housing a show exist.

Philippine Velge, Mackenzie Davis in Station Eleven

(Image credit: HBO Max)

And it's reminded me why I've been concerned about the utterly-excellent limited series Station Eleven, an HBO Max series from Paramount Television Studios. Yes, it's an HBO Max show, so it didn't feel "safe" after yesterday's news about Minx, but all of these recent developments started a conversation about the adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel's book about life during a flu pandemic — one of the best HBO Max shows. 

We at Tom's Guide believe Station Eleven is one of the best TV shows of 2022, but that might not be enough. It is a limited series, and doesn't have more seasons coming, so I have a concern that there may not be enough people discovering it or rewatching to meet some standards.

Say "welcome back" to optical media

I'm the kind of person who still purchases Blu-rays of movies and shows that mean something to me. Programs and films that I wouldn't want to be without. 

Station Eleven creator and showrunner Patrick Somerville has been indirectly acknowledging my concerns, and showing me I'm not alone. On Twitter, he addressed the issue, starting by acknowledging the fan interest, stating "I know this has come up a lot for fans of the show, and I apologize for not speaking to it." He then explained that DVDs of Station Eleven exist, and are being produced in an odd on-demand way. Trying to find them online, I've struck out. The media is listed as "currently unavailable" on Amazon. 

Somerville's notes included the fact that "all of the makers of the show were caught off guard" by the DVDs even appearing. 

At the end, Somerville concluded with two unfortunate hard facts. First: we have to watch Station Eleven on HBO Max to help keep it around, as he said "The only way to really ensure shows remain available is that they generate too much interest (and completion) for anyone to justify removing them." Though his next tweet — "And even then… 🤷‍♂️." makes it sound like nothing is for certain.

The second, and more troubling thing he wrote i,s "If you take anything from this thread, take this— even the people who make shows have no f**kin’ idea what’s gonna happen tomorrow, just like the execs who passionately fought for them for years have no idea if they’ll be employed tomorrow. That runs all the way up to the CEOs." 

Outlook: Will HBO Max accidentally bring piracy back?

The sound you may have heard after Somerville's Twitter thread was posted, was the sound of Station Eleven fans far and wide looking into how to secure a digital copy of the series. As much as I want to do my part to ensure Station Eleven's survival, it's not the kind of series you always want to watch (as noted above, it's about a version of humanity that's been irrevocably ravaged by a pandemic). 

Streaming services are not libraries. While we may expect some things to never leave (I'd bet money Stranger Things stays on Netflix as long as Netflix exists), nothing is permanent. In the meantime, all we can say is enjoy the shows and movies you can, as best you can. 

And look into Plex.

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Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.