One of the most brilliant crime thrillers on HBO Max will be officially removed from the premium streaming service in just a matter of days. Now is the perfect time to binge the series before it is taken off the platform this January 2026.
Although this series was originally released on TNT in 2018, HBO Max has been its exclusive streaming home for quite some time. That is all set to change on January 8, 2026, as this 2-season, 18-part crime thriller will be forced to find a new streaming home other than HBO Max.
The Alienist Is Leaving HBO Max Soon – What It's About
The Alienist will be officially leaving HBO Max on January 8, 2026, leaving only a short window for fans of crime thrillers and HBO Max subscribers to binge it. consisting of 18 episodes across two seasons, The Alienist aired on TNT from 2018 to 2020 before its cancellation.
The Alienist takes place in New York during the late 19th century. The story follows Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl), who investigates an apparent serial killer with newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans). The series is based on the books The Alienist and its sequel The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr.
Since all 18 episodes of The Alienist are between 43 and 54 minutes, there's still time to binge the entire series from start to finish before it leaves HBO Max next week. While it's not the newest or top trending HBO Max series right now, it's still a critically acclaimed and fan-approved crime drama centered around a suspenseful murder mystery.
The Alienist Is A Brilliant Crime Thriller To Binge In 2026
Fans of suspenseful serial killer mysteries like True Detective and elaborate period pieces like Death by Lightning should absolutely binge The Alienist while they still have the chance. Between the gripping story, strong characters, great performances, and masterful production design, there are plenty of reasons why The Alienist is worth your time this week.
Dakota Fanning, who plays Sara Howard, a fellow investigator in The Alienist, is also a series highlight in what some might call one of her career-best performances. The Alienist is one of the best possible replacement series out there for fans of Netflix's Mindhunter, given their similar themes of murder and psychology, investigative story, and dark underlying tone.
The Alienist season 2 earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86%, evidence that the series improves with each new episode. Because it's your last chance to watch the series, we've marked it one of the very best shows to binge-watch on HBO Max this week to start 2026 off on a high note.
