HBO Max is About to Lose a Perfect-Rated Animated Series at the Worst Time [UPDATED]

If there’s one thing certain in the world of streaming, it’s that nothing is guaranteed. The streaming landscape is in constant flux, with titles coming and going from libraries every month, and HBO Max subscribers are about to be hit with that reality. As a perfect-rated animated series prepares to return for its third season after a three-year wait later this month, fans of the show are running out of time to binge-watch Season 1.

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal was a breakout hit when it premiered in 2019, but according to JustWatch, fans only have five more days left to stream all 10 episodes of Season 1 before it leaves HBO Max. The debut season of the Adult Swim show, which scored a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, is scheduled to depart HBO Max on January 11th, the same day the long-awaited Season 3 premieres on Adult Swim and just a day before the new season makes its way to HBO Max on January 12th. The five-time Emmy-winning series is set at the dawn of evolution and follows a caveman, Spear, and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Fang, who form an unlikely bond. Update: WarnerBros have clarified to ComicBook that Primal Season 1 is not set to be removed from HBO Max on January 12.

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Is a Masterpiece of Adult Animation

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Primal is really just that good, and that 100% critic score, which the series earned back-to-back in both Seasons 1 and 2, is absolutely deserved. The show, which holds an average 93% audience rating, is an ambitious work of art devoid of dialogue that relies entirely on animation and sound design to create a visceral, immersive, and often heartbreaking experience of survival in a brutal prehistoric world. The entire show is the pinnacle of Tartakovsky’s work, masterfully combining his signature visual storytelling with intense action and emotional depth.

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The show cemented its 100% Season 1 score across 23 reviews. Arizona Republic’s Sam Mossam called the series “a testament to the medium and another shining example of how animation can provide a memorable onscreen experience as well as any live action fare is able to do.” Rolling Stone’s David Stone lauded Season 1 as “storytelling at its most basic, sound and images moving faster than a speeding velociraptor and brimming with soulfulness.”

Primal Season 3 doesn’t yet hold a critic rating, but with the three reviews that have already trickled in, it seems poised to continue the show’s success. All current reviews for the new season have been positive, with ComicBook’s Nick Vladez calling it “the best season of the Adult Swim show yet” when giving it a 5 out of 5.

Where to Stream Primal Season 1 After It Leaves HBO Max?

Primal Season 1 is a big loss for adult animation fans, and it’s made even more difficult by the fact that streaming the 10-episode season will nearly be impossible. After Season 1 exits HBO Max’s library, the season won’t be available on any major streaming platform and will only be available to watch on Adult Swim’s website with a cable TV login.

Primal Season 3 premieres on Adult Swim on January 11th at 11:30 p.m. ET and will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max. Further episode release dates haven’t yet been confirmed.

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