HBO Max revealed that one fan-favorite series will come to an end in 2026 with its second and final season. Several big-name series from the streamer have been canceled over the last couple of months, either closing out their multi-season runs or getting cut short by the powers that be at Warner Bros. One of these projects was the romantic drama Like Water for Chocolate.
Based on the Mexican novel of the same name by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate's second season was recently announced for its HBO Max debut on February 15, 2026. However, with the news of the show's second season came the mention that it would be ending with this incoming second season.
Season 2 of the Spanish-language drama will consist of six episodes on the platform, concluding its two-season run on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
The series follows main character Tita on her continued quest for love. After seemingly leaving her star-crossed lover, Pedro, in the rearview, Tita is forced to reckon with his return, finally deciding whether she will go against her family's wishes or embrace the connection the universe has seemingly set before her.
Like Water for Chocolate Season 2 stars Irene Azuela, Azul Guaita, Ana Valeria Becerril, and Leonardo Alonso (who can also be seen in Netflix's Counterattack).
Other HBO Max Series The Streamer Has Said Goodbye To
Duster
After debuting as one of HBO and HBO Max's tentpole series of 2025, the Josh Holloway-led Duster was kicked to the curb back in July after just one season.
The crime thriller created by J. J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan took place in 1972, following the FBI's first black field agent on the lookout for a getaway driver using a 1970 Plymouth Duster.
Despite largely positive reviews (sitting at a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes), HBO decided to move on from the Duster experience after its first run. The series, however, failed to capture the kind of audience needed to warrant a second season. According to Deadline, the series was unable to rank in the Nielsen Top 10 for streaming originals.
And Just Like That...
The hit Sex and the City spin-off, And Just Like That..., also recently came to its unceremonious end, getting cancelled after three seasons on HBO. The series focused on the continued adventures of Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw and her friends as they entered into a new stage of their lives.
The hit spin-off was originally branded a one-season miniseries, but was eventually greenlit for three total seasons. However, it was revealed mid-Season 3 that its third batch of episodes would be its last.
Much of And Just Like That...'s cancellation came down to declining viewership and an over-inflated budget. Upon its debut, the series was HBO Max's biggest series premiere of all time; however, it has been reported that by the time Season 2 came around, viewership had dropped around 59%.
Peacemaker
While Peacemaker Season 2 was never branded as the show's final season, it has come to be seen as such by DC fans. Late this past summer, James Gunn returned to his hit DC streaming series, led by John Cena as the lovable oaf of an anti-hero, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker.
The new season marked a significant shift for the series, as it picked up where its first batch of episodes left off and integrated them into Gunn's newly launched DCU. The results were largely positive, as fans eagerly embraced Peacemaker and the 11th Street Kids' presence in the new franchise.
However, it seems as though Peacemaker itself may be over. Since Season 2 came to a close, Gunn himself has ruled out a Season 3. During a roundtable Q&A with press ahead of the Season 2 finale (via IGN), Gunn posited that Peacemaker remains "really important to [him]," and the character would remain a part of the wider DCU, but "no," Season 3 was not happening.
Hacks
Hacks has yet to come to an end; however, one is coming, and it is coming fast. The Emmy-winning comedy, created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, has told the story of stand-up comic Deborah Vance and her young ghostwriter, Ava Daniels, for four seasons thus far.
A fifth season has already been announced for the hit show, but that will be it. Season 5 has been confirmed to be Hacks' last. Statsky told TVLine, they hope to "give everybody there due...and to wrap things up in a really satisfying way."
With production having taken place this past fall, one can assume Hacks Season 5 will be released sometime in 2026, marking the end of HBO Max's longest-running original series.
