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Season 1 – Half Man

Play trailer 1:20 Poster for Season 1 – Half Man Next Ep May 18 Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 62 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
When Niall's estranged brother Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day.

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Half Man — Season 1

Half Man — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Richard Gadd delivers a broodingly bleak sophomore effort that dares to plumb the depths of toxic masculinity and repression in a complex and unsettling tale that makes for unsettlingly good TV.

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Critics Reviews

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Inkoo Kang The New Yorker 17h
For all these efforts to psychoanalyze, [Ruben] ultimately feels more like a cautionary tale than a fully realized character. The show’s plotting and Niall’s exquisite complexity more than make up for Ruben’s relative flatness. Go to Full Review
Martin Robinson London Evening Standard May 6
4/5
It’s brave work from Gadd, there is little trace of the nerdy stand-up we all loved in his previous show, and there’s a sense of him trying to do something genuinely new and unexpected. Go to Full Review
Nicholas Harris New Statesman May 6
It makes for a striking and, at times, frightening story about fraternal trauma. But I never found that its commentary about masculinity overcame the particularities of its plotting. Go to Full Review
Alison Rowat The Herald (Scotland) 20h
3/5
This should have been a movie, preferably one where someone cried “enough” when required... That might have made the difference between a good piece of television and a great one. Go to Full Review
Tom Beasley Voice Magazine 1d
3/5
Half Man has moments of that genius, with Gadd’s scriptwriting periodically delivering perceptive gems of dialogue. Unfortunately, though, this is a six-part series with an unfortunate tendency to ladle on so much sorrow and plight that it drowns. Go to Full Review
John Paul King Washington Blade 1d
In any case, Gadd's newest variation on a theme is a solidly crafted, well-acted, and hypnotically fascinating exercise in the kind of "can't look away" drama that makes for a perfect binge watch. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Bob B @BBfromY 3h Knew it was building into something but Episode 4 still managed to blow my mind. So good. The scene in the hospital is dynamite. Top quality. See more David W. @Madwit 10h I was spellbound by this. I can barely wait for Gadd’s next project. See more Valerie K. @snow_cardinal 13h Great acting and storyline See more Ekin E @RT98855949 14h I absolutely loved Halfman. It’s easily one of the most compelling productions to come out in recent times. What stood out to me the most was the show’s masterful use of foreshadowing—nothing feels accidental, and subtle details introduced early on pay off in ways that are both satisfying and surprising. The interconnected nature of the storylines adds another layer of depth, making each episode feel like a crucial piece of a much larger puzzle. Every episode manages to surprise you in a different way, not just through plot twists, but through emotional and psychological depth. The writing goes beyond surface-level storytelling and really explores complex themes with nuance. In particular, I found its portrayal of masculinity incredibly powerful. Instead of relying on stereotypical representations, the series challenges and deconstructs traditional ideas of male identity, showing vulnerability, internal conflict, and the pressures that come with societal expectations. See more A M. @Adrieonnamaplethorpe 1d SO ADDICTING! This show is honestly not something I would typically find myself watching, but there I was, bored and searching for something new, hoping to stumble across a gem—and then this appeared. I was completely hooked, smiling, laughing, and crying at the screen for hours. It is hard to find a character as intense and polarizing as Ruben. See more Taj M @RT67826069 1d Probably like most viewers, I was a big fan of Baby Reindeer and was eager to see what Gadd had to offer next. While I appreciate the dark and gritty, Half Man is unrelenting in its onslaught of misery. It's just one traumatic scene after another -- with zero levity. All in the service of a story that's been told many times before. It's not bad per se, but just a slog. See more Read all reviews
Half Man — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall's wedding; this surprise visit turns what should be a joyous occasion into chaos, leading to an eruption of violence that catapults back through the decades. Details Episode 2 Aired Apr 30, 2026 After struggling to fit in at university, an isolated Niall turns to Ruben for help, but his presence leads to devastating consequences. Details Episode 3 Aired May 2, 2026 1993. His mother asks Niall to lie in court about Ruben's violence, and he is conflicted. Ruben seems different now, so the decision weighs heavily on him. Details Episode 4 Aired May 14, 2026 When Niall's estranged brother Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day. Details Episode 5 Aired May 12, 2026 When Niall's estranged brother Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day. Details Episode 6 Airs May 18 When Niall's estranged brother Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day. Details

Season Info

Director
Eshref Reybrouck, Alexandra Brodski
Creator
Richard Gadd
Screenwriter
Richard Gadd
Network
HBO
Genre
Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Apr 23, 2026