'Hacks' Knows Exactly What It’s Doing — And That’s What Makes It Great

On paper, “Hacks” could have been — excuse the pun — a hacky premise: a generational clash between a boomer comedian and a Gen Z comedy writer forced to work together. Insert some low-hanging jokes about their differences, and call it a day.

But the Max comedy series has always been richer and deeper than that, thanks to creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky — veterans of great TV comedies like “Broad City” and “The Good Place” — and an ensemble of extremely funny actors led by television icon Jean Smart. In 2021, the show’s first season mined real-world parallels to create a perfect tonal alchemy, uproarious one minute, poignant the next. Smart’s character, fictional comedy legend Deborah Vance, evoked lots of real-life women in entertainment who have been unfairly maligned, misunderstood and written off. And Deborah’s relationship with her writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) was always much more complex than a simple pairing of two mismatched people or a toxic boss managing an entitled new employee.

Add in a rich tapestry of supporting characters, including Deborah and Ava’s long-suffering manager Jimmy (played by Downs), his inept assistant Kayla (Meg Stalter), Deborah’s devoted but perpetually overworked CEO Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) and striving assistant Damian (Mark Indelicato). Seamlessly weave in some mordantly funny meta-commentary on the entertainment industry, and you’ve got comedy gold.

Season 2 found new ways to do the same things that made the first season great, taking the characters on the road as Deborah tests out new material for what becomes a career-defining comedy special. It ends with one of the show’s best scenes, where Deborah fires Ava — but does so out of respect and love, so