Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comic whose career is stalling. Hannah Einbinder plays Ava, a young comedy writer who just got canceled for a tweet. The two are forced to work together, and the result is one of the sharpest shows on television.
Trailer, via HBO Max Asia.
Deborah Vance, Up Close
Smart gives the performance of her career. Deborah is a control freak, a workaholic, and a woman who has built her entire life around the stage. She is not always likable, but she is always compelling. The show gives her real depth, showing the scars left by a career spent fighting men who stole her material and her spotlight.
Einbinder matches her beat for beat. Ava is privileged, self-destructive, and genuinely talented. Watching her learn that the world does not owe her anything is uncomfortable and funny. Their chemistry is the engine of the show. The insults fly fast, but the respect underneath grows slowly.
Setting: Las Vegas, Not a Postcard
The show treats Las Vegas as a real place, not a postcard. The casinos are gaudy, the audiences are brutal, and the backstage politics are vicious. The writers clearly know this world. Details like the endless meet-and-greets and the pressure of a nightly residency feel specific and true.
The supporting cast is strong. Carl Clemons-Hopkins plays Marcus, Deborah’s long-suffering operations chief. He runs her life with a mix of terror and devotion. Kaitlin Olson plays Deborah’s estranged daughter, and their scenes cut deep. The show understands that family wounds do not heal just because you are rich and famous.
Comedy With a Dark Edge
The jokes land, but the show is not afraid to go dark. A recurring thread involves Deborah’s history with her ex-husband and former comedy partner. That betrayal shaped everything about her. The show does not wave it away for a happy ending.
- The writing is precise, with setups that pay off episodes later
- The direction is clean, letting the actors work without distraction
- The pacing is tight, with no wasted scenes
The balance between laughter and heartbreak is the show’s great trick. A scene can make you wince and laugh in the same breath. That is hard to pull off, and the show does it again and again.
Slow Burn to a Real Finish
The first season is not about a quick fix. Deborah and Ava fail as often as they succeed. Ava keeps making terrible personal choices. Deborah keeps sabotaging her own chances at reinvention. The progress is real, but it is incremental.
The season builds to a finale that feels earned. It does not resolve everything. It leaves both women in a place that feels honest, with the partnership still fragile but promising. It is the rare comedy that trusts its audience to wait.
The show won a pile of awards for its first season, including Emmys for Smart and for the writing. That recognition was deserved. This is not a show that coasts on charm.
The series has continued past this first season, with later seasons expanding the story and the stakes. But this review is about the 2021 season, and it stands on its own as a complete piece of television.
The Bottom Line
Hacks is a show about two difficult women who need each other more than they will admit. It is funny, sad, and never sentimental. It respects its characters enough to let them be messy. It respects its audience enough to avoid easy answers.
The performances are superb. The writing is sharp. The setting is vivid. If you want a comedy that feels like it was made by people who actually think, this is it. It is a masterclass in how to build a character and then let that character change.
