Is Hacks Worth Watching?

A review on the Emmy winning show I watched 6 months ago from someone with awful memory.

If you watched the Emmys, you know that Hacks was the surprising winner of "Outstanding Comedy Series." It beat out Abbott Elementary, Reservation Dogs, What We Do in the Shadows, The Bear, and other, less surprising shows.

As someone who loves television, I find the Emmys exciting. However, one must approach them with low expectations. I've noticed that the Emmys often prioritize popularity over originality.

Now, before diving in, I should mention that many of my friends haven’t watched Hacks because it stars two cis white women. If you are someone who prefers to watch shows, specifically comedies, the main characters are BIPOC, this show might not be you. Additionally, while the show explores queer storylines, they can feel formulaic. Ava's character often explains social justice issues in a surface-level or even disingenuous way (which the show uses to comment on wokeness).

So enough click bait, is Hacks worth watching?

I don’t think it should have won over Reservation Dogs (in its final season) or Abbott Elementary. However, the show is definitely worth your time.

Hacks is a buddy comedy about a rising outspoken neo-liberal writer Ava (Played by Hannah Einbinder)  paired with the legendary, stuck-in-her-ways Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart). 

It is dark, heartwarming, incredibly funny, and at times uncomfortable. 

The two-year gap between seasons 2 and 3 was well worth the wait. This season delivered everything I wanted from the show. 

I love a good Season 3 because that’s when the audience knows the characters and the world well enough for the writers to start really playing with the material. Inside jokes emerge, audience expectations are subverted, and character goals are finally achieved. Think of pivotal season 3 moments like Ross and Rachel going "on a break" in Friends, Kyle and Max dating in Living Single, or David opening "Rose Apothecary" in Schitt's Creek. 

In Hacks season 3, we watch Deborah pursue her life-long dream (no spoilers). She pushes herself to (continuously) ask for what she has always wanted from an industry that has historically overlooked her. Deborah has more at stake than her peers in the industry because of her age and gender. 

There is a sense of urgency around this goal that is expressed bluntly in the show. My favorite episodes of the season is episode 5, “One Day”. In the episode, Deborah explains that, “Your whole life, you say ‘one day’, ‘one day i'll do this, one day i'll accomplish that’. The magic of ‘one day’ is that it's all ahead of you, but for me ‘one day’ is now. Anything I want to do, I have to do now or else i'll never do it. That's the worst part of getting older.”

The show explores the realities of aging, especially in an industry that values youthfulness. I honestly have not watched many shows (apart from Grace and Frankie) that have conversations about what aging feels like especially for older women. The idea that this is Deborahs last shot makes it that much easier to root for her and forgive her.

The show has always talked about the idea of comedy and what makes something funny. Which makes it that much more satisfying to see Deborah take accountability later in the season for her life-long career built on jokes that “punch down”. Moments like this are what make the show feel that much more worth it. 

Avas impact on Deborah is undeniable and their relationship, although hard to watch at times is one that you can't help but root for. 

Throughout the season Ava also grows and changes but I find her character less interesting in all honesty so i'm thinking maybe I don't write about her. 

Overall though, the show does what you want a comedy to do, it engages you and makes you laugh even when you wonder if it's wrong to laugh. Hacks is a fun time and definitely worth the watch. 

While I have you here, hi! Welcome to Buzzword Soup, I am going to do another post introducing myself and what this page will be but for now I hope you enjoyed my review.