Hacks brings together Deborah Vance, a comedy veteran fighting to remain relevant, and Ava Daniels, a young writer whose career has been damaged by a social-media controversy. Their different generations and ideas about humour collide, but neither can simply do without the other.
Jean Smart is magnificent as Deborah. Hardness, wit and vulnerability coexist, with loneliness visible beneath the fearless exterior. Hannah Einbinder gives Ava idealism, uncertainty and an occasionally infuriating naivety. Their chemistry powers the series through arguments, jokes and more painful changes of allegiance.
The humour is sharp, but it has substance behind it. The comedy business, the pressure to remain relevant and the treatment of women in entertainment become part of the characters' experience rather than a lecture pasted onto the plot.
Lucia Aniello's direction has the timing the material needs. The characters change through small, sometimes barely noticeable moments. That gradual movement makes their development convincing and gives the jokes an emotional foundation.
The early seasons keep finding new pressures for the pair, including the move out of Las Vegas and onto the road. What matters is not merely whether they can work together, but what collaboration costs and reveals about them.
Hacks is a brilliant combination of pointed comedy and genuine feeling. Its dialogue, performances and complex people make it much more than a collection of excellent gags. I care about the pair even while they are making each other miserable, which is a considerable part of its achievement.
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