When Hacks took home the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2024, it might have been the first time many TV fans had heard of this incredible little gem. Starring Jean Smart as a fiery, washed-up comic who never quite fulfilled her potential, she hires a mid-20s writer (played by Hannah Einbinder) who has nowhere else to turn after her career starts going haywire. Together, the ladies form an unbreakable bond that propels them to new heights both on a personal and professional level. The show’s foundation is stellar, but the execution makes it the best comedy on TV right now.
Hacks differs from other comedy series airing in the 2020s because it has new school dynamics that complement old school heart and soul. The series is a love letter to laughs, love, and strong female leads who are messy and not afraid to show it. If you aren’t watching Hacks during its fourth season, what are you waiting for? These are the four reasons Hacks is the best comedy series you can watch right now.
Jean Smart is the new Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Remember when Julia Louis-Dreyfus took home six Emmy Awards for Veep throughout the 2010s? We never thought there would be another TV queen like her, but Jean Smart is halfway to Louis-Dreyfus’s total after starting her Hacks run a perfect three for three for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. These awards are some of the most deserved in the history of television. Smart is a TV veteran who has previously appeared in classics like Designing Women and newer hits such as Watchmen and Mare of Easttown. Her portrayal of Deborah Vance is on an entirely different level than her past work, though.
Deborah is an arrogant, cranky old bat who should be quite unlikable at first glance. She criticizes those around her while hardly ever taking the blame for the disappointments in her life. She’s somewhat of a narcissist and continuously bullies those who are in positions lower than her. And yet, all due to Smart’s mesmerizing energy and charismatic line delivery, we can’t help but root for Deborah no matter how mean she can be to her inner circle. Deborah Vance represents women at their most powerful. She symbolizes those who take life by the horns even in their later years and after decades of not measuring up. Smart’s depiction of these themes through Deborah is unlike any other actress’s ability right now.
The chemistry between the lead actresses is unmatched
While Smart is the superstar at the center of the comedy, Hannah Einbinder’s performance as Ava Daniels is an irreplaceable part of Hacks. Much like the rapport between Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul made Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad one of the 2010s’ best TV duos, Smart and Einbinder have fused their talents into one creative megaforce. The bickering and the jealousy between the two characters are hilarious, but it’s the heartwrenching scenes when the ladies get serious that drive home how well this partnership works.
Deborah and Ava are more alike than they want to admit. Both women possess incredible perseverance, and they won’t take no for an answer from anyone. They have traversed a lot of tragedy in their personal lives that bleeds into their work in the comedy industry, and it also unfortunately puts an unnecessary wedge between them during the tumultuous times. Watching Smart and Einbinder navigate this love/hate, mother/daughter dynamic is endlessly entertaining and inspiring.
Hacks is a comedy first and a drama second
Hacks has plenty of human drama at its core, but the strength of the script is in the rapid-fire jokes and quick wit of the cast. Hacks is a comedy’s comedy, through and through. This is quite a bit different from many of the other contenders recently in the comedy categories at awards shows.
Take The Bear, for example. Hulu’s dark comedy about a mentally disturbed family running a sandwich shop/fine dining experience in Chicago gets put into the comedy genre by the streamer when submitted for recognition, but the series is a drama. Suicide, anxiety, depression, and so many more themes make it hard to say The Bear is a true comedy. Hacks is always funny first while exploring deeper issues.
Other comedy contenders last year, such as Only Murders in the Building and Reservation Dogs, are also teetering on contrarian genres. Only Murders in the Building is a murder mystery, and Reservation Dogs is a coming-of-age experience. They both could be put into drama categories when recognized at the Emmy Awards, but their half-hour formatting and traditionally comedic actors (such as Steve Martin and Martin Short) lend them to the comedy genre. Hacks doesn’t have to be deciphered compared to these peers. The show is about stand-up comedians, after all. What other evidence do you need for its joke-telling chops?
There aren’t many shows about the stand-up comedy industry
Hacks works within a setting that hardly any other series attempt to, especially in recent memory. Stand-up comedy isn’t exactly in vogue anymore, at least not compared to past decades. The show immerses fans into a world that is unique, even within the workplace genre. Most shows focus on office spaces or hospitals if they use work as the main instigator for storytelling. Hacks explores the cut-throat world of comedy and, in turn, engages in a meta-analysis of its own genre. Brilliant, daring, and must-see TV.
