Hacks

I finally got around to watching Hacks recently and have to say I really enjoyed it. I never got excited about watching this even though I've heard nothing but great things about it since it came out. It just looked like a show that was aimed more for women and I'm not one. I was wrong...really wrong. It's hilarious and absolutely enjoyable for everyone. The last time I was this wrong about a show was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I didn't think that was a show for me either and I ended up loving it. While I didn't think Hacks wasn't as good as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel it's still a really good show. Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder have such great chemistry that they literally will make you laugh out loud. Don't be like me and put this show off because you think it's aimed at a certain demographic because everyone will like it.

"Hacks" (S03, 9-eps, 32+ mins, MAX) This series, starring Jean Smart, continues to shine among so much streaming dross out there. "Deborah Vance" and her on-again-off-again assistant and head-writer "Ava Daniels" have such an entertaining, co-dependent relationship that it's just always fun from situation to situation. The series writing is funny, intriguing, and plausible. It's just so good in all the important dimensions. And at the season's finale, "Ava" finally makes a really important step in her growth, and that would be a good launch into a season four, if we're fortunate enough to get that green-lit, let's really hope so.

There's a reason Hacks has been nominated for so many awards since it debuted a few years ago, because it's laugh out loud funny. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder deserve every bit the love they've been getting since this came out. Smart especially has had a lot of good roles over her career but this is easily the best performance of her career. Smart and Einbinder take two very unlikable characters and not only make you laugh but will make you root for them. This show works best when these two are together on screen. Every episode is perfectly paced and shows how these characters continue to evolve. As soon as you finish an episode you immediately want to watch the next and that's the best thing you can hope for out of a good tv show.

This show has provided me a similar experience and Marvelous Miss Maisel. Both were genres and subject matter I had little interest in, but after watching a few episodes the writing and acting were so good I got hooked. There really is nothing about this premise that appeals to me but it just pulled me in and the two leads are really great.

Hannah Einbinder has really accomplished something remarkable in my opinion. I think I had initially made an assumption that her character would be cringeworthy but she has such a well developed three dimensional character I've really enjoyed her. She's awkward, yet somehow gorgeous, smart and confident yet vulnerable and flawed, precocious yet humble. By the end of this current season, I find myself so invested in her.

The supporting cast is also growing on me but especially Kayla who I adored right away and it's really satisfying allowing her to evolve and not feel compelled to keep her as the cartoonish persona she had early on. I get the biggest kick out of her and the actress is such a force of nature. I smile every time she comes on screen.

As for Jean Smart. I just believe her. I believe this person exists and that they behave the way she does. She's evolving too but without losing the core of her persona in an unrealistic way.

While watching the first two episodes I thought maybe this is ever so loosely based on Joan Rivers.