Hacks (Season Three)

Hacks (Season Three)

Max, May 2, 2024

April 30, 2024
By Kyle Mullin
Photo by Eddy Chen/Max
Web Exclusive

The end of it hacks season two was absolute perfection. Writer Ava Daniels, Emmy nominee Hannah Einbinder in a nervous, awkward and funny performance, helped veteran comedian Deborah Vance, two-time Emmy winner Jean Smart, write a standup special. It didn't just revive her declining career, it helped make her the biggest comic in the world. This success led the creators of a satire program to court Ava. Instead of celebrating, Deborah was hurt. She dismissed Ava and curtly told her tearful protégé to just build on her newfound drive. As much as fans want more of the couple's volatile yet side-by-side dynamic, it made sense for Ava to move on, especially given how Deborah would beat her up and manipulate her in her lowest moments. It would have made sense for the creators to end on an emotional and exciting high since both characters had shown so much growth, instead of falling into a repetitive comedy.

Those concerns are brushed aside faster than Deborah flicks through one flashy, overpriced dress after the next on her new stylist's hanger in the Season Three premiere. In a series best (before you read it, please watch the premiere and the second episode as soon as they come out on May 2nd so as not to spoil this stunner) her “closet” turns out to be an airplane hangar a few miles from the Las Vegas Strip who toiled for decades while wearing sequined fabrics as flashy as the neon of this tourist trap. Her stylists are overwhelmed by the volume of shelves in this warehouse as Deborah sifts through her inventory in a rolodex before finding the dress she's looking for. He is a risqué, rugged, buttercup yellow monster. Deborah can't even fit in anymore, but vows to lose weight to do so.

As Ava astutely points out when they confront each other in a hotel, Deborah is just trying to challenge herself now that she's reached a new career high. Indeed, fans are still so enamored with her new special that they laugh at everything Deborah says as she tries to work through new material, making it impossible to know which jokes are genuine keepers. Everyone from this audience to her staff empowers Deborah, except Ava. Their familiar dynamic quickly reemerges as Ava teases Deborah about the dress, leading her former mentor to call the hotel office and have a gay bellhop call her to their room for an honest opinion. It's the kind of scene that will satisfy fans of television's most acidic comedy.

Even better: hacks The new episodes prioritize character development as high as laughs. As Deborah and Ava banter in her hotel room after their dress exchange, a powerful realization resonates: the bigger comic needs someone like Ava to keep it grounded. That ante is upped as Deborah asks Ava for advice on a joke for the awards show, and the younger up-and-comer refuses because her former mentor let her off the hook so coldly, making her new gig seem like a healthier choice.

The new season also gives other relationships fresh twists. Carl Clemons-Hopkins is as unflappable as ever as comedic diva Marcus' right-hand man. She is enjoying a new mission to deal with the super fans who make unsolicited Deborah Vance merchandise. Marcus is reinforced by Rose Abdou, the scene-stealing Josephine, Deborah's estate manager. When Josefina texts on the comic's behalf after popping an Ambien before bed, it's a sharp but frustrating gag that will make you laugh harder than anything else on TV this year.

Meanwhile, Ava gets back with her ex Ruby (Lorenza Izzo of Confess, Fletch, Once upon a time in Hollywood). Ruby stars in a major superhero franchise. She and Ava now feel like equals and certainly look happy in their fancy Hollywood home. Their chemistry is clearly evident as they share some lovingly intimate scenes that feel lived-in, rather than satanic. This gives viewers a lot of room for editing considering how heartbroken Ava was when they first broke up. But their idyllic showbiz romance falls apart when Ava considers Deborah's job offer. This prompts Ruby to remind Ava how unhealthy the pair's working relationship was. Ava makes a strong counter-argument about how they've moved on from all of this while still maintaining a distinct and exciting creative spark. The layers of resentment, jealousy, and valid points about toxicity make both characters relatable. Their feud is complicated, even though the script also boasts spot-on jokes about Ava's failure to understand her girlfriend's superhero character. (“I don't know how to follow the fucking graphic novel boxes!”)

Speaking of new gigs: the perpetually troubled Deborah gets a chance to land her dream job in the ultimate comedy echelon, always dominated by male comics. The look she gives herself in the mirror before stepping onto that coveted stage will give you one of the gut punches that Hacks he is known for as much as his punches. Best of all: Deborah kills it, so much so that she gets the chance to take on this job full-time and bring Ava on board as her writer, much to Ruby's chagrin. Considering all Deborah has endured, the moment is shocking and speaks subtly but powerfully to the entrenched sexism of showbiz.

Ava then rebukes Ruby's warnings, urging her partner to take a break and reevaluate their relationship. When he returns to Deborah's mansion, the second episode ends with the comedy matriarch making familiar, if understated, orders (like “take off your shoes” the moment Ava enters the foyer). This gives the young writer and the audience pause. This self-awareness of how unhealthy relationships trap us back into regressive power dynamics makes the closing moments of the second episode effectively abrupt. That's because we're left wondering how a now-seasoned showbiz warrior like Ava will deal with Deborah's inevitable dominance.

So far, its third season Hacks it's free of the types that make smaller shows that much more hackneyed. (www.max.com/shows/hacks)

Author Rating: 8/10