by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
2024 has been an interesting year for streaming platforms and television. It’s no secret that the box office in the US has been noticeably down, but television continues to get churned out and is still in a strong place post-COVID-19. Some streamers, like Amazon, Hulu (in partnership with FX), and Apple TV+, are releasing amazing shows. Others, such as Paramount+, Disney+ (minus X-Men ‘97), and Peacock, continue their struggles. But one service that continues to be a bit of an enigma is Max, with which Warner Bros. Discovery still doesn’t seem to know what to do. After publicly canceling and removing a lot of shows on their network, HBO has struggled a bit this year with their shows. Max originals, though, are going strong, led by the latest season of Hacks.
Season Three of Hacks takes place after the events of the Season Two finale, with Deborah (Jean Smart) reeling from her newfound success and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) finding an opportunity that aligns more with her values. With Deborah reaching the apex of her popularity, an opportunity that got away from her in the past is now within her grasp. History is knocking at her door, and she’s on the cusp of getting a role she’s wanted her entire life.
Let’s start with the story. Season Three’s arc is masterfully done for nearly all the characters. We’ve spent the last two seasons having Deborah struggle to remain relevant. If we had spent another season doing this, Hacks would’ve risked becoming stale. Instead, we see a side of Deborah that we’ve never seen. She’s more driven and determined than she’s ever been. One would think that this would cause her to be even more insufferable to her staff, but shockingly, it grounds her. Smart has never been better playing Deborah, and I’m calling it now: She will win another Emmy for her performance this season. Between the range of emotions she carries this season, including arcs about aging and potentially being canceled, along with mending relationships she thought were beyond repair, Deborah has one of the best character arcs of any character in television this year.
Einbinder is fantastic as well — Ava has more growth than in any other season so far. She continues to brush up culturally against Deborah (and just the older establishment). This is the first time though we see Ava’s affect on others actually pay off in a positive way. Numerous times, Deborah’s staff members cite Ava as a reason to make a decision about something. Once viewed as an annoying culture warrior, Ava now commands respect. I love this side of the character, because her overthinking can get in the way of her talent. However, Einbinder commands the room and even takes some notes from Deborah about getting something she truly wants. I’m floored by how amazing Einbinder is this season.
Season Three still has some challenges, though. Side characters are pushed off more than others. Hacks still struggle to figure out what to do with Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) and Damien (Mark Indelicato). Maybe it’s because other parts of Deborah’s business empire don’t matter as much anymore, but their roles continue to degrade with each season. This isn’t to say that either Indelicato or Clemons-Hopkins aren’t talented or right for their roles; the writers just need to figure out more arcs to keep their characters relevant. There are also Hollywood politics that come into play this season, which are repetitive. For instance, Helen Hunt plays a foul-mouthed network executive. However, another Hollywood executive played by Tony Goldwyn offers the same problems that Hunt does for Deborah and her team. We get it: Deborah has to jump through a lot of hurdles, but both performers feel wasted.
Two characters who have strong arcs this season are Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter). In a way, they remind me of early season Deborah and Ava. Both are trying to figure out the best way to learn from one another while establishing personal boundaries. Jimmy’s big hangup has always been not trusting Kayla and him thinking she’s a bit of a screwup. Kayla has noticeably toned down her behavior and is contributing meaningful things for their agency, but Jimmy can’t see past his initial opinion of her. Their relationship is put to the test this season, and I’m so glad that they actually addressed it in a healthy way.
In fact, the theme of this season is mending fences. Several characters make an effort to patch damaged relationships and to learn from these past mistakes. Part of the healing process for this, though, involves confronting the problem. Deborah, Ava, Jimmy, and Kayla each have opportunities to take the high road for the betterment of someone else. Grace is a major component of these decisions. After spending so much of the last two seasons showing how toxic some of these relationships are, we finally get to see some of the benefits and changes within all the characters.
The strongest part of Hacks continues to be the writing. The jokes and wordplay have never been better. Deborah commands each room and still tries to make a joke out of numerous situations. However, she has some moving conversations with her family members which feel genuine and sincere. DJ (Kaitlin Olson) in particular has some heartfelt moments with Deborah, and they balance comedy and drama. Perhaps the best moments, though, come when Ava and Deborah interact with one another. We’re finally starting to see them work better together, and there is a level of respect and love that takes time to build. A particular moment during the final episode depicts Ava showing Deborah some jokes she’s been working on, and it made me cry. It is moving, emblematic of their relationship, but still exceedingly funny. This is why I love Hacks. It can give you such a wide range of emotions in a short amount of time.
Hacks is easily HBO’s strongest effort this year, which is odd, considering that it’s been relegated to a Max Original from its inception. The performances, story, and writing are the best they’ve ever been, and I’m so excited for more to come in the future. Season Three ends with perhaps one of the best “oh crap” moments of the year, but it also felt like a natural shifting in the power dynamics that I’m really looking forward to seeing soon. Hacks is HBO’s best comedy and it’s not even that close.
Rating: Loved It
Hacks is currently streaming on Max
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