Just a few months ago, HBO’s revered show "Hacks" ended its extraordinary 5-season run. This final season of the generational show tallied up a whopping 23 Emmy nominations, breaking the record for most nominations for a comedy TV show for a single season in history.
So what makes "Hacks" so special? The show itself could’ve been done completely as a drama because the plot material allows for that. You have an older woman in the entertainment industry who, despite ending up being rich and successful, is still dealing with feeling left behind because of her age, gender, and media portrayal throughout her career. And then you have a lost young writer dealing with the hardships of the Hollywood industry after saying the wrong thing and being unable to find work from then on. However, these two characters are both comedians, and the comedy writing bleeds into every aspect of the show, making it an ingenious comedic work. Here are a few more reasons why the show works:
Their Relationship
The magic of this show lies in the dynamic between these two characters, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), after they’re paired to work together by their manager, Jimmy LuSaque Jr (Paul W. Downs). With Smart and Einbinder playing opposite one another, the dichotomy between the two characters creates tension and balances out the show. This makes the show interesting because it places the audience inside the life of a privileged woman in her 70s through the eyes of a 20-something woke bisexual (which we would argue is the target audience for the show), two completely different demographics. However, throughout the show, their age gap and different tax brackets are overcome because they share the same humor and ambition and can communicate through it. This makes the nature of their relationship a true will-they-won’t-they, because, despite their differences, they know they make each other better.
The Truth About The Entertainment Industry
There’s something quite meta about "Hacks", because the writers of the show are comedians writing about comedians developing a new "hour" and later on a late-night TV show. Knowing the inner workings of not only the comedy scene but also of the TV industry makes for a very interesting point of view in the show itself, pointing out issues such as AI, wage gaps, climate change, sexism, ageism, and jokes that are often at the expense of the people behind the TV industry and in power. Consequently, "Hacks" brings to light truths about censorship and the gradual sidelining of artists and writers in favor of monetary gain. The show is so important because it centers around a woman who was labeled as crazy and pushed to the sidelines in a male-dominated field. It follows her journey, highlighting the subtle ways in which she managed to rise and achieve success despite these challenges.
The Joke Within The Joke
"Hacks" is full of sharp writing, and jokes are never throwaways. Having rewatched the show a few times, I can tell you I’ve caught myself cackling at jokes that fully went over my head on my first or even second watch. The jokes are layered and only get better as the seasons go on, because they become kind of "inside" jokes the more familiar we become with the characters and context. For example, one of my favorite bits in season five was when Laurie Metcalf spits out a 3-minute monologue that opens with "Well, well, well, turns out the doctor was a woman." With a smart nod to the riddle about the surgeon who can’t operate on her son, the delivery of the monologue with callbacks to jokes from previous seasons earned Metcalf her second Best Guest Actress Emmy nomination for this specific role (which she won the last time she was nominated).
Laurie Metcalf scored a Best Guest Actress nomination for Hacks thanks to this iconic 3-minute monologue #EmmyNoms pic.twitter.com/cubr9sax4p
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 8, 2026
Another thing that has added to the culture of the show itself is the outside bits from the cast and their relationships with each other. Paul W. Downs and Meg Stalter as talent agent partners Jimmy and Kayla, respectively, in the show have become one of the most beloved TV duos, and fans have been begged them for a spin-off since the final season of "Hacks" was announced. In their press run, they’ve had ongoing bits such as dressing up as Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner that just take the comedy to the next level. Writing alongside his partner and director in "Hacks", Lucia Anello, Downs, and Jen Statsky have such incredible rapport that it is felt through the show they created, which makes it that much better.
‘HACKS’ stars Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs showed to the 2026 Critics Choice Awards as Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet. 😭 pic.twitter.com/MIo6RlNTna
The Heart
Overall, "Hacks" is a generational show that will be considered a classic in the future because its humor is so timeless but incredibly relevant. It’s tender and ruthless at times but never not funny. The show is about friendship and how Deborah’s comeback tour is ignited by this queer, "super woke" young writer, whose beliefs are always the punchline but are never disrespected by the writers. It is about how comedy is a language and a tangible experience that leads to human connection. And there’s a reason you can see the cast, primarily Hannah Einbinder, crying during this last press cycle. This show was made with so much love and passion, tested with COVID lockdown in its first season, and SAG-AFTRA strikes; it feels like so much of our current world and climate is represented in it. When they make an episode devoted to being anti-AI, as we began to see the environmental cost in real time, it’s reassuring as a viewer that there are artists out there still fighting and openly defying it. Which only goes to show, you can have morals and joy and get 23 Emmy nominations in return.
Stream "Hacks" now on HBO Max!
