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Hacks Season 2 Review

The second season of Hacks premiered on HBO Max in 2022. It’s another stellar season of this great show that even trumps its predecessor.

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“Oh, toughen up. This will be a great learning experience for you“

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This season took the two women on the road. It was a brilliant move to make a road trip out of the second season as the change of scenery was refreshing and it led to a new angle on the characters’ relationships and the standup comedy business in particular. This season truthfully depicts just how difficult life of a comedian is. They constantly need to hit the road and pray that most of their shows turn out successful.

The stressful nature of the job itself as well as the competitive side to it were well explored and certainly Deborah’s arc was very moving here. Yes, she’s a big bitch, but because she basically gave her whole life to her career, you really feel it when she hits a roadblock. There are so many touching moments of doubt and renewed hope that are so honestly depicted here. The exploration of her troubled motherhood and failed friendships also worked.

Hacks is still a two-woman show and once again Deborah and Ava are phenomenal. This season takes their relationship to new highs and lows, even elevating what was already a terrific dynamic to new heights. There is this one episode where Deborah would harass Ava so much just to get back at her for trashing her in a previous interview. This episode was both hilarious and also crazy as seeing to what lengths this woman would go for revenge was scary.

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But there are also moments where the two see eye to eye. These are both women who want to succeed and who are very ambitious, and despite their huge generation gap, they are more similar than they would like to admit. The finale was so heartbreaking as the two seemingly cut off their business ties and it was emotionally very effective as we’ve previously really gotten to know and care about them both and their relationship.

Jean Smart is just as brilliant as she was in the previous season. This was a truly incredible performance that is both layered and very complex. However, Hannah Einbinder also deserves much more praise than she got as her work continues to be incredible. The two perfectly complement each other and without the two, the show would not be the same.

The main reason why the second season of Hacks is better than the first lies in the supporting characters. I still find Marcus totally uninteresting and his relationship troubles seem like filler within the context of the show. He got some good moments here, but overall he still feels like an afterthought. Some of the guest actors also did not get much to do, though Deborah’s former friend character really worked.

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With that being said, Jimmy really grew on me this time around. He got a solid backstory and his relationship with Kayla is so much fun. She is absolutely hilarious at times. Overall, the humor in Hacks continues to be terrific and it’s a rare comedy these days that is genuinely funny. It is also insightful, superbly written and also very well paced as most episodes serve a storytelling and emotional purpose.

The second season of Hacks has its issues, but for the most part this is such a good sophomore season that is a genuine improvement of an already great first season. Deborah and Ava continue to be superbly defined and their arcs and especially their relationship are both complex and highly emotionally rewarding. The show is still very funny, quite sophisticated and very honest in its depiction of Hollywood and standup comedy in particular. It’s an utterly delightful, albeit overly short season.

Worst Episodes: There Will Be Blood and The Click.

Best Episodes: Trust the Process, The Retired and The One, the Only.