# Hacks (2021)

> A legendary Las Vegas comedian and an entitled young writer clash and bond in a dark, funny mentorship that tests both of their careers.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/103075

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 47
- Episode runtime: 31 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky
- Network: HBO Max, Max, HBO Max
- Cast: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Mark Indelicato, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11815682/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: biting, tender, sardonic, bruised, irreverent, sincere

## What critics say

Acclaimed for its sharp writing and the lead pairing of Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, with a bittersweet look at comedy and self-destructive creative ambition.

## Synopsis

Hacks (2021-2026) is a United States prestige comedy-drama created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky for HBO Max. Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up whose career has gone stale, opposite Hannah Einbinder as Ava, an entitled, outcast young comedy writer who is hired to rescue Deborah's act and becomes her unlikely partner. Carl Clemons-Hopkins plays Marcus, Deborah's loyal assistant, while Paul W. Downs appears as Jimmy, the fixer around the Vegas circuit. Across five seasons, the engine is a combative, dark mentorship in which each woman needs the other to get what she wants, while the pair fight over material, money and dignity in an entertainment industry that rewards self-exposure. Episodes are built around shows, sketches and business deals, with the generational clash giving the sharp dialogue its bite. The tone is biting yet tender, funny and bruised at once, with a sincere undercurrent about women who refuse to disappear. Fans of The Larry Sanders Show, Episodes and Curb Your Enthusiasm will find resonance in its caustic showbiz satire and its portrait of creative ambition.

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