HACKS
Last year's breakout hit series HACKS (trailer here) is back for its second season, and I'm happy to report there's no sophomore slump to be found here. This season finds comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) leaving her longtime residency in Las Vegas and taking her act on the road, with her quick-witted Gen Z writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) by her side. Keeping this somewhat spoiler-free, Deborah and Ava swiftly work through last season's cliffhanger with some extremely dark comedy. The scene at the diner in episode 2 is gut-wrenching yet laugh-out-loud funny, which works seamlessly thanks to the show's consistently top-notch writing and acting. While Deborah and Ava continue to cope with their respective traumas through comedy, the HACKS team has found a way to keep their complicated partnership fresh and filled with new obstacles. Plus, Meg Stalter shines yet again as messy assistant Kayla, bringing a refreshing silliness and scene-stealing delivery to all of her hijinks. The first four episodes are available on HBO Max now—if you're not caught up, get to it ASAP!
—Dustin Sloane, Development Assistant
