Hacks is a bit meta, but that’s okay. On the surface, it’s about a young female comedy writer who got cancelled on Twitter and is too stubborn to think she can still learn about comedy until she meets an older female stand-up who needs help remaining relevant. At its heart, Hacks is about the art of comedy from the team who brought you Broad City, and like its predecessor, it’s very, very funny.
Here’re your five screenwriting takeaways from HBO Max’s new streamer, Hacks.
1. The Mentor and Mentee. It’s a television and film relationship as old as time: Yoda to the Young Jedi. Mr. Miyagi to the Karate Kid. Ron Swanson to, well, everyone. In Hacks, you have Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) to Ava (Hannah Einbinder). Sure, Deborah thinks jokes about panty hose can be funny and Ava wouldn’t be caught wearing the repressive things, but that’s what makes the show work. Two people—a millennial and a boomer—who are on such opposite ends of the spectrum on what they think is funny, actually work in perfect harmony because they’re both perfectionists, won’t rest until the joke actually works, and are both incredibly stubborn, yet somehow both also realize a mentor can be the mentee and vice versa; an entertaining dance to watch.
2. The Art of the Joke. Examining the art of comedy itself while also writing a compelling narrative is tricky business. Funny People and Punchline do it well. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, not so much. So how can one effectively take a look at something they love without dropping the narrative ball? Don’t forget your thematic heart. Hacks asks, 'Can diametrically opposed senses of humor find common comedic ground, and even love and respect the other?' It will likely re-examine this question every which way, but when a joke ties into both theme and plot, "beating the joke to death" becomes that much more entertaining—even if the joke was only on Twitter and did temporarily get Ava cancelled.
3. The Great Pleasure of the Roast Battle. Deborah is an old-school comic. There’s an obvious comparison to Joan Rivers here, and Joan always did things her own way. It’s rare in an age of political correctness that one can even fathom finding humor in insulting someone can hold up, but Deborah and Ava are so good at it, it’s a pleasure to watch. Just as one can appreciate Joan Rivers did it in the name of the joke, these women are quick-witted and can’t help but sharpen their knives in the world of take-down comedy.
4. Heartland vs the coast. One would not expect Vegas to sit-in for the heartland in this show, but it does here. Deborah is a working comedian in glittery Vegas and she respects that the desert land of excess is also the melting pot of America. She may do jokes that appeal largely to those from Florida, but she also respects that in Vegas, the audience simply wants to laugh and be entertained, despite the fact that Ava thinks the best jokes always play to the top of their intelligence. Either way, a Vegas audience is perhaps the best audience (not to mention a fun setting for a half-hour streamer) since they will never hesitate to put your joke to the ultimate test: Is your punchline better than an all-you-can-drink-and-eat buffet? If not, they won’t hesitate to walk out.
5. The Platonic Romance. There’s also an element of the platonic romance in Hacks. Two women learning to appreciate each other through their pride in their work. And when it still feels rare to get a show about two strong female leads not speaking about love, romance, or men (in fact, it’s so far from Ava’s mind she’s been fucking her Postmate), watching Deborah and Ava fall in platonic comedy friend love is wonderful escapism from the tokenism of womanhood that sometimes still occurs in entertainment.
It’s fun to track the platonic romance throughout the arc of a series: There’s the meet-cute (here, the meet viscous), the piqued mutual interest when someone has what the other wants, and the falling in deep mutual respect friendship love that happens so often in the "real" comedy world as well: You get a comedy crush simply when you think the other person is funny. Can that comedy crush turn to infatuation? Absolutely, as being funny, for many, is the highest form of compliment.
Final Takeaway: While this show will absolutely appeal to comedy nerds (hello, meta-joke analysis) it has enough heart to bring in a wide variety of audiences. This show is for anyone who’s had a complicated relationship with a mother figure, or even just a complicated intergenerational entanglement. It’s also a fun ride with skillfully crafted punchlines that may unexpectedly punch its audience in the gut in the best way possible.