Didn’t you say you wanted to get your moustache waxed?

Continuing my trip down The Guardian's Top 50 TV Shows of 2022.  

#4 : Hacks

We didn’t just get one excellent season of this tale of two comics pushed into an unlikely writing partnership this year, thanks to a delay in a UK broadcaster bringing it across the Atlantic, we got two. The first season took young, bratty, wise-ass quip merchant Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and successful but out-of-touch comedian/QVC presenter Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and told an unfailingly cackle-worthy story that grew into an unexpectedly moving tale of companionship. Season two picked up with the pair falling out over Ava leaking embarrassing stories about Deborah to a TV show, only to make amends, cram into a bus and head off on tour together. They went on a lesbian cruise trip, dealt with the aftermath of a suicide and came dangerously close to junking their working relationship. Luckily, we know a third season is on its way, so hopefully there’s plenty of life left in the duo’s adventures yet.


This has got great write-ups, but I'd never have bothered watching it under normal circumstances - it just doesn't feel like my kinda thing.

And well, it isn't - but it's a very well done not my kinda thing.  The relationship between Ava and Deborah is very well fleshed out and develops nicely (spoiler alert - well, it does for the length of time I watched it anyway).  And I can't say that comedy writing is my area of expertise but it feels like a representative portrayal of that life (and it's not a life I'd want).  And I can't say that privileged Las Vegas life is my area of expertise either, but it feels like a representative portrayal of that life as well (but I'll give that a life a go if given the opportunity).

But whilst everything was well done, it just wasn't done well enough to hold my interest, I'm afraid.  For a series set around comedy writing, it's more well observed than actually funny and whilst both main characters (and the various supporting personnel) are well drawn, I just didn't find myself warming to them - I'm sure they'll learn from each other and grow as people as the series progresses, but I just found I wasn't caring about where they might end up.  If I had nothing else to watch, I might have stuck with it but that's not quite the case, so I gave up on it after three episodes.

It is well acted - Jean Smart is particularly good as the world-weary but still full of life Deborah.  I knew I'd seen her in things but couldn't quite remember - she's been in LOADS but I'd only seen her in Frasier (for which she won two Emmys as quite a minor character, along with two more for this), 24, Fargo, Legion (which is BONKERS if you haven't seen it), Watchmen and Mare Of Easttown (which is quite the collection of decent telly).  Hannah Einbinder is also good, but Ava is less of a well rounded character for me - Hannah's also got slightly less on her resumé, having been in one episode of Ru Paul's Drag Race.

I really only have nice to things to say about the writing and direction as well - it all hangs together nicely and is very nice to look at.  I really think it does everything it sets out to do and lots of people like it a lot - but I am merely in the "I can see why people like it" category.  I think the lovely Mrs Reed will like it and if you like well-rounded female characters going on a metaphorical journey, then I think you'll like it too - it's just not for me.

At time of writing, it's available to watch on Amazon Prime and is likely to be there for some time yet, I suspect - go on, you'll like it (and then I won't feel so guilty about not getting into it).

#3 - The good run continues
#5 - Good, but not exceptional

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