Hacks

 If you finished Mare of Easttown and are having Jean Smart withdrawal, I got you covered: Hacks; also on HBOMAX. Jean plays Deborah Vance, an aging Las Vegas comedian. The character of Vance borrows heavily from real life comic Joan Rivers. Rivers wrote her own material, was a workaholic, had expensive and rather gaudy taste, would do infomercials, had every day packed with work, had a love for plastic surgery, and put her carrer above all else. Rivers was a groundbreaker for female comics. Personally I think that Rivers was a genius - if you haven't watched the documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, you should. What I just said about Rivers sums up the character of Vance and Jean Smart is brilliant in her portrayal - my prediction is she will be nominated for a Golden Globe for best supporting in the Mare of Easttown and she will be nominated for a lead in Hacks - she might just win both. Hacks is not just about Deborah Vance, it's also about Ava (played by Hannah Einbinder - she is also wonderful) a 25 year old millennial comedian/writer who is bitter and out of work. Her agent sets her up with Deborah to help her write some new material. A love-hate relationship (mostly hate) forms between the two as Ava tries to get Deborah to explore her past as part of her new material. The writing in this show is whip smart and the characters are well formed. Double down of the poignant and funny dramedy, it's simply aces.