Hacks : Season 1
Might contain spoilers.
A good show. It meanders, because it has so much on its mind—it wants to say everything about everything. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The cast is fantastic, filled with specific characters rather than archetypes. Jean Smart’s performance is a tour de force. I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. Hannah Einbinder has a very particular personality and demeanour, too, which makes Ava distinct. (And slightly insufferable, which is somewhat excused by her confusing but sad and unpleasant situation at home.) As even Paste Magazine’s review mentions, Ava’s best moment is her spontaneous expression of joy: completely unprompted cartwheels into a split after a good phone call.
‘New Eyes’ and ‘Tunnel of Love’ are the highlight. They show Deborah and Ava as just two friends and flawed people who care about each other, without complications or hindrances. I dread the inevitable second season, which is bound to continue from the last scene by destroying all the hard-earned amity and goodwill between them.