Hi, {{first_name | friend}}!
The best comedy on TV just ended. And while I was prepared to be devastated, instead, I was impressed.
Because in an era where beloved shows either get canceled too early (High Fidelity) or stick around long past their expiration date (looking at you, Grey’s Anatomy), Hacks managed something increasingly rare: it got the ending it always wanted.
For the uninitiated who have somehow missed Hacks over the last five years, first of all: where ya been?
The Emmy-winning HBO Max comedy follows legendary comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), the young writer hired to help reinvent her act. Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the series managed to be hilarious, heartfelt, and one of the smartest comedies on TV with characters you fall for—from the two genius leads to the supporting characters that feel anything but (Meg Stalter as Kayla Schaeffer is one of the all-time breakout roles).
I’m keeping things very spoiler-light today, as in I won’t be giving away any of the finale's plot. So, you’re safe to keep reading, promise.
Hacks stuck the landing
A farewell to the best comedy on TV & what you should watch next
The series was beautifully bookended by its pilot and finale. From Deborah's walk-and-talk backstage sequence in the pilot episode to the finale’s mirrored opening with Ava, highlighting the growth of her character and the symbolic passing of the torch, the callbacks begin immediately. From there, a handful of moments seamlessly tied back to the beginning.
One of my favorite moments in the pilot—and the whole series, really—comes after their disastrous first meeting. Ava leaves the house in disbelief, only for Deborah to run her off the road in her Rolls-Royce to riff on Ava's failed joke that got her canceled and sent to Deborah's doorstep. It's the moment their creative partnership truly begins. There's a callback to it in the finale that landed perfectly.
And then there was the closing song. The iconic Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland duet "Get Happy / Happy Days Are Here Again” from The Judy Garland Show in 1963 began to play, and it was instant tears.
