Hacks season 2


The second season of the HBO Max streaming dark comedy drama television series Hacks debuted on May 12, 2022, and concluded on June 2, 2022. It consists of eight episodes, each with approximate runtime of 30–35 minutes. The season centers Deborah Vance perfecting material for her new stand-up show, in which she shares previously unrevealed information about her personal life. In an effort to become a better person, Ava gets a "dumb phone" and swears off alcohol. The season received critical acclaim. Jean Smart won her second successive Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Plot

Fresh off her final middling Vegas performance, Deborah plans a nationwide tour to relaunch her career. Ava is wracked by guilt because of the email she sent to two British television producers detailing Deborah's problematic behavior. Marcus copes with his breakup by getting a puppy, Joe, and by socializing with a group of younger gay men whom he plies with money and gifts.
Jimmy gets Kayla switched off his desk by HR rep Barbara by agreeing to attend an anger management course. He also meets with Janet Stone, the British producers' manager, to ensure that Ava's email will remain confidential. An agreement is reached but falls apart when Jimmy accidentally reveals he backed out of purchasing her house. Jimmy appeals to his boss, Kayla's father, for help. He agrees but asks Jimmy to bring Kayla back on as his assistant.
During a visit to Sedona to see Deborah's psychic, Ava confesses that she sent the email. Deborah is livid. Ava expects Deborah to fire her, but the next morning Deborah asks her to continue the trip. Minutes later, Jimmy informs Ava that Deborah is suing Ava for violating her NDA.
Deborah, Ava, and Damien head out together on Deborah's tour bus, managed by the cantankerous "Weed". Ava buys a "dumb phone" and vows to remain sober. Deborah defends Ava when Weed accidentally throws out Ava's father's remains. They backtrack to a fast-food dumpster and find the ashes.
Marcus accidentally books Deborah a gig on a lesbian cruise, where Ava is immediately taken with a non-monogamous lesbian couple. Although Deborah is well received at first and even makes strides in overcoming her lifelong contempt for lesbians, the gig is ruined when she carelessly makes a misogynistic joke during her set.
One night, Marcus returns from the club to find that Joe has ingested some of his prescription medication. The emergency vet treats the dog but refuses to release him back into Marcus's care on the grounds that he is a negligent owner. Marcus is distraught, so Deborah invites him to join them on tour.
At a tour stop in the Midwest, Deborah runs into one of her old stand-up friends, Susan Essig, who manages a Lord & Taylor. Deborah feels guilty because years ago she sabotaged Susan at a stand-up showcase. She confesses to Susan, who states that she actually quit comedy due to an unplanned pregnancy. Ava and Marcus bond at the State Fair over their shared insecurities.
While at a show in Memphis, Ava's mother surprises the group by showing up. She argues with Ava when the latter learns that her mother, who continues to question her career choices, is supporting herself by participating in a MLM scheme. Deborah goes home with Jason, a much younger man she meets at a bar.
Deborah plans to tape a stand-up special with the confessional material. She enlists her old friend Elaine Carter to direct, but the network executives she approaches for financing are dismissive of her. Jimmy quits Latitude in protest when the partners try to reassign Deborah to a different manager; Kayla goes with him. Deborah vows to produce the special herself, with Marty even offering her the use of the Palmetto. Deborah is surprised to learn that he's engaged to his age-appropriate girlfriend.
Ava's old friend Taylor invites Ava to do a short-term writing gig in LA that will overlap with Deborah's taping. Deborah encourages her to take the opportunity. The night of the special, Ava surprises Deborah by flying back early. During the taping, an audience member has a cardiac event. He is rushed out by the paramedics but dies on the gurney. A quick-thinking Jimmy convinces the audience that he's still alive, saving Deborah from humiliation.
Deborah's DVD release of the special, My Bad, sells out in minutes on QVC. Jimmy informs Deborah that there is a bidding war for the rights to the special.
At the network's release party, Deborah publicly thanks Ava for her work on the special before firing her, telling her she needs to get away from Deborah and work on her own material. Ava departs to refocus on her own career. Back in Los Angeles, Jimmy informs her that Deborah has also dropped the lawsuit.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes


Production

Co-creator Paul W. Downs discussed the focus of season two: "What we were most interested in exploring was what it’s like for someone like her to keep bombing,” Downs said. “It might be something novel and might be something exciting in the beginning, but someone like her who has fans that come to see her, and sells out a 2,000-seat theater in Vegas and crushes, what is it like when you’re on the road in small venues and not doing well?" Downs and co-creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky wanted to continue to feature Kayla and Jimmy's dynamic, as well as show a more vulnerable side to Deborah by giving her a lover. Of the season finale, Aniello stated, "We feel like we have just told two chapters of a larger story. We feel like what we’ve done at the end of season two is just as much of a cliffhanger as what we did at the end of season one, considering what we intend to do with the story."
Production designer Alec Contestabile oversaw production of over 130 new sets for the season, which primarily takes place during Deborah's stand-up tour.
Season two has a total of eight episodes. The trailer for season two was released on April 14, 2022. The first two episodes debuted on HBO Max on May 12, 2022. Hacks was renewed for a third season on June 16, 2022.

Reception

Critical response

The second season received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 100% based on 54 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Hacks hits the road, but Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder remain very much at home with each other in a sterling sophomore season that finds novel ways to deepen the central pair's lovable friendship." On Metacritic, it received a score of 88 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Danette Chavez wrote positively of the season in TheWrap, "Hacks remains one of the most consummately funny shows on TV, defying the sophomore slump to uncover ever more trenchant truths about ambition, failure, and the blurring line between work and family." Caroline Framke praised the direction in a review for Variety: "Still, as funny as “Hacks” is, and as poignant as it can be, the show's most enduring strength is still its directing. Honed so brilliantly by Aniello, from some of the best “Broad City” episodes until her “Hacks” Emmy win, it finds surreal and beautiful moments no matter the circumstance." RogerEbert.coms Brian Tallerico noted the acting of star Jean Smart: "The range of her work in “Fargo,” “Watchmen,” and now “Hacks” is stunning, and the character she's crafting on this HBO Max Emmy winner for directing, writing, and actress could be career-defining."

Awards and nominations

The season received 17 Primetime Emmy Award and Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Jean Smart, which she won for the second year in a row.
YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2022AACTA International AwardsBest Comedy SeriesHacksNomitated
2022AACTA International AwardsBest Actress in a SeriesJean SmartNomitated
2022AFI AwardsTV Program of the YearHacksWon
2022Artios AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Comedy SeriesJeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera Hallman, Anna MaywormWon
2022Dorian AwardsBest TV ComedyHacksNomitated
2022Dorian AwardsBest LGBTQ TV ShowHacksNomitated
2022Dorian AwardsBest TV Musical PerformanceJean Smart Nomitated
2022Dorian AwardsBest TV PerformanceJean SmartNomitated
2022Dorian AwardsBest Supporting TV PerformanceHannah EinbinderNomitated
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Streaming Series, ComedyHacksNomitated
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Actress in a Streaming Series, ComedyJean SmartNomitated
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, ComedyPaul W. DownsNomitated
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, ComedyHannah EinbinderWon
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Directing in a Streaming Series, ComedyLucia Aniello Won
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Writing in a Streaming Series, ComedyLucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky Won
2022Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Comedy SeriesJen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Michael Schur, David Miner, Morgan Sackett, Joe Mande, Andrew Law, Aisha Muharrar, Ashley Glazier, Samantha Riley, Seth Edelstein and Jessica ChaffinNomitated
2022Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesJean Smart Won
2022Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesHannah EinbinderNomitated
2022Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Directing for a Comedy SeriesLucia Aniello Nomitated
2022Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Writing for a Comedy SeriesLucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy SeriesChristopher McDonald Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesJane Adams Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesHarriet Sansom Harris Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesLaurie Metcalf Won
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesKaitlin Olson Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Casting for a Comedy SeriesJeanne McCarthy and Nicole Abellera HallmanNomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Adam Bricker Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Contemporary CostumesKathleen Felix-Hager and Karen Bellamy Won
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Contemporary HairstylingJennifer Bell Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program Alec Contestabile, Rob Tokarz and Jennifer Lukehart Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy SeriesJessica Brunetto Nomitated
2022Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series and AnimationJohn W. Cook II, Ben Wilkins and Jim Lakin Nomitated
2022Television Critics Association AwardsProgram of the YearHacksNomitated
2022Television Critics Association AwardsOutstanding Achievement in ComedyHacksNomitated
2022Television Critics Association AwardsIndividual Achievement in ComedyJean SmartNomitated
2023Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Comedy SeriesHacksNomitated
2023Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Actress in a Comedy SeriesJean SmartWon
2023Golden Globe AwardsBest Television Series - Musical or ComedyHacksNomitated
2023Golden Globe AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television SeriesHannah EinbinderNomitated
2023Golden Globe AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or ComedyJean SmartNomitated
2023Producers Guild AwardsBest Episodic ComedyHacksNomitated
2023Satellite AwardsBest Television Series, Comedy or MusicalHacksNomitated
2023Satellite AwardsBest Actress in a Series, Comedy or MusicalJean SmartNomitated
2023Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesCarl Clemons-Hopkins, Paul W. Downs, Hannah Einbinder, Mark Indelicato, Jean Smart, and Megan StalterNomitated
2023Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy SeriesJean SmartWon
2023Writers Guild of America AwardsComedy SeriesVariousNomitated
2023Writers Guild of America AwardsEpisodic ComedyLucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky Won