Hacks

Funny, melancholy, flawless.

It’s a proper finale for a series that never stopped being funny, never punched below the belt, and always continued to evolve past its own perceived wokeness … a joke within a joke the show has consistently loved to highlight. The characters are all treated with respect right up until the very end, though the final episode grounds reality into a series hellbent on commenting on Hollywood’s flaws and great fortunes.

“Hacks” hasn’t lost a step since its 2021 premiere, cementing its legacy as one of the smartest, funniest shows of its era. .... Smart, Einbinder, Downs, and Stalter are all fantastic this season, but it’s always been the writing that truly elevates “Hacks.”

Whipsmart, funny, and audacious from start to finish, Hacks Season 5 will keep you laughing and guessing until the last moment. .... Much like Smart, the show ends by cementing its legacy as one of the greatest comedies of the 21st century.

Season 5 leaves no doubt that “Hacks” belongs among the greats.

Season 5 never forgets to have fun with these two characters, and it's just as enjoyable watching them squeal with glee over potential new romantic partners as it is watching them workshop jokes. With their undeniable chemistry, Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder have delivered one of the best female friendships in television history.

Stay with the twists and turns, even the occasional groaners, for a satisfying finish, providing a fairy-tale happy ending for some and for others a bittersweet reckoning that whatever hurdles life throws at you, nothing is as important as friendship — and perfecting the next joke.

Hacks takes a sharp left turn when you least expect it, and Ava and Deborah end up exactly where they are meant to be. Hacks' big, brave final season will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the people who believed in you when you didn't believe in yourself.

The pain that lies simmering under a joke has rarely been as powerfully conveyed as it is by Jean Smart in a farewell to her career-defining role as a comedy diva in which she and costar Hannah Einbinder sweeten their snark with genuine mutual affection

Does “Hacks” come to an end with one of the greatest season finale episodes of all time? No, but that’s O.K. Really. It’s more than satisfying enough. The last episode will make you cackle, tug at your heartstrings, and, yes, make you wish Deborah and Ava stuck around a little bit longer.

The ends always justify the means. Even a stand-up act can be praxis. How compelling you find that suggestion will depend on how much you jibe with Hacks’s combination of teasing and endorsement, and how quickly you might tire of how heroic everyone has become. (By now, the characters’ edges have been so sanded down that it’s shocking when it’s revealed that Deb once made a slightly homophobic joke about a lesbian comedian.) But the series throws itself into portraying how Deb’s galvanization activates those around her, and into positioning their transformations as persuasive devices.

The codependent venom of old has long since been replaced by an easy-going chumminess, which has defanged the show considerably. There’s still lots of fun to be had, but rarely does it feel like you’re watching the Hacks of old.