All hail motherf*cking Jean Smart! The three-time Emmy winner, who should be the namesake of an award for actors who make everything they’re in better just by virtue of their name being in the credits, has yet another reason to celebrate as her new(ish) HBO Max series Hacks has been renewed for a second season. HBO announced the series’ renewal on Tuesday, just ahead of the final two episodes of season 1.
Hacks, which premiered on HBO Max on May 13, 2021, has been a bit of a surprise hit for the streaming network. It’s about Deborah Vance (Smart), an aging mainstay of the Las Vegas comedy scene whose agent sends her Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a twenty-something comedy writer, to help freshen up her act. The beauty of the show is in the delicate, and sometimes contentious, relationship that exists between a mentor and their mentee. Or, as our Jason Tabrys described it: It’s “a funny and complicated story about assholes gradually becoming smaller assholes and better friends.”
In addition to Smart and the supremely talented Einbinder, Hacks—which was created by Broad City alums Lucia Aniello, Paul Downs, and Jen Statsky—has an all-star supporting cast that includes Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, and Johnny Sibilly. According to HBO Max, “the critically-acclaimed comedy has been a top performer on the platform since its debut, consistently ranking in the top 10 most viewed titles out of all available content.”
Meanwhile, Smart is hinting that there might be some even more delicious drama on the horizon as the show enters its second season. “I am absolutely thrilled we are picked up for a second season,” she said in a statement about the renewal, “and I told Hannah it’s ‘No more Miss Nice Guy; from now on it’s Bette and Joan! And guess who’s BETTE??!!’”
