A sentiment that I have had over the last few years is the decline in the quality of comedy series. I find myself reminiscing about shows that I loved, while new ones just don’t seem to hit the same.

I recognize that everybody has different preferences, but I feel like the writing in a lot of new comedies has gone downhill. A good example is the recently canceled spin-off series And Just Like That… The original series, Sex and the City, had sharp, clever writing, but the spin-off felt flat and uninspired.

So, when I stumbled across a new comedy show, and I don’t mean one I recently, I mean a newer comedy that actually feels fresh. Hacks follows two intergenerational comedians at very different points in their careers: Ava, a disillusioned 20-something-year-old comedy writer, and Deborah, a popular stand-up comedian whose stardom is beginning to fade. The two team up when Ava is hired to help Deborah reinvent her act.

What makes the show stand out to me is how it handles the age gap between the two women without being cliché. Ava could’ve easily been written as a progressive character who is tactful in her words, but in Hacks, it is immediately clear that she is a rather reckless and hypocritical individual.

Deborah, on the other hand, who on paper can easily be dismissed as an overzealous and materialistic character whose main priority is herself and her career. She’s instead written as sharp, tough, and determined to make the best out of her career, no matter the circumstances.

The real magic of Hacks is Ava and Deborah’s relationship, because there is something special in a story about two female friends, especially in ones where the two have such distinct similarities and differences. 

The pair’s communication with each other, but in particular their banter, is hilarious with its inclusion of vulgarity. At no point do their conversations feel forced, but instead they feel natural and demonstrate the comfortability they have with one another. 

While their relationship is most appealing to watch because of its humor, it is well paired with their emotional vulnerability. In one moment, Deborah slaps Ava, and the reaction that the two characters share is not dismissed, but becomes something that challenges their relationship. 

The supporting cast mainly works for Deborah, which grounds the series well by demonstrating that the focus is on Deborah and her career. This sometimes leads to conflict with Ava, as they work on establishing how they will work efficiently as a team.

Now that Hacks is in its fourth season, the thing I appreciate most is how much the characters have grown. After everything they have been through, Ava and Deborah are more empathetic, even when they continue to have strife in their relationship.

One aspect that shows the growth the characters have had is their handling of their different states of success, despite the times when there is a lack of communication between the two. Both value their career, but in the end, they value each other more, and it is this acknowledgement that demonstrates their goals do not really matter if they can’t accomplish them together.

While I would rather avoid being an individual who would rather be pessimistic about new comedies, I have not seen a better comedy show in the last five years than Hacks. It reminded me that good writing is out there, and it gives me hope for trying new shows again. This is a fact I am accepting as Hacks is coming to a close in the next season (which also means I will have one less show to enthusiastically support at the Emmys), and as I prepare to continue my search for well-written comedy series that I can be excited about.