Jean Smart and Caftans

This looks great!

Looks terrific. Jean Smart does not get the recognition she deserves.

She's in EVERYTHING. This AND "Mare of Easttown."

I’m In!!

R3, Jean Smart SHOULD bein in everything and should have been for the last thirty years! She's our National Treasure!!

^ She kinda is.

[quote]She's in EVERYTHING. This AND "Mare of Easttown."

Two whole series! She's virtually inescapable!

Kaitlin Olson is amazing, I cannot wait for this to air.

Looks really good. I fell in love with Jean Smart all over again in HBO’s fantastic “Watchmen” series, which I just watched earlier this month.

So she's playing Joan Rivers?

R10 Basically watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon, for early Joan. Then, watch this on HBOMAX for late life Joan. Or just watch clips and specials of Joan on Youtube and revel in her majesty. Though I love these facsimiles as well.

Give Jean Smart an Academy Award...or an Emmy...or for whatever these streaming movies qualify. Give her a Tony, a Grammy. Give this mouthy broad an award. She deserves it!

I hope Jean is doing okay. Her husband, Richard Gilliland, who played Annie Potts' boyfriend on "Designing Women," recently died.

I loved the 1995 TV series, "High Society" with Jean Smart and Mary McDonnell. It didn't last long, but it was funny; sort of an American version of "Absolutely Fabulous."

Jean Smart is always amazing. She was incredible as the fragile FLOTUS who took down her evil husband in season 5 of 24, she was incredible in Legion, she was incredible in Watchmen.

Jean Smart kicks ass, and is, indeed, a national treasure.

I have nothing to add other than Jean Smart is beyond fabulous and yes, a national treasure.

Can she get a plaque or something?

I hate having to wait until May 13 for this to air!

The thing about her is she's able to play anything... tough, weak, broad, subtle.

She is Denchian in her National Treasuredom.

Grating.

Is anyone besides eldergays going to watch this?

Honestly, when I see her name on a project I know it’s gonna be good (at least her scenes!)

Looks good but very similar to the film Late Night, with Emma Thomson. I think that was about the relationship between a fading celebrity and a young writer forging a tense but funny and ultimately productive relationship.

I loved her in Garden State.

She was terrific, albeit grating, on Frasier.

I loved her in The Brady Bunch movie.

[...]

Jean Smart we love you!

Love Jean Smart, BUT:

The trailer was weird. First I thought Smart was a country singer. Then a Martha Stewart type. Then finally 'oh she's a faded comic?'

I'll definitely watch, but let me guess - the Monster boss grows a heart, and the young employee learns life lessons along the way while becoming strong and assertive. And in the end they both learn to love and respect each other as the music swells and the audience is expected to wipe away a tear with a lump in their throat.

Kinda nauseatingly unoriginal.

Is this the All White version of AJ and the Queen?

Jean Smart is a national treasure?

I've always liked her, but sheesh....

How many HBO shills are on this thread?

She was the best thing, along with Regina King, in Watchmen. She's killing it in Mare. And now this?

Our little idiot from Designing Women really made it, didn't she?

I loved Watchmen. Are they going to do a second series?

To those who have been dismissive of Ms. Smart's work, let me tell you why I think she's a treasure... she can do comedy and drama equally well. Her acting choices are often surprising and the new TV show pops up unexpectedly. I haven't seen the Watchmen or Mare, but the roles are vastly different and at Jean's age, good for her keeping on keeping up.

Designing Women - 24 - Frasier... wonderful in each. Oh, and I'll add her performance in the stage production of The Man Who Came to Dinner with Nathan Lane and others - delicious.

Without fanfare and exhausting interviews where she sounds pretentious... she's an actor who makes people happy and is now cultivating fans far younger than me.

BTW - whoever mentioned the TV show High Society, thank you! I watched some clips of that program and man was it funny. It lasted just 13 episodes? Disappointing. And who remembers Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Gallactica/Major Crimes) being so funny? She and Jean were a delight together.

Mary McDonnell was very funny (in moments) in John Sayles "Passion Fish". She seems like an underrated actress overall.

I guess Shirley MacLaine's too old at this point...

I like Jean Smart - a lot, but hated her in Fargo - but she's no Shirley in a role like this.

R30 Me too. So much so that I bought the blu ray. I’ve read that “there are no plans” and Lindelof has already admitted he’s not interested in making a second season, though he did say he would not be against another producer doing it.

It really is a magnificent limited series.

I'm a Golden Girls fanboy, but even I consider Jean Smart a National Treasure.

R31. So glad you also like High Society with Jean Smart. Goddamn funny show.

She was great as a Martha Stewart-type on the show "Style and Substance" with Nancy McKeon and then as Christina Applegate's mom on "Samantha Who?"

R18 This appeals beyond eldergays. It’s by the same creators of Broad City, one of them is the guy who plays her agent. His assistant is Megan Stalter, an “Instagram comedian” who has been having a moment during covid. Love Jean Smart so am very excited about this. I wonder if she has some overall deal with HBO to be in so many series so close together.

Mary McDonnell was hilarious as an eighties mom who didn’t take her commitment to Sparkle Motion seriously, in Donnie Darko. I agree she’s underrated.

R38 none other than Kirk Steel: Man on a Mission: A Cum Mission!

[...]

R41 Exactly, I love both.

CHECK THIS OUT! Smart sat with Teri Gross for a wonderful interview on Fresh Air, especially the last segment/last 10 minutes or so. She's asked about losing her husband this year and... well, listen.

According to wikipedia they will air two episodes per week on Thursdays for 5 weeks, starting tomorrow!

R43. Thanks for posting. I will listen or watch anything with Jean Smart. Fabulous actress and such a nice, sweet, funny person. So sad that her husband died recently, but Jean's story with the help of Delta Burke finding out if Richard Gilliland was married was a hoot.

This starts today, no?

I can’t wait. There is something about Jean that’s wholesome yet irresistible.

She was on Seth Meyers tonight, which was great but also sad, as she was clearly in pain about her husband's death, which was never addressed during the segment.

She mentioned her husband by name once and seemed downcast after that.

Seth asked about the idea of a "Jean Smartaissance" this year, and you can tell she wanted to talk about her husband but couldn't.

We love you, Jean! We're here!

You just reminded me, R47: I have to watch this! Also, I agree: WE LOVE YOU JEAN!

R47 it really is the most awkward time for her to have to go and promote a new show. I wonder if any thought was given to postponing the launch? But, we do love you Jean!!!!

I want there to be a Jean Smart version of Night of 1,000 Stevies in NYC. It would be packed.

She’s great in this, of course, but the scripts aren’t there and the younger character isn’t funny, likeable or sympathetic at all.

The 1st two episodes play like the writers are dodging the fact that they don’t really have a show. All they’ve done so far is kind of pillage Joan Rivers’ Wikipedia page. The only funny joke was the one about The Cheesecake Factory. The rest was just, meh.

It was hilarious.

R52 You’ve made me feel better. R51 pissed all over my expectations.

Jean steals the show as expected. I didn't care for the younger woman at first, but she grew on me after the second episode.

The little gay kid from Ugly Betty is now a supergay adult...he shows up as an assistant to Jean's character.

The second episode was better than the first. I’m looking forward to Kaitlin Olsen being in the next episode more. Although, she seems to be playing the same sort of part she plays in everything. Jean is of course amazing.

Reviews:

IndieWire: Jean Smart Delivers Everything You Want ad More

Rolling Stone: Jean Smart Makes 'Em Laugh in Stand-Up Dramedy

Vulture: Give Jean Smart All the Awards for Hacks

Salon: Jean Smart Plays a Role Befitting of the Show Biz Legend that She Is

I had the odious pleasure of dealing with Joan Rivers in person in the early 80s and the writers of Hacks KNOWS her to a T.

So far, the only diversion is her hairdresser, who in Joan's life was a horrible old queen and part-time porn actor who ran roughshod for most of her public interactions. He is the only person I rejoiced in dying of AIDS.

Jean has this nailed.

The actress who plays the writer is really, really good. I'm loving this show so far.

R43, thanks for posting the interview. It was very good.

I really enjoyed it. Jean is amazing. Like others said, I didn't like the writer at first but by episode 2, she grew on me. Look forward to the rest.

One thing I like about the show is that even if she's past her prime, Jean's character isn't a fucking loser. She's rich, wants for nothing, and has a loyal staff who loves her. Most versions of this show would have her struggling financially on top of everything else. I like that Hacks simply makes her a hustler who's been smart with her money.

Also, the scene where Deborah changes out the CO2 canister before continuing her comversation with the writer is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. The writers' reaction is hilarious.

R56 Love it!

The scene with the CO2 canister was another glimpse into the character. She was not above doing something for instant gratification if she could do it herself. She had the fountain installed and learned to service it herself. And she didn't have to pay someone to do it for her. Just like conserving tic-tacs.

The reveal of the salt shaker was a cinematographic gem. Like Leno and his cars, her cabinets of baubles were breathtaking and framed her is isolation perfectly.

Nice technicals on this show.

My BFF worked with a pre-fame Smart on the lesbian stage drama “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” in the early 80s. Said that she was a delight to work with and was very convincing as a dyke.

A group of friends and I regularly went to tapings of “High Society” (a very gay audience). It was frequently hilarious, but our focus was on Jayne Meadows’ wig, which threatened to shift from scene to scene – and one time it did. When it happened, we were laughing so hard, that one of the crew came after the take to thank us for getting the humor.

R63 Yes, like Leno and his cars, but to bring it back to Joan— like Joan and her Faberge collection. The strawberry salt and pepper set that was in that shot was gorgeous.

I haven’t watched yet (I know, I’m a bad fan 😭), but I’ve been Langing over Shout! Factory’s “King Kong” release.

Anyway, I plan on watching tonight. I have been looking at gifs of Jean on the show and [italic]loving[/italic] them.

This is DL’s resident WW Monster, the cutie. Or it’s me FFing trolls. You pick.

I liked that the second she placed that pepper shaker in the cabinet, she felt her emptiness even more.

Do we know who will play the sister? If it's Annie Potts, this site will explooooooddddeeee!!!!!

R68 omg, yes! That would be fucking amazing perfection!

She just comes across as a very classy, grateful person. She hasn't let her career go to her head. She is totally okay with not looking beautiful for a role.

R70 I think I wrote a variation of this upthread, but Jean is a perfect balance between warmly wholesome and delectably mischievous.

I recently watched the “Watchmen” miniseries and was totally blown away by her equal parts fierce, riotously funny and heartbreaking performance.

I plan on delving deeper into her work.

I hope Delta Burke plays the sister

I thought it was quite good, and of course Jean Smart was marvelous. The character seems to be a cross between Joan Rivers and Debbie Reynolds -- that eternal drive that was characteristic of both.

Loved the montage where the alarm goes off at 5:15 and Jean briskly gets out of bed, exercises, has her coffee, pulls herself together, has a business meeting, etc., while the younger writer's alarm goes off at 10:30 and she just stumbles out of bed. Jean's character has already put in a pretty full day of work and she has a performance that night.

Looking fwd to watching to this. Seems like she can do no wrong in last several yrs. ever since Fargo

It’s not a perfect show; at times, the writing seems forced and the execution awkward. Still, Jean Smart’s transcendent brilliance more than makes up for the flaws, and she manages to turn the scripts’ weaknesses completely in her favor. Deborah is at a point in her life where she too is forced and awkward, having grown weary from years of battling to stay relevant, and Smart captures her anger and irreverence with aplomb, while infusing her with fleeting glimmers of yearning and vulnerability.

In a pivotal scene toward the end of episode two, Deborah howls, “Good is the minimum; it’s the baseline. You have to be so much more than good! And even if you are great and lucky, you still have to work really fucking hard, and even that is not enough! You have to scratch and claw and it never fucking ends. And it doesn’t get better; it just gets harder.” Smart is not just good or great, she’s perfect.

Hannah Einbinder also uses the spotty writing to her advantage and manages to make a character that is at a post-adolescence nadir in her life and perpetually putting her foot in her mouth both realistically irritating and effortlessly charming. The rest of the cast, though they’ve been given very limited screen time, is also promising.

These first two episodes seem like the initial fumbling entries of what could very well turn out to be an excellent show. I, for one, am definitely sticking with it, which seems like the Smart thing to do. (har har)

Eight more to go!

R75 really nails it. Love Jean. Love the premise. But the execution felt very self-conscious at times. This awkwardness was also apparent in the trailer -- it's trying to be snarky and biting but gets defanged by the maudlinness around it. Still, I think it has the workings of a great show if they dial into their relationship, improve the banter (and the actual comedy bits) and raise the stakes.

The poster who noted they're really borrowing heavily from Joan and Debbie is spot on. It's an old school show biz drive that these young, 'woke' millennials know nothing of. I admire the (relatively) young creative team for using the narrative to take a snipe at these soft, overly-coddled Gen Z-ers. Let's build some grit, honey!

Agree with everything R75 says.

And I always say give sitcoms six episodes. Watch any great sitcom and that's usually when they get their sea legs.

The pepper shaker story line reminded me of the episode of Orange is the New Black when they were starving Piper and she made that hot pepper lotion to survive. But I’ll watch Jean Smart pet a cat for 10 episodes- love her in this.

Very enjoyable show.

"He was in the closet so long his wife tried to donate him to Goodwill!"

"She's both my assistant AND my boss....."

Writing isn't great and younger character is grating, but Jean Smart is amazing and makes the show work. If they can tighten up the writing, this has potential.

Jean Smart is one of the few actors who can transcend mediocre writing and elevate it into art. Her performance in this show is a perfect example.

If any of you eldergays aren’t familiar with Meg Stalter who plays the agent’s assistant - she’s brilliant. She posts new content almost daily but this is one of my favorites.

I love Jean in this but the characterization of the younger writer seems like a lazy collection of millennial tropes from a Boomer perspective.

When do new episodes drop? I already need my weekly dose of Deborah.

Love this series. Jean Smart is wonderful

The scenes with bitchy gay guy selling antiques was a hoot

The antique guy immediately made me think of this DL thread!

[quote]The scenes with bitchy gay guy selling antiques was a hoot

Jefferson Mays, who was brilliant in "I Am My Own Wife."

This and Mrs. Maisel prove that writing stand-up and a teleplay are two very different skills.

The stand-up is almost never funny. It makes it difficult to believe why they have a career.

I find the vast majority of stand up comedians' routines are almost never funny and it makes it difficult for me to believe why they have a career.

Wow, universal acclaim on the DL! Who knew it was possible?

5 Cunts on the Cunt-o-meter!

Two Clits Up!

r95, WAY up!

The writing is so stupid (like Jean's character ONLY drinking fountain sodas? Dumbest character trait ever). The salt shaker thing was also profoundly stupid. Jean is great tho.

I loved that scene of Jean changing the soda water.

Well, it tastes much better out of a fountain than a plastic bottle.

R97 I thought that those things were very intentional— it served to further highlight how passé the character is. I no longer know anyone who only drinks fountain drinks, but I sure did 15-20 years ago.

I love fountain drink and they (generally) taste better than a can of soda.

Cup, lotsa ice, straw, product. 💯

[quote]Well, it tastes much better out of a fountain than a plastic bottle.

It's still garbage.

I think the young comedy writer is not well written. I don't understand why Jean Smart's character would hire her. She seems surly and spoiled and not the least bit funny.

100+ posts and no one has mentioned that Laraine Newman is Hannah Einbinder's mother.

I’ve loved her since seeing Odd Couple 2 where she and Christine Baranski played two grifter biker whores trying to shake down Matthau and Lemmon, the best part of that movie.

Kaitlin Olson came in like a bull in a China shop. Her Botox and filler is ridiculous too. For a show about the changing landscape of comedy due to humor changing with wokeness I hope they push the limits more.

DL favorite, Jean Smart is a national treasure and icon among gay men.

I wish there were a role for Delta Burke in this show. I would love to see the two of them together again.

This is the era of a caftan Renaissance.

The best scene by far in "Halston" (at least that doesn't involve sex) is in the first episode and involves Halston trying to sell Babe Paley (wearing a gorgeous late 60s Chanel suit) on his famous tie-dyed caftans in his Manhattan salon.

As the models parade before her in a rainbow of caftans, she murmurs, "They're beautiful... even stunning!"

It's the ultimate DL moment.

Wait, so is Jean Smart the one celebrity DL won't rip to shreds? No catty remarks about her looks? No rumors about her backstage cuntiness? No disparaging her talent? No talk of her whoring her way to the top?

I knew there had to be one, I'm just kind of surprised it's her.

R109. Jean is clean and one of the last of the good ol' broads.

Add in loads of sympathy for not only the recent death of her husband but also dealing with juvenile diabetes for nearly 60 years.

I love her so much. The show is great.

Jean Smart discusses her diabetes which she has had nearly her entire life.

Jan Hooks has been the only other celeb that DL has shown universal love for. Great taste, DL!

Oh crap! In the midst of all the Jean Smart love I forgot to mention how much I loved the assistant. Like Jean, she stole every scene in which she appeared. Actually, I thought the agent character was absolutely worthless until the scenes in which he began to play off of the assistant.

Swipe to the last frame, I would have loved to be at this dinner!!

Jean is so fucking cute!

Just checking....if the DL loves Jean and Jan and Delta and Dixie, and everyone loves Alice Ghostley. What about Annie Potts and Julia Duffy?

I liked the show, but it makes me feel old. I'm an older millennial but I much prefer Jean's character's "corny" humor rather than the younger woman's version.

R118:

Yes and yes. Stephanie van der Kellen was a national treasure. And Annie was a scene stealer in the Ghostbusters films.

I never thought about it, but Designing Women might've been one of the best cast shows of all time.

Side Note:

Jean Smart would have been wonderful in "The Jenny Jones Story", at some point. Unfortunately, no one cares about that subject matter at this point. But Smart really resembles Jenny Jones, and I only just noticed it.

I know it was a poisonous situation, but that a rival network never made a movie surrounding the fallout from the 1995 murder of Scott Amedure is somewhat surprising.

R121 One problem is that there was no rival network. Jenny Jones was syndicated, therefore affiliates of all three networks aired her show and might not be happy to revisit that situation. I could've seen Lifetime doing it though.

R121 what about Cybil?

Oh, shit. Of course, R122. Syndication. But it absolutely would have been well within Lifetime's wheelhouse to cover it.

R123 I feel Smart would've been a much better fit, where the personality is concerned. Though both Shepherd and Smart are both younger than Jones

I think the Ava character is well-written and performed. And I think it's a fairly accurate representation of how that generation views stand up comedy, fame and work. And I don't think the crux of the show is a portrait of a an aging stand-up but rather a clash of the generations.

Here's a clip of Charlene speaking DataLounge on Designing Women...

[quote] It's an old school show biz drive that these young, 'woke' millennials know nothing of.

Judy Gold rants about this all the time on her podcast. Her generation (and Joan Rivers' before that) had to endure long nights on the road, playing shitty clubs at 3 am to an audience of ten, staying in fleabag motels while trying to build a career while today's generation gets headliner status on the strength of a You Tube video.

I loved the hotel owner's line about college kids willing to pay a grand to watch some guy in a helmet hit 'play' on an iPod.

(Speaking of Judy Gold, they should bring her in to punch up the stand-up routines. It's hard to see how Deborah got to be such a big star with such unfunny material. I've been to a few Joan Rivers shows over the years and by the time she finished, the audience was screaming with laughter.)

Episode 3 drops tomorrow, or probably after midnight tonight!

Jean Smart has done nothing to deserve a 128 post thread. There, I said it.

R128 Episodes 3 and 4! They're doing two per week.

R130 Ah!

Will it drop at midnight?

No. And it's killing me.

That Ava woman is insufferable and unfunny. How could her character write funny jokes when she's always downcast and moody all the time?

Ava is like every hipserette who ever played Largo. She is a snyde, smirky Laura Kightlinger wannabe.

The unaired episode showed the turning point. IT was brilliant.

Episode 3, with all of its striving, was enjoyable, and the last quarter of the episode was perfect. This show is at its best when it peels back the try-too-hard veneer of wit and focuses on the characters’ pathos. Smart and Einbinder are fantastic when they are allowed to let what their characters struggle to suppress float to the surface.

Episode 4 indicates that the show is starting to hit its stride. It might be my favorite episode overall because of how well it comes together. Smart and Einbinder are effortless here, and Kaitlin Olson is great as the aggrieved, irresponsible daughter.

Overall, the show is getting markedly better and Smart remains transcendent.

New episodes are really good

Some complaints here last week about Deborah's standup not being funny enough, but seems from these new episodes that was a purposeful choice for the show's evolution

r138, surprising for a series titled HACKS...

You know what works with this show? NOTHING.

Don’t hold your breath for Season 2.

Ugh. I want to binge it all right now. It's so good! I didn't think I could love Jean Smart any more. I wish she wasn't in mourning

Judging from the video @ r116 she's now surrounded by a big gay squad to help lift her spirits

Jean Smart has three Emmys. Get ready to give her a fourth.

*********Spoilers below, don’t look if you don’t want to know ********

What was the purpose of Deborah taking pics of the art? I can’t figure it out

R144 Debbie has something up her sleeve. She wants her schedule back!

The casino owner guy played by Christopher McDonald is probably using company money to fund his lifestyle. His girlfriend mentioned most of the artwork was bought by the corporation...so Deborah was collecting proof by cataloguing the artwork and getting pictures of her in front of each piece to prove she knows (which will be used to blackmail him).

The last 2 episodes were even better than the first. Even though she’s a POS, DJ (Kaitlyn Olson’s character) is hilarious.

Also, it was surreal seeing Jane Adams pop up as Ava’s mom. I now feel old because I remember when she was a youngish hipster in the mid 90s. Now she’s almost 60 and playing the mom of an adult...which is age appropriate but still surprising.

Marcus is now officially my favorite character. He's going to hook up with the water guy, right?

Really enjoying the shit out of this show. I'm growing fond of the daughter, too.

It was inferred Marcus has already hooked up with the water guy...but maybe that character will become recurring going forward. I thought it was hilarious when Marcus said Ava had no class. The 4th episode was definitely a highlight for the supporting characters.

[quote] I thought it was hilarious when Marcus said Ava had no class.

That was the moment he jumped up to favorite, lol. The muttering was perfect.

She very slickly got his young dumb wife to take a bunch of photos of all of his assets. She's getting them appraised and will use it to blackmail him. I loved Caitlyn Olson in this.

[quote] Marcus is now officially my favorite character. He's going to hook up with the water guy, right?

There was definitely something going on there but I'm not sure if they've already fucked. If so, it's pretty shitty to fuck the guy who's making your boss's life miserable (unless Marcus is getting a secret thrill out of that). Since Deborah is so frugal, if she found out that Marcus is screwing the guy who gave her a $100K fine, wouldn't she be livid and see that as a betrayal? Marcus impresses me as someone who's not going to throw his career away for a piece of ass, no matter how hot.

I'd love to see more of the water guy, literally. I like to think that they hired the openly gay actor/activist Johnny Sibilly for a reason (although, as the title of the episode says, "a gig's a gig")

They need to use whatever the did to de age Jean Smart on Evan Hansen

R152, I could tell they dubbed Jean Smart's voice and used a younger actress.

My favorite line so far, "Stop acting like a hillbilly and sit down." (Debbie says to Ava who is full of wonder at being on a private jet).

I want to more about every single character. That private blackjack dealer is hilarious. Did anyone else think Deborah purposely looked like shit for her daughter's TMZ photos?

R155 She was purposely dressed frumpy and wearing disguise make-up, which she wipes off as she’s talking to her daughter

R147 I want/need a Marcus in my life. He makes shit happen and takes care of everything! Plus, he's hot!!

[quote]I want/need a Marcus in my life.

Luckily, I married someone just like Marcus!

I wonder if they'll ever show the sister and who is playing her?

Do we know how many episodes this season consists of?

I don't know but I feel like I could binge 30 in a row no problem.

There will be a total of 10 episodes according to IMDB.

However, that site also claims Christopher McDonald, Kaitlyn Olson, and Megan Starter all have only one more episode left. I seriously hope that’s not the case.

[quote]R91 This and Mrs. Maisel prove that writing stand-up and a teleplay are two very different skills. The stand-up is almost never funny. It makes it difficult to believe why they have a career.

This.

The joke the the writer and the comic come up with that ultimately sends them into peals of laughter in episode 1 is, “He was in the closet so long he was shitting mothballs.”

That doesn’t even make sense.

I do admire her in everything I see her do, though I’ve never watched a complete episode of Designing Women.

She was even good (seriously) in “Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story.” Which sounds like an awful Lifetime movie but isn’t.

That was a great movie r164. So much better than Charlize

The live fish and her fishing drag was hilarious and said so much

I don’t know that I can watch anymore of this. It’s so inert. I barely made it through Ep. 4.

I like Jean Smart and the character she’s playing but, omg, the writing…. the writers don’t know how to earn anything. It’s so contrived. It’s why 4 episodes in, I don’t care about anybody. And Deborah was not funny on top of that bus.

She was plenty funny. Stand up sucks. All of it. There's a reason they make you order a two drink minimum. Jean is killing it. They both are.

I don’t know why the comic is keeping the young writer around, even. It’s not like she’s getting a return in her investment.

I hope it’s not finally revealed, “I saw that initial tweet of yours, and I thought, [italic]‘This gal has spunk!’”

r169, if you have ever met a rich successful comic, the one thing they will pay for is HONESTY.

She's at the melting-face/shrunken-apple stage of her haghood, I see.

Pity.

She does need to have her upper lip lasered...

That NPR interview is interesting, thank you for sharing, R43. Glad they mentioned Smart’s hilarious work on “Frasier”!

And she gets extra points with me for having been a cheerleader in high school!

I really, truly want to love this series. The creators (who were behind the VERY funny Broad City) SHOULD know how to knock this out of the park. But the writing is really god awful. No structure, no pacing, no set-up/pay-off and the plot points they do introduce feel horribly contrived. And worst of all? It's NOT funny.

There's a really awkward, unfunny energy from Ava that kills any momentum. She's also saddled with these brutally unfunny asides that often don't even make sense (like that pouty retort on the bus "She never went to that chicken factory..." WTF? That's not a quip or anything an actual comedian would verbalize) She also doesn't think or behave like a standup/comedy writer. As a character, she's a wet rag, weighing down every scene with woke posturing. Why would Deborah ever keep her around when she can't cough up half a dozen pizza 'bits'?! YOU HAD ONE JOB. Narratively, it's not making ANY sense.

Smart, Kaitlin Olsen and Chris MacDonald are fantastic and make it worth watching. But the writing is all over the place. I'm hoping it finds stronger legs over the next couple episodes because right now, it doesn't know what it wants to be. And that SUCKS because it's such a great vehicle for Smart.

The is really cute. I love it so far. The third episode was different. But it fun to watch Jean breeze around her vegas mansion in long slacks and and long flowing tops. Her character is sassy and has seen enough shit to back it up.

Plus, Ava would never be cancelled for that stupid tweet, as if anyone would care anyway. She’s not James Gunn.

If it were something to do with race, maybe, but the writers didn’t have the balls to go there. Who in Hollywood is going to care about some right-wing, homophobic Senator? The show can’t even get that right.

The problem with this show is that whatever Deborah needs - and guess what, there’s no way a hotel in Vegas is going to diminish the act that actually makes them money over an untried, flash in the pan novelty youth act, so even that is contrived - but whatever she needs, she’s not going to get it from Ava. I mean, the whole “digitise my archive” is so…what self-respecting writer is going to do that? The whole idea that all these weeks later anybody is going to care about some completely low level tweet - I mean, how many followers did she have? 100s? It just lacks credibility of any kind.

It’s fine that some people here are enjoying it but I doubt the ratings are any good at all.

I am watching the first ep because of raves I read about Jean Smart's performance, and she is that good.

Even better, she plays a standup comic and the comedy writing is actually pitch perfect (so far)—her lines are funny when they're supposed to be and tired when they're supposed to be, unlike Mrs. Maisel, in which I like so much about the show but to like it I have to ignore that the standup comedy writing is totally unfunny.

I scrolled past most of the comments in this thread because I don't want spoilers, but I'll come back to it later.

It seems like Smart's character is a combination of Joan Rivers (actually funny! QVC! Lonely old lady whose family are dogs! Sorry, Melissa!) and Roseanne (comic material and yell-talky delivery.

The character is immediately well defined. The writing of the pilot is great, with so many setups that take slightly surprising turns. Smart is really, really good. I'm so impressed! After bombs like The Undoing and Big Shot with Bethenny (How the fuck did that Bravo trash get on HBO?!!), this show has given me some faith that HBO could be salvaged as the best of TV again.

Again, not many people here have ever suffered through an unfunny female hipstress comic where everyone in the species specific audience howled with laughter over smirky, snide hipstress comedy.

That is Ava. She is a micro niche comic. She is a plot device.

One issue with this show is she isn’t funny

They should have bought all the Joan River's jokes and get rid of the Ava character who is so useless and unnecessary.

I agree Ava is a drag

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but here's Jean Smart's recent interview on Fresh Air with Teri Gross.

Thanks to R179 for that carefully constructed statement.

And that's the whole point: whatever Deborah's problem is - how the fuck is AVA going to provide a solution...? Deborah will NEVER be a mouthpiece for Ava's comedy. EVER.

Though I'm sure this show's writers will try to make that happen.

Anybody else agree that episode 4 is the best and most effortless entry so far?

Also, so far, my favorite moment overall is still Smart’s excellent bit toward the end of episode 2:

[quote] Good is the minimum; it’s the baseline. You have to be so much more than good! And even if you are great and lucky, you still have to work really fucking hard, and even that is not enough! You have to scratch and claw and it never fucking ends. And it doesn’t get better; it just gets harder.

She’s so fucking good.

She is so funny

The Always Sunny bitch is so one-note and unfunny. Last episode was uneven with multiple setups and underwhelming cliffhangers.

If the show's going where I think it is, then yes, Ava won't be a mouthpiece for Deborah.

We've seen from her failed 70s talk show that Deborah was once outspoken and cutting edge. Having Ava around will bring her back to her true self.

I hate millennials on shows, the whole “aww shucks insecure yet cocky dumbass” thing is so played out, it’s so Dude, Where’s My Car?!.

I didn't expect this show to have that kind of cgi budget! I figured the photos in the pilot of Jean with Leno were legit but the early stand-up and night show videos were excellently doctored! Were the fish dumped in the pond cgi as well? I'm not savvy enough to tell.

I'd like to see a spin-off where Marcus shacks up with the water guy!

Why is it even called hacks?

Everyone seems to be a gifted-enough professional.

And is hack short for hackneyed?

Hacks an old nickname for comics.

Loving this!

In one of the first epsiodes, the two women get in a fight and one of them yells "You're just a hack!" So they're both hacks. Neither of them is really performing at a high level yet. It seems pretty clearly telegraphed that they're going to unlock one another's potential. At least I hope Jean's character inspires the other one to loosen the fuck up.

One of the reasons I like this show a lot is because I worked with a young woman who was *so* much like Ava and I am really enjoying watching Jean Smart bat her around like a cat with a mouse. This girl I worked with was miserable. She was a human Eeyore. She belonged to a feminist book club. She policed everyone in the office all the time. I dubbed her the hall monitor. Over the past year, the execs at my job tried to keep morale up over Zoom meetings and she was constantly bitching about something while simultaneously insisting we have happy hours weekly that no one wanted to do. She complained to HR that her boss "literally tried to kill us all" because we waited until the federal government closed to close our office during the pandemic. She thought she was funny and she was not funny at all. She said "bleurg," I guess thinking she was Liz Lemon. She insisted Mrs. Maisel's comedy material was laugh out loud funny. She brought down everyone's spirits. On top of it all, she was lazy and blamed 'maintaining my well being' for taking naps during the workday last year, and she simultaneously was always petitioning for a raise and a title upgrade on the grounds of how long she was at our company and she didn't believe that performance at work should have anything to do with rewards. She announced recently that she got a government job and the only think she ever did to make people happy was to leave. I've never worked with anyone quite like her but I see her in this TV show and it's satisfying to see a boss treat her avatar the way she deserved to be treated. She really made me resent her generation, which is not fair, but this Ava character is so much like her in all ways that I'm really happy to see her abused by a boomer a little bit.

It also seems clearly telegraphed that (SPOILER?? I have no foreknowledge of this but it seems totally inevitable...) the personal assistant and the water meter dude are either banging or else we are being set up to think they are and we'll find out they have some other scheme going. Between "I'll go around and open the gate for you" *WINK WINK* and "Hey, assistant dude, you missed a call from the evil water meter dude" *WINK WINK,* water meter dude very clearly will have some siginficant presence at some point. The romantic implication is so unsubtle that I'm thinking Ava will use it to her advantage or else, more likely, it's a red herring to make us think we will catch them in the act (How does that pay off for the plot?) and instead we'll see that they're trading on secrets or something.

I binged on both Hacks and Mare of Easttown this weekend and I had to look up Jean Smart's age. She looks glamorous and seems really vital in Hacks, and on Mare, she comes across believably as a doddering old lady. She really is talented. To think that Charlene was my least favorite designing women and she seemed so boring and daffy. I always thought it was because Jean Smart just wasn't a very likable actress but she really is charismatic and gifted.

I started following Johnny Sibilly who's the water meter guy on Insta last night. Lots of fine photos.

R199 Ronan Farrow and Don Lemon also follow him. ✊🏾🍆💦

Deborah's stand up reminds me of Elayne Boosler, who was a really hacky comic in the 80s.

R200 Ronan Farrow and Don Lemon also fuck him. ✊🏾🍆💦

She was the only one of the four who wasn't Southern, r198.

Yes, she was raised in Portland Oregon.

I love Jean Smart and want to see her in the best material but this just isn't it. The writing is pathetic and never funny when it's trying to be funny.

And the actress who plays Ava the young comedy writer? Yes, she'd be helped enormously by better writing but that girl is a total forgettable cypher. Jenn Psaki without the charm and grace. Hard to believe with all the young quirky comic actresses and stand up comediennes (is that word still permissible?) out there, she was the best they could find.

It's a true tribute to Jean Smart that she's able to keep this thing afloat. But then, I'd probably happily watch her read the phone book.

Is FARGO worth watching just for Jean Smart?

Yes, R206.

Can't stand Ava and her attitude. She is getting paid most likely a ton of money along with free food and hotel room yet she acts like she's in a prison camp. Maybe that's intentional, but her sullen and unfunny demeanor bring nothing. Zero charisma. On the other hand, I laugh any time the secretary Kayla is on screen because she's so kooky.

And r206 you only have to watch season 2 for Jean's outstanding performance. It is its own story and only barely connected to the others

R167 - this show sucks. The actors are fun but the writing is abysmal.

r192 It's called Hacks, because the season 1 cliffhanger has them transition from unemployed comediennes to government hackers trying to infiltrate North Korea's electricity grid, Rose.

[R192] It's called Hacks, because the season 1 cliffhanger has them transition from unemployed comediennes to serial killers who badly butcher their victims, Rose

Ava is doing her best to sell. She's selling herself to Deborah, to her agent, to handsome Marcus, to the antiques guy, and trying to sling Deborah's daughter's godawful "gems". She's starting to learn the art of hustling.

Only on Datalounge can an actress frequently described as one of the best on television for over two decades be described as "underrated."

CRIMINALLY underrated!

Three more days to episodes 5&6.

I think the criticisms of the show are dead on, but some of the writing is good (albeit uneven). I kept wondering why they mentioned Steve Wynn a few times (he left Vegas in 2018 after his own Me Too scandal), and I realized when Jean Smart took all the pics with the art why he was mentioned. Mr. Wynn did the exact same thing with Bellagio corporate $$$...bought a ton of art, a nice home, etc. on the company's dime (and had it all under the company's umbrella). He lost it all during a hostile takeover; not saying that's what will happen on the show, but Deborah is definitely going to use it against him for leverage.

Deborah also reminds me a bit of Rita Rudner. Rita got shuffled from larger, headlining showrooms to smaller, shared showrooms until she left Vegas. Currently she's performing sporadically in small venues outside of Vegas, but she had a long run here. Whomever above said the casino wouldn't boot Deborah for the Pentatonix has never been to Vegas; it happens all the time, and it's all based on bringing in a younger, hipper crowd. Rita Rudner's target audience followed her from casino to casino; Deborah's would do the same. I also for some reason get the impression that maybe the casino guy is DJ's biological father.

As great as Jean is on Hacks, she’s equally good on Mare of Easttown. Her chemistry with Kate Winslet is off the charts...

Unfortunately, she doesn’t really have any chemistry with Hanna Einbinder.

I’m going to start snipping off some of those nut-less M&Ms you cunts consider testicles if the slander continues.

[italic]Don’t[/italic] fuck with Jean.

So much kvetching about a show with a 100 percent average critical rating.

Is the daughter’s jewelry supposed to be any good or is it meant to be awful?

It’s meant to be awful.

R222 it is meant to be but really isn’t any worse than what they actually sell on QVC.

You will all tolerate these cheap panties Jean is being forced to wear - and doing so fabulously, I might add - if only to worship at the throne of her potent and pulsing cunt.

I think the Ava character is spot on and the writers are doing a great job mining the generational divide.

Ava is gonna learn how to hustle and flow under Deborah.

Kinda like a Rivers, Griffin synergy but shiksa.

Sorry, this show is dreadful, and Smart does nothing we haven't seen her do a million times before much better. EVERY character is a stock cliche except for the young writer, from the drug addict daughter to the incompetent manager's assistant. We've seen it ALL before. And the scenario is utter bullshit. Waste of time.

r227, but it's fun.

[quote]Sorry, this show is dreadful, and Smart does nothing we haven't seen her do a million times before much better.

Yeah, that explains the reviews at R56.

I've been watching -- she does a terrific job and the show is funny.

[quote] Yeah, that explains the reviews at [R56].

No, the long slog of mediocrity and political correctness explains the reviews.

Must I warn you again, R227, or should I simply act on impulse the next time?

The daughter is a spot-on portrayal of a lot of celebrity children.

r227 doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. This is a great show and a lot of it is very true to life if you know the Industry.

It's hacky. It only seems true to life because Carrie Fisher wrote about it 35 years ago.

Shit like this is going on in show business right now r234. The writers know what they're doing.

[quote]R230 she does a terrific job and the show is funny.

Where is it funny? WHERE??

[quote] Shit like this is going on in show business right now [R234]. The writers know what they're doing.

It's a cliche. What might be actually interesting is to see the child of a celebrity portrayed as stable. This whole fucking show is a cliche.

It's reflective of reality r237. It has great reviews and the acting is top notch. Lots of fans of the show.

That's lovely, R238. I don't happen to be one of them.

I didn’t think the daughter’s jewelry looked any worse than stuff I see all the time.

So don't watch it or post here r239

Oh, okay, R241. If you say I can't post here, then I guess I had better leave.

I guess you can go back to beating off to your shit porn r242.

Wow, hilarious. You must write for the show.

R244

I've never watched Fargo, but I'll have to check out Jean Smart's season. According to the poster above, it's self-contained and you don't have to follow the whole series to get into it.

I asked you a question, r230!

[italic]WHERE IN ANY OF THE EPISODES IS IT FUNNY??

All the Fargo seasons are self contained, so you're good to jump in on any of them.

Skip the Chris Rock one.

R247 Jean is funny, poignant, and a total delight. And I’m sure we haven’t even gotten to the juicy stuff yet. She’s worth more than the price of admission.

The show has its weak spots - plenty of us who are fans of it have already posted this - but it has lots of potential and one helluva star headlining it. I’m sticking around.

[quote]Skip the Chris Rock one.

No problem! 😆

r247, I thought the quick rewrite of the gay husband joke, [he's been in the closet so long, she tried to donate him to Goodwill], was a LOL moment.

It has classic stand-up set up, punch format. Short, to the point.

A well written joke.

I'm enjoying the show thus far but it does feel like an elaborate set up for run-of-the-mill Gen Z vs. Baby Boomer jokes, otherwise it's hard to fathom why Debbie would keep dour, unfunny Ava around. Einbinder (Laraine Newman's daughter as R104 points out) and Smart resemble Ellie Kemper and Jane Krakowski on Kimmy Schmidt but without the zany chemistry. I want to like Kaitlin Olson more but she can't leave her It's Always Sunny persona behind.

No mention of the adorably sexy little otter/delivery boy Ava has a quickie with in the first episode? I guess if she's moved to Las Vegas he won't be returning any time soon.

I didn't realize her assistant is little gay Mark Indelicato from Ugly Betty.

[quote]I didn't realize her assistant is little gay Mark Indelicato from Ugly Betty.

Yes, r54 already told us...

My husband keeps insisting this isn’t a comedy. But what he MEANS is that it isn’t very funny.

Looks like there's a few here who would be better off keeping to the Big Bang Theory section of HBOMax

Oh, HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, R257. Stop! My sides, MY SIDES.

Episode 5 - This was a fun, crazy, and surprising episode, which, as with episode 4, sees the series gradually hitting its stride. Smart, as always, is excellent. The real surprise in this entry is Einbinder, who handles Ava’s self-absorbed pathos beautifully, alternating from funny to genuinely moving with ease. Of course, there is still room for improvement - the writing could be tighter and jokes sharper - but I am sincerely enjoying spending time with these characters and watching them blossom more and more.

The toothpaste guy was adorable 😢

George is a fox.

Episode 6 - Smart was fucking [italic]amazing[/italic] here. ::bows down:: So far, this is her Emmy tape. I loved this episode, which felt like the most effortless one yet. Definitely the best one so far. Also, you go Marcus. I want to see more flesh and ass next time, though.

You just know Marcus wears heavenly cologne!

Great idea to release 2 a week, especially this week when one was Ava focused and one was Deborah focused

R262 I agree.

It was weird to see Vance have tape around her eyes when everyone could see the easily removed smoker's ruts above her top lip.

Just weird.

But loved both episodes. Hated to see the plot device kill himself.

R264 Spoilers Alert!!!!

If you come here before you watch the episodes, you are an idiot r265.

Here is a spoiler...EXPECT SPOILERS!

R266 You little twatsicle! I had already seen the episodes before you posted but was thinking of others.

[quote]...but was thinking of others.

How very un-DL like!

r267, then who gives the blessing to talk about the episodes in detail, HALL MONITOR KAREN. That's bullshit.

PS. Jon Snow killed Daenerys Targaryen

R269 You little tit.

r270, Yes, I am.

P.S. Dr. Malcolm doesn't realize he is dead...

R271 😂

She was great in the "Watchmen" series as Agent Blake.

Thank you for showing up r273.

You're welcome R274. Happy to oblige.

Jean Smart needs an Emmy for this. She is fucking brilliant.

R276 Wasn’t she everything and more in episode 6? She been amazing the entire series so far, but her emotional scene was beyond.

Her performance is ep. 6 was the best yet. There are so many layers to that character and she's brilliant at conveying all of them.

I just finished watching the last two eps and I loved them both. I think the show is hitting its stride now. I still continue to LOVE Marcus and his little water boy, and his family. Of course Marcus would have a gorgeous house.

Hannah really impresses me when Ava is on drugs or drunk, ha ha. The first time I really warmed up to her was when she was getting drunk off free drinks at the kitten slots. She gets a little giddy and I just enjoy the character a whole lot more. Loved her bitchiness with the old writing team. Ha, the one twenty something lesbian chick got a Marvel movie to direct.

Her chemistry with Smart really solidified and was off the charts in the sixth episode. Smart was terrific. I am wondering if Ava is able to talk her into being more revealing and honest with her standup if its going to fall flat at first because of the audience. Looking forward to the rest of this season.

Only 4 MORE EPISODES!!!!!

This needs to continue. How do we make it continue? I'm addicted, more than coke, molly and booze...

Is it only supposed to be one season? I hope not.

I love this series so much. Love that Marcus got some

[quote]Hated to see the plot device kill himself.

Who was that actor? He wasn’t altogether convincing as a straight man.

He did seem fey, esp. in the scenes in the hotel room.

It was the black panties worn by him and Ava...

I was going to say the same thing about George. I thought that was going to be the reveal or something, but I knew what he was going to do as soon as he coaxed Ava to call Deb and quit.

I loved seeing Marcus with his family. I want to hang out with his mom.

And of course it was wonderful to see him with the water meter man. Yum!

I acknowledge the show's imperfections, yet I truly have enjoyed it and look forward to more.

Marcus' family is a rare combo of people who accept him and USES him at the same time.

I have straight friends like them. I feel sorry for him.

[quote] It was the black panties

lol. No, there was a specific moment when he was in his underwear and sat on the chair… he did so very femininely.

r289 I also caught that.

I loved her take down of Ava not caring about what average people might find funny. People like Ava seem to forget who actually pays the bills for the entertainment industry.

I kept waiting for him to jump out the window, the sense of foreboding. I felt real smart when it happened and then realized I'd probably gotten it from the episode title. Was that wax statue really Jean in some makeup? Ava plays fucked up very well. Her grinding her teeth tapping away at her phone was realistic as was her Molly face. Happy for Marcus. Could've used more skin and more of his family

[quote] Of course Marcus would have a gorgeous house

It looked like an Eichler.

Are their Eichler houses in Las Vegas? Or did he drive back to LA?

R293 Much of the show is actually filmed in LA.

Hate Ava. As if Deborah would care about a drunken voicemail after she's put up with her this long. Hate the instant switch to being nice to Deb. An unlikeable character still needs someone that can make you root for them. This actress does not. Void of emotion.

I knew the woman that Ava runs into - the main one of the group of writers - looked familiar! She played the youngest daughter on the Nanny.

Damn, how hot is the guy who played George? Clearly no guy that attractive is going to spend his last night on Earth trying to fuck some negative woman (I'm ugly, I have no friends, I'm a loser....who talks like that to a stranger?) AND shares his drugs with her? Nah, I'm not buying it.

This show just keeps getting better and better. Episode 6 was the best yet. Give Jean all the awards. And gave us another season!

*give

Vegas vs Largo

[quote] Clearly no guy that attractive is going to spend his last night on Earth trying to fuck some negative woman (I'm ugly, I have no friends, I'm a loser....who talks like that to a stranger?) AND shares his drugs with her? Nah, I'm not buying it.

R296, not to give away too much, but remember that George is not the most upstanding, rational-thinking person.

[quote]She played the youngest daughter on the Nanny.

R296 thank you! I was trying to place her the entire episode (it was distracting). I'll now have to go back and watch episode 6 without the distraction of "who's that girl?"

It's hitting its stride and I didn't think I could love it any more. I'm curious as to what its haters enjoy watching

There's a lot of unemployed writers here who think they could write a better show.

Viewership numbers are viewership numbers. Hate watching or not.

See You Next Thursday

See You Next Thursday 😂😂😂

That bitchy writer who was on The Nanny was also in Californication. Played Hank's nutty almost-daughter-in-law-by-former-marriage whom he screwed.

No one here has mentioned another run of brilliant Jean Smart appearances when she was on the terrific but little seen Getting On for a few episodes. Her scenes with Laurie Metcalf (another comedy goddess) were amazing.

r306 that show was gold! As was the British original. Excellent performances from the entire cast and yes, Jean Smart's guest-star turn was another wonderful role from her.

Look.... Miss Smart isn’t all THAT.

She’s a very good performer. There are several in Hollywood.

Theater headshot from the mid 1970s (Oregon Shakespeare Festival)

Then r308 please start separate threads about them and stay over there

[quote]Who was that actor? He wasn’t altogether convincing as a straight man.

[quote]He did seem fey, esp. in the scenes in the hotel room.

His name is Jeff Ward.

He is hot! He definitely was not totally believable as a straight dude and seems gay IRL.

R312 He seemed fine as a straight guy, until the bedroom scenes. I guess that was his acting choice to mimic the effects of cocaine and molly.

No love for Perla?

[quote]He seemed fine as a straight guy, until the bedroom scenes

No, there were also some fleeting moments earlier, as he and Ava made their way through the casino.

R306 I’ve been meaning to check that show out! Metcalf and Smart together was an experience, I’m sure.

R308 Bitch, don’t test us.

r316 it's a great show. You'll get hooked on it.

R318 It’s available on Amazon Prime, so I’ll start tonight.

I absolutely love this show.

I hope the whole Deborah/Ava dance has been but a build up to a drunken, slippery, sodden night of slammin’ clams.

And I hope you’re all appalled.

R321 I hope Jean finds you and facehugs you with her cunt.

R318 I’m halfway through episode 1 and already hooked.

Spent some time on his Instagram thanks to r312 and he definitely seems straight. Many bro-pack pics, follows straight comedians, Lebron, rappers, etc. Seems like a nice guy.

E5 was funny, but also morbid. E6 with Perla had me cry-laughing more than I have in years. The character development has finally paid off for the whole cast. Though the young assistant from 'Ugly Betty' had apparently been forgotten.

R325 That Perla shit was amazing 😂

R303 bravo on the stealth expletive! 😂

R306 I loved "Getting On" (I like the US version more than the original British). However, I don't remember Jean Smart being in it! I guess I will have to re-watch!!

I was disappointed that so very little skin was exposed in the Marcus/Water Guy hook up. It's like we were back in the 1950s.

Why do you suppose it was all staged so modestly?

Getting On, S2: E2, E3 (2014)

But the three season cast looks HILARIOUS!

Yes, definitely anticipated some ass during the Water Guy hook-up. But even Ava and the suicide guy were both wearing panties...WTF do producers think would be offended by nudity? Even 'Bridgerton' had tits and ass.

On his Insta, Water Guy Johnny Silberry promises there's more of him to come!

I'm torn between Annie Potts and Lisa Kudrow...

What is the sister's name?

I watched Getting On when it was on, but didn’t remember the Jean episode. I just watched it again, and it also has DL fave Betty Buckley!

[quote]R330 WTF do producers think would be offended by nudity?

Particular actors?

Given the choice, they’re rarely into it. That’s not what they went to drama school for.

I think the sister needs to be close in age to Jean, even if she wasn't on 'Designing Women' with her. Kudrow is too young.

The sister is supposed to be younger? Christine Ebersole is only one year younger but I'd love to see them onscreen together.

I think Laura Linney would be the right age and she and Jean Smart could easily be sisters. Plus the character would have been about Mary Ann Singleton’s age in the seventies when she started having an affair with Deborah’s husband. I can just see it.

Linney is BRILLIANT at comedy/drama!

Well, they filmed it last November, so the die is cast.

I can wait two weeks if she shows up.

R337, Linney is 12 years younger than Smart.

Cracked up a couple of times in Episode 5, during the Diva Cup explanation (“Remind me never to have dinner at your house!”) and when Ava told Deborah her fashion sense looked like her tailor was turned loose in an antique store.

Turned loose in a carpet store, is what she said.

And Laura Linney is about as funny as a crutch.

Deborah's sister can only be a handful of years younger than her. Deborah's husband left her for her sister in the late 70s, so the sister could not be any younger than her early-mid 60s.

How about Geena Davis for the younger sister? Kim Cattrall? Melanie Griffith???

They are all a little bit younger than Jean Smart, and are also tall-ish.

Could you imagine if they cast Kathy Griffin (she’s 60 now, right?) as sister Kathy...

Kathleen Turner is a few years younger than Jean. I'd love to see her in this (or anything).

Lesley Ann Warren is a few years older but looks great and could play younger.

Julie Haggerty would be an interesting choice, as would Shelley Long.

They haven't really described the sister yet but if they go glam I'd love to see Morgan Fairchild get work. She's not funny but she's not not funny.

Laura Linney is no crutch.

And I’m the dame who can prove it.

[quote] Kathleen Turner is a few years younger than Jean. I'd love to see her in this (or anything).

She's in season 3 of THE KOMINSKY REPORT.

Again, if there IS a sister, she's already filmed the episode. 4 more to go.

I wonder if they think this could make it to season2.

This would be a TRUE AbFab reboot.

Valerie Mahaffey would be my choice for the sister.

Kim Kattrall would be like chameleons looking in mirrors...

R348 beat me to it!

Since the show created convincing CGI footage of a young Deborah doing standup, here's a wild idea: They could engineer Hannah Einbender to be 30 years older and show up as Deborah's sister. Imagine the layers of meaning that would be added to see that Ava looks like a young version of Deborah's sister! The resentment and cruelty would mean so much more, and it could cause Ava to recognize the resemblance and complicate her relationship with Deborah as she realizes she was hired not for comic prowess but to take the place of her sister in her life. And it would be a hell of an acting challenge for Einbender and also give us a chance to see the actress play someone from a different generation who isn't so maddeningly PC and self-centered.

R348, it’s The Kominsky METHOD.

[quote] [R348], it’s The Kominsky METHOD.

You are correct, sir.

I guess I was distracted by Kathleen Turner's, um, appearance. I know she's battled severe illness, and kudos to her for continuing to work, but, damn.

I liked Ava's line about how she feels like she's the only person in LA who doesn't have rich parents. If you live in NY or LA you think about that all the time.

Great show, but Joan Rivers was nothing like the character.

Deborah's comedic style reminds me more of Phyllis Diller than Joan.

I'm getting Roseanne Barr in a better package.

Save the tv hosting thing they threw in for a late night show, this is very Diller. If they have her play classical piano then we know for sure.

The creators said they mashed up a bunch of different female comics to create the character.

Jean Smart said she based Deborah on Phyllis Diller, Elayne Boosler and Sam Kinison.

My upcoming lawsuit says otherwise r361

Tell us about this lawsuit and what it says, if it really exists.

Any time Smart and Metcalf share a scene and the word cunt is spoken, it is pure acting gold.

R364 that Getting On scene with Smart and Metcalf is a master class in comedy timing and acting.

r363 the character of Deborah has one messed up daughter who has no actual talent. The jury will easily see whose life Deborah is based on

I thought Jean Smart was a shoo-in for Best Actress and Best Featured Actress Emmys this coming year until I saw the Mare of Easttown finale tonight.

Julianne Nicholson is a vastly underrated actress.

I've thought that bitch was terrific since I first saw her in indie films 20 years ago.

In this corner, from Boston: Julianne Nicholson.

In this corner, from Toronto: Molly Parker.

Only one gingery, seemingly winsome and fragile but multitudes-containing indie actress can survive!

WHO?

Jean and Julianne cannot and will not be nominated. Unless all blacks are nominated we will destroy the Emmys as we did the Golden Globes. That is all.

Please don’t soil this thread with that reverse wokeism shit, R370.

Bebe Neuwirth is seven years younger than Jean. Just sayin.

r372 another gem! I love Bebe Neuwirth.

The name on the phone when the sister is mentioned is Kathy. Ava recognized the name as she was deleting her texts/emails.

Will Kathy appear? No such name on IMDB yet?

Here I am!!!

r375, Cathy with a c, how brilliant.

I think Deborah's daughter is based on Martha's daughter. Deb is a real mashup of funny and successful women. Watch poor Martha shill her daughter's shitty book here, and you know that in private Martha supports Alexis but also implores her to do everything better than she does. Martha may as well be Deborah here.

I agree r377 except they made Deborah's daughter a pretty nice person. Alexis is a raging cunt, and very bitter. I know people who've had dealings with her.

Raging Cunt, my favorite title for ANYTHING.

The cuntiest cunt of all cunts is Melissa Rivers.

Jean could conceivably win both Best Actress-Comedy and Best Supporting Actress-Limited Series.

And both would be totally deserved.

Melissa is OK. I've worked with her. Her manager was the douchiest douche of all time and he did all the diva demands on her behalf. She was actually pretty nice, a tiny bit icy and she seemed rather insecure. The only really annoying thing about her was that she made jokes constantly and she isn't very funny, so being around her was awkward; either everyone would pretend to laugh or there'd be awkward silence, or else she'd say something mean clearly intended to be a joke but it wasn't funny and so it was just awkward. She made a lot of unfunny and extreme drug and alcohol jokes at a serious addiction recovery event with federal politicians, immediately following a speech by a congresswoman about her nephew having died by overdose, and it was just a huge kerplunk. It seemed to me like she felt because she was Joan's daughter, her role was also to be funny all the time but she doesn't have any comic timing and she's not quick witted like Joan was, so it was just canned, weirdly inappropriate comments all the time that she clearly meant to be funny but just were not. But when she wasn't "on," she was really a pretty normal person, although she always had her asshole manager orbiting and I did wonder if he was there just to make her demands so she wouldn't look bad herself. I could never quite figure that out. He was very hot in an overly tanned-and-groomed Hollywood agent kind of way and I also kind of assumed banging her was part of the job. (This was before she had the kid.)

Why would Melissa Rivers have a manager? What does he manage?

Manager = Glorified PA

r382 interesting read. Also, Enter x2 to create paragraphs.

This series is not grabbing me. Timing is off as is the writing.

r386, I suggest you binge Green Wing.

Yeah, OK, what's great about Green Wing and why should I binge it? Thanks. I'm always up for a recommendation. I tried this Caftans based on DL plugs, but it's missing something.

[quote] I tried this Caftans based on DL plugs

😂 You are too cute, R388. Now…

You FUCK OFF!

Interesting that Kathleen Turner and Kim Zimmer, who was the lookalike woman in Body Heat and also followed Kathleen in her role on a soap, both really chubbed out as they got older.

Green Wing is jerky, uneven and wonderfully entertaining. Your concerns are not necessarily drawbacks to good acting, Oh, and Michelle Gomez...

Not to derail the thread, but totally agree with R391 about Green Wing. The central love triangle was a waste of time (unfortunately, it took up a lot of time), but the peripheral characters/actors were often hilarious. Add to Michelle Gomez: Pippa Haywood, Mark Heap, Olivia Colman and DL THEATRE GOSSIP fave Oliver Chris.

On topic: More Marcus, please. I love his voice.

Is Green Wing a recent Brit series? Where can it be watched?

[quote]R390 Interesting that Kathleen Turner and Kim Zimmer, who was the lookalike woman in Body Heat and also followed Kathleen in her role on a soap, both really chubbed out as they got older.

Happier days - -

We have two days till Hall Monitor will screech about the penultimate episodes. Until then, Green Wing was a brilliant Brit series from 2004ish. I rewatched the first episode today with a youngish John Oliver. So funny. I add possibly the funniest scene in the entire series.

Will there be a season 2 of Hacks?

I hope so r396

Shows like this make me wonder how anybody can watch network sitcoms anymore. They look so antiquated now.

The TV Academy may as well FedEx trophies to Jean Smart and Kate Winslet. I can't imagine anyone else winning.

But wow, the Emmys are going to be more star studded than ever: who could have imagined years ago that Oscar-winning Kate, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow and others would be making great and awful (ahem, The Politician) TV shows?

The Industry has changed so much. There is no longer a separation between movies and tv, and all the good stuff is on tv now. The only "movie stars don't do tv" holdouts are dinosaurs like Barbra Streisand, who are out of step with the times.

I think the criticism about the timing being off is one of the biggest hurdles in watching the show. Even when the bits in the script are strong, the editing and pacing of them kills the funny. It's so strange that they're having such a hard time getting the tone/timing down here, as it was pretty damn flawless on Broad City. But then again, they had better scripts, better comedians and better execution. Hannah E is also NOT a good comedic actress. It's all one-note "trust me, I kill at the Largo" smugness that might work for her stand-up, but sucks the air out of the room here.

Agree, R401, Einbinder is not funny and she doesn't have chemistry with anybody else. I'd rather see more of Deborah's corgis.

Einbinder is pretty good considering it’s her first acting role, but yeah I wish they went with someone else.

[quote]The only "movie stars don't do tv" holdouts are dinosaurs like Barbra Streisand, who are out of step with the times.

Streisand made several TV specials over the years that won a bunch of awards. If you're referring to the fact that she hasn't done a sitcom or drama series, lots of movie stars haven't done that.

She hasn't starred in a limited series or a movie for cable/streaming, she's one of the holdouts. A List movie stars do that now. Even Streep.

Women over 45 have excellent, complicated roles in television series now and feature films are mostly lame comic book movies. They have every reason to do TV.

There's still the "movie stars don't do tv" thing from years ago that some still cling to.

R407 And usually the ones that “cling” to it are only movie stars in their own heads.

Barbra is a bonafide movie star. So is Jack Nicholson. Although I think Nicholson is unable to work anymore.

Einbender is great. She's very natural and I've known some girls just like her. I said it before but that's the best "wasted" acting I've seen. Her cartwheel splits into double birds was hilarious

I also think Einbender is very good, a pretty accurate portrayal of an annoying Millennial.

I really like Einbender, too. She plays "that girl" so perfectly.

I don't get the hatred for Einbender here. Ava is really annoying. She's written that way, and so Einbender is doing her job. The writing has been clear that Ava is a hypocritically preachy opportunistic Millennial who somehow lucked out/climbed her way into being a comedy writer and then was canceled because of her hyporisy, and only then finds out she's a fraud: she's not better than anyone and she's not even very funny. She is being broken down to be built up and shows little moments of promise as a human and as a writer. Deborah is a bitter old lady but she has taken Ava in, probably as penance for neglecting her awful daughter, and so far she has done Ava a lot of favors by the way she's treating her—the money keeps Ava hanging around and she gets life and career lessons from the hardships Deborah imposes.

I think the premise and the execution of the show are great. It's not a hilarious show but it's more of a drama than a comedy, unlike Mrs. Maisel. And Maisel not being funny is a major problem for me because Maisel is supposed to be a phenomenon of a comedian, whereas Deborah's comedy is supposed to come across as time tested but rusty, and Ava's is supposed to come across as stiff and preachy. Neither is at the top of her game or a phenomenon among peers at this point, and so far, their jokes fall in line with their places in life.

Ava's most annoying qualities are *exactly* like a former Millennial coworker of mine who made our entire staff miserable when she was around. She thought she was funny and she was not, she preached woke lessons at all times while offending various people much of the time, she had impressive credentials on paper but her work was shoddy and she had a terrible work ethic, and she felt she was better than others and always told her boss she deserved a promotion and raises simply because she was there for several years and she did not accept the notion that a person should work hard to prove their worth at work rather than being rewarded for being there. She even spoke as Ava does. If Einbender speaks like Ava as herself, then she was perfectly cast. If she doesn't, then she's a talented actress.

Gawd, this show is terrible.

OK, 7&8 have dropped.

Oh, HALL MONITOR, when can we discuss them?

PS Rosebud was his sled.

R415 You know what you’re doing don’t you, you little clit.

Episode 7 - Another great performance by Kaitlin Olson. Everyone was pitch-perfect this episode, which is another strong, effortless entry in the series. I can see Smart winning and Olson and Einbinder scoring nominations.

The series as a whole is only growing stronger.

I think this show will go down as the one that brought out the theses writers on DL. 🙄

r416, I had no Idea that Tyler Durden was actually the narrator.

So when will the HALL MONITOR allow us to discuss the plot?

R419 lol, you are so bad, but adorable being so, my little tit. Share away! If you’re going to spoil a plot point, just preface it with **SPOILER**. Simple.

***SPOILER*** Ava goes back for the rare pepper shaker AND it completes the salt shaker Deborah already has.

Like that r420?

R421 Exactly! See, I didn’t bother reading beyond your spoiler tag because I haven’t finished episode 8 and don’t know if you’ve posted regarding it.

r321 's prediction sure came closer to reality than even they imagined

I’m waiting for a scene of Deborah sitting on Ava’s face, swiveling her hips in a corkscrew fashion whilst moaning to the gods.

Deborah's manager and his love life is taking up too much time. Who gives a shit about him?

Episode 8 - I love it! The show feels so much more comfortable in its own skin now. Also, WTF is going on with Marcus? Wilson is so fucking adorable.

I am fully invested.

Marcus doesn't like change (thinks Deborah should stay on brand) and doesn't like stepping out of his comfort zone (camping outdoors)?

I'm certain those traits wouldn't apply to anyone here

Logo TV just did a livestreamed video on Instagram and it was hosted by the Hacks water cop.

I love it. It was perfect.

If Jean Smart hadn't already nailed the Emmy — which she had — episode 8 made it a lead-pipe cinch.

Loved Anna Marie Horsford as her old pal, the one who never made it big but is still working the tiny clubs in the shithole towns. I hope we see more of that character.

Calling it now: Jean will win two acting Emmys this year.

Lead Actress/Comedy for Hacks and Supporting Actress/Limited Series for Mare.

Voting starts on June 17 and nominations are announced on July 13. She has a lot of buzz for both series at the perfect time.

R430 I always love Anna Marie Horsford, it is a shame she never got a sitcom built around her after Amen, because she should have.

Really enjoying it.

Agree, she's a great actress. I hope they do a hundred more episodes. And a movie. At least as many as Entourage

Marcus the Black assistant is hot.

Also - big head Postmates Latino guy from the first episode and the fish company guy.

You cunts need to start watching the end credits

[quote]You cunts need to start watching the end credits

[quote]—Linda Purl

Right? Thanks for chiming in Kathy!

Who was the actor playing the mayor?

Lauren Weedman who just did a stint on Special where she was equally annoying.

Note to Producers: Debbie Reynolds owned and performed in her own Casino for years...

Winston O'Rourke was THE booker at Catch in Las Vegas for comics (well that fat fuck goombah Shirippa (yes Ant'nee) ran the Riv). Could Ava book and perform, too? And I was there at the Trop when Romano got his call from Letterman. Romano, fucker member of the lucky club. Listening to his Gregory and Schmeggory bit was painful.

There is all KINDS of material to farm.

I kept thinking that the mayor was Siobhan Fallon from SNL.

DORIS!!! ❤️

The actual Mayor of Las Vegas is a much bigger marriage-equality hating cunt.

I like Kaitlin Olsen but too much time is devoted to DJ. She's such a one note character. I mean, no one ever cared for Melissa Rivers either, y'know?

Also, it's hard to believe Deborah (or Joan) would ever part with $1.69M. Though, who knows? It might save her career. Can't imagine what Joan Rivers would've made of #metoo had she lived.

Say what you will about Melissa but she was much more together than DJ and actually worked.

Debra doesn't have to actually pay out the $1.6 million--once the video of the guy accepting the offer goes viral, he'll lose his fans and thereby lose his career.

I agree that the money guy's relationship storyline isn't interesting. Although it's nice to see two femmy guys in a "realistic" relationship on TV (unlike the femmy gays on Modern Family who weren't anything close to realistic).

The young man from Ugly Betty who plays the personal assistant is still a terrible actor. I'm not interested in his character fighting with the house manager. He's cute, young, and thin, though, so he's got that going for him.

I still love this show and can't wait for more!

[quote]Debra doesn't have to actually pay out the $1.6 million--once the video of the guy accepting the offer goes viral, he'll lose his fans and thereby lose his career.

He has to give up his career in order to get the $1.69 million.

Is Jean the only Designing Woman who has won an Emmy (total 3, and very likely a 4th soon)?

I think Julia Duffy ranks 2nd for number of Emmy nominations.

And Judith Ivey has two Tonys to keep her warm at night.

I think at this point in Jean's career, she doesn't think of herself as in competition with co-stars from work she did 35 years ago, or actors who joined the show after she left for that matter.

Jean has her own unique career that does not need comparison to others.

R449 I’m kinda surprised that Annie Potts doesn’t have at least one, but I suspect she’ll get a supporting one for Young Sheldon at some point.

Julia deserved and Emmy for this at18:10 ...

^ an Emmy

R449 is Bernice’s niece Phyllis.

I laughed out loud at Julia in r451's clip.

…..and now this is another Designing Women thread

I’m sure Megan and Harry will be making appearances in this thread soon

Jean sings...

Since seeing this thread I've been catching up on the short lived "High Society" from 1995 via YouTube. The writing is a little off but it's a wicked fun camp fest. I recommend the escapism. And both Mary McDonnell and Jean Smart a lot of fun

Happy Pride!

I'm on episode 6 and delighted Marcus unbuttoned himself for a day and hooked up with the water guy. Wish I could have seen more. Lol.

I gasped when he ran to the valet and cheered when he went back inside. More Marcus.

Yes, R460. Marcus seems pretty uptight and I'm glad he didn't bail. I'm glad they explored this relationship a little bit more after the initial hookup. I have two episodes left.

I'm bored with Marcus and don't think his storyline adds anything to the show. It takes time away from Deborah and Ava.

I hope season 2 (if there is one) has the tedious Largotte move on to another niche comedy show while focusing on Deborah, Marcus and her boutique casino.

What was that light up mask they were wearing?

The blackjack dealer had me dying talking about Little Luna

[quote]I like Kaitlin Olsen but too much time is devoted to DJ. She's such a one note character.

I think she's sublime. When Ava is trying to backpedal on the advice she gave DJ while her and her beau are in the back seat about to get married at the drive-thru chapel, she says "I meant to take a pottery class or get your GED", Olsen has this little pause as her eyes flash in anger which indicated a whole wounded interior before her comeback - "My GED? I went to Cornell." I really felt for the character in that moment, and its those little flashes that suggest there's a lot more to DJ.

OMG it really was Linda Purl. Also, I just realized that Ava's agent is Trey from Broad City. I knew I recognized him from somewhere.

I feel more connected to Marcus because I used text-to-talk ALL the time.

[quote]What was that light up mask they were wearing?

For R464

Ugh - the mayor was fucking ANNOYING.

The mayor was Doris from HBO's "Looking."

For a while I thought the show was borrowing quite a bit from The Devil Wears Prada: Debra looking down at Ava’s fashion style, Ava entering Debra’s private domain to bring her the package from her sister, Ava redeeming herself temporarily by obtaining the salt shaker, and Ava trying to warn Debra about DJ (only to find out that Debra already knew).

I’m surprised - but happy - by how quickly they bonded. If this had been a 22 episode network TV show, we would have had to wait until episode 19 for the plastic surgery spa storyline to occur. Ava calling Debra “D” and Debra quickly shutting that down cracked me up!

I really enjoy it. It's not perfect; it's fluff, but it's fun.

So Debra's lifestyle and work ethic are a combination of Joan Rivers and Phyllis Diller, but her stand up is really hacky shit like Elayne Boosler (she was sort of famous for awhile in the 80s and 90s).

I think this review is spot on

I LOVED Elaine Boosler. Peeeeeteeeeee...

Einbeinder is not a millennial here. She's too young. Early twenties are Gen Z.

Einbeinder's Ava character actually makes that point in the show - because Debra and others make some digs at millennials. She's on some rant and points out that she's only 25 and Gen Z, "there are millennials who are 40" and she cringes. Lol.

As a Gen Xer, I have sometimes failed to differentiate between Gen Z and millennials, treating them as one big mass younger than me and using "millennials" as a generic reference to that mass. It does shock me that there's 40 year old millennials. I'm 48 and it just seems too close.

R476 she makes that point, but in actuality if she is 25 in 2020 she is a Millennial, as she would've been born in 1995. She is at the tail end of the generation but still a Millennial. The most common accepted years for Millennials are those born between 1981-1996. Gen Z is 1997-2012, and Gen Alpha is those being born now. I'm a Millennial closer to the beginning of the generation.

Yep, I'm Gen X, having just turned 43, but I am near the end of my generation. I have an X sensibility and X values but I am a digital native and I prefer communicating in writing and avoid speaking on the phone whenever possible. But I am freaked out by Millennials' desire at work to collaborate and workshop everything. I just want to be left alone to do my job. I don't want awards or promotions. Just pay me and back off.

"[R476] she makes that point, but in actuality if she is 25 in 2020 she is a Millennial, as she would've been born in 1995."

But she could still qualify as Gen Z. There's never been definitive years for generations - people agree on the "core" but the starting and ending years fall within a multi-year range depending on the source. People born in the mid 90s are considered Gen Z by some sources. I realize 1995 puts her right on the cusp, but still, she could be considered Gen Z. Plus, the whole point of her rant is that she considers herself Gen Z.

From Wiki (where your chart is from) "Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years."

The Pew Research center puts the cutoff at 1996.

So, under MOST definitions, the character would probably be considered a late millennial. But, it's fiction and not a stretch that she considers herself Gen Z. Plus, the show did debut in 2021, so she could have been born in 1996 if we assume the story is really happening right now.

OMFG get a room, girls.

Wow, after all the speculation of who Kathy would be and its fucking Linda Purl!

Can somebody please tell me who the fuck Linda Purl is?

Woger knows about her

I hope Sean Cassidy plays the ex husband in flashbacks!

Who the fuck is Linda Purl?

Love the series but they are horribly inconsistent with Jean's own hair and wigs. Where is Continuity??

I don't mind seeing more of Marcus' relationship but I wish the scenes were better written.

I didn’t know where to post this, but perhaps here is acceptable. Today I saw a man on East 72nd St. wearing a kaftan! It had zebra stripes and he was wearing white sneakers and a crossbody bag, Gucci, maybe. I was so excited and couldn’t even share it with anyone.

It was thrilling.

Debra is way too mean to her daughter at the birthday party.

Also what is the daughter's diagnosis? Diagnoses? I figured she was a retard but then she says she went to Cornell. Funny joke on Cornell. Is she autistic? Brain damaged from the drugs?

r485, She is the woman that Desi Jr married after Lucy put the kibosh on her son marrying Patty Duke.

Are you gay?

Sean Cassidy doing an imitation of his dad, Jack...

If Meghan McCain can get an Art History BA from Columbia, DJ can get a degree from Cornell.

Linda Purl is also the First Lady of Boulder City Nevada Theater. So, there.

r490 that was WAY before my time. I know nothing about Lucille Ball's son or what his love life was like however many decades ago.

r494, Loretta Young had a daughter by Clark Gable but to avoid scandal, she adopted her own daughter.

I know that story r495. It was in the news when the daughter wrote a book.

Desi Arnaz Jr. was not a big star in his own right, and nobody who wasn't around back then would be too familiar with him, other as the son of Lucy and Desi.

Linda Purl played Pam Beesley’s mom and is currently fucking The Man From Atlantis in real life.

R492 but what is her issue? did she fry her brain cells on drugs, or is she "atypical"

I don’t know what you mean, r486. Deborah has her “real” hair and her “star wig.”

Linda Purl was one of the queens of TV movies in the 1970s. She played a teen hooker, a young pioneer, a young mentally handicapped bride...Her last “big” part was Pam’s mom/Michael’s girlfriend on The Office.

Again, WAY before my time.

I'm Gen Z, not a Millennial

r500, you are wasting your time. He needs to go to IMDB.

I mainly know Linda Purl as the daughter on the first season of Matlock. I love watching those reruns.

Most people do not know TV movies from the 1970s.

I met Judy Lewis at a wedding in the early 1980s, when I was 15 years old. She & my mom were both long-time friends of the bride's family. At one point during the reception (after being introduced), I was sitting with my mother at our table, watching people on the dance floor. Mom was a little sauced, offering gossipy commentary.

Judy danced by with the father of the bride, and Mom commented: "That's Judy Lewis. She's the secret love-child of Clark Gable & Loretta Young." I knew who Gable & Young were.....and to look at Judy, it was obvious!!! Even to a teenager, who had seen only a few Clark Gable films, it was obvious!!

No question that Clark Gable was Judy Lewis's biological father. The resemblance was striking.

"Who the fuck is Linda Purl?"

Hush your mouth! Guuuuuuuuuuuurl? Who is Linda Puuuuuuuurl? Don't you be showing your cultural Illiteracy around these here parts! The Purl has arrived to share her own "purls" of wisdom with the hacks of "Hacks" and those bitches better sit themselves up, listen, learn, and fly right, hunty! She is here to bring the magic that made her the STAR of 1972's "Crazy Mama"! No doubt, as with her still-talked about work on season one of "Matlock"--the ONLY season that matters!--she will elevate the profile of this lifeless show and make it a HIT! Watch out HBOMax! People will be subscribing just to see The Purl! Oh, Gurl!

r499, the issue is that we often see Deborah in casual situations like sitting around at home, in what's clearly a wig and not Jean's own hair. Which would be fine....let Jean wear wigs all the time. But then sometimes we see her in other casual situations where Jean's own hair is styled.

It's all just very inconsistent and distracting. Just wig her all the time.

I haven't been distracted by wig inconsistency.

r508, you must be white, because this advice to a black woman would have her removing her earrings.

I was also distracted to see Ava sleeping in her bra.

I rewatched the 8 episodes and Ava never says she's 25, only that she's Gen Z.

Ava is never sleeping in her bra. Ava passes out in her underwear.

Watch episode 8 again R512. She absolutely says she’s 25 right before she explains that makes her Gen Z.

I am not for specifics, but I firmly believe Ava is a member of Generation Technocunt.

Ava is too pretty a name for this character. She should be called Grunk.

r513, check out Episode 7 which opens with Ava dreaming about kissing Deborah. She's sleeping in a grey tank top with bra underneath.

How did I miss that Hannah Einbinder is the daughter of Laraine Newman???

Thats nice. At least she grew up rich and didn't have to suffer pizza face acne like her mom.

"How did I miss that Hannah Einbinder is the daughter of Laraine Newman???"

I find her perfect for her role. Ava annoys the shit out of me a lot of the time, but I think that's the point. She's the perfect millennial/Gen Z rep with her communication style, addiction to her phone, and latent wokeness - and the belief that she's always right and other people just don't get it. But, she also makes me laugh with some of her rants and put downs.

This is Hannahs sister, Lena Einbinder.

^^maybe she has a lovely personality.

R521 it’s difficult to judge when she is dressed as Mortica Addams less attractive older sister.

Lena is no more. They are now named Spike.

It's interesting that Hannah and her character are both bisexual, the actress who plays her agent's assistant is bisexual, the actors who play Jean's business manager and thrme water cop are gay and so are their characters...it seems only Jean and the actors who play her love interest, ger daughter and Ava's agent are straight.

This is the kind of on- and offscreen representation that was the endgame 20 years ago when Will & Grace was as good as it got.

Representation should be a means, not an end. A bisexual actor playing a bisexual character would be fantastic if either the character or the actor was compelling. In this case, neither is.

I hate the actress playing the agent's assistant. She is trying way too hard to be funny and the effort always shows.

Well I think you're the only one 527. I love the show. I can't believe it ends this week

[quote]and Ava's agent are straight.

He may claim to be, but gurl...

The actor who plays the agent is also one of the lead writer/producers of HACKS.

Gen XYZ has learned to always cast itself.

This is painfully awkward and perhaps brilliant. Jean is NOT having it.

R532 That was actually irritating.

This show is certainly a lot better than that Girls5eva shit which was unwatchable.

The Meghan Stalter "character" must die. Annoying is not brilliant. Clueless is not brilliant.

Isn't she really related to someone who hired her dodgy mediocre ass?

They must die for inflicting her on me.

Her dad owns half the company. There's a scene where the Paul Downs manager character is encouraged to get rid of her (I think by Deborah) but says he can't because who her dad is.

Fat girl humor has an extremely short shelf life.

Even Rebel Wilson doesn't want to be Rebel Wilson anymore

[quote]Clueless is not brilliant.

As if.

[quote]R449 Jean has her own unique career that does not need comparison to others.

There ARE no others!

RENEWED!!!!

R540 AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Fuck yes!

[quote]R500 Linda Purl was one of the queens of TV movies in the 1970s. She played a teen hooker, a young pioneer, a young mentally handicapped bride...Her last “big” part was Pam’s mom/Michael’s girlfriend on The Office.

NO ONE played retarded better than Shaun Cassidy and Linda. NO ONE!

Very glad to see it renewed.

I watched it on a whim. Just saw it there on HBO MAX; didn't know hardly anything about it before that. And I really enjoyed it.

"On Hacks' renewal, Smart shared in a statement, "I am absolutely thrilled we are picked up for a second season and I told Hannah it's 'No more Miss Nice Guy; from now on it's Bette and Joan! And guess who's BETTE??!!'"

R544 She’s too fucking cute. Bless her.

Yay! I needed this news today

GO BETTE!

I haven't been the biggest supporter of this show but I did enjoy the finale episodes, despite obvious contrivances. I wished they'd showed more of her final show - even if she did bomb, that would've been interesting. It looked like it got off to a great start and Jean Smart is just peerless in this role - the stand up at the funeral was great. I would like to see more of this character on stage.

And how great is Jane Adams?! The phone cord, "Oh, now you're a better writer than God?!" I mean, the fullness of her character is impressive, given how little screen time she has.

I hope the writers dig deeper in Season 2 and let go of the obvious "I'm leaving you at the last minute" tropes. Both actresses really delivered in the post-funeral scene; these characters have depth. It would be interesting to see them move forward together and take on challenges outside of their relationship (while always maintaining that spikey dynamic, of course). The Hannah character really blossomed by season's end. I enjoyed that.

R548 I agree with everything you wrote. I don't like how the episode dealt with the big central focus of the final episode (I won't spoil it.); that left me feeling more cold than ever about Ava, honestly, but overall I do love the evolution of her relationship with Deborah, and I like how Ava is unlikabke and Deborah has a lot of unlikable qualities but both are respectable overall. The way they are written, they really are compatible as an odd couple.

I think Hannah is excellent in the role and I don't understand any complaints about her. She's a good actress, and the only reason not to like her is because she is playing an unlikable person convincingly.

And yes, it is The Jean Smart Show. What a revelation to me. I see that a lot of people here have followed her career closely, but I've always thought of her as Charlene Stillfield who has had interesting guest starring spots that show some versatility as a TV character actor, and I am not exactly surprised that she's this good but I am a little caught off guard by her greatness. I hope she gets some meaty film roles (Do they still make those? Nevermind. It's all Marvel.) or other well-written starring roles in good TV series. She's a stellar at dramedies and it's always so fun to see an older woman who looks like a nice grandma in an edgy role.

Because there is going to be such a long time to season2, I think I will put off watching the last two episodes for a while.

But I am a big boy, spoil away.

Episode 9 - This just made me dislike Marcus. Immensely.

Episode 10 - The hotel bits are Jimmy and Kayla’s funniest exchanges yet 😂 Also, I don’t think I will ever like Marcus again. I was thrilled with the turn his storyline took.

Most importantly, I have never been more in love with Deborah and Ava as individuals and as a “couple.” Smart and Einbinder are everything. I laughed, I cried, I came to terms.

As I opined weeks ago upthread, though the series’ first episodes struggled a bit to find their footing, they also felt like they had the components of a great show in the making. Sure enough, it not only found its footing, it hit its stride. The last six episodes have been amazing.

At times, the humor can feel awkward and forced, but, then again, so are it’s characters, so it feels organic and apropos. There’s a wonderful charm to it all. Most importantly, the series soars when it tackles the deeper, darker emotions churning beneath the surface of its characters and Smart and Einbinder handle these moments adroitly and with piercing precision. They are phenomenal.

I will follow this series to the very end.

Oh, and the cliffhanger- 😭

The fight in the last episode was great.

Oh, no, Marcus g=has a fall from grace?

The pain, the pain...

I want Marcus and Wilson to make it -- the actors are hot/adorable.

I don't hate Marcus for what he did, but I certainly don't like him like I used to.

But I feel like he's been written well as an uptight careerist who wants "more" from life but is afraid to break out of his shell -- so what he did both with telling on Ava and pulling back from his relationship with Wilson isn't out of character or surprising.

I'm just massively disappointed because I wanted that relationship to work -- it would have been nice to have a gay couple make it. And I want Johnny Sibilly to be back for season 2.

R556 I don’t think the relationship has ended. Sibilly will certainly be back.

Paul Downs is such a hot little guy. I'd love to see more of him.

I'm bored with Marcus, his scenes take the focus away from Deborah and Ava.

After seeing more of Ava's mom in Episode 10, I don't think Ava's awkwardness and strangeness is because she is millennial or Gen Z and more genetic.

Was it the girlfriend at the bar? I HATE the Kayla character. I want her to die ironically. How possessive is little MR. water meter reader? Is he the new Halston/Victor Hugo? Deborah showing up at the unexpected gig, was PERFECTION. Nice to see that Hacks was written with a second season in mind.

Great last line: Buckle up!

Looking at Ava's parents and that depressing as hell house, it's not wonder she GTFO and moved 3000 miles away as soon as she could.

Is Ava from LA - I know she lived and worked there, but is it where her parents live? It was probably mentioned and I missed it.

As the series improved, so has the dripping hyperbole in this thread gone deep purple.

R546 I think she said her parents are in Oregon or Washington or something.

Speaking of which, the only thing that bothered me this episode is that the most important emotional scenes were skipped over, which I think is a real loss to the overall love story.

Ava barely seemed fazed by her father's death, and although she cried for a second, I didn't love Deborah snapping her out of it with humor because I feel even more coldly toward Ava now than I did before. I really dislike her. (Not to be confused with Hannah, who plays her well enough to make me feel anything toward Ava.)

And as someone mentioned above, not seeing Deborah bomb was an emotional cheat. I would love to have been there with her in the moment squirming and feeling sympathetic for a lukewarm reaction to her sharing intimate details of her life. And I think if we saw that scene before learning how much of a high it was for her, that would have really deepened our appreciation for her resilience.

R566 Solid points.

In just 10-12 minutes of screen time spread out over the season, Kayla has already worn out her welcome. Please God, start season two with a shot of her dead of a heart attack on the floor of the Bacchanal Buffet, her mouth crammed with tamarind grilled octopus and kimchi bone marrow.

R558 I thought she was her funniest in the last episode but yeah, I’m sort of over her.

r568, yes an IRONIC death.

r561

For R268

We didn't need to see Deborah bombing in her last show as we're likely to see plenty of that during her Season 2 national tour

I agree there were contrivances in the last two episodes, but I still thought they were very good. Enjoyed Season 1, really looking forward to season 2.

After the grand tour in S2, I see Deborah pulling a Debbie in S3 and buying her own hotel...

R568 She was the cause of one of my favorite lines from the supporting characters. When Jimmy told Ava he was "in a Me-Too situation and I'm me!"

Ava is from Waltham, a depressing dump that's right outside of Boston. I was actually just there last month. It's no wonder she fled to LA as soon as she could.

[quote]Most importantly, I have never been more in love with Deborah and Ava as individuals and as a “couple.” Smart and Einbinder are everything. I laughed, I cried, I came to terms.

I'm right there with you. I love them together. And unlike many here, I don't dislike Ava at all. I've grown to understand her, even with all of her annoying gen z righteousness. But seeing her absolute joy at being back in LA was infectious in ep 9. I totally felt it. I used to live in Las Vegas and every time we drove over to LA it was like being an entirely different world.

Releasing two episodes each week sort of fools you into thinking of it as an hour show. But I respected that the final show wasn't given its moment to make us cringe - I was gritting my teeth just gearing up for it. I figured the new material was going to bomb anyway (and agree with R572 that there will be plenty of those scenes for S2). So when it cut to the funeral, I knew Deborah was going to show up and ask her back but I absolutely loved how it played out. In the half hour that we got, I preferred getting to see the two of them "make up" in Ava's childhood bedroom. It was beautifully acted. I'm totally in love with these two and will be back for S2 without a doubt.

I am really hoping that Kayla disappears in S2, ha ha, that I can agree on with everyone else. That hotel scene just got so excruciating that it was a wonder Ava's agent didn't throw her out the window. But it was kind of fun to see Chris Geere and Kirby Howell-Baptiste pop up as the British producers. I haven't seen Geere in anything since You're The Worst.

SPOILER!!!!!!!!!

Not really a spoiler for the current season but will reference things from season 1.

I'm thinking that Deborah will get over being angry at Ava over the tea she spilled to the British tv writers because she will suggest that she play the lead character of the bitchy boss in the new series they are writing. She might as well since the character is based on her.

[quote]Deborah will get over being angry at Ava over the tea she spilled to the British tv writers because she will suggest that she play the lead character of the bitchy boss in the new series they are writing.

This was my thought as well. I was comparing this show to The Comeback when it started, and now I feel like the material they shape up in S2 will end up with Deborah in a television show as younger crowds begin to embrace her. It feels a bit like Valerie Cherish getting an Emmy nom for going serious in a role after her entire career was a joke. Whatever they end up doing, you know Jean Smart will deliver it flawlessly.

Is that my little tit at R578?

I have a feeling season to is going to be much tighter and stronger. I can’t fucking wait. I might binge rewatch this over the weekend.

Also, op, it’s time for a thread 2. Might as well open it with the news of season 2. I can’t believe we’re nearly up to 600 posts already.

I was difficult watching the last few episodes knowing that Jean's husband had died and she had to film them finish the series.

But when Deb was finally speaking about mourning her ex-husband, we knew it was coming from an honest place

Was Deborah's sister in one of the last four episodes? I don't remember this Linda Purl.

The woman Deborah almost ran over with the car, 584.

[quote] I don't remember this Linda Purl.

😂🤣😂 You’re too cute, R584.

r586 I also had to look up Linda Purl. I discovered she was a tv movie actress or something or other in the 1970s and 80s. Which explains why DLs eldergay shut-in brigade knows who she is but the other 99% of us have no clue. God knows they're still watching their dusty old VHS tapes of 40 year-old shows that were garbage to begin with.

Linda Purl… that name, though.

Thanks 585 I was wondering what that was about. I guess I need to watch those last episodes again I clearly missed some things.

Does anyone know from what her husband died?

All I find online is 'died after a short illness'

very sad for her especially now having to promote her shows.

r580, not me. A bunch of Brit equivalents to the Largo hipster crowd, only dumber and with accents, did not interest me.

Watching Ava walk through the Paramount gates was kinda interesting.

Loved the "Americans are disgusting!" line. Making fun of the Brits.

I will go through withdrawal. Jean Smart is the greatest. I hate that she's in mourning

Time for a part 2 thread?

I'm on episode 6 and I love the writing, so fuck all you cunts who don't.

THIS is a career defining performance by Smart which is saying something considering she is mostly an episodic TV actress but damn - when you add Charlene, and 24, and Fargo, Samantha Who? and then Mare of Eastown and now this, it's like the resurgence/re-evaluation that Lange got with her Murphy work.

Add in the cult faves of High Society and Style and Substance and Jean Smart is now deservedly L E G E N D A R Y.

Check out The Yarn Pricess (she's heartbreaking) and Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (very gripping) and see why Jean is now a beloved star in the American entertainment firmament.

We need to see Wilson naked. Preferably having sex with Marcus!

Link to new thread

I am all for Wilson naked but Marcus....ugh.

Marcus is not necessarily attractive, but dear God I love the sound of his voice. Sexy as hell.

It’s been fun, Hackers! On to season 2!