Hannah Einbinder: A tomar viento

Hannah Einbinder has comedy in her DNA, being the daughter of original SNL cast member Larraine Newman. And she has built a solid body of work in "Hacks" with Jean Smart. But as a stand-up, she needs to do more work.

This special - her first - is not so much a stand-up comedy as it is a carefully rehearsed scripted monologue, complete with audio and lighting cues. It comes off as "too rehearsed" if that makes sense. There is no spontaneity, no apparent improv, and occasionally zero audience response. Einbinder is a good writer, but she doesn't yet know how to perform in front of a live audience. Hopefully, that will come with time. There was too much mugging to the camera, as if to say "yeah, I know I'm cool". No, Hannah, you're not (at least not yet). And if you were cool, this isn't the way to telegraph it.

A day after watching the special, I was hard-pressed to remember a signature bit or line from her performance. I think that was due in part to her scripted delivery, which left little room for connection with the audience.

Einbinder's career is still young, so there's room to grow. She's done well as a writer and actor on "Hacks" and that should continue at least through the show's fifth season (not unusual for a streamer to end a show after 5 years). For her to take the next step, her delivery and material needs to also grow and mature.

She and Jean are so good in Hacks, but this is a bizarre and welcome introduction in to a very brilliant and anarchical mind.

I mean, who knew a few slices of the high school sports-oriented history (no spoilers) of this ballsy, artsy, nerdy woman could be so surprising and funny.

I am not a big fan of TV stand-up (though I loved "I'm Dying Up Here") but she wooed me in like a pro.

Yes, I DO want to see comedy about climate change and bees and trees and men and women if it's done the way Hannah does it.

It also gave me insight into why 'Hack's is so great. Very different styles of comedy challenge viewers (or at least me) to see the humor and the macabre in our lives. Grateful for some resounding belly laughs at a dark, accurate, and refreshing lens on a crazy world.

Loved it!

An almost one hour standup show from los angeles, by the co star of hacks (also showing on Max) ! What steps her parents went to in trying to have a boy... clearly, the process didn't work as planned. And who knew she was the daughter of laraine newman?? Too cool. Why she's late to work, what her real purpose is at work. Why she drives a prius and why she's a vegan. And it's not for the usual reasons! And why they only planted male trees in parks for a while. Why we need to save the bees, and the female trees! Pretty funny stuff. At one point, she starts a joke over... was that for effect, or did she really just want to start over again? She shares a lot, and gives a lot of opinions... and some attitude! Directed by sandy honig.

I remember seeing Hannah on the Late Show With Stephen Colbert a few years ago and immediately realized that I was watching an amazing new comedic talent, and this one hour HBO special just proves it. She combines some serious acting chops along with well thought out stagecraft to tell her extraordinarily funny takes on her life and the crazy messed up world that we live in. A while back my daughter told me I should watch "Hacks" -actually, it was more like an edict - so i binged watched the first two seasons and and continued with the third. While the entire cast is wonderful Hannah really stands out. I am sure that she will continue to make us laugh along with having a great career as an actress. Watch this special, you won't regret it!

This isn't comedy.. it's performance art..

The roars from the crowd seemed REALLY odd to me. As if they were some cult following just there to cheer her on completely regardless of what she did or said. As if the audience was filled intentionally with her "tribe" who came to see and support "Hannah" and did not merely buy tickets anticipating a comedy show. There's no real laughter here.

I did not find anything she did, much less said, funny. It's performative art.. which okay.. I can accept, but it wasn't even GOOD performative art.

She's great in Hacks.. where there's a writing staff and a director to tell her what to do... but CLEARLY stand-up isn't her thing. Based upon the crowd reactions in this, she may be in a bubble.. surrounded by those wishing her well and supporting her, but lacking the ability to tell her when things need more work. This "special" REALLY needed much more work if it was supposed to be funny.

This is really just HBO saying "Hey Hannah, Hacks has been a success. Do you want to do a 1 hour comedy special? We think you've gained some notoriety and many would tune in." And she said yes, that was a mistake. Clearly when left to her own devices, absent a writing staff, she has no clue what comedy actually is.

The poor experience is foreshadowed pretty well by the pretentious opening French music... I mean a French song for your US comedy debut? Really?

Blech.