I finished season one of "Hacks" back in January and really liked it, so cracked straight on into the second run, which I also liked quite a bit - and even managed to turn me around on my least favourite character.
Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) decides that although the show didn't go well, there was enough in the confessional style show that she's going to take it on the road and workshop it, ahead of a triumphant return to Las Vegas. She convinces Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to accompany her and though things are going well, the ill-conceived, drunken, email that Ava sent detailing Deborah's foibles and vices hangs over her like the sword of Damocles.
There's no massive overhaul of the format for this second season of "Hacks", but then again one wasn't really required. It's still a funny and enjoyable series and I really liked my time with it. I'm glad that the email storyline doesn't hang over Ava for the whole series, as it comes out pretty quickly. It's a little sweeter overall than the previous season, with Deborah and Ava's relationship maintaining that parental/friendship bond and the on-the-road setting allowing for less jokes about Vegas and more about America as a whole. Much of the cast from the first season does reappear though, including Poppy Liu as Kiki and Christopher McDonald. The second season has a few more guest stars though, with Susie Essman, Ming-Na Wen and Laurie Metcalf taking on significant supporting roles.
Paul Downs returns as both Deborah and Ava's agent Jimmy, which means so does Megan Stalter as Kayla, his assistant. I didn't like Kayla in the first season, as she felt like a really broad character that didn't really fit with the rest of the tone of the series. I'm not sure if I've just got used to her, but though she's not really toned down here, I thought the character worked in a lot better.
It felt like a natural place to conclude the run, although I'm quite happy that we're running on to a third season.
