I'm six episodes into the 10 episode run, so I have a few thoughts:
1) I like it more now than in the first few episodes, during which I had a nagging suspicion it was trying to be one of these modern shows that call themselves "comedies" yet twist their hamstrings trying to go out of their way to go long stretches without being funny, a la Louie or Baskets (maybe this is a Louis CK thing?) This sub-genre is annoying to me - if you're a "comedy" then you are obligated to at least try to be funny every once in a while! Back in the day I liked Christopher Guest movies like anybody else, until I read somewhere that during interviews or panel talks he *refuses* to be funny, claiming he withholds it for when he's being paid. To which I'm like fuck you man, being funny is a gift, making people laugh is a noble thing and if you're too good for it then you can go fuck yourself. And so I refuse to watch any of his shit again. Thankfully, Hacks has relaxed from taking itself so seriously and clocks in with some pretty good comedy throughout now, thank freaking god.
2) The cast is really great. Jean Smart of course is fantastic, the mopey second lead (Lorraine Neuman's daughter!) is spot-on and who doesn't love it whenever Christopher McDonald (from Dutch, motherscratchers!) shows up onscreen? And the Asian blackjack dealer is really funny whenever she pops up.
3) For being a 20-something comedy writer in LA, the younger lead is curiously out of the loop when it comes to pop culture. Is this a thing? Why?
4) Unfortunately this is one of those shows where the character with the new job would've gotten fired about 50 times in real life yet never does on the show, but what the hell it's just a tv show so just suspend a little belief here.
5) Why is the front desk guy giving her a hard time about fixing the tv? Would any real hotel in Las Vegas really not simply jump to fix the damn thing? And what does he care, just make the phone call man. And is he the only person who works the desk 24/7? If this continues to be a thing Imma be annoyed. YOU ARE WARNED, FRONT DESK GUY!
Overall I recommend you watch. It's obviously going to end up having some mega-touching "you taught me no YOU taught me and now we respect each other forever! etc etc" by-the-numbers climax, but it's very well-done/well-cast and has gotten better over the weeks, so I'm really looking forward to the remaining four episodes.
OH WAIT one more thing:
6) Like everybody I'm sure, I really like Jean Smart's assistant, Marcus, but right now he's infuriating in that he's playing the classic Hollywood stereotype of the "gay friend who magically knows everything and everyone and has the greatest taste in the world" etc.
"But Xmastime", you say in the voice of Craig “Ironhead” Heyward from those soap commercials (RIP), “didn't Patton Oswalt have a classic bit about this very thing?"
Why YES, faithful readers, yes he did - enjoy!
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