The final award of the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15 was for Outstanding Comedy Series. The nominees were “Abbott Elementary” (ABC), “The Bear” (FX), “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO), “Hacks” (Max), “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu), “Palm Royale” (Apple TV+), “Reservation Dogs” (FX) and “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX). Almost every critic and awards pundit predicted that “The Bear” would comfortably win this top prize. Emmy-winning actress, writer and comedian Catherine O’Hara came out to present the award, and after some jokes announced “Hacks” as the winner. What? “Hacks?!” How did the third season of “Hacks,” with only two other wins to its name that night, triumph over “The Bear?”
The second season of “The Bear” received 23 nominations at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, an all-time record for a comedy series in a single year. It won 11 of those, including for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Jeremy Allen White, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Liza Colón-Zayas (who became the first Latina actress to win the award), and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Christopher Storer. This kind of awards success typically guarantees a win in a top prize, so why did “The Bear” fall short?
1.) “The Bear” Is Not a Comedy Series.
Sure, it has jokes sprinkled throughout, but “The Bear” is mostly dramatic with an often stressful tone presented through its tight-knit, heightened kitchen sequences. Christopher Storer’s direction, particularly in the episode “Fishes,” emphasizes the tension of dysfunctional families and how cooking can be both cathartic and harmful. The show deconstructs American mental health issues associated with a hyper-fixated work drive and demonstrates the damaging effects of leading such a difficult and often regressive lifestyle. While the first season of “The Bear” won this award last year, this year’s state of Emmy voters could’ve been turned off by the series’s darkness (which has only become more prominent through each season) when naming the best comedy series.
2.) “Hacks” Is Beloved By Emmy Voters
The first two seasons of “Hacks” were nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series and Jean Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for both. She won for the third time this year, and the show’s writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky won the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. So, “Hacks” has been on the map for some time and the Television Academy has definitely shown how much they love it. Yet, it’s still shocking that it beat such a powerful frontrunner in “The Bear.” Perhaps the constant humor and dry sarcasm of the series was more fitting for an award naming the best comedy series, but it’s equally likely that the race was close and voters were finally (if barely) ready to give this ongoing, excellent series a top honor.
3.) “Hacks” Is a Better Series Than “The Bear”
Maybe this is a hot take, but I thoroughly believe this. Not just because “Hacks” is an actual comedy but because I think its screenplay, characters and pacing are more sharp, consistent and entertaining. “The Bear” has gotten increasingly complex since its first season, and while this has certainly deepened the show’s emotional depth, it has also created some pacing inconsistencies throughout. Carmen and Sydney are incredible leads, yet the show often diverges from them, leading it to feel more like an electric ensemble piece rather than a singular compelling narrative. While “Hacks” has hilarious and often memorable side characters too, it always comes back to Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels Hannah Einbinder) going from best friends to worst enemies, and it’s perpetually enticing and exciting. Personally, I’ll never get tired of Deborah’s snappy wit and Ava’s relatable vulnerability; it allows “Hacks” to be, in my opinion, one of the funniest and overall best shows of the past decade. I just wish that Hannah Einbinder could join Smart and win an Emmy herself, she absolutely deserves it. Bring on the fourth season of “Hacks!”
