Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.comSo much of what makes “Hacks” work is the chemistry between its two central characters, played by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. The HBO Max comedy hinges on the connection between these two seemingly disparate women So how did this pair find that connection? By lobbing insults at each other in the dark.The very first interaction between comedians Deborah Vance (Smart) and Ava (Einbinder) in the pilot swiftly unravels into a sparring match.