Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go

Having been a fan of Hannah Einbinder's work in "Hacks," I was eager to watch her stand-up special, "Everything Must Go." However, I must admit, I only managed to get through about 15 minutes of the show before deciding it wasn't for me.

Perhaps it's just a matter of personal taste, but I found myself struggling to connect with her comedic style. While her performance in "Hacks" is undeniably brilliant, this particular show, for me, simply fell flat. I was genuinely puzzled by the audience's uproarious laughter, as her set seemed to lack the comedic effort and punch I've come to expect from stand-up. It felt as though the jokes weren't landing, or perhaps, weren't even truly being attempted.

Ultimately, despite my admiration for her acting, "Everything Must Go" didn't resonate with me as a comedy special.

Just oozes creativity, performance skills, and funny in the brain. Hannah's acting chops and writing chops meet in a carefully produced, exquisite theatre performance. Her material is surprising and hilarious. This is not the relaxed, let's-see-what-happens style of stand-up with the predictable "let's say the stuff we're not supposed to say" yuck-yuck jokes. No, this is exciting, thoughtful, exhilarating stuff that kept me on the edge for the whole almost hour. And Hannah's delivery is in a class of its own, among comics. She's an actual actor, and every line is delivered in character. Sometimes the character is Hannah, but just as often some other imaginary persona. You have to stay on your toes just to keep up with her, but if you can stay in the flow, it's fantastic.

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!

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!