It’s confirmed. HBO Max’s Hacks, everyone’s favorite exploration of generational joke-writing and the ever-evolving entertainment industry, has been renewed for a third season. The much-beloved series, created by Paul W. Downs (Broad City, The CollegeHumor Show), who also plays talent agent Jimmy Lusaque Jr. in the series, and his life/writing partner Lucia Aniello (Time Traveling Bong, Rough Night), has countless devoted fans. Given the cliffhangers at the end of season two, the renewal has made many viewers breathe a sigh of relief.

Deborah Vance is at the center of the HBO Max hit Hacks, a famous comedian with a wily, world-class wit and the ability to find the funny in even her darkest days. Deborah Vance is portrayed by Jean Smart (Dirty John, TV’s Watchmen), an American actress whose career in classic performances is almost as impressive as her acting ability. Though every actor in Hacks brings their own unique spark to the quirky program, without the absolute joy of Jean Smart at its center, the show would likely fail to pack the same funny bone tickling punch.

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Here’s why Jean Smart is brilliant in Hacks.

Jean Smart is Up to the Challenge of Deborah

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Deborah Vance is an incredibly complex character, and as such, it takes an equally talented and emotionally engaged actor to portray the cunning comedian. Jean Smart is more than up to this intimidating challenge. Though Smart has been a staple of the screen for many years, Hacks represents one of her most high-profile roles, and frankly, it represents a long-overdue opportunity for the simply stunning Smart to flex her world-class acting chops.

Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance goes through the entire spectrum of human emotion throughout Hacks. Audiences feel the pain of her tumultuous personal life yet laugh when she converts these morbid memories into a classic comedy routine. She can be a mean-spirited menace, though that emotion is often reserved for the series’ least likable character. She can be a kind-hearted heroine if another character proves themselves worthy of that kindness. Only an actor as talented as Jean Smart could give audiences that range of emotions.

Deborah Revamps Her Routine

An entertainer must be willing to reinvent themselves at times to be truly great. This is especially true in the case of a stand-up comedian, as it is perhaps the art form with the shortest generational shelf life. During Hacks season one, it is revealed that Deborah Vance will lose her long-standing Las Vegas residency. It quickly becomes apparent that to bring about her career resurgence. She will need to utterly reinvent her comedic persona.

Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance first debuts her new material at the end of season one. Although the confessional comedic routine initially bombs, Vance tours the country with her revamped routine throughout Hacks season two. She slowly found the humor in her heartbreaking history and how to frame it for audiences who expected the less expository, more derogatory brand of comedy she had employed through the bulk of her career. Performing stand-up comedy within an acting performance is an already difficult task, which is only made more difficult by a storyline that forces Smart’s Vance to make jokes in myriad styles. The fact that Jean Smart can be continually funny, despite these challenges, is a testament to her incredible acting chops.

Deborah’s Complicated Relationships

Deborah Vance has a complicated relationship with everyone who surrounds her. This includes a fraught relationship with her daughter, who is played by Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mick), an insult-filled, incendiary bond with Hannah Einbinder’s (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, North Hollywood) Ava Daniels, a relationship which sees a potential end at the conclusion of season two, and bombastic business partnership with her manager Marcus, played by Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Canal Street, Candyman).

Deborah Vance, in large part due to her many years at the top of the entertainment industry, is somewhat out of touch with the average person. Jean Smart’s acting ability allows her to express this aspect of Vance’s personality. While she often seems only capable of callous critiques, audiences see glimpses of her softer side when she warms to the other characters. Portraying the reality of fame and the ways in which it produces fraught friendships would not be in the wheelhouse of a less talented actor.

There are a lot of questions regarding Hacks season three. It’s unclear how the relationship between the main characters will continue to unfold or how the world will react to Deborah Vance’s recently released revamped routine. Regardless, fans of the series can rely on one thing: Jean Smart will continue to be brilliant, and that alone will makes any and all future seasons worth watching.