HBO Max’s “Hacks” is arguably the series that gives Jean Smart her due, coming after she spent years killing it in shows like “Fargo,” “Mayor of Easttown,” and “Watchmen.” The dramedy sees her play Deborah Vance, a comedian with fading popularity who hires a younger down-on-her-luck writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), to punch up her material. Thus begins a messy relationship where styles and sensibilities often clash, but a bond forms that allows both of them to learn from each other.

“Hacks” is an unexpected success story that Einbinder thought would end after two seasons, but it’s still going strong in its fourth installment — winning Emmy Awards and garnering heaps of critical acclaim along the way. More impressively, the series has spooked Conan O’Brien due to the way in which season 4 authentically captures the world of late night television — which he’s experienced first-hand in real life. The late night veteran shared his thoughts during a chat with “Hacks” co-creator Paul W. Down on an episode of “Conan Needs a Friend” (via Entertainment Weekly):

“I’ll get a little bit of PTSD from watching it, but it’s also really funny and apt. Like getting notes or, ‘This is what we heard about,’ you know, in the early days of my late night show research, and what are people saying and what do we need to try and adjust?”

Despite the show bringing back some unpleasant memories for the former late night host, O’Brien praised it for its genuine qualities. He believes that the creators are admirably probing the entertainment industry, but anyone who has watched “Hacks” will attest to the show’s ability to explore topics that might hit a nerve with folks in this universe.

“Hacks” season 4 explores the idea of art colliding with commerce. Deborah Vance just wants to be a comedian and entertain people in an industry with bosses who only care about profits, forcing to compromise her values to keep her job — a concept that many people working in entertainment can probably empathize with. While the show resonates with Conan O’Brien due to its portrayal of the backstage politics in late night television, it might strike a chord with any artist who has been forced to work in a corporate environment. During an appearance on the Awards Magnet podcast (via Gold Derby), Paul W. Downs explained how his frustrations with the industry informed “Hacks” season 4:

“This industry has been a profitable industry for a century. This was not a broken industry because people want entertainment, they want stories. Since the dawn of language, we’ve wanted stories, and for it to be disrupted in the way that it’s been disrupted is really a shame because it’s not just enough to make a profit.”

The creator attributes tech giants and studios being accountable to so many shareholders as some of the problems that have contributed to the things he dislikes about the entertainment industry right now. It’s a mindset that many people probably agree with, but at least “Hacks” knows how to mine creators’ frustrations in a way that’s funny, compelling, dramatic, and gives viewers plenty of food for thought.