Simply Perfect

Highly Overrated But Still Good

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Hack was a TV series starring David Morse that ran for two seasons. 2002-2004. Morse played Mike Olshansky, an ex-police officer who was caught Andre Braugher was with the show for two seasons as Mike's ex police partner, Marcellus. The first season included Donna Murphy as Mike's ex-wife and George Dzundza as a close priest friend of Mike's.In season 2, Dzunda disappeared, as did his family except an occasional appearance by Mike's son. Replacing them were Matt Czuchry as a needy young man and Jacqueline Torres as Mike's next door neighbor.The premise is that Olshansky was caught stealing money from a drug bust and lost his job as a police officer. He also refused to implicate his partner (Braugher). At the start of the series, he was still awaiting trial. His new profession is driving a cab and helping passengers who are in trouble. This often has him calling on Marcellus for help, and vice versa.The first thing is that David Morse is excellent, creating a full, complicated character with lots of problems. The character can be abrupt and grouchy - easygoing just isn't his thing. He's still in love with his soon to be ex-wife Heather. His relationship with Marcellus goes from terrific to rotten and back again.Filmed right in Philadelphia, Hack is a dark show with great locations - so often shows supposedly take place in a city - Provincetown, Boston -- and don't. This one does, and it really adds to the episodes.Some of the episodes are good; many are typical dramas that are predictable. What makes the sows interesting are the characters.You have to really allow for dramatic license here, as I don't think an ex-cop who left in disgrace would be able to just hang out at the police station and actually participate in cases. And don't ask me how he made a living as his cab driving was always being interrupted.Frankly I liked the first season better than the second because it was more focused on the people - Dzundza's conflicts with the priesthood, the tension between Mike and Heather, Marcellus' marital difficulties.I agree with other posters, it's disappointing that this has not yet been put on DVD. I just saw it on Netflix streaming. Maybe that's a sign that it will be available soon.

I rarely watch prime-time TV anymore. I first caught Hack on a Saturday night back in 2003. I had no idea it was even on. I missed out on the first season. I was hooked instantly. I was only able to view about 7 episodes before CBS took it off the air. The show featured extremely creative writers, very talented actors and very interesting stories. Not a lot of gratuitous sex and violence but rather the show exposed so much corruption in the medical field as well as with law enforcement. I often wonder if that's why it went off the air...too raw and honest? I loved David Morse's character. He's tough, smart and wants to see justice done. He really was out to protect victims. I am a life long David Morse fan now and am almost through the second season of streaming episodes. I wonder what happened to the show that it stopped airing. Needless to say, I still don't watch TV. I'd rather watch intelligent, honest shows like "Hack" by streaming the shows. Best of luck to David Morse and the rest of the cast and crew of what I believe was one of the best crime/drama shows ever to be produced.

I watched 11 complete episodes before bailing. This show was the personification of a mediocre cliché. David Morse is a grating, very average actor who must have friends in high places. People who like the show got 40 episodes of this catastrophe. It should have died much sooner--much,much sooner. Viewers like this show simply because it is like most other police shows on t.v. It lacked authentic propulsion and moving the action along in a failed attempt to create a credible plot was comic. The dialogue was also a personified cliché or it was just plain boring. Poorly written, poorly acted, Hack should have been hacksawed before it made it to the screen

I've been watching this on Netflix streaming as of late. I don't even remember this show while it was on TV, and can't believe it only lasted 2 or 3 seasons. I found the premise to be intriguing and original. The characters are strong and likable. The chemistry between Morse and his son, Morse and his former partner, (Andre Braugher), and even Morse with his estranged wife, make for good sub-plot lines. Oh... and Morse and the Priest (Dzundza.) The main thrust of the show is his vigilante persona, which he pulls off well, with his passengers who are in need. There are some interesting twists at times, as occasionally the passengers in need turn out to be villains, and not the victims. He's human, has flaws... and wrestles with his inner demons, but at least he acknowledges his shortcomings and struggles to make things right. Great shots of Philly, by the way. The viewer can almost taste the flavor of this great city.