Entertainment
What To Remember Before the Final Season of HBO’s Stellar Comedy
On April 9, Hacks returns for its fifth and final season, sadly forcing fans to say goodbye to one of HBO Max’s best original comedy series. No doubt, it’ll go out with a bang that’ll leave viewers in hysterics with laughter and tears. Jean Smart stars as legendary comedian-turned-late-night host Deborah Vance, who experiences a comical yet emotional series of ups and downs alongside Hannah Einbinder’s up-and-coming comedy writer Ava Daniels.
Hacks has been an undeniable hit from the get-go, with numerous Emmy wins throughout its run; Season 4 even landed a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. For four solid seasons, Hacks has continued to nail its biting mix of hysterical comedy and drama that tugs at your heartstrings while evolving Ava and Deborah’s dynamic. As we head into the final season, let’s recap the most important moments from Hacks Season 4.
Key Moments to Remember from ‘Hacks’ Season 4
Hacks Season 4 is a wild ride full of ups and downs that sees Deborah and Ava’s rivalry play out behind the scenes after the explosive blackmail scheme Ava used at the end of Season 3 to secure the head writer role on Deborah’s late-night TV show. Her decision completely obliterates the foundation of their relationship, and, in addition to creating resentment on both sides, it also builds a new level of paranoia in Deborah, especially after her chief operations officer, Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins), quits to find his own way. Season 4 is full of laughs and drama, but its key moments include a shift in power dynamics, deeply personal transformations, a late-night implosion, and, after a falsified death report, a brand-spanking-new beginning.
Shifting Power Dynamics
In the wake of Ava’s Season 3 antics, the power dynamic between Ava and Deborah shifts drastically and brings out the worst in both women. As a star of late-night television, Deborah has the power to make Ava’s work life as difficult as possible, and she does, even going so far as to thoroughly embarrass her on air.
On the other hand, Ava seizes every opportunity she can to confront, disagree, and argue with Deborah, consistently and intentionally butting heads with her while also threatening to expose her affair with network chairman Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn) to the press. Tit-for-tats like this only intensify their feud, but after mounting network pressure, a medical scare for Deborah, and a falsely perceived life-ending scare involving Ava, the two finally call a truce, making up in the process.
Personal Transformations
Although Ava and Deborah’s rivalry lives on, it also causes major personal transformations. A darker, more ruthless side of Ava emerges that teaches her not just how to compete with Deborah, but also how to manipulate her. She also finds herself part of a throuple, to whom she badmouths Deborah’s show. After they break up with her, in the wake of a heated moment in the writers’ room, Ava quits her job and disappears.
The news incites panic in Deborah, who pushes everything aside and frantically tracks Ava to the beach, where she mistakes a woman in the water for Ava attempting suicide. This, coupled with an earlier panic attack that lands Deborah in the hospital, is a defining moment for the duo, who finally find themselves evolved and on the same page… for now.
A Late-Night Implosion
After disagreeing over a particular late-night guest, Ava vents her frustrations to her former boss, who uses her secrets to do a hit piece on the network. When Bob reveals to Deborah that he wants Ava fired for leaking a story, Deborah makes a life-altering decision that results in a late-night implosion, announcing the end of her show and choosing loyalty to Ava in the process. Before they can leave the parking lot, Bob reminds Deborah of her 18-month non-compete contract and threatens to sue her if she breaks it. Now struggling with a lack of fulfillment in her life, Deborah leaves on vacation with an unsuspecting Ava in tow.
A Fake Death and a New Beginning
While in Singapore at a local resort casino, Deborah realizes she can exploit a loophole in her non-compete by performing stand-up comedy through a translator. Her shows go so well that she enters a months-long residency and succumbs to the casino lifestyle of constant partying, neglecting Ava in the process. Growing disillusioned, Ava confronts her, and an intoxicated Deborah insults Ava deeply, prompting her to leave. The next morning, however, both awaken to a news story that Deborah has died, killing the late-night comedy genre in the process, which becomes the impetus for the two women to get their careers back on track.
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What To Expect from ‘Hacks’ Season 5
Hacks Season 5 is set to explore deeper character relationships in the wake of Ava and Deborah’s return, as Deborah reinvents herself and rewrites the ending of her comedy legacy in the wake of being blamed for killing late-night TV. Viewers can also expect new guest stars and a promised shocking ending, according to the show’s official trailer.
Deadline also reports a closer relationship between Ava and Deborah, as well as a romantic interlude for Deborah with new addition Christopher Briney, who will play a famous rock star. Showrunner Jen Statsky further confirmed that the final season will bring in “so many stories that we’ve been really waiting and wanting to do, but it just wasn’t quite right in earlier seasons, or it felt like we needed the relationship between Ava and Deborah [to] deepen before we did it.” For those wondering about Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter), they’re still around, and their business is off the chain.
As one of the century’s best sitcoms, Hacks seamlessly showcases the ebbs and flows of being a writer in Hollywood, which partly works because of the beauty that is the relationship between Deborah and Ava. There’s no doubt that Season 5 will clearly be one for the fans: full of big laughs, beautiful moments, and even bigger emotions that are sure to have us all in tears.
Hacks Season 5 premieres tonight on HBO.
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