Jean Smart as Deborah Vance in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Arriving on HBO Max on April 6 with the first episode (of 10) is the fifth and final season of ‘Hacks’, which returns us to the world of caustic, charismatic comedian Deborah Vance, as brought to award-winning life by Jean Smart.
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels and Jean Smart as Deborah Vance in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Like coming up with the perfect punchline for a stand-up routine, ending a TV series is no easy task. For ‘Hacks’, which charts the unlikely mentorship between Deborah Vance, a long-established, wealthy comedian, and Ava Daniels, a struggling younger comedy writer.
As the show has gone on, we’ve seen every shade of the professional relationship and personal friendship between the pair, from being in sync to very much not. But as the story comes to a close, there are certainly plenty of last laughs to be had.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Megan Stalter as Kayla, Hannah Einbinder as Ava, Mark Indelicato as Damien, Jean Smart as Deborah and Paul W. Downs as Jimmy in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Show creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky (with the trio also directing the majority of this season’s episodes) bring a particularly entertaining dynamic to the screen with the show –– Deborah and Ava’s partnership is always a weird one, and the stories work well.
The team has also delivered on the wider world of ‘Hacks’, including Deborah’s employees and the various characters they interact with. As to whether the show wraps up in satisfying fashion, I’d have to say a qualified yes. One big plot point towards the end feels a little rushed, but on the whole, the season works.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Kaitlin Olson as DJ and Jean Smart as Deborah in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Smart and Einbinder have been well awarded for their work, and the Deborah/Ava side of things has certainly entered a friendlier aspect as the story winds down. Which isn’t to say anything is complacent –– there is certainly rich comedy to be found here.
Downs as Ava and Deborah’s endlessly stressed manager Jimmy goes on his own journey here, with Megan Stalter once again stealing scenes as sidekick Kayla. And among the recurring guest cast, special mention goes to Kaitlin Olson (as Deborah’s daughter DJ, who has her own hilarious episode with her mother) and Lauren Weedman, who is always memorable as the wacky Mayor of Vegas.
Final Thoughts
Lauren Weedman as Mayor Jo in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
The idea of Deborah on a mission and how Ava helps/hinders her might feel a little familiar, but the creative team has found a welcome, warm way to wind down the series, featuring grace notes for recurring characters and keeping you invested in the main story.
‘Hacks’ Season 5 receives 78 out of 100.
(L to R) Jean Smart as Deborah, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus, Rose Abdoo as Josefina and Mark Indelicato as Damien in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
What’s the plot of ‘Hacks’ Season 5?
In the aftermath of mistaken and unflattering news reports that she passed away, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) return to Las Vegas more determined than ever to secure Deborah’s legacy as a comedian.
Who stars in ‘Hacks’ Season 5?
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels
Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus Vaughan
Megan Stalter as Kayla Schaefer
Paul W. Downs as Jimmy LuSaque Jr.
Mark Indelicato as Damien Asada Agosto
Kaitlin Olson as Deborah “DJ” Vance Jr.
Christopher McDonald as Marty Ghilain
(L to R) Jean Smart as Deborah, Poppy Liu as Kiki and Hannah Einbinder as Ava in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Josh Holloway as Jim Ellis in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
‘Duster’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Landing on Max with its first episode on May 13th (followed by one weekly through July 3rd), ‘Duster’ represents two returns to TV for veterans of classic mystery box drama ‘Lost’ –– co-creator J.J. Abrams and leading ensemble member Josh Holloway.
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Yet while their new series does come with a couple of mysteries driving the plot, this is really more about the easygoing, rugged charm of its main man, and an appealingly laidback (when not kicking into higher, more violent gear for semi-regular confrontations).
Rachel Hilson as Nina in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
With Abrams here working alongside LaToya Morgan (a veteran of series such as ‘The Walking Dead,’‘Into the Badlands’ and ‘Parenthood,’ ‘Duster’ gives off the vibe of a 1970s crime series, and not just because of its sunbaked seventies setting.
It’s not exactly aiming to be high art, it just wants to entertain, and for the most part is successful in that endeavor, beyond some caveats we’ll explore below.
Script and Direction
Keith David as Ezra in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
Abrams and Morgan kick the season off with the first two episodes and are mostly occupied setting things up in the early going, introducing us to Holloway’s Jim Ellis, and content to sometimes coast on the actor’s considerable charm and rugged (if this days a little more weather-beaten and lined) good looks.
Still, the creators don’t just have that on their minds; there is more to this new show. Ellis lives in the shadow of his late brother, a fellow charisma factory who died mysteriously when the van he was driving for a crime syndicate exploded.
These days, Jim mostly occupies himself –– when he isn’t bedding attractive women –– with running errands in his cherry red 1970 Plymouth Duster for Ezra (Keith David), head of the criminal outfit who is struggling to maintain his grip on territory as others encroach, and worried about his family, especially ailing Royce (Benjamin Charles Watson), whose health factors into the first episode’s speedy set piece.
On the other side of the law (not that Jim’s portrayed as a total criminal, just working for one) we have fresh-faced FBI agent Nina (Rachel Hilson), who has an agenda of her own and an axe to grind against Ezra.
Nina also faces the reality of 1970s society –– she’s a black woman who must put up with both racism and sexism even despite making it through Quantico and with serious smarts and gusto to back up her badge.
If there are problems with the series on the scripting side it’s that too many episodes fall back on an annoying in media res format (we’d caution you not to start a drinking game based on how many feature an “hours ago” chyron lest you damage vital organs) and the main mystery, part of what Nina is assigned to, doesn’t always work as well as the rest. But it’s still more satisfying than some of Abrams’ past work.
Visually, the show (set mostly in Phoenix, but shot in New Mexico) is sumptuous, and directors Steph Green and Darren Grant keep the pace and tone on track, pulling off some effectively entertaining vehicular stunts and bone-crunching clashes.
It’s interesting to note that the ever-busy Abrams didn’t choose to direct any episodes, yet does contribute beyond his producer duties by getting back to one his old trademarks and crafting the period-appropriate and hard-charging theme for the show, which plays over a fun animated model car sequence that is like Hot Wheels for grown-ups.
Cast and Performances
Donal Logue as Sergeant Groomes in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
Holloway might not have been away from TV work as long as Abrams –– he’s been in a few shows here and there in the days since ‘Lost,’ but this feels like the highest-profile project built around him to happen along in a good while.
And he’s certainly up to the task, making Jim an easy character to like, but also giving him some deeper, darker layers as he digs into what happened to his brother. His chemistry with Hilson (non-romantic, which is a nice change) and David in particular is palpable.
For her part, Hilson should hopefully break out for this role, as she brings real energy to Nina, a woman caught between her ambitions and the reality of the world she lives in. She’s excellent in the part, just as comfortable taking down racist idiots as she is working with Navajo FBI partner Awan (Asivak Koostachin).
Keith David can play this sort of crime lord part in his sleep, but here he’s fully engaged as Ezra, who has a connection to Jim’s past and a stranglehold on local trading routes. David is always impressive on screen, and here he commands our attention.
Around the leads is a compelling group including the aforementioned Awan, Jim’s dad Wade (played superbly by Corbin Bernsen) and because no Abrams project would be complete without him, Greg Grunberg, who gets a solid supporting role as Nina’s immediate superior, the officious and occasionally smug agent Abbott. Donal Logue, meanwhile is at first almost unrecognizable as shady Sergeant Groomes, who gives Jim some early hassle.
Final Thoughts
Camille Guaty as Izzy in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
‘Duster’ won’t rev itself into the TV hall of fame any time soon, but it’s diverting enough, full of fast cast, fun crimes and Holloway on full leading man mode, all drawl and lead foot on the gas.
The central mysteries work to keep the plot idling along, but it’s the people you’ll want to keep spending time with.
What’s the plot of ‘Duster’?
‘Duster’ is set in the 1970s Southwest and explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down.
(L to R) Isabela Merced and Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Preview:
‘The Last of Us’ has been renewed for Season 3.
The show adapts the wildly successful video game.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star in the show.
With the second season of much-loved video game adaptation ‘The Last of Us’ landing on screens to plenty of acclaim this past weekend, it would appear that HBO’s belief in the show is at an all-time high.
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The channel has handed down a third-season order for the show, which adapts the video game created by Neil Druckmann and his team at Naughty Dog Studios.
‘The Last of Us’ series is set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by people infected by a fungus that turns them into mutated zombie-like creatures, and stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
‘The Last of Us’ takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Producers/Showrunners Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) and Druckmann have yet to detail exactly what the new season will cover.
The first season of ‘The Last of Us’ covered much of games ‘The Last of Us Part I’ and ‘The Last of Us: Left Behind’, while Season 2 will cover part of ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ kicking off with a five-year time jump as in the video game.
Ellie, 14 in Part I and Left Behind, is 19 in Part II, and she and Joel have been living in Jackson since they left the Fireflies in Salt Lake City.
While zero details have been revealed on Season 3, we can expect it to tackle more of ‘The Last of Us Part II.’
Who else is in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
With Pascal and Ramsey both back for the new season, the cast of the show is growing and changing as their quest continues.
On top of them, Jeffrey Wright is playing Isaac, who in the game is the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group, known as the Washington Liberation Front. They sought liberty but instead have become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.
Wright represents the second actor to reprise a voice role from the game, after Merle Dandridge did the same for her character Marlene in Season 1.
And while we won’t get too deeply into it, if Season 2 covers certain events, the cast will be a little smaller when Season 3 dawns. But again; without having seen the whole season, we can’t speak to that, and won’t spoil anything for those who approach the story from the point of view of the show alone and haven’t played the game.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 renewal: The Team Talks
(L to R) Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann on the set of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
With the renewal now official (hardly a surprise given the success of the show so far and the early reactions to Season 2 even before its launch), HBO and the show’s creators have weighed in on its return.
“It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of ‘The Last of Us’ is. Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the entire executive producer team, cast and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”
And this is what Craig Mazin had to say:
“We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of ‘The Last of Us’ with season three!”
Finally, this is the quote from Druckmann:
“To see ‘The Last of Us’ brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of ‘The Last of Us’!”
When will ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 be on screens?
We’ll all need some patience. Season 2 has just launched this past weekend, and while we’re relatively sure the team knew that Season 3 would be a done deal, there is still scripting and filming work to be done.
With luck, we should have the new season next year, though ‘The Last of Us’ has been such a good thing so far that it’s worth waiting for.
(L to R) Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
‘Harry Potter’ TV series cast (from left to right): John Lithgow (Credit: Jessica Howes), Janet McTeer (Credit: Andrew Crowley), Paapa Essiedu (Credit: Ruth Crafer), Nick Frost (Credit: Lee Malone), Luke Thallon (Credit: Phil Sharp), Paul Whitehouse (Credit: Mike Marsland).
Preview:
HBO is finally confirming the first cast for its ‘Harry Potter’ TV series.
John Lithgow, Janet McTeer and Nick Frost are among them.
The show aims to adapt the books across the next several years.
We’ve spent the last few months hearing about actors scoring roles in HBO’s ambitious, giant planned small screen adaptation of the ‘Harry Potter’ book series.
All through it –– even as John Lithgow in particular openly admitted he was part of the show –– the company has stuck to its “no comment” stance, presumably biding time while schedules are figured out (this thing is quite the time commitment if it works beyond the first season) and contacts are worked through.
Yet now it’s officially official, with parent company Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO releasing word that Lithgow (who is playing headmaster Albus Dumbledore), alongside Janet McTeer (Professor Minerva McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (as Severus Snape) and Nick Frost (bringing gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid to screens) will make up part of the series regular cohort.
(L to R) Robbie Coltrane and Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
In addition, the HBO release adds stage actor Luke Thallon (whose main screen credit so far has been a tiny role in 2018’s ‘The Favourite’) and UK comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse (who US audiences might know from ‘The Death of Stalin’ but also has ‘Potter’ form after playing Sir Cadogan in third movie ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban‘), as recurring guest stars.
Thallon has nabbed the role of Professor Quirinus Quirrell, a key part of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ while Whitehouse is set to play Hogwarts caretaker and grumpy cat owner Argus Filch, who pops up throughout the stories.
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Here’s the official statement on the initial casting from showrunner Francesca Gardiner and main director/executive producer Mark Mylod:
“We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch. We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”
We’re still waiting, of course, to find out which three young actors have scored the key roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione following a giant casting call, while other important characters such as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin will presumably be cast once the series reaches their entrances.
(L to R) Emma Watson as Hermione Granger,Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ (2011). Photo: Warner Bros.
Here’s the official HBO statement on the show:
“The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. It will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
Gardiner scored the job of showrunner after HBO conducted an extensive search for the right writer/producer. Mylod will direct multiple episodes of the series, having worked on the likes of ‘Succession’ and ‘Game of Thrones.’
The show will be shot at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden Studios facility outside London in the UK, where the movies were made.
Who else has been rumored for the ‘Harry Potter’ TV series?
Lithgow’s ‘Conclave’ co-star Ralph Fiennes –– who was the villainous Voldemort in four of the seven ‘Potter’ movies –– suggesting someone who could take over that character (even though he’s said he’d be willing to return if asked).
“Cillian is a fantastic actor. That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian. Yeah.”
We’d add at this point that The Hollywood Reporter’s sources have poured cold water on the idea of Murphy even being considered right now. Which is not to say he isn’t, but that no one wants to talk yet.
The biggest issue for getting more famous –– and therefore busier –– actors involved is the commitment issue; those taking part would likely be contracted for a good 10 years or so. But we can imagine HBO conjuring hefty cash offers to name stars to entice them.
What about the J.K. Rowling issue?
(L to R) Emma Watson and J. K. Rowling at the premiere of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
‘Potter’ creator and original novelist J.K. Rowling is a big consideration here, since A) she has final say on anything adapted from the books and B) is a problematic figure given her negative views on trans people.
This was HBO’s recent statement on the issue:
“Warner Bros. has been working with J.K. Rowling and in the ‘Harry Potter’ business for over 20 years. Her contribution has been invaluable. We are proud to once again tell the story of ‘Harry Potter’ — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance. J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings. It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being. The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it’s appalling. I mean, I can understand a viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about women. But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist. It’s just a woman saying, ‘I’m a woman and I feel I’m a woman and I want to be able to say that I’m a woman.’ And I understand where she’s coming from. Even though I’m not a woman.”
When will the ‘Harry Potter’ series be on screens?
HBO CEO Casey Bloys recently said that he expects the show to debut in late 2026 or early 2027, which makes sense given that production isn’t likely to start until later this year.
(L to R) Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise:
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Back on Max for its second season and debut the first episode on April 13th, ‘The Last of Us’ plunges us back into the chaotic, carefully-crafted world adapted from the Naughty Dog game originally created by Neil Druckmann and his team.
Now Druckmann, working again with co-showrunner Craig Mazin, is starting the even more perplexing process of adapting ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ which deepened the story of the game and its hard-bitten survivors.
Is ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 worth battling mushroom zombies to see?
(L to R) Bella Ramsey and Gabriel Luna in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Perhaps the biggest question, and indeed challenge facing the new season of the show is whether it can live up to the praise and success of the first. It’s a situation that co-creator Neil Druckmann has faced before in this universe, and it should give fans of the show who never played the game hope that by all regards, ‘The Last of Us Part II’ is seen as superior to the original, much-loved game.
Of course, season 2 of a TV series, even one with a pedigree such as this, is a different beast. Yet Druckmann and Mazin have shown remarkable patience and care with their work, bring what works about the game to the screen by making the changes necessary to ensure it functions in a different, less interactive medium.
And it’s reassuring to report that, on the basis of the first episode of the new season, ‘Future Days,’ their efforts continue to pay off.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann on the set of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
While Mazin and Druckmann do the lion’s share of the writing on the show, the first episode features a script by Halley Wegryn Gross that has a lot of work to do.
Though there is a brief moment set right at the end of Season 1, the majority of the episode takes place five years later. With the survivors’ base in Jackson, Wyoming (a former ski resort repurposed as a fortress against the fungi-ravaged zombie-like mutants that prowl the lands between encampments) up and running as a functioning community.
That means we not only have to be re-introduced to Pedro Pascal’s tough-but-heartfelt Joel and Bella Ramsey’s headstrong Ellie (now even more so as a 19-year-old brawler itching to take on more responsibility), but fill us in on all the other characters.
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The script for ‘Future Days’ is busy but finds time for everyone –– even deviating from the game in introducing and immediately identifying Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby Anders as someone who is looking to enact vengeance on Joel for his actions in the final episode of the previous season.
Another challenge for the script is to start building towards what game players already know is coming either in this season or the next (both are drawn from ‘The Last of Us Part II’ game) –– no spoilers, but things don’t end well.
Mazin doesn’t have that many directing credits to his name despite years in the feature business, and even with his involvement in the series, this is the first time he has called the shots on an episode. But he shows a steady hand and a clear eye for what makes the show work, and if the time jump is a jolt, the style is not.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Anchored by Pascal and Ramsey, the episode doesn’t forget to give other performers some solid work.
Pascal is, of course, still great as the haunted, soulful Joel, the man who never expected to find a surrogate daughter after losing his own in the early days of the pandemic that rocked the world. Here, we find him in problem-solving mode, and Pascal brings out all the tones, including his sly sense of humor.
(Left) Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO. (Right) Catherine O’Hara in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Ramsey has even more to prove with the more grown version of Ellie, but they handle the job fluidly, this tougher, less childish version of the character finding new connections while still dealing with old issues.
Among the newcomers we meet, Dever makes and impact with relatively little screen time as Abby, Isabel Merced is a shiny delight as Dina and Catherine O’Hara gets to go to some deeper places as Gail, who is tending to Joel’s mental health.
Final Thoughts
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Though it remains to be seen how the rest of the season and beyond plays out, the first episode of ‘The Last of Us’ new season is a welcomer reminder of why this is one of the best shows on TV.
There is so much solid character work going on from both sides of the camera, and the look of the show, including some truly scary mushroom mutants, is still superb.
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What is the plot of ‘The Last of Us’ season 2?
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
When it originally landed on our screens with its first season two years ago, ‘The Last of Us’ became an instant sensation, hailed for transferring its video game source material with care and authenticity while also expanding the complicated, emotional world originally built by Neil Druckmann and his team.
With Druckmann involved as a key collaborator alongside fellow show developer (and ‘Chernobyl’ limited series veteran) Craig Mazin, ‘The Last of Us’ tells the post-apocalyptic story of the world brought to ruin by mutated Cordyceps fungus, which spread through a global pandemic and turned a majority of the population into infected, transformed zombie-like creatures.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are two survivors trying to make their way through this difficult world.
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Season 2 explores the fallout from the first, when Joel massacred a group looking to extract a cure from Ellie –– the procedure nearly killing her –– and is set five years later, with Joel and Ellie seemingly settled into a mountain community of fellow survivors in Jackson, Wyoming.
But Joel’s actions may yet catch up to him, and Ellie is finding other connections in this world.
Here are 10 things we learned at that press conference, edited for clarity and length. ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 will debut with its first episode on Max on April 13th.
1) Bella Ramsey Is Excited For The Show To Be Back
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Ramsey admitted they were nervous to see the reaction to the new season.
Bella Ramsey: It’s a little bit scary. When season one came out obviously it was this huge thing. I think I’m just so aware of season two coming out and everybody looking at it and looking at me and it’s quite scary, but it’s exciting. I’m trying to see it as a celebration of all the hard work that we did. I just hope that people will –– I mean, people are going to like it ––because these guys did an incredible job and we all went into it with complete trust for them. We’ve been carried and protected the whole way, so it’s pretty exciting and I hope that people will watch it.
2) Kaitlyn Dever Was Anxious About Joining The Show
Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Dever –– who was actually attached as Ellie back during a version of the story being made as a movie –– plays Abby Anderson, who has a reason to hate Joel.
Kaitlyn Dever: It was all of the feelings. I was nervous, I was anxious, but also very excited. I’ve been a huge fan of this game and the show for a very long time. The reach of this world is so, so big. The world of ‘The Last of Us’ is so large. You can feel that, even in wardrobe fittings when you’re first in prep and then finally getting on set. It still feels very big but I felt less nervous once I got onto set, just because of this wonderful group of people and being held by Craig and Neil.
3) Mazin Was Actually Very Impressed With Dever As Abby
Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The co-writer/showrunner and occasional director was full of praise for Dever and her co-stars.
Mazin: Kaitlyn did things that I’m not sure she even should have done. I don’t know how you did them. We knew her, obviously, as an actor and what she could do, but when you then meet the person and you’re, “well, what can you actually do? What are you comfortable with?” Kaitlyn just would never say no. It was amazing. When you see how physically tremendous her performance is, it’s insane. We just haven’t f****d up in casting. We just haven’t f****d up.
4) Young Mazino Felt Fortunate To Have Gotten The Job
Young Mazino in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Mazino, who was seen in ‘Beef,’ plays Jesse, ex-boyfriend of Isabela Merced’s Dina and friend to Ellie.
Young Mazino: I felt incredibly fortunate. Joining a second season for something that was so well established the first time and the trust that I think Craig and Neil had in me to deliver on this character. I do remember getting more nervous when I stepped onto set and realizing the sheer scale of the town and seeing the huge gate that they built. That’s when I started to feel a little tripped out. But then, but then the longer I was there, I realized the energy was so, so warm and so inviting, and I feel like there was no ego on set. I think that’s a rare thing, especially the larger sets. I had such a blast. It was chill.
5) Ramsey and Pascal Talked About The Rifts That Have Formed in Ellie and Joel’s Adoptive Father/Daughter Dynamic
(L to R) Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
It’s clear when season 2 kicks off that in the years since the first, Ellie and Joel have seen emotional distance grow between them, which for the actors presented a challenge but also an opportunity.
Ramsey: Obviously a lot has changed over those five years. Ellie was 14 and now is 19. I think in any teenager’s life that’s always the formative years, so that definitely informed it. But there’s deeper reasons for their little rift. I didn’t enjoy the feeling of feeling estranged from Pedro within a scene. It wasn’t a nice feeling. When the cameras were rolling. In real life, we still sort of each other, just about! But it was definitely interesting.
6) Pascal Addressed Treating a Show Such as ‘The Last of Us’ as Escapism When It Still Confronts Real-World Issues
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The actor opened up about the show’s depth of theme and feeling.
Pascal: I think that storytelling is cathartic in so many ways, always has been. It’s the way that human beings have made testimony to life. Whether it was handprints on the walls inside of a cave to television show that you can stream on Max. So, for me, growing up, all of my development was based on books I’ve read, movies I’ve seen, and television that I’ve watched. So, it’s very much going to reflect the human experience. Under such extreme circumstances, I think that there’s a very healthy and sometimes sick pleasure in that catharsis, in a safe space, to see human relationships under crisis and in pain and intelligently draw political allegory, societal allegory based off of the world that we’re living in and, and very beautifully and very intelligently.
7) Druckmann Was Asked About the Show’s Change to Abby’s Backstory Introduction
(L to R) Danny Ramirez, Tati Gabrielle, Ariela Barer, Kaitlyn Dever, and Spencer Lord in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
‘The Last of Us’ makes a key change to Dever’s character Abby, setting up her backstory immediately as opposed to the game, which holds it off for a while.
Druckmann: In the game [Part 2], you play as Abby, so you immediately form an empathic connection with her because you’re surviving as her. You’re running through the snow, you’re fighting infected, and we can withhold certain things and make it a mystery that will be revealed later in the story. We couldn’t do that in the show because you’re not playing as her, so we need other tools. That context gave us that shortcut. Something similar happened in season one when the first game starts with you playing as Sarah, and we didn’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting for you to care about Sarah, because you’re playing as her, you’re experiencing the outbreak as her. In the show, we had to spend quite a bit of time to achieve something similar.
8) Asked What The Most Satisfying Moment Was to Adapt, Mazin Gave a Careful Answer
(L to R) Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann on the set of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Not wanting to give away spoilers, Mazin talked about his favorite scene to craft.
Mazin: There is –– I don’t want to say what it is –– but there was a scene in the in the final episode of the season. It’s quite impactful in the game, but there was this evolution of it as we put it on film that blows me away. Those moments are very exciting. But I have to admit, there’s also –– this is not a spoiler, it’s in the trailer –– you see Pedro and Bella both by the space capsule in the museum and that scene is the first thing that Neil ever showed me from [the game] ‘The Last of Us Part Two.’ It’s beautiful and watching them inhabit that and make it their own was pretty spectacular. [doing Larry David impression] Pretty, pretty good. We’ll let you watch it sometime.
9) Isabela Merced Talked About What Dina Means To Her
Isabela Merced in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The actor discussed her character, who starts a relationship with Ellie in the new season.
Isabela Merced: I kind of see Dina as an extension of myself. If I were in an apocalyptic situation, I would try to lighten it up a bit. I think that’s our superpower as humans, is we really have the power to shift our perspective and make our own reality. I think Dina is also Ellie’s compass and light, in a way. I think Dina’s also grieving at the same time, and we explore that. I think it’s going to be really fun to get to know Dina as more than just “the funny guy.” I think Craig does a great job of well-rounding his characters like that.
10) Mazin Says That We Can Expect At Least One More Standalone Episode This Year
(L to R) Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Following the wide praise for the standalone diversion episode ‘Long, Long Time,’ which told the story of survivors Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), the showrunner explained there will be more.
Mazin: One thing that Neil and I talked about was just making sure that we didn’t just say, “Oh, you know, that Bill and Frank episode… people really liked that. Let’s do a very special episode of ‘The Last of Us’ Season Two.” It just has to happen as it happens. But I will say that there is a gorgeous episode this season directed by Neil that is different. it’s not Bill and Frank, but it is, in its own way, its own thing, because it needed to be. Just you wait.
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What is the plot of ‘The Last of Us’ season 2?
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
(L to R) Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
‘Hacks’ Season 4 receives 8 out of 10 stars.
Arriving on Max with its first two episodes on April 10th (a further eight arrive weekly except for one other two-episode block for Emmy eligibility reasons), ‘Hacks’ returns with a fourth season on the back of considerable awards success.
And there is good news for fans, who will find the show’s prickly, funny energy undimmed as the leads, played by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, bicker and find ways to work together.
(L to R) Jean Smart and Helen Hunt in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
‘Hacks’ has become, on awards haul alone, one of the more successful comedies of recent years, all the more impressive when you consider that, outside of some network heavy hitters and the occasional surprise such as ‘Nobody Wants This,’ the genre has seemed to struggle.
And with Season 4 now arriving on screens, the pressure is on further, since ‘Hacks’ not only has to keep flying the genre flag, but has to live up to three successful previous seasons. It’s a relief to note, then, that the laughs keep coming, and the heart also remains in the show.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Perhaps the biggest plus for the new season is the spine of the Deborah Vance character facing up to the challenges of actually creating and hosting a new show in the competitive late-night sphere. She’s landed the white whale… now she has to make it work for her.
As usual, creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky have crafted an excellent throughline for the season, and are clearly comfortable with their two headstrong leads. The brash and veteran Vance facing off with the nervy, entitled Ava Daniels is one that keeps on delivering year after year.
And turning them into more conventional workmates, with concerns including what coffee machine to stock in the offices of the new show and recruiting/managing a group of fresh new writers works wonders on both a tension and comedy level.
(L to R) Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
There is still the gently satirical look at life on different ends of the comedy writer spectrum, but the new dynamic also makes the traditional fall-out-make-up rhythm for Deborah and Ava work without feeling like it is treading over too familiar territory.
Though the new characters have yet to make much of an impression in the early episodes initially provided to press (they are, to be honest, smaller supporting roles designed to drive the comedy between the main duo forwards), they’re still fun.
And the team hasn’t forgotten about the carefully constructed world around Deborah and Ava, with the rest of the ensemble still enjoying solid storylines.
While ‘Hacks’ has never been a show to fall back on visual tricks, the directing team, led by Aniello in particular, always find ways to make it interesting, with Deborah’s panic nightmares about the show brought to screens in convincing fashion.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
There is a reason that Jean Smart has won so many trophies for playing Deborah Vance –– the role is such a good fit for her. And in Season 4, she continues to spit venom when needed, but still comes across as a rounded human being with her own hopes, ambitions and needs. A moment later in the season where she explodes in frustration about a big change in her staff and her business gives her such good material to chew on; and chew on it she does, that scene is going straight on the actor’s Emmy submission.
As Ava, Hannah Einbinder continues to walk the tricky path of the character potentially coming across as annoying and whiny and seeing her point of view. Like most of the characters, Ava has evolved as she’s spent time in Deborah’s orbit and Season 4 offers some prime moments, especially where she’s trying to justify her own sneaky way of becoming head writer on the new show –– and trying to assert her own power still.
Around the central pair, there is the delightful regular ensemble, especially co-creator Paul W. Downs as Jimmy, the endlessly frazzled and frustrated manager, who must wrangle both Deborah’s titanic ego and Ava’s many neuroses.
(L to R) Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
He, as ever is both helped and hindered by Megan Stalter’s Kayla, his former assistant and now his business partner in a new management company who he both cherishes and regrets ever dealing with. Stalter is a comedic sniper, channeling Kayla’s oddball energy and lighting up every scene she’s in.
The show also has the usual series of cameos, though those are something we won’t spoil –– they’re all entertaining, though, especially one returning character from an earlier season in a position of power where they really don’t belong, and who helps Deborah out of a tricky situation.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Some will accuse ‘Hacks’ fourth season of going through some familiar motions, especially in regard to Deborah and Ava, but the storyline of the late-night show and some fresh moments for several characters means it still works.
‘Hacks’ is one of the most reliable comedies on TV, and the new season does nothing to change that.
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What is the plot of ‘Hacks’ season 4?
In season 4, tensions rise as Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) endeavor to get their late night show off the ground and make history doing it.
Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Hollywood loves telling stories about itself!
Premiering on Apple TV+ March 26th is the new series ‘The Studio‘, which stars Seth Rogen as newly appointed studio head trying to navigate his way through Hollywood.
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And returning to Max for its fourth season on April 10th is the award winning series ‘Hacks‘, which stars Jean Smart as legendary stand-up comedian, Deborah Vance.
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In honor of the release of both series, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best movies about the entertainment industry.
NOTE: For this list, we are including any film that revolves around the movie, television, radio, or music industries.
The cast of 2015’s ‘Entourage’ movie. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), together with his boys, Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny (Kevin Dillon), are back…and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood.
(L to R) Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo in ‘The Artist’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a young dancer set for a big break.
Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
Follow Robbie Williams‘ journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Anthony Hopkins in ‘Hitchcock’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Following his great success with ‘North by Northwest,’ director Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) makes a daring choice for his next project: an adaptation of Robert Bloch‘s novel ‘Psycho.’ When the studio refuses to back the picture, Hitchcock decides to pay for it himself in exchange for a percentage of the profits. His wife, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), has serious reservations about the film but supports him nonetheless. Still, the production strains the couple’s marriage.
The cast of 2006’s ‘For Your Consideration’. Photo: Warner Independent Pictures.
The possibility of Oscar gold holds the cast and crew of an independent film in its grip after the performance of its virtually unknown, veteran star generates awards buzz.
Johnny Depp in ‘Ed Wood’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
The mostly true story of the legendary “worst director of all time”, who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.
James Franco in ‘The Disaster Artist’. Photo: A24.
An aspiring actor (Dave Franco) in Hollywood meets an enigmatic stranger by the name of Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), the meeting leads the actor down a path nobody could have predicted; creating the worst movie ever made.
(L to R) Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Jane Curtain (Kim Matula), Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman), Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Alan Zweibel (Josh Brener) and Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) in ‘Saturday Night’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. This is the story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of ‘Saturday Night Live‘.
Peter O’Toole in ‘My Favorite Year’. Photo: MGM/UA Distribution Co.
Fledgling comic Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) can’t believe his luck when his childhood hero, the swashbuckling matinee idol Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole), gets booked to appear on the variety show he writes for. But when Swann arrives, he fails to live up to his silver screen image. Instead, he’s a drunken womanizer who suffers from stage fright. Benjy is assigned to look after him before the show, and it’s all he can do to keep his former idol from going completely off the rails.
(L to R) John Travolta and Gene Hackman in ‘Get Shorty’. Photo: MGM/UA Distribution Co.
Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is a Miami mobster who gets sent by his boss, the psychopathic “Bones” Barboni (Dennis Farina), to collect a bad debt from Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a Hollywood producer who specializes in cheesy horror films. When Chili meets Harry’s leading lady (Rene Russo), the romantic sparks fly. After pitching his own life story as a movie idea, Chili learns that being a mobster and being a Hollywood producer really aren’t all that different.
(L to R) Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in ‘La La Land’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
(L to R) Steve Martin and Heather Graham in ‘Bowfinger’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
On the verge of bankruptcy and desperate for his big break, aspiring filmmaker Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) concocts a crazy plan to make his ultimate dream movie. Rallying a ragtag team that includes a starry-eyed ingenue, a has-been diva and a film studio gofer, he sets out to shoot a blockbuster featuring the biggest star in Hollywood, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) — only without letting Ramsey know he’s in the picture.
Howard Stern in ‘Private Parts’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The life and career of shock-jock superstar Howard Stern is recounted from his humble beginnings to his view from the top. Possessing a desire to be an on-air personality since childhood, Stern meanders through the radio world, always with his supportive wife, Alison (Mary McCormack), by his side. Landing a gig in Washington, D.C., Stern meets Robin Quivers, who will become his long-time partner in crime. When the two move to New York, they face the wrath of NBC executives.
The cast of ‘Boogie Nights’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.
(L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in ‘A Star Is Born.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
Seasoned musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’
Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
‘Hacks,’ which has been a huge, award-winning success for the Max channel, is returning to our screens this month with its fourth season.
The show stars Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a legendary comedian who has built an empire out of her darkly honest stand-up routines and enjoys a residency at a swanky Las Vegas hotel and casino.
But when her aging material sees her pushed out of her prime slot, Deborah begins to face the realities of modern comedy. Her agent suggests pairing her with younger, slightly neurotic comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), who initially has trouble finding common ground with the pushy, diva-tastic Vance.
Yet they make the odd partnership work, Ava helping to rejuvenate Vance’s following and Vance in turn giving Ava a real grounding in how the business works.
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
In the latest season, tensions rise as Deborah and Ava endeavor to get their late night show off the ground and make history doing it.
The cast also includes Paul W. Downs as Jimmy, Deborah and Ava’s ambitious but nervous manager and Megan Stalter as Kayla, his chaotic assistant-turned-partner at the management firm they have launched together.
Downs also co-created the show with Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky and together they run the series, with Downs and Aniello also directing some episodes.
Max held a virtual press conference with Smart, Einbinder, Stalter, Downs, Aniello and Statsky. Here are 10 things we learned at that press conference, edited for clarity and length. ‘Hacks’ Season 4 will debut with its first two episodes on Max on April 10th.
1) The fourth season finds Deborah feeling the pressure of launching a late night show
(L to R) Jean Smart and Helen Hunt in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Smart’s character starts having unusual crises of confidence in her new role as talk show host.
Jean Smart: She definitely has something. The pressure gets to her. I give credit to the to the writing for that. It continually amazes me that they are able to find more and more for us and, and also keep this dynamic going, because I think that’s a lot of the fun for the audience is this relationship and the fact that they’ve been able to keep that the way they have, because that was my biggest fear after the first season, was that, well now that they’re kind of friendly and working together, is that going to be as much fun for the audience see them butting heads? But it’s amazing to me that it continues in the same vein and just gets better and better… And meaner and nastier!
Some of Deborah’s fears are manifested as coyotes appearing in her dreams or hanging around her Los Angeles home.
Jean Smart: All of her fears have been turned into this creature, who keeps popping up, and living in California, they’re always this specter out in your yard. So I thought it was really a clever idea to have that be symbolic.
2) Einbinder’s character is also seeming different this season
Hannah Einbinder in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Building off from Ava essentially blackmailing Deborah into giving her the head writer job on the new show, the season finds her in a fresh dynamic with her mentor.
Hannah Einbinder: I think Ava’s hand has been forced. A lot of people ask me, “has Ava turned bad?” No, I think she has to speak Deborah’s language. She still has her core, she retains that spirit but has to play ball. It’s been really cool to get to play the adversarial thing. Obviously when we have to fight, the director calls cut and we’re just [mimes hugging] “I’m sorry!” But it’s fun to traverse this winding road with the two of them.
3) The house used for Deborah’s Los Angeles residence was lost to the fires
Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
The production had thankfully finished shooting in the mansion before the wildfires destroyed it.
Jean Smart: The beautiful mansion that was built in 1930, I think. It’s been sitting there and untouched by fire for 100 years almost. And it burned. It was really sad. We had just finished shooting there, I think the week before. To envision those beautiful rooms and that, that beautiful fountain and the yard… The couple that lived there and their dog, they’re safe, thank God. But yeah, that was, that was shocking.
4) Downs, Aniello and Statsky didn’t have to look too far for subject matter this year
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Paul W. Downs in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Downs explained the creative trio’s writing methods.
Paul W. Downs: We have a Magic Eight Ball, and when we have an idea, we ask, “is it good?” [Laughs] No, we have been building this for a long time. We always knew we wanted Deborah to get her white whale, this late-night show. But like with stand-up, we’ve always said that this is a show about the wig-off moments. The behind-the-curtain moments. So there is a lot of behind-the-scenes drama and comedy that happens at a late-night show. It was really fun to explore that, and also to write what you know as writers writing a comedy show. It was easy!
Aniello appreciated the new setting as something to spur creativity.
Lucia Aniello: It was a fun, fresh challenge to be able to write the two of them in an office setting, so whether they’re arguing about coffee makers or about HR or hiring, it just feels fun to put them in that scenario because that’s a scenario the rest of the world knows more than potentially some comedians.
5) While the show is usually shot in Los Angeles, it headed to Vegas for a longer stint this season
Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
The vast majority of ‘Hacks’ is shot in L.A., but with Deborah’s home base in Vegas, it would often spend a day or two there per season. In the new season, an entire episode was filmed in the city across days.
Jen Statsky: We feel really lucky to have shot in L.A. for four seasons now. It’s a testament to our amazing production team that so many people are, “oh, you moved to Vegas for five months, right?” And we’re, “no, every season we’ve only done one or two days there.” So this season, that third episode was the most time we ever spent in Vegas because, we just felt like it was a really fun setting for a writers’ retreat.
6) But don’t worry if you’re a fan of the Vegas characters in Deborah’s sphere…
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Even given the L.A. setting and changed circumstances for some of the characters, fan favorites will still show up.
Downs: This is not a spoiler. We absolutely see DJ [Played by Kaitlin Olsen], Deborah’s daughter, this season. We’ll see Kiki played by Poppy Liu. It’s really important to us to keep our ensemble and the ecosystem that is around Deborah Vance, always there. Obviously, to greater or lesser degree, depending on the story. We really come at it story first and character first. It’s actually very true to the life of someone like Deborah who is this star, that she moves around and her world moves with her.
7) Megan Stalter is loving Jimmy and Kayla’s own new dynamic
(L to R) Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
With Downs’ Jimmy having proposed the new company to Kayla at the end of season three in a scene that spoofed romantic comedies, the latest episodes find them figuring out the new professional partnership.
Megan Stalter: I really tear up when I think about last season. Jimmy chooses Kayla. She gets her guy. He’s finally, “I can’t do this without you.” It’s romantic. I hope in the next season she gets pregnant. I don’t think that –– I don’t want her to hook up with Jimmy –– I want her to get pregnant, and then Jimmy has to take the role of father, I think I want him to step up as the father. But all that to say is, I think Kayla is living her dream in this season, being able to be in some sort of power and having her guy by her side. She’s on top of the world. I don’t think it’s romantic between them. Again, if he was in love with someone, she would kill them. I think that he doesn’t want them to be together. But she does want to have a family with him.
8) Jean Smart prefers support to tough love, unlike Deborah’s style
(L to R) Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Smart related a personal experience to how she prefers directors and others interact with actors, in opposition to Deborah’s more abrasive tactics with Ava.
Smart: I have a 16 year old and he’s in the drama department at his school, and he just finished this weekend playing a part in the school musical. Of course he stole the show. I don’t know where he got that, I can’t imagine! But his teacher can be verbally abusive, and it’s very upsetting as a parent, and I don’t agree with it either. As an actor, I’ve never had that in my experience. I don’t see how you can possibly get good results out of somebody or have someone be able to work in that environment. I guess it’s sort of the cliche of the crazy directors screaming and yelling or the drama teachers saying you need to suffer for your art. It’s, “why? I don’t!” I never got that. Or it’s, “tell us your most private moment. It’ll make you a better actor.” “Really? No, I don’t think so. Just tell me what to say, thank you. It’ll be fine. Just calm down.” I like warm and cozy.
Einbinder has a slightly different take.
Einbinder: I will say like I have a background in athletics, we’ve all had coaches. I think I do like having like that coach dynamic a little at times. But I think that can also exist with support.
9) Jean Smart balks at being asked about women getting along on set
(L to R) Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in Season 4 of ‘Hacks’. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Smart rejects the idea that women naturally feud, and is clearly tired of the question being asked a lot.
Smart: I’ve always found it a little bit insulting that people have this idea that women can’t get along, and that men do. I’ve found that strange. I remember a million years ago when I was doing ‘Designing Women‘; people used to ask us that constantly: “Wow. What’s it like on the set with four women? Oh, boy, that must be tough!” I said, “Do you guys ask the ‘Barney Miller’ cast that question?” I find that really bizarre.
10) Smart knows what keeps her tethered even as she wins awards and acclaim.
Jean Smart accepts the Best Actress in a Comedy Series award for ‘Hacks’ onstage during the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association.
Smart is under no illusions as to how people see her, but she’s just trying to live and work.
Smart: Who said I was grounded? It’s a dreadful thing to say! [Laughs] I used to say, especially when my kids were younger, “I think of myself as a housewife with a really weird job.” But I know certainly that’s naive to say that in a way, I know that the outside world, as we put it, the civilian world, they look at our job as being very exciting and sometimes, God knows it is. But I think we have kids and a house and that keeps you grounded.
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What is the plot of ‘Hacks’ season 4?
In season 4, tensions rise as Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) endeavor to get their late night show off the ground and make history doing it.
Nathan Fillion will appear in HBO/DC series ‘Lanterns.’
This new series adapts the ‘Green Lantern’ DC Comics in grounded fashion.
The show stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler.
While the mantra all through the development phase for the new HBO/DC Studios series ‘Lanterns’ –– which adapts the Green Lantern comic books –– has been a grounded take on the powerful superheroes, it would seem it’s not above a slightly more colorful character (pun intended).
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And it’s also crossing over with another project in James Gunn’s ever-expanding superhero universe, the one that Warner Bros. is hoping will make its comic book-birthed movie slate work –– ‘Superman.’
No, we’re not likely to see David Corenswet’s Man of Steel touch down during the show, but Nathan Fillion will show up.
Fillion, in case you hadn’t heard, will be playing Guy Gardner, a fellow Lantern to Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, in ‘Superman,’ which flies into theaters on July 11th.
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Our eyebrows, we must admit, are raised, because the look of Fillion’s character in the movie doesn’t necessarily line up with the more down-to-Earth look of the show so far (we got our first glimpse of that recently). His is a more comical appearance, with a savage bowl cut and an arrogant attitude.
Yet we haven’t seen him in action yet, so who knows exactly how he’ll work on the small screen. And if we’re honest, it’s always entertaining to see Fillion show up.
What’s the story of ‘Green Lantern’ in comics form?
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics.
Created in its first incarnation (a Lantern named Alan Scott) in 1940 by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, the concept of the ‘Green Lantern’ comics is that of a super-powered, police force, battling evil doers with rings that allow them to channel energy into different forms. There are many Lanterns, who patrol the known and unknown universe.
‘Green Lantern’s history on screen has been seriously mixed. Though different takes on the character have flourished in animated movies and series, their live-action counterparts have had less luck. Ryan Reynolds played the Hal Jordan version in a 2011 movie that didn’t triumph at the box office, and there have been fleeting glimpses on the small screen.
Even Zack Snyder didn’t manage to realize his chosen Lantern –– John Stewart –– in his mammoth Snyder Cut of ‘Justice League’. Despite shooting a cameo with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart, Warners asked him to remove the character because of the studio’s own plans. In the end, Snyder swapped in Martian Manhunter.
And the show had been in development before Gunn and Safran made their big DC Studios announcement. Back in 2020, ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith hopped aboard to write and run what HBO Max (as the streaming service was then called) was picturing its most expensive series to date, a space-set ‘Green Lantern’ drama whose focus would be the Alan Scott and Guy Gardner iterations of the character among the first and most popular versions.
(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.
‘Lanterns’ will follow the Hal Jordan (Chandler) and John Stewart (Pierre) characters, as new recruit Stewart and Lantern legend Jordan are described in the latest official synopsis as “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
Here’s Chris Mundy, executive producer and showrunner on the tone for the show:
“From the start, our driving force has been to deliver a layered drama –– rooted in nuanced storytelling and rich world building –– that balances tension and mystery with honest, authentic emotion. The goal is to create something that feels timeless and grounded without sacrificing the magic of the source material.”
But there will be some powerful antagonism involved, as Ulrich Thomsen is playing Sinestro a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet charming.
His manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan. The character was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and first appeared in the comic book “Green Lantern, Volume 2, #56” released in 1961.
In breaking news, Deadline brings word that Chris Coy is also part of the ensemble.
In a guest starring role, Coy will be the new character of ‘Waylon Sanders,’ an intelligent survivor… or a nervous truck driver. Age and real name unknown, he’s unbound by the laws of nature.
Who is working on ‘Lanterns’?
James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mundy, whose resume includes stints on Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ and HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’, is running the new series, working alongside ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and DC comics writer Tom King (whose ‘Supergirl’ comic is the basis for the new movie featuring the character).
Since they oversee the whole DC Studios arm, filmmaker Gunn and producer Peter Safran are executive producers alongside Ron Schmidt.
Where else have we seen Nathan Fillion?
Nathan Fillion in ‘Castle’. Photo: ABC.
Where haven’t we! Aside from his regular gig on ABC series ‘The Rookie’ and his previous long-running show ‘Castle,’ he’s a genre favourite who has cropped up in a variety of shows and movies.
