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.
(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.
(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.
