SPOILER: The following column contains potential spoilers for “Hacks” season four.
There are very few shows that make me laugh out loud. “Hacks” is one of them. Sharp, witty and never too early to hit a punchline, the show, now in its fourth season, has not lost its edge.
"Hacks" follows the careers of millennial TV writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). In the first season, Ava was fired from her writing job for a distasteful joke and Deborah had lost her Las Vegas residency, newly facing the realities of being an aging woman in comedy. The two become an unlikely duo and that's where the magic begins. Deborah to her core adores Ava, but this is something she would never admit.
Hacks is a very special show. In a time where many shows seem afraid to show real women, Hacks leans into the messy. Women in this show are allowed to be a little unhinged, vulnerable and vindictive. Smart continues to win awards year after year for a reason. The character is just that good.
Flash forward to its latest season, the duo is at odds with each other. In the earlier seasons, we discover that Deborah had landed — and soon enough lost — a position hosting a late-night show in the 1970s. After getting into some drama, her big moment had been canceled. Now in the year 2025, after seasons of hard work, she's back in her late-night slot.
In this renaissance, everything must be almost excruciatingly perfect. So, when her main collaborator Ava wants the role of head writer, Vance agrees and then quickly changes her mind, handing it to an older, more experienced writer who also happens to be a man. The betrayal at the end of the last season shocked the audience, but what shocked us more is what happened next.
Ava, in her time with Deborah, had acquired a piece of information that if it was made public, would ruin her reputation and have her show cancelled. In the last season, Deborah had a one-episode affair with the head of the network and soon after was given the late-night slot. Ava threatens to reveal this truth if Deborah does not keep her promise, thus leading us into an icy season.
In this moment, Ava’s explanation is simple, asking Deborah “Wouldn’t you?” Vance is notoriously willing to do anything to get ahead and, in this moment, Ava has become Deborah.
The fourth season begins with both women in their dream positions in life, yet the two are miserable. Deborah promises to make Ava’s life a living nightmare — the two are a walking HR violation. They constantly bicker, pull pranks on one another and despite having a show that is about to air for the first time, they are not focused. The pranks are also absolutely insane. For example, Deborah sends an anonymous tip to the network that Ava has been using drugs at work, sending security to hand her a cup to pee in. Ava gives it right back to her, getting cattier by the minute with insults that cut.
Their unlikely collaboration is what people want to see, landing them a cover feature with the New York Times and forcing the two to play nice with each other. The duo is exactly the right kind of PR for the show they’re trying to launch. It’s a picture of two powerful women in comedy and they absolutely hate it.
Caught in the crossfire is their frazzled manager, Jimmy, who is forced to mediate the chaos. Perpetually putting the fires out, Jimmy needs to take a vacation.
Even with all of the cattiness, viewers root for the pair to reignite their friendship. Episode 4 changed everything.
Episode 4 titled “I Love LA” aired April 24 and marked a turning point in the women’s stories. During dress rehearsal for Deborah’s opening episode, she has a panic attack during her monologue. As she states, this has never happened to her before, so she quickly assumed she was in the midst of a heart attack. Throughout the episode we hear her heart quickly beating, tuning audiences into her unraveling mental state.
For the viewers, it’s clear. The pressure she has placed on herself has become unbearable. When she goes to the doctor, she sees Carol Burnett, a comedy legend and pioneer for women in entertainment. Burnett gives Deborah advice on stage fright saying, “I would pick one person in the audience, and I would do the show just for them.”
When it was time to do the show, Deborah looked into the audience after feeling stage fright and focused on Ava. In that moment, the crowd went away, and it was just Ava laughing along to each beat. After that, the show went without a hitch. It was a beautiful moment and reminder of the power of the duo.
This moment was one of quiet beauty. It makes you think of your own relationships. In a moment of stress, who do you do it for?
Watching this season of "Hacks" reminds me of why I fell in love with the show to begin with. No relationship is perfect. Like in our everyday lives, stories are messy and sometimes heartbreaking. Ava and Deborah, although opposites, mirror each other. They are both relentlessly stubborn and witty. Hacks in its fourth season is the reminder that success is nothing if you do not have someone to share it with. When Deborah focused on Ava, it was the payoff that the pair deserved.
I can’t wait to see where the two will go in the rest of the season. Regardless of the outcome, I’ll be sat every Thursday laughing out loud of course.
