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There\u2019s so much to love about \u201cHacks.\u201d For me, it\u2019s been one of the most consistent comedies in recent TV history. It found new ways to make me laugh every season, and it entered the TV landscape at the perfect time. The show premiered about a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and has, for the most part, returned every spring right on time. I love how it explored the generational divide between Deborah and Ava through their humor. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder quickly made us fall in love with their characters and the world they created in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It\u2019s the kind of show that seemed to know exactly what it wanted to do from the very beginning, and that\u2019s due to its incredible creators, Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. I\u2019ll miss it dearly. \u2014 Erin<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
I was initially late to the \u201cHacks\u201d bandwagon, and that may be one of my few regrets in life. Very few comedies that I\u2019ve seen on TV have been consistently witty, hilarious, heartfelt and truly fantastic from the very start, quite like \u201cHacks.\u201d Much of that I also credit to creators Downs, Aniello and Statsky, but especially leading ladies Smart and Einbinder. The dynamic between those two and their characters has been a rollercoaster ride since Season 1, but their epic journey from enemies to frenemies to dear old pals is what kept viewers coming back for more. But aside from that, the show\u2019s premise is also unlike anything currently on television. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Since the very beginning, we\u2019ve watched this interesting mentorship story between a comedy legend and an up-and-coming comedy writer blossom into a beautiful friendship. In a Hollywood industry where women are often tested on whether they can \u201chack it,\u201d these two find a way to do it together and blaze an incredible trail along the way. I\u2019m not sure what will be able to fill the gap that \u201cHacks\u201d leaves in its absence, but you can bet this show will never be forgotten. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Jean Smart\u2019s Comedic Genius<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nJean Smart in the final season of \u201cHacks.\u201d Smart\u2019s portrayal of Deborah Vance is equal parts brilliant and hysterical, and just as commanding even when the comedy diva isn\u2019t onstage delivering quippy punchlines.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Year after year, I never understood why Jean Smart always cleaned up at the Emmys for \u201cHacks\u201d until I finally tuned into the show. Her portrayal of Deborah Vance is equal parts brilliant and hysterical, and just as commanding even when the comedy diva isn\u2019t onstage delivering quippy punchlines. Oftentimes, it doesn\u2019t even feel like I\u2019m watching Smart play this larger-than-life character because it\u2019s as if she just disappears into the role. I can\u2019t imagine who else could play Deborah as well as her, let alone make her as funny. Some say comedy is a young person\u2019s game, but 74-year-old Smart has laid that theory to rest with every scene and joke she nails. No wonder the creators always thought she was the perfect person for the job. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Smart has swept the Emmys\u2019 lead actress in a comedic role every season that \u201cHacks\u201d was eligible. (In 2023, Quinta Brunson nabbed the award when Smart wasn\u2019t nominated because the show hadn\u2019t aired that eligibility season). And rightfully so, I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll win again in September. She\u2019s a comedic genius and is a TV veteran; I could not have imagined another actor portraying Deborah Vance. It\u2019s been lovely to see how Einbinder has really come into her own as Smart\u2019s scene partner. I\u2019ve seen Smart in several roles \u2014 funnily enough, her role in \u201cA Very Brady Sequel\u201d was going viral this week \u2014 and she embodies her characters so fully and authentically, and it was so nice to see her back in a lead role in \u201cHacks.\u201d \u2014 Erin<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Characters We Fell In Love With<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nMegan Stalter, left, and Paul W. Downs, right, in \u201cHacks.\u201d The always-stressed Jimmy (Downs) is also a favorite because he has his occasional funny moments.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n
\u201cHacks\u201d is one of those shows that doesn\u2019t just have to lean on its talented leads to succeed. The comedy boasts an ensemble cast full of ridiculously hilarious characters that are easily among the most memorable on TV. At the top of that list, for me, is definitely Megan Stalter\u2019s Kayla, Jimmy\u2019s inappropriate assistant, who you can\u2019t help but love for all the insane things she says at the most inopportune times. The always-stressed Jimmy (Downs) is also one of my favorites because he has his occasional funny moments \u2014 like the one episode in Season 5, when he has to wear that pink Hannah Montana-esque outfit from Sassafras after he and Kayla burned their clothes because of the bedbug incident. But aside from Deborah and Ava, my absolute favorite character on \u201cHacks\u201d right now has to be Randi the assistant, played by Robby Hoffman. Doesn\u2019t matter what scene she\u2019s in or what she\u2019s saying, I always die laughing. That\u2019s probably why she earned an Emmy nomination for the guest role last year. Definitely going to miss seeing her on this show. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
I also loved the Mayor Jo character, portrayed by Lauren Weedman. She was so hilarious in every second of her screen time. On the flip side, I really appreciated Carl Clemons-Hopkins and how he often grounded the series with his portrayal of Marcus, Deborah\u2019s right-hand man. There were times when the show needed more of him, especially in Season 4. So it was good to see his character have a little more presence this season. Oh! And I can\u2019t forget about Mark Indelicato, who portrays Damien, for his funny moments that often broke the tension in the series. \u2014 Erin<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Deborah And Ava\u2019s Friendship Is The Heart Of The Show<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nJean Smart, left, and Hannah Einbinder, right, in \u201cHacks.\u201d Ava and Deborah have had their ups and downs throughout the show that, at one point, seemed almost too hard to come back from. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Again, \u201cHacks\u201d knew exactly what they were doing by building the show around Deborah and Ava\u2019s friendship. Of course, it took a while to establish the bond itself, seeing as the two hated everything about each other from the moment they met. It\u2019s funny, I went back and watched the first few episodes of \u201cHacks\u201d just to see how far they came, and it really makes the end of the show that much more bittersweet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Ava and Deborah have had their ups and downs throughout the show that, at one point, seemed almost too hard to come back from. Season 4\u2019s feud, once they finally got to late-night, was especially hard to watch. But the moment Deborah stood up for Ava and refused to fire her as head writer, essentially torching her lifelong dream in the process, was when we finally found out how much they really meant to each other. That could\u2019ve been the end of \u201cHacks\u201d right there, but seeing them fight for Deborah\u2019s legacy once again in this fifth and final season is further proof that this show is fully centered on the journey of their relationship. Professional, platonic and even romantic, we\u2019ve seen all sides of Deborah and Ava\u2019s connection that make you appreciate \u201cHacks\u201d as more than just a comedy, but a second-chance love story, too. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
All The Great Comedic Guest Stars<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nMegan Stalter, left, and Julianne Nicholson, right, in \u201cHacks.\u201d Nicholson won an Emmy for her role as \u201cDance Mom.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n
I just loved to see all the guest stars who rolled through the show over the last five seasons. We got the iconic Carol Burnett, Rosie O\u2019Donnell, Cherry Jones, Seth Rogen, Kristen Bell, Jimmy Kimmel and so many more. Comedian Luenell had a recurring role on the show, and she was consistently funny with her little one-liners. Also, fun fact: Angela E. Gibbs, who portrays Marcus\u2019 mom, is the daughter of another legendary comedic actor: Marla Gibbs of \u201cThe Jeffersons\u201d and \u201c227.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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I have to throw Julianne Nicholson as the hilarious \u201cDance Mom\u201d in there, too. She ended up winning an Emmy for that guest role last year, deservedly so. Funny folks like Luenell, George Wallace, Mario Cantone and more also made appearances on the show throughout the years. And who could forget \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d star Christopher Briney playing Deborah\u2019s young fling this season? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHacks\u201d always had a knack for getting good guest stars on the show. Another thing that\u2019ll be sorely missed. \u2014 Njera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Yes! I loved Nicholson\u2019s character \u201cDance Mom,\u201d too. That role showed me a whole other side of the actor and so that was really fun to see \u2014 especially knowing she can play someone so menacing like her role on Hulu\u2019s \u201cParadise.\u201d When she gets \u201cboofed\u201d by Jimmy in that one episode, I crack up every time. \u2014 Erin<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Final Episode<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nJean Smart, left, and Hannah Einbinder, right, in \u201cHacks.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n
I watched the finale twice. The first time, I was just devastated by it. The second time around, I found it so funny and touching, and it made me really happy that the \u201cHacks\u201d writers closed the series in such a deliberate way. \u201cI may not have 30 years. But I think I have another hour.\u201d Seeing Ava and Deborah plot to tell the funniest jokes one last time was just perfect. \u2014 <\/span>Erin<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
I couldn\u2019t stop the tears from falling when I watched the finale. I knew it would be emotional, but I was so not prepared for Deborah and Ava to have a potential parting of ways like <\/span>that<\/span><\/em>, especially after everything they\u2019ve been through this season to finally have Deborah perform again. But I love that the writers indulged us in this final episode and made it all about Deborah and Ava, following them on their trip to Paris as they prepare to say goodbye. They almost had me until that final scene at the train station. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cThe worst part about dying is I can\u2019t even enjoy being bone-thin. That\u2019s the better joke!\u201d Deborah tells Ava as she stops her in her tracks. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
I thought that was such a clever callback to the very first episode of \u201cHacks,\u201d when an excited Deborah almost ran Ava off the road in her driveway to suggest a better punchline to the joke that got the latter fired from her TV writing job and landed her on Deborah\u2019s doorstep.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Ending \u201cHacks\u201d with the thing that brought Deborah and Ava together in the first place was the cherry on top of this series finale. In the least cheesy way possible, the HBO Max series gave everyone the happily ever after they deserve. Jimmy and Kayla are now running the management company that tried to put them out of business, and Deborah and Ava are still workshopping jokes for their next special. We can only imagine how life goes on for these characters from here, but this feels like a fitting place to stop this heartwarming story. In a season all about legacy, what a great way to remember this irreplaceable comedy. \u2014 <\/span>Njera<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cHacks\u201d is streaming on HBO Max.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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