We’re rounding the corner on the end of Hacks, and I’m unwell. I don’t want to acknowledge the finale’s existence yet, so here’s the breakdown of what we missed before then.
Mark Indelicato, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, & Jean Smart
Ep. 6: QuikScribbl
The Diva is undergoing renovations, and money is quickly evaporating. They need a lot of millions and a headliner for the residency to start selling tickets, or they aren’t going to make it. Deb (Jean Smart) can’t sacrifice her giant statue with the upskirt photo op and that tracks. But she does have the opportunity to get into an AI program and wants to meet with the main guy, but he wants Ava (Hannah Einbinder) there too…because he knows who he really needs to sell to… Meanwhile, Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Meagan Stalter) head out to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to scout an artist for residency. Shout-out to my home state for being featured! Not my home city, but I’ll take a KZoo reference any day!
Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder
“Art is only art because of the humanity behind it.”
Massive props to the show for tackling AI usage and giving Ava some serious bars on why it’s a problem and the fact that art AND artists will suffer because of it. In the end, Deb realizes this isn’t what she wants to be part of her legacy, nor does she want a comic in residence. That’s good because that Bruno guy (Sean Patton) definitely killed someone, and he needs to go deal with that.
Ep. 7: Montecito
Deb’s dreams are haunting her, most especially her sister Kathy (J. Smith Cameron). Naked, but looking good, Deb! But is she really? Ava has a run-in with a self-driving car, and when asking Deb to come get her, Deb’s suddenly playing shy and distant. Weird, and Ava catches the lie right away. The tension builds throughout the episode as Deb signs the girls up for a weekend getaway playing lesbians, all so she can clinch an old outfit for her final show.
Leslie Bibb & Cherry Jones
“I hate when we go to bed angry.”
Leslie Bibb and Cherry Jones are absolutely hilarious as the lesbian couple. Leslie is clearly coming onto Ava; meanwhile, bisexual Ava is happily playing the game, and straight Deb is struggling. Eventually, Deb comes clean with the lesbians and Ava. She gets the outfit and tells Ava she was getting a mass removed. She tells Ava not to worry, but I don’t know, Deb. Have you met Ava? Worrying is kind of her thing.
Katya Zamolodchikova
Ep. 8: The Cube
Deb’s show is rapidly approaching, and Deb’s scrambling to find ways to promote it where she’s not shooting the material. Drag Deb is honestly pretty damn good. But the two queens fighting isn’t. Jimmy and Kayla get ousted from their office after Daddy Dearest (W. Earl Brown) rebukes Kayla’s trust fund. Ouch. Working out of Jimmy’s place certainly isn’t ideal, especially when coworkers show up, and you’re still in jammies. Jimmy’s shock over Kayla being at work early killed me.
Jean Smart
“I’ve been trying so hard to not seem crazy.”
Deb’s gotta figure out promoting this show and decides when in Vegas, do Vegas things! Which, in this instance, is taking part in a magic show as the “special chosen participant,” like you didn’t orchestrate the whole damn thing. But commonly lately, some areas have had blackouts, and unsurprisingly, Vegas goes dark while Deb’s up in the air. But that girl’s got a will and a way and phone to make it happen. Gotta respect the work ethic. Yeah, she might seem crazy, but as Ava points out, it’s cool to be crazy about what you care about. And I love that so much. She sells out MSG in 10 minutes, but her team is back to the drawing board, or rather, the mail room, as Jimmy and Kayla return to Latitude under sad circumstances. Jimmy believes in doing the best for his clients, even if it isn’t for himself, and I respect the hell out of that.
Jean Smart & Christopher McDonald
Ep. 9: The Garden
It’s about to be a curtain call! It’s the final week leading up to the biggest thing Deb will ever do: Madison Square Garden. Deb’s going all out. Voice training, body training, getting organized, but her brain is in overdrive, so she can’t sleep. But she knows what helps… When a man has his own plane, damn right you call him for a booty call! Make his ass work for it! But in reality, it’s more than that. Marty’s always been supportive of her. He’s a friend past the lover stuff, and that’s what she needs right now. Reassurance from her friend, and he steps up in a big way after being fired. He’s literally exactly what she needs for her business and her mental health. I love that they gave Marty a happy ending. After getting left at the altar and everything we’ve seen him go through, it’s nice seeing him land at the Diva on his feet. Meanwhile, Ava and Jimmy go to pitch her show reboot, and even though they were told it would be bought sight-unseen, that turns out not to be true. If Ava wants a show, she’s gotta spin something fast.
Jean Smart & Tony Goldwyn
“Fuck your NDA and fuck you.”
It’s time. It’s the show of her life in front of a sold-out arena at Madison Square Garden, so why isn’t it all sunshine and rainbows? Ah, yes, Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn) bought all the tickets. See, ticket sales, this is how you DON’T do it! You need a ticket cap to keep the scalpers and/or DOUCHE CANOES from buying everything up. He tells her he’ll play nice, and she tells him to fucking shove it. She’ll do it on her own like she always has. Fucking Queen. I would follow this woman to hell and back just to make a man cry.
She arranges to hold her show for free in Central Park. It’s not about the money anymore. This is truly about a woman being silenced, and she’s fucking done playing nice. People show up in droves for her, over social media and on the street. Her team is slinging flyers, and at the end of the day, that field is filled with thirty thousand people who want to see her. The park is full, and so are our hearts. Oh, and Ava does come up with something new. The Network doesn’t want a reboot about a bunch of Gen Z living together, but they will watch one Gen Z live with a Boomer, and as someone who’s watched that for the last 5 years, I can tell you it would sell.
The finale is all that remains, and I’m not ready to say goodbye to this gang. I’ve fallen in love with this duo and watching them hit me in the feels for 5 years. They’ve grown so much individually and together, and I’ve gotten to grow with them. I’m just not ready to say goodbye to my friends. Please don’t leave me.
