I honestly don’t know what I am going to do without HBO Max’s Hacks…
The Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky & Paul W. Downs comedy series has not just become a perennial favorite of the Primetime Emmy season, but it has started conversations about how we consume comedy, how comedy evolves, and how we can learn from one another’s differences. Deborah Vance is a fictional character, of course, but I cannot be alone in feeling like she is a real icon. Even with so much of this fifth and final season surrounding the idea of legacy and going out on top, Hacks is like Deborah herself: a comedy series that rolls with the punches and embraces change in the most unexpected of ways.
When I hopped on the line with the creators of the Emmy-winning hit, we begin on a somewhat dour note when we discuss what it’s like to thread hiding Deborah’s illness without the audience catching on too quickly. As this season progresses, we do get little hints about what might happen, and some audience members were keen to pick up on the dialogue. Hacks never sits in anything too deeply without considering it, though. Even if some people might be shocked about how she confronts her own death, she never stews in it so we can see it–she takes action. Deborah’s style of action.
In Downs’ submitted episode for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, we get to see a real evolution in Jimmy’s relationship with Kayla. Just think about how they interacted in season one or two, and you will be impressed by their growing partnership. Kayla is always gonna Kayla, but she will always cover for him if he gets in a bind. It just might in Sassafrass gear–no shame here. Statsky, who directed the episode, talks about physical comedy touches that are rewarding to see upon your next rewatch.
Something that I noticed before this season kicked off is the poster. For the first time ever, Hacks allows Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels to stand side by side. For other seasons, Ava has been behind the comedy giant or she is put in precarious positions, but season five allows them to stand on equal ground and equal footing. I suspect that Deborah and Ava would be shocked by the versions of themselves from season one. By the end of season five, Deborah sees a little bit of Ava in her and Ave will, no doubt, see shades of Deborah in her reflection. It’s a testament to writing and directing (and performing) that honors a character’s perspective but allows them to grow.
Hacks is streaming now on HBO Max.
