Hacks just ended, but could a spinoff on some popular supporting characters be in the works? The showrunner chimed in!
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for the series finale of Hacks
After five seasons, the Emmy-winning HBO comedy closed out its run with an emotional episode. It began with Deborah (Jean Smart) on top of the world, having opened her own Vegas casino (called The Diva, of course) and was free to perform as she wanted. Meanwhile, Ava (Hannah Einbinder) was launching a reboot of Deborah’s old sitcom Who’s Making Dinner? With herself as showrunner and director.
It took a turn when Deborah revealed her cancer had returned. Not only was she not seeking treatment, but she also intended to fly to Europe for a clinic specializing in assisted suicide. Ava joined her on a side trip to Paris in hopes of talking Deborah out of it. Amid some fighting, touring, eating, and laughter, Deborah eventually agreed not to give up, and the final shot had her and Ava strolling through Las Vegas heading to The Diva.
As for the other characters, the story opened with Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) still stuck working in the mailroom at Latitude, putting up with co-workers' pranks. However, this gave Jimmy the opportunity to learn that Kayla’s (Megan Statler) dad, Michael (W. Earl Brown), was selling the voices and likenesses of deceased clients to AI companies without the family’s permission and pocketing the cash. Michael announced his retirement, figuring Jimmy and Kayla would crash and burn fast.
Instead, the final scenes showed them already making new deals with Randi (Robby Hoffman) to push the company. In a touching moment, Kayla turned down a corner office, as she’d rather be working next to Jimmy, like how they had started.
Discussing the finale with TV Insider, showrunners Lucia Aniello and Jen Stasky were asked if there’s a chance of a spinoff focusing on the Latitude group. Lucia said, “We would definitely be interested in exploring it. We would love nothing more. I don’t think it’s in the cards at the moment, but we love them.”
Stasky added, “Yeah, we love them. We’re happy that Jimmy and Kayla and Randi got what they deserve and where they’re at, and we love them, and who knows? Who knows in this life, right?”
A spinoff on Jimmy and Kayla could work, as the two had become regular scene-stealers on Hacks. Jimmy had become a true agent and power broker, and watching him win more respect from Hollywood would have been fodder for storylines. Likewise, seeing the always wild Kayla having to adjust to a leadership role would have been hilarious, with more focus on the eccentric Randi navigating this office setting.
Shows like The Studio and HBO’s too-short-lived The Franchise prove there’s plenty of humor in skewering Hollywood, and the show can have real stars cameo as themselves, getting involved in things. If either Deborah or Ava drops in for an appearance, so much the better, yet just Jimmy, Kayla, and Randi alone would be worth watching.
We don’t know if this will happen, as Hacks had a strong enough ending on its own. Yet the showrunners seem open to the idea of continuing it in some way, which would be a fine sequel to this beloved show.
Hacks is streaming on HBO Max.
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