This post contains spoilers from Hacks season 4 episodes 1 and 2 from this point forward.
When we needed them most, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) are back in a new season of Hacks to deliver the powerful hilarity we crave. Max dropped the first two episodes of Hacks season 4 on Thursday, April 10, and the reigning Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Comedy Series is firing on all cylinders with some of its most challenging storytelling.
Last season on Hacks, the finale ended with a dramatic fireworks explosion as frequent frenemies Deborah and Ava became embattled in their worst fight ever. After Deborah offered Ava the role of head writer on her new late night show, she walked back on Ava's offer. Feeling hurt, Ava secures herself the position anyway by blackmailing Deborah with her affair with Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn).
Hacks season 4 picks up directly in the middle of the aftershocks of their civil war, but it's only getting worse from there. Deborah and Ava have fought and bickered in the past, though nothing quite this serious. It's always hard when a show known for its central duo and their bond creates a fracture between those characters. Gilmore Girls fans know that struggle all too well.
Even though Deborah and Ava constantly being at each other's throats can start to wear thin and make you yearn for the episodes where they were finally getting along, season 4 has so far managed to find a nice balance between their ugly fights and that good old fashioned Hacks levity. Let's take a closer look at the first two episodes of the season so far and episode 2's ending twist!
Hacks season 4 episode 1 recap
In Hacks season 4 episode 1, "Big, Brave Girl," Deborah confronts Ava moments after the blackmail moment from the season 3 finale, and it's admittedly chilling. Ava got what she wanted, but at what cost? Well, at the cost of her sanity. Deborah begins pulling a series of pranks trying to get Ava fired, including sending a pair of panties to the boss and forcing Ava to take a drug test. Openly feuding in the workplace training doesn't help either.
Deborah refuses the jokes Ava prepared for her press conference, leaving Deborah to her own devices and bombing in front of the press. The bad day gets worse for Deborah when Marcus finally tells her that he had to sell her product line to QVC since her previous endorsement deals are prohibited under her late night show contract. Deborah's furious that Marcus did this behind her back, but she's secretly upset that he's leaving her company.
During Bob's party, Deborah and Bob share an awkward moment where he makes sure what happened between them never happened. Deborah spots Ava at the party, still in her casual work clothes and talking to Bob's wife. Too close for comfort! Deborah presses her nails into Ava's arm and tells her to leave, but Ava threatens to send an email to her friend at The New Yorker exposing the affair. Jimmy has to throw water on the fire of their public fight, which later continues when Deborah and Ava share the cover of The New York Times Magazine.
They address the situation between them during their photoshoot and Deborah admits that Ava broke her heart. "Well, you broke my heart," Ava retorts. To close out the episode, Deborah expresses her hope for the show's success for many years and says she will never speak to Ava when it ends. Ava says, "Good," but deep, deep, deep down, neither mean it. These are the scenes that hit like a punch to the gut but are so good thanks to Smart and Einbinder's sharp performances.
Hacks season 4 episode 2 recap
In Hacks season 4 episode 2, "Cover Girls," Deborah's awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of coyotes howling in her neighborhood. By morning, she's agonizing over her cover story with Ava, who discovers Deborah has hired her psychic as a consulting producer. When Ava asks about the psychic while also delivering writer resumes, Deborah refuses to look at the writers Ava picked out. Another fight! Can't we just get along?!
Meanwhile, Jimmy's struggling to run his office with Kayla, who decides she wants to represent children and animals. Eventually, Kayla hires an assistant Randy (Robby Hoffman) who turns out to be exactly what they needed. But Jimmy's stress continues as he becomes caught in the middle of Deborah and Ava's mess as both of their managers. However, Kayla scores a win by finding Ava an apartment located in a mall.
After Deborah initially refuses the contract Marcus scored, she later has an honest conversation with him and agrees with everything. She just hates to lose him. At work, Deborah and Ava's constant fighting has gotten in the way of actually prepping the show by hiring writers and beginning the writing process. They can't agree on anything, like hiring the pregnant writer Ava wanted (who ultimately turned the show down), resulting in another public argument
They get a stern talking to from Winnie (Helen Hunt), which is the wake up call they needed to stop running into walls with each other and actually get some work done. Winnie demands a hit because this is their only shot. When they leave, Deborah hugs Ava because they're on Winnie's security cameras. Ava initially thought it was genuine. Deborah solves her coyote problem with bear urine and her Ava problem by whisking her and their newly hired writers (some Ava's pick, some Deborah's) away to... Las Vegas?! Uh-oh, this could backfire.
Watch Hacks season 4 on Thursdays at 9/8c on Max.