Deborah Vance is back and not going down without a fight! The final season of Hacks premiered with the embattled comedian ready to reclaim the narrative of her legacy after being hit with a non-compete clause and a death hoax. She might not be able to perform or continue her career on her own terms, but that doesn't mean she isn't willing to find a loophole.
In Hacks season 5 episode 1, Deborah and Ava concoct a secret plan to leak a video from Deborah's secret underground comeback performance. She had planned to pursue EGOT status, which would elevate her legacy in a way no one could take away, but she realized that she needed to perform as a comedian. By leaking the video, she ended up in court with media attention to reveal her next move.
Now that she's focused on landing a comeback performance at Madison Square Garden, a prestigious venue that few comedians have sold out, Hacks season 5 has its driving force. The second episode of the season welcomes a number of unexpected guest stars as Deborah heads to a convention, and Ava's birthday party holds a special surprise cameo, too!
Jesse McCartney performs Beautiful Soul in Hacks season 5 episode 2
When Ava realizes that her extensive plan to lock down a date at Madison Square Garden interfere with Ava's birthday, she seemingly feels guilty. She tells Ava that she can take the day off, but Ava insists that she doesn't care about her birthday and doesn't mind joining the team's mission. Ava reminds Deborah about the comment she made in Singapore about having only one friend, and that makes Deborah's guilt about Ava's birthday worse.
After the team returns from the convention, Deborah throws Ava a surprise birthday party that includes Ava's mother Nina (Jane Adams) and an old friend from home that she's not really close to, who's played comedian and social media star Alyssa Limperis. In addition, Deborah landed Ava's childhood favorite pop star Jesse McCartney for an acoustic performance of his hit song "Beautiful Soul." McCartney's cameo was teased with his appearance at the season 5 premiere.
As it turns out, McCartney's appearance in season 5 was a long time coming. He was featured on a poster on Ava's bedroom wall in season 1, which was a decision from star Hannah Einbinder. She grew up as a fan of McCartney's music, like all millennials, and recently even shared that he was her childhood crush and sang "Beautiful Soul" in an interview with Jean Smart. Isn't Ava lucky to have Jesse McCartney serenade her at her 30th birthday party?
Hacks season 5 episode 2 also featured cameo appearances from Punky Brewster and Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Soleil Moon Frye, who's only briefly show and doesn't have any lines in the episode. Frye appears during the convention sequence, which also features appearances from actor Billy Baldwin and Xena: Warrior Princess star Renee O'Connor. Familiar faces in Deborah's fandom include comedian Guy Branum and Leanne star Hannah Pilkes.
The biggest guest role in Hacks season 5 episode 2 belongs to Alanna Ubach, who plays Amanda Weinberg, the talent booker for Madison Square Garden. She's vehement on not booking Deborah for a slot at the Garden, convinced that she wouldn't sell out, but she eventually relents when Deborah sends her Little Debbie fandom into action. Ubach previously appeared in shows and movies such as Legally Blonde, Euphoria, Coco, Venom: The Last Dance, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, and Ted.
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