Ready for a new season of Hacks? Here's when to watch new episodes

The ever constant up and down working relationship between Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels is honestly one of the best parts about Hacks on Max. It's comedic, but the added flair of drama certainly makes for an intriguing watch. That's why it's definitely no surprise that Hacks season 3 is so highly anticipated! Thankfully, we don't have to wait much longer.

How to watch every episode of Hacks season 3

Hacks season 3 premieres Thursday, May 2, 2024 with the first two episodes at 12:01 a.m. PT on Max. Going forward after that, we're going to keep getting two new installments weekly. The 9-episode season comes to an end on Thursday, May 30. On finale day, only one episode will be released. We shared the full episode release schedule and time to help you keep track below:

• Episode 1, "Just For Laughs" - May 2
• Episode 2, "Better Late" - May 2
• Episode 3, "The Roast of Deborah Vance" - May 9
• Episode 4, "Join the Club" - May 9
• Episode 5 - May 16
• Episode 6 - May 16
• Episode 7 - May 23
• Episode 8 - May 23
• Episode 9 - May 30

Release time by time zone

• Pacific: 12:01 a.m. PT
• Eastern: 3:01 a.m. ET
• Central: 2:01 a.m. CT
• Mountain: 1:01 a.m. MT

Each season, Hacks has a different episode count. In the comedy-drama's inaugural installment, it was a total of 10 episodes. Then in season 2, we only had eight. This time around, the show went in the middle! I like that it's actually not the same each season and here's why. Depending on the story arc, sometimes you need more or less time to tell it efficiently. And I'd rather have that than the tale being drawn out.

Whether you've heard great things about the series and want to give it a try or you're ready for a rewatch ahead of Hacks season 3, then you'll want to head on over to Max to catch up! If you don't have a subscription to the platform, no worries! It's easy peasy.

The streamer has three plans to choose from: With Ads ($9.99/month), Ad-Free ($15.99/month), and Ultimate Ad-Free ($19.99/month). The main difference between the last two options is that you can stream on two devices at a time and have 30 downloads with Ad-Free versus watching on four devices at a time and 100 downloads with Ultimate Ad-Free.

You can watch on Max by following these steps:

• Visit the Max sign up page
• Select With Ads, Ad-Free, or Ultimate Ad-Free
• Create an account with an email and password
• Enter your chosen payment method
• Login to stream!

Season 2 finale recap and what comes next

Of course it wouldn't be Hacks without our two lovely leading ladies! Jean Smart as Deborah and Hannah Einbinder as Ava will be back in the third season. Also returning are Paul W. Downs as Jimmy, Megan Stalter as Kayla, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus, Kaitlin Olson as Deborah "DJ" Vance Jr., Christopher McDonald as Marty, Mark Indelicato as Damien, Rose Abdoo as Josefina, and Lorenza Izzo as Ruby.

There's also a number of new cast members joining the roster as guest stars: Helen Hunt, Christina Hendricks, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Bucatinsky, George Wallace, and Tony Goldwyn. The creators and showrunners of the dramedy are Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky. Downs and Aniello also serve as executive producers alongside Michael Schur and Morgan Sackett.

So what's coming up next for the characters and the story? Max is staying pretty hush hush about the upcoming 30-ish minute episodes. Though thanks to the logline and trailer provided, we still have an idea of what to expect. Below we shared both:

"A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles."

Though the season 2 finale ended with the two gals going their own ways, I'm happy to see that Ava and Deborah will indeed be back working together once again! Even if there is a time jump of one year later, onscreen I think we're going to get back into seeing them both together pretty quick. And that's what we like to see! Plus Queen Deborah is still riding out her succes. Yes! I wonder what brings Ava back to working with Deborah. We'll find out soon enough!

Refresher: What happened by the end of season 2

The Hacks season 2 finale had a lot going on for each of the characters, especially Deborah and Ava. We had a feeling that there was a past between the comedian and Marty, though that's confirmed in this episode when Deborah and Marcus are talking about the diamond ring he'd given her before. Marty might be getting married, but will he go through with it? Are he and Deborah endgame?

On the working front, Ava gets a call from Taylor offering a job on a television pilot. This is what Ava has always dreamed of! Though it conflicts with the shooting schedule of Deborah's comedy special, the seasoned comedian tells her writer to go off and not to miss this opportunity. Ava listens, but does cut her L.A. job short to surprise Deborah at the taping. Janet Stone is going around trying to poach clients, including our favorite superstar. But Deborah is loyal to Jimmy, and tells Janet so. There was also a wonderful and sweet moment between DJ and her mother that was a true highlight of the episode.

Finally, the time that Deborah's been waiting for has come! She sold copies of her special, titled My Bad, to QVC and it sold out within minutes. This leads to a bidding war between all the networks to own the rights to her special. Wohoo, go Deborah! This also puts more attention on Ava now, which Deborah sees and she knows what she needs to do. It's to let Ava go to explore bigger opportunities. Ava is heartbroken by being "fired," but is off on her way.

The finale ends with Jimmy calling her in Los Angeles, announcing the good news that her series got picked up and she's offered a job. And, Deborah has dropped the lawsuit against her when Ava broke her NDA and sent a negative email to Deborah's production team. In a bittersweet final moment, Ava walks out to her balcony and the shot turns to her television which has Deborah's special on.

Stay tuned to Show Snob as we bring you updates about Hacks season 3 on Max, premiering Thursday, May 2!