It's been less than a month since The Summer I Turned Pretty came to an end with its surprising and much discussed series finale. Belly made her final decision between Conrad and Jeremiah, and even though we thought the story would end there, the cast will reunite for a movie that will officially bring the story to an end. But we don't have to wait long for our next glimpse at the cast.
Following the conclusion of The Summer I Turned Pretty, the main cast members have started to take on their next roles. Lola Tung will appear in the horror film Forbidden Fruits next year and will also star in Osgood Perkins' new movie The Young People. Gavin Casalengo will star in the movie The Devil's Mouth, and we just found out where we can watch Christopher Briney next.
HBO Max announced with an Instagram post that Briney has joined the cast of Hacks season 5. While details about his character, such as his name and exactly who he is, haven't been revealed just yet, but the photo that the streamer released from the set of the show's fifth (and possibly final) season sure do get our minds working on some theories. Is Briney's character romancing Deborah Vance?!
Christopher Briney joins Hacks season 5 in first-look photo with tattoos and Jean Smart
In the photo below, Briney's seen wearing what looks like a silk shirt that's very unbuttoned and revealing (fake) tattoos of birds and flowers on his chest. With his tousled hair and edgy look, Briney could definitely be playing a rock star in the vein of Harry Styles or movie star like Timothée Chalamet or Paul Mescal. It's obvious that he's playing some sort of young, famous heartthrob.
But the most interesting part of the photo is that he has his arm around Smart's waist, and she's tucked into his chest, too. They are smiling ear to ear, making this encounter look a lot like a date. The Deux Moi-esque "anon pls" caption definitely hints at some sort of relationship gossip. Has Deborah Vance landed herself a much younger celebrity as a love interest in season 5? That would be very in-character for Deborah, especially since she's looking to revive her image this season.
In the Hacks season 4 finale, a death hoax went viral, with the world believing that Deborah has died when her obituary gets publishing by a tabloid website. She's energized to get her career back on track after a series of professional blows, including the dismantling of her late-night talk show and her loophole residency in Singapore. Deborah isn't above an age-gap PR relationship to get attention, and that's exactly why we love her. Not to mention, it's rife for hilarity.
However, this is merely a prediction for Briney's character based on the image that HBO Max released. Perhaps they're dating for real or they're not dating at all. We'll have to wait and see! Hacks season 5 began production shortly after Smart won her fourth consecutive Emmy for her expert performance in the series and Hannah Einbinder won her first.
There have been conflicting reports about whether Hacks season 5 will be the final season. Einbinder shared on the Emmys red carpet that this would be their last season, but the HBO boss refuted her claim and suggested that the creators haven't decided about whether they're ending the show. Whether it's the end or not, we can look forward to Briney playing a very unexpected character.