‘Hacks’ Season 4 Review: The LA-Set Late Night Season Finds Deborah and Ava in a War of the Words [B+]

A good rivalry features two opponents so intent on causing damage to the others’ life that the only reasonable outcome would be for one of them to forfeit – or die, if it’s that serious. When Hacks finished its third season last year, the series set its audience up to believe a vicious battle between Deborah (Emmy winner Jean Smart) and Ava (Emmy nominee Hannah Einbinder) would ensue when the show returned. Now that season four is here, ten episodes under its belt, it once again pits the women against each other in hilarious – though sometimes expected – ways. The Max original comedy series is in great form as it barrels towards a fifth season, but offers slightly less panache on the narrative road more often traveled in pursuit of conflict. 

Ava has never understood her own feelings towards Deborah Vance, the comedian she once wrote for, who eventually turned into a trusted mentor for the young comedy writer. The two have certainly seen their odds played out, Deborah’s lifelong dedication to working alone finally broken by Ava’s presence. Coming into the fourth season, Deborah has now been given a chance to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming the host of a late night program, but her mentee blackmails her into receiving the Head Writer position for the show. The season starts where the last left off, the two women at each other’s throats. Last season ended with a fizzle that could have set fireworks off for the entire next installment, but the series isn’t dedicated enough in the feud to make the conflict ignite and often settles for lighter burns. 

With Ava holding over her head the knowledge that she slept with Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn, Scandal) the CEO of the conglomerate that owns her light night program, Deborah doesn’t have many around her that she trusts enough to keep in her entourage. Jean Smart is outstanding this season as Deborah attempts to live her dream with more obstacles in her way than if she was playing Mario Kart. Jimmy (co-creator Paul W. Downs) still represents both women, and Kayla (Meg Stalter) still drives him insane; Kayla is hilariously mood-dependent on Jimmy’s validation that she’s succeeding in her job while doing what he perceives to be the bare minimum – he’s right, of course, she’s doesn’t try too hard. Kayla hires an assistant, Randy (Robby Hoffman, also soon to be seen on FX’s Dying for Sex), who ends up doing double-duty and works for both of them while juggling Jimmy’s neuroticism and Kayla’s kookiness. Marcus (Emmy nominee Carl Clemons-Hopkins) is maneuvering Deborah’s business ventures for her, but with new opportunity on the horizon, sees himself drifting away from her. He barely appears this season in comparison to the first three, only showing up for a handful of episodes. She’s starting to lose the people around her, one way or another, and the season sees her reckoning with that as she pushes Ava further away. The only person certain to stay is Josefina (Rose Abdoo), her trusted maid that forces herself into situations, if for the gossip of it all, if nothing else. Abdoo manages to be funny with every line delivery, appearing and disappearing from scenes as quick as a quip can leave her mouth.

The tension is palpable and neither Deborah nor Ava do anything that would be conducive to cultivating a healthy work environment. The two act hilariously insane for most of the season, Deborah casually being referred to as someone who “once had someone removed from an organ transplant list.” Smart and Einbinder continue to have incredible chemistry, getting stronger as each season passes. Einbinder specifically stands out this season for her providing Ava with her typical neurotic charm and her hilariously expressive reactions. Writers for the show are hired, a room full of bright individuals who weren’t privy to the fact that their bosses are at war with each other when they were brought on and now find themselves unable to escape the escalating awkwardness that each day brings. The two women are assigned an HR chaperone, Stacy (Michaela Watkins, Casual) that monitors their interactions to prevent cruelty but manages to make every situation she enters unfathomably worse through sheer commitment to awkwardness. Watkins is incredibly cast here, her specific intonations perfect for Stacy’s pursuit of a healthy work environment against all odds. She shuffles into scenes with her hair windblown and tangled, always nagging the two but laying claim to the one of the funniest moments of the season that involves her excitement over possibly seeing Gucci Mane live.  The series has never found an issue with presenting funny dynamics, and having Stacy around heightens the comedy tenfold. Helen Hunt is back as Winnie, the network head trying to make the late show work and knows they only have one chance to do it. She’s stressed almost every time the camera finds her, always appearing at the most inopportune times for Deborah. When Deborah and Ava finally put their knives away, they immediately aim for and poke fun at Stacy for a reconciliation laugh. The season feels designed to bring the two women back together, so the relationship never feels as poisoned as would be necessary to cause a permanent rift between them. 

The only person more neutrally chaotic than Stacy is ‘Dance Mom’ (Emmy winner Julianne Nicholson), a TikTok star whose viral dance moves match her insanely high energy. She appears on the show in a segment that shows similarities to those seen on Jimmy Fallon (with Addison Rae), mostly appearing to do her dances then venture off stage. She’s a fun addition that doesn’t bring much to the comedic table, save a few jokes about her general insanity and otherwise chaotic persona. Her inclusion fizzles out eventually, however, the series seemingly losing place for her as the relationship between its leads mends. One of the better parts of the season is its roster of guest stars that appear, either on Deborah’s show or in supermarkets, each more outrageous than the last. Using Hollywood as a backdrop for bringing on celebrities only makes sense this far into a show that has never capitalized on that aspect like it could have (and does this season). Apple’s newest comedy, The Studio, is already passing the MAX original when it comes to guest stars, highlighting the use of celebrity that Hacks should have been doing since its first season. It feels like Hacks playing catch-up in season four for something another show is doing in its initial outing. 

The season shines brightest when it focuses on the damaged relationship between Deborah and Ava, less so with side characters it interjects into the narrative for funny moments. At the end of the premiere episode, the two stand cheek-to-cheek while doing a photoshoot, tensions high but a clear love existing between the two. They can’t stand to be around each other, but can they stand to be away from each other? The question doesn’t have long enough to linger through the episodes before it’s answered, the biggest shortcoming of the season being that the feud doesn’t last long enough to really mean anything. It exists for a time, but is mostly thrown away in favor of a story of a relationship redeemed. This isn’t a problem, usually, but the season was set up as a versus match between the two leads. It also doesn’t seem remotely concerned with actually showing Deborah’s show aside from parading its guest stars, but hopping into random segments for mere moments doesn’t bring truth to those moments, it robs them of authenticity by never feeling like a true late night program. A lack of showing her monologues, fascinating bits with guests other than Dance Mom, and any other time actually being spent on the show instead of the issues behind it make the moments feel less lived-in. For someone living their dream, we as the audience are only truly privy to the behind-the-scenes issues between her and Ava. By the time the ten episodes end, you’ll be questioning how you made it there. 

While Hacks is still one of the finest comedies airing, it’s beginning to suffer from a lack of focus. Deborah’s late-night gig seemed to be a new venture entirely for the narrative, but reduces to background as the episodes push on. Jean Smart is reliably great and the series is still funny as ever, the cracks are beginning to appear as seasons come and go. It’s a great show that seems a bit lost, hopefully able to find its way back on path for season four. Hacks is a series that might see its flame slightly dimming. 

Grade: B+

The ten-episode fourth season of Hacks debuts April 10 on Max with two episodes, then one episode a week for four weeks. Episodes seven and eight debut together on May 15, followed by episode nine on May 22. The season finale debuts on May 29.