Imagine my surprise as I watched through season 4 of Hacks, the fantastic HBO Max comedy staring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, and decided I want to go onto the internet to share my joy for the new season, only to discover something surprising; people didn’t like it, especially at the start. Fans were annoyed. They wanted to know if anyone else is as disappointed as them and not enjoying the new season. Out of curiosity, I read these opinions, because it’s good to expose ourselves to different viewpoints and arguments about the things we love and hate in life.
Imagine my surprise, then, when a common complaint I come across is the feud between Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, the two protagonists (played by Smart and Einbinder respectively), caused by the power games they each played to end the third season.
On a basic human level that wants stories to be fun and happy, I understand. Deborah and Ava work best together, and I want to see these two characters at their best. I want them to be happy. It’s frustrating to see two people who clearly thrive as a collaborative force instead struggle separately. Conflict makes people feel uncomfortable, especially in comedies, and so we want the conflict to end so we can laugh and feel comfortable again.
Here’s the thing, though; Hacks lives in conflict. This show thrives on it.
From the start, Hacks has a clear premise that has propelled it to success, and that premise depend on the clashes between Deborah and Ava. These are two women with generational, moral, ethical, and societal differences on practically every level. Basically the only thing that unites them, especially at the start, is that they both love comedy. Even as they grow closer, the stark differences between them never really change all that much, they just become less important than their shared personality traits and respect for each other.
As such, the conflict stops being about the superficial differences fairly early on. The reason these two clash is because they are both stubborn, strong-willed artists who believe in their approaches to comedy and life, and also feel an irresistible need to prove people wrong. The generational difference stops mattering because of punchlines over queer rights or fashion choices. Deborah is a woman who fights hard to protect her place inside a man-dominated industry, while Ava is trying to fight her way in from the outside.
And yes, it would get boring if every season was just Deborah and Ava fighting over the exact same things they fought over in season 1. I don’t want to see Deborah treating Ava exactly the same way or see them clash over the same issues. Repetitive conflict would make Hacks a more boring show.
The way some people present their criticism, you would think that is what Hacks is doing in its most recent season, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Every season evolves the relationship between these two, which in turn breeds new conflict. With each season, the combined efforts of Deborah and Ava bring new triumphs that make both of their needs to protect their spots change and deepen.
Season 4, in particular, sees the most vicious divide between them in the aftermath of Deborah successfully campaigning to host a late night show, followed by her attempts to ditch Ava backfiring when Ava in turn blackmails Deborah for the position of head writer.
There is no honest scenario where both women do not hold a deep grudge over how this all happened. Ava feels a deep betrayal over Deborah breaking her word. Deborah feels a deep betrayal that Ava is threatening Deborah’s lifelong dream. It’s a bitter anger born from the fact that these two genuinely love each other, the kind of love where two people know exactly how to cut each other to the quick.
And it’s so, so entertaining.
Why does Hacks keep going back to conflict between these characters? Because their conflict is what makes the show fun to watch. It is the source of most of the best jokes and funniest scenes. If it’s not directly from them, it’s from the people around them, like the HR lady assigned to follow them everywhere, the ever suffering Jimmy trying to serve as peacekeeper, or the writer’s room caught in the middle of their feud. There are parts of season 4 that easily rank among my favorite of the entire show. Deborah and Ava are arguably their funniest when they are at their meanest.
Is it really so wrong to just let these two be toxic influences on each other? Obviously Hacks does not often speak great of its characters as people, but for the good of the show itself, and the entertainment factor for the audience watching? Let them go at each other. Let them be stupid and messy. Let them keep going back to each other while always finding reasons to split.
Deborah and Ava are the comedy version of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, two characters who must always find reasons to be in conflict, but will always find reasons to go back to each other. It’s the dynamic the show is built around.
I can acknowledge that Hacks goes to some rough moments in the first half of season 4, with Deborah and Ava sinking to depths to hurt each other that exceed anything we’ve seen before. By the time we hit the interview with Ruby, where Deborah drives Ava past the brink and fully into quitting, Hacks realized enough has been enough and it’s time to make the peace. For me, that is the difference between a funny show that isn’t afraid to be awkward and uncomfortable and one that wallows too much in those feelings. Hacks has always understood when to cut the nonsense and unite its main characters towards their shared goals.
Dare I say, season 4 is the best version of this, specifically because Deborah and Ava took things so far. We see all throughout their fight that Deborah and Ava still love each other, and that is why they are so hurt. There is not genuine hatred there. They just can’t back down because they want to “win” against each other. When Deborah finally wins, she immediately backtracks because of what victory cost her.
And in that moment where the Ruby interview and a $72 branzino finally pushes Ava to quit, that is when we finally see the character growth from Deborah that we’ve been waiting for since the show began. We see a woman who has pushed away so many of the people she loves finally decide to make amends before she does it again. Their scene on the beach at the end of episode six is a pinnacle moment of the entire show, where Deborah and Ava finally admit what they mean to each other.
Would this have worked if, say, the two of them only fought for three episodes, or didn’t go so far? Maybe, but would it have felt as satisfying or meaningful? I don’t think so.
Hacks has always handled these bonding moments really well because it has always understood where the line is, and when to cross it, or rather not cross it. This show knows when to cut the conflict, or at least temper it so the two characters can unite again. They also understand that the point of this relationship is that Deborah and Ava do connect at a core level that lasts beyond their fights. It’s a commentary on the human condition, and while I wouldn’t boil all of their fights down to “superficial” differences, they ultimately don’t matter compared to the human connection that keeps them together.
This isn’t going to change in season 5. Ava and Deborah will inevitably disagree about how to revitalize her career again, and they will fight about it. They will have those episodes where they are at each other’s throat. One thing I can count on is that it won’t be the same as their other schisms. Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe if this is the final season (which is to be determined, from what I understand), we will get a unified Deborah and Ava as they tear the comedy world apart to restore Deborah’s reputation.
Let’s just say I’m expecting Deborah and Ava to find some reason to be in conflict, and that it will be just as incredible and rewarding to watch as the four seasons that preceded it.
Images Courtesy of HBO Max
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