It is an image that rocked the internet, from online scientific publications to pop culture websites like our own. An animal that Colossal Biosciences (and for that matter the cover of Time magazine) declared to be a dire wolf is now a snow-white puppy with huge feet and olive eyes—and it’s howling. According to Ben […]
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This article contains spoilers for Hacks season 4 episode 1 and 2.
The first two episodes of Hacks season 4 can be neatly summarized through one brilliant scene at the end of episode 2 “Cover Girls.” Standing outside of a comedy club after Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) walk out of a standup routine that doubles as a tryout for a writer position on their new late night program, the fiery duo spar over Ava’s job on the set. We’re treated to the actresses’ typical electric chemistry and a fair amount of barbs and retorts, but most of all we get to see the authenticity that kindles bright underneath the surface of their relationship.
Deborah grapples with admitting how she would never have gotten to her dream job as a late night host without Ava’s brilliant joke writing, but her paranoia over the demographic that will be watching her now forces her to turn her back on her young protege. “Late night is for housewives and mechanics.” Once again, Deborah is shrouding her pride with envy. Ava forces her to see comedy in a way she didn’t before. Ava propels her to grow into a better version of herself both on and off stage. Through this process she usually buries her genuine appreciation for Ava and uses practical jokes and other gags to undermine her pseudo daughter. Even though both women know they need each other, the journey they take to get there is riddled with fighting and jealousy.
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The complex, fine line separating love and hate between Deborah and Ava is featured as strongly as it ever has in the premiere episodes of the fourth season. The nightclub scene is the encapsulation of the evolving, yet still stagnant dynamic between the two. You’d think after three previous seasons of conquering various obstacles in the comedy minefield of Las Vegas that these ladies would choose adoration instead of vitriol, but what kind of show would that present for the audience?
Deborah and Ava have to keep fighting not just for the audience’s sake, but because bickering is what brings out the best in both of them. Both women are feisty, determined, and intractable. Ava decides the only way to defeat Deborah’s ego is to play her own game when she blackmails Deborah over an affair with the network executive. That season 3 cliffhanger results in some of the most intense tug-of-wars of the series so far at the dawn of the fourth season.
Deborah’s childish forms of payback aim low and always deliver shock and laughs. One prank even sees Deborah sending Ava’s underwear to a network colleague’s desk in hopes it will get Ava in trouble with human resources. The irony of Deborah framing Ava for an HR blunder when she’s currently being held hostage by her own sexual misdoings with higher ups is a great example of the writing that keeps Hacks atop the sitcom game as one of the series that understands its characters on a deeper level while also poking fun at the inner workings of the Hollywood machine they’re apart of.
Deborah and Ava’s situation may be the main one that keeps this show humming at a high level, but the increased screen time for both Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter) is a welcomed sight. Any time the high intensity of the Deborah and Ava feud starts to become a little too overwhelming, Jimmy and Kayla serve as the calmer frenemy alternative. Jimmy and Kayla are trying to get their management business off the ground that they decided to start together at the end of the third season. The growing pains between the two are a lot more respectful than between Deborah and Ava. In many ways, this duo symbolizes where Deborah and Ava could and should eventually arrive at by the end of the show. Two mismatched personalities that bicker, but they still love each other.
The last scene of the second episode exquisitely sets up the more heartfelt half of the Deborah and Ava dynamic that we root for. They call a truce after they’re warned that the show is in danger of failing before even getting off the ground. Rooted in their common goal of conquering comedy again, Deborah shows up at Ava’s doorstep ready to work in good faith and promising that no more sabotage will occur. This is where it feels like the season is really about to begin.
These episodes are akin to first biting into a Sour Patch Kid on a nice spring afternoon after school. The bitterness of Deborah and Ava hit the taste buds with shocking intensity. Now the sweetness of the pairing will round out the drama and remind us why Hacks’ two equally compelling tones make it one of the best dramedies of the decade so far.
The first two episodes of Hacks season 4 are available to stream on Max now.
The post Hacks Season 4: How Much Longer Can Deborah and Ava Keep This Up? appeared first on Den of Geek.
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