Review: Hacks, "Hacks (Finale)" | Season 5, Episode 10
Paris is for lovers and pivotal television episodes
Hey free subscribers—there's nothing more momentous than a long-running show coming to an end, so here's a preview of Emma's coverage of the end of Hacks. To join the conversation, become a paid subscriber.
“We're all going to die,” Jimmy reminds Ava during an emotional phone call in the Hacks series finale. That is true for life, but on TV, people live on long after the credits roll, and creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky aren’t taking a Sopranos approach to Deborah Vance's fate. Still, while there is no ambiguity in the closing seconds, death looms large throughout a satisfying, emotional, and funny finale. Not all TV shows have the luxury of going out on their terms and at the top of their game. Even though it makes me incredibly sad to see Hacks come to an end, it is equally thrilling when a show goes out on top. It is better to be left wanting more than counting down the minutes, urging it to finish.
The concluding chapter doesn’t deviate from how previous Hacks finales deliver a surprise turn in Deborah and Ava’s partnership, like the time Ava scored the head writer job through blackmail or Deborah cut Ava loose against Ava’s wishes. The main difference is that there is no need to establish a source of friction or introduce a new challenge for the following year. Finality is inevitable. But as with those previous resolutions, the focus on this partnership offers a chance for the material to zig when I expect it to zag. First, by seeming to confirm my worst fears about where Deborah’s journey is heading, then by swerving at a different juncture than the one I had foreseen. Ultimately, it is a celebration not only of this central pairing but also of comedy and creativity, and the desire to tell stories—an ongoing theme.
Kicking off the finale with the Who’s Making Dinner? pilot shoot, and The Diva’s grand opening quickly establishes that neither of these projects will take center stage. However, it does mean that fan favorites and integral guest actors can make one last impression. My fears that the sitcom reboot would cause friction do not come to pass, and a different source of significant tension between Deborah and Ava takes up the majority of the finale.
There is a false sense of security during these next career move scenes beginning with the oner following Ava from behind, mirroring Deborah’s walk to the Palmetto stage in the pilot. It is a lovely full-circle moment using this signature visual to highlight Ava’s new role as a showrunner. At The Diva’s launch, Deborah’s speech reiterates how vital Las Vegas is to her entire trajectory. It is a thread running throughout Hacks, and this is a fitting final love letter, followed by Lauren Weedman’s Mayor Jo stealing the entire scene with another wonderfully wild display.
