Review: Hacks, "Who's Making Dinner" and "D'Amazing Race" | Season 5, Episodes 4 and 5

For the majority of the Hacks run, Frank Vance has been little more than a symbol of Deborah’s understandable rage and trust issues. Frank’s death occurred off-screen, not long before the pilot; everything we know about Frank is through Deborah. Learning midway through the first season that he fueled the narrative that his ex-wife was a scorned woman with an ax to grind—and a house to burn—is a significant piece of the puzzle. Those lies shaped Deborah’s entire career, and she is facing yet another tabloid-based smear campaign with Bob Lipka’s media machine portraying her as a hysterical woman. Caring about public perception, the desire to impress one person, and the sitcom that Deborah made with Frank that kick-started her career is a throughline in this week’s double-bill, “Who’s Making Dinner?” and “D’Amazing Race.” The MSG show is part of this motif, serving as the motivation for Deborah’s public appearances when she is unable to speak her truth. As we hit the season midpoint, the disparate ideas about legacy are coming together. 

Deborah’s stand-up career and her dream of hosting late-night have dominated her narrative, with her sitcom origins often registering as a footnote or an afterthought. Because Who’s Making Dinner? is so intrinsically linked to Frank, it makes sense that Deborah doesn’t dwell on this project. The 50th anniversary event offers an opportunity to reopen this old wound, while also inspiring Ava’s next creative move. After last week’s brief, fun foray into new romance, Hacks digs deeper into Deborah’s past with a glimpse into Deborah’s marriage before the infamous split. 

Rather than tell this story through a familiar stand-up lens, the "PaleyFest" exhibition and clips from the sitcom are paired with rare flashback memories. Jean Smart’s pained expressions are so convincing that I wasn’t entirely sold on how necessary it was to see Deborah’s recollections from the set and at the Emmy Awards. The fleeting memories, shot explicitly from Deborah’s POV, provide additional context by juxtaposing Frank's sweet-talking Deborah about her creativity with a roving eye that existed before Kathy entered the picture. Still, the indignities Deborah suffers in the present, coupled with her telling Ava the story of how Frank got solo credit on the Who’s Making Dinner? pilot script (therefore, the sole creator credit), speaks volumes about the comedy path she chose after her contentious divorce. No wonder Deborah was reluctant to collaborate at the start of the series. [Editor's note: I put quotations around PaleyFest because that is NOT what PaleyFest is]