Tuesday TV Touchbase: Hacks

Today's Tuesday TV Touchbase looks at the season 3 finale of Hacks. 

The series is about the complicated relationship of old school stand up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and young Gen Z comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). The story arc for season 3 is Deborah making one last bid for her life long dream, to host a late night comedy talk show.  

As we discovered in season 1, it was a dream deferred after Deborah did a test show in the 1970's for her own late night program only to have the network pull the plug. It was finding a copy of this show that began Ava's evolution of her understanding of Deborah, of what she was and is truly capable of. 

By the end of season 2, Deborah had self produced a new and well regarded stand up special, a special that was a success due to Ava guiding Deborah towards a more personal approach to comedy instead of the old stand up shtick she had leaned on for decades.   

A scheduled guest appearance for Deborah on a late night show gets turned into a guest host gig when the host has to call in sick. Deborah absolutely kills it as host and the dream is alive once more:  hosting her own show.

Ava has secured a gig writing for a comedy/news show called "On the Contrary" (it's like Last Week Tonight.)  While on hiatus from that show, Ava agrees to spend time working with Deborah on new material to help sell Deborah to the networks.  

This decision costs Ava her girlfriend who will not put up with Ava once more sacrificing herself to a toxic relationship with that Vance woman. 

It's a tough sell, pitching Deborah to the network. Not just putting a woman behind the desk of a late night comedy talk show but an older woman. (Deborah is pushing 70.)  The odds are against her and her chance slips away and the gig goes to some generic younger white male person.  

After she loses the gig, events conspire to put Deborah in the arms of the man who owns the TV network for the show she wanted.

Meanwhile thanks to the machinations of her manager Jimmy and his "assistant"Kayla, the generic younger white male person drops out and the show is now Deborah's. 

And instead of picking Ava who has been by her side through all of this as her head writer for the new show, Deborah picks some generic older white male person named Steve.  

Deborah is afraid. This is her ONE shot at this dream and she can't afford to take any chances on making her show a success. 

Ava is pissed.  She gave up the woman she loved to work with Deborah. Deborah and Ava have been through so much over these three years and this is how Deborah repays her?

Ava is done with Deborah!! 

But...

The next morning, Ava greets Deborah at the studio. 

Ava says they've been through too much for Ava to give up on Deborah now.

Awwww! That's sweet. 

And...

Ava adds it would be a shame if word got out that Deborah had slept with the network owner just before she got the job.

Deborah looks shocked.

And Ava says "I guess I AM your new head writer now." 

Damn girl!  

Basically, Ava pulled a classic Deborah Vance play on Deborah Vance herself.  Deborah is pissed that Ava is blackmailing her but also a bit impressed her protege had learned her lessons so well.

And season 3 ends.  

I heard that Ava was going to make some kind of big power play before I saw the episode but I was not prepared for how powerful that moment was. Our little Ava has grown up.

Also evolving is the relationship between Jimmy and Kayla.  Kayla is an astonishingly bad assistant BUT it's because of her efforts that Deborah gets a 2nd shot at the talk show.  Kayla quits and books a flight to Greece. Jimmy gets on the plane to beg Kayla to come back. She is a very bad assistant but she is an outstanding manager.  The sequence on the plane with Jimmy pleading with Kayla to come back looks to others on the plane like a grand romantic proposal or something and is laugh out loud funny. 

Max has re-upped Hacks for a 4th season so we'll see how this shakes out next year.   

That is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.