Tuesday TV Touchbase: Hacks

 

Today's post looks at season 4 of Hacks.

After the end of last season where Ava Daniels blackmailed her way into job as head writer for Deborah Vance's new late night talk show, Deborah calmly accepted that her young protege had learned well the lessons Deborah had taught her and graciously accepted that at least this one time, Ava had outplayed---

Fuck no! Deborah is pissed! 

Deborah sets up Ava for drug testing and accusations of sexual harassment and Ava pushes back and Deborah snipes back at Ava and back and forth it goes until HR has to intervene with a chaperone to be on site whenever Deborah and Ava are required to be in the same room.   

Such as when Deborah and Ava are forced to do a photo shoot to promote the new show. 

Deborah: "You broke my heart.

I commented to myself that "you broke Ava's first."

Then...

Ava: "You broke mine first!"

Score! I love it when I can predict dialogue like that! 

Eventually Deborah realizes she needs Ava's help and support more than she needs any petty revenge. 

When Deborah experiences a panic attack during the monologue of her first show and copes with that attack by focusing on Ava is a very powerful moment.  

And Deborah's frantic efforts to save Ava when she believes Ava is going to drown herself in the ocean is a cathartic moment for the pair and they become friends again. 

Deborah's got her own late night talk show and she's in a good place with Ava. All is good and right with the world. Her dreams have come true!

This is a TV show. Shit has to happen.

And it does in the form of the studio boss who forces Deborah to book an action film star with a history of being abusive to women, takes offense when Deborah makes a joke at that star's expense and demands Ava be fired as head writer. 

Deborah's response? To quit her show on live TV, to burn her dream to the ground before she will capitulate to that studio bully.  

But a non-complete clause in Deborah's contract stipulates she can't get in front of a microphone for 18 months! 

Deborah finds a loophole by going to Singapore and working through a translator.  

Which works fine until TMZ breaks the story that Deborah Vance has died!

Deborah does not like her obituary and is riled up to restore her legacy. And thus ends season 4. 

Couple of guest stars to single out:

Carol Burnett plays herself in a warm and witty conversation with Deborah. Carol is still sharp as a tack and funny as ever.

And Jimmy Kimmel shows up to threaten Deborah Vance after she tries to book Kristen Bell as a guest for her show. "Everyone knows I get Kristen Bell first after Conan died!"  

No, Conan O'Brien is not dead in the Hacks universe, just "dead" as you know longer matter when you don't have a talk show anymore. By the way, Conan thinks this exchange between Jimmy and Deborah was funny as hell.

Special kudos to Hannah  Einbinder for Ava Daniels meltdown with the writer's room when she finds out the writers have been ordering lunch (that Ava pays for) on a group text that does not include Ava and the menu includes expensive items like lobster rolls.  Ava's primal howl of rage begins in the writer's room and continues as she grips the steering wheel of her car that she barrels through the security gate.  

I feel where you're coming from.

Of course Jean Smart as Deborah Vance is awesome all the time.

Can't wait to see the next act in season 5 of Hacks.

That is that for this week's 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.