Max Review: It’s War in Season 4 of the Always Excellent and Hilarious ‘Hacks’

Television series often have arcs that lead to disappointment for characters hoping to achieve some goal that doesn’t ultimately come to pass, but, in certain cases, that dream is realized. Following up on a monumental development requires considerable adjustments to accommodate for new storylines and opportunities. With the mother of all game-changers in place on season four of Hacks, it’s no surprise that the recently-minted Emmy winner for Best Comedy Series has many fantastic tricks up its sleeve for its latest excellent outing.

Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is officially a late-night host, and, in spite of her attempts to back out of her offer to hire Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as her head writer, the two of them are working closely together thanks to Ava’s decision to blackmail Deborah into giving her the job. That understandably leads to a very hostile work environment, putting a stressed Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) in the middle as he struggles to get his new agency off the ground with his chaos agent partner Kayla (Megan Stalter), as the stakes are made very clear to everyone involved: this show has to be a hit.

The relationship between Deborah and Ava up until this point hasn’t always been rosy, in part because of how the veteran comedian has treated her up-and-coming young writer. But Ava’s decision to leverage information to her advantage unleashes an unhinged fury in Deborah that has them both acting cruelly towards each other, often in public and even necessitating the presence of a company moderator, portrayed by a perfectly-cast Michaela Watkins. Their behavior is juvenile, unproductive, and oh so entertaining, a marvelous reward for those who have enjoyed watching the rollercoaster nature of their dynamic for three seasons and now get to see it go fully off the rails.

Like last season, not everything that goes into the process of putting together a late-night show is featured or seen, but watching montages of many moments happening all at once is invigorating and more than sufficient. This is still a show that’s focused on its characters rather than the larger world, so there’s little seen that doesn’t directly involve its main players. Deborah is a natural in front of an audience but not particularly well-versed in the art of – or the least bit concerned with – pleasing her employers or her constituents, eliciting major concern from her boss (Helen Hunt) when she snaps back angrily at aggressive reporters during what was supposed to be a friendly and celebratory press conference.

Smart has won three Emmys for playing Deborah, and she’s very likely to earn a fourth trophy for a consistently fantastic turn, the highlight of which is the pettiness she directs at Ava. It’s a shame that Einbinder, considered a supporting actress despite really being a co-lead, has yet to be rewarded, since her role is just as critical to the show’s success and she continues to be absolutely phenomenal, leaning into the awkwardness of her character and how she comes off when she tries to seem cool.

Downs, one of this show’s three co-creators, was deservedly recognized for playing Jimmy by Emmy voters for the first time in season three, and season four gives him even more to do. He’s in spectacular company with Stalter, a true loose cannon who is at her funniest and most unhinged when she’s simply allowed to run wild. Carl Clemons-Hopkins is another standout as Marcus, who begins a new career path, and Mark Indelicato and Rose Abdoo make the most of minimal appearances as Deborah’s most loyal and put-upon employees. Numerous cameos by recognizable faces in the industry are fun and not distracting, making it believable that Deborah and Ava could exist in the real world, rubbing elbows on a regular basis with the rich and famous.

The knowledge that Hacks was pitched as a five-season show means that the end very well could be near, especially since a run of that length would still constitute quite a success. Season four feels familiar in all the best ways but crackles with freshness and creativity, exploring wholly new territory for established fan favorite characters. While its ending isn’t nearly as startling or emphatic as the close to season three, there’s surely much more greatness still to come for a show that hasn’t lost any of the signature spark and appeal that’s been there since it first began.

Season Rating: 9/10