No effort is spared within the lead-up to Deborah’s huge Late-Night time debut. From the set builders and wig artist to the ever-suffering writers’ room, everyone seems to be working time beyond regulation to ensure the opening evening goes off with no hitch. In the meantime, Deborah is laser-focused on the one factor she will be able to’t delegate: herself. She weighs herself obsessively, works out like her life is dependent upon it, and survives on a glamorous eating regimen of roughly 4 to eight almonds a day. The rapid-fire montage that opens the episode hints at a number of lengthy days of intense, borderline-manic prep.
Then, two minutes in, the episode actually kicks off. Deborah walks on stage to thunderous applause, and we’re led to imagine the present is lastly taking place. She opens sturdy, delivers a couple of traces… after which freezes. Fully. The phrases are proper in entrance of her, however she will be able to’t learn them, can’t end the bit. She stumbles offstage, satisfied she’s having a coronary heart assault. However deep down, we already know what’s actually happening.
Ava is the one one courageous (or silly?) sufficient to say it out loud: Deborah is having a panic assault. Naturally, our beloved, rage-fueled Queen of Comedy is horrified by the very suggestion. She insists it was one thing cardiac associated – in truth she very a lot hopes it was. Ava, pondering she’s being useful, tries to melt the blow by calling it “stage fright.” That goes over even worse. “I’ve by no means had stage fright!” Deborah snaps. “Not even after I carried out in entrance of Saddam Hussein – AFTER rejecting his advances.” The place did Deborah all the time meet these conflict lords? Simply asking so I can keep away from these locations in any respect prices.
And since Deborah and Ava are nonetheless on HR probation and never allowed to be alone in a room collectively, poor Stacy from HR is caught sitting between them throughout their whole trade – fully unequipped to referee a conflict between two ladies who appear to adore and detest one another in equal measure.
After Deborah has had a second to relax, Winnie informs her that she’s booked an appointment with a heart specialist. Candy gesture, proper? Not precisely. It’s much less about Deborah’s well-being and extra about ensuring their money cow is bodily match to maintain the community machine operating. They’ve invested an excessive amount of on this present to let just a little coronary heart scare spoil issues now.
With no actual alternative, Deborah drags herself to the appointment. However it’s not the physician who finally ends up serving to her. It’s Carol Burnett, casually sitting within the ready room like a residing legend on standby. Deborah lights up. Burnett was certainly one of her guiding stars, a lady who made the trail she now walks even attainable. For as soon as, Deborah lets her guard down. She asks if Burnett ever had stage fright, hoping for some grand, showbiz knowledge. And she or he receives it solely seconds later: “I’d choose one individual within the viewers,” Burnett says, “and I’d do the present only for them.” Deborah won’t have figured it out in that second, however most of us knew precisely who she’d be performing for the subsequent day.
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| “I really like LA” – HACKS. Pictured: Carol Burnett as herself & Jean Good as Deborah Vance. Photograph: Kenny Laubbacher/Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
We by no means truly hear what the heart specialist has to say – or if Deborah even made it previous the ready room. However because it was fairly apparent from the beginning that this wasn’t a bodily coronary heart problem, I’m prepared to let the medical thriller slide.
When the large day lastly arrives and Deborah is about to stroll on stage to write down Late-Night time historical past, the nerves creep again in. Everybody fussing over her as she makes her method to the stage solely provides to the strain, however there’s no turning again now. That is it. She has bought to nail it. There is no such thing as a different possibility. So she steps onto the stage, all of the sudden a radiant smile in place, wanting each bit the a part of a glamorous speak present host. However then – identical to within the rehearsal – she hits that very same line within the monologue… and freezes. Once more.
She remembers Carol Burnett’s phrases and does precisely what the legend suggested: choose one individual within the room and carry out only for them. And the individual Deborah chooses? None apart from our favourite chaotic head author, Ava Daniels.
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| “I really like LA” – HACKS. Pictured: Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniel. Photograph: Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
In that on the spot, every thing modifications. The viewers disappears. The worry vanishes. It’s simply Deborah and Ava. A swap flips, Deborah lights up, steadies herself, and delivers. Her swagger returns, her timing snaps again into place. She is flourishing. In spite of everything these many years, she lastly does it: she hosts her personal Late-Night time Present… and completely kills it.
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| “I really like LA” – HACKS. Pictured: Jean Good as Deborah Vance. Photograph: Kenny Laubbacher/Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
The aftermath is way extra sobering than both of them anticipated. Deborah was meant to schmooze with Winnie and a few main gamers over a celebratory dinner, whereas Ava had plans to observe the present with the writers when it aired later that evening. She even invited Deborah to affix, however after all, Deborah declined. Priorities, proper? Gotta maintain the community glad.
In the long run, Deborah winds up sitting alone in a elaborate restaurant, whereas Ava finds herself solo at a bar after sending her exhausted writing staff dwelling to break down into mattress. And whereas the writers have been all falling aside, Ava seemed… simply effective. She is simply her regular degree of run-down. I discovered myself questioning why everybody else was virtually on life assist whereas Ava nonetheless had the vitality to take a seat upright. Then once more, with the way in which she lives, it’s probably her physique runs on a gentle cocktail of caffeine, adrenaline, and emotional chaos. Sleep deprivation? Please. That’s only a regular day for Ava.
Her evening finally ends with a towed automobile and being requested out by a pair she met in an erotic store – typical conditions Avs finds herself in frequently. In the meantime, Deborah, decided to not be caught eating solo at an enormous desk in a five-star restaurant, ropes poor Damian into becoming a member of her.
Apparently it is Damian’s very first time consuming alcohol, and as soon as it kicks in, so does the oversharing. He launches right into a monologue about how exhausting it’s to maintain up with the gays in LA and the way he desperately wants somebody like Deborah to spice up his social capital. In spite of everything, the gays worship the Queen of Comedy. He talks her into coming with him to a homosexual membership, and positive sufficient, he will get precisely what he needed: consideration from a room stuffed with eligible males.
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| “I really like LA” – HACKS. Pictured: Jean Good as Deborah Vance & Mark Indelicato as Damien. Photograph: Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Deborah appears to be having a good time: dancing, consuming, basking in her icon standing prefer it’s simply one other evening in Vegas. However for the viewer it’s exhausting to not really feel just a little unhappy. She’s clearly getting used for her highlight, and one thing tells me she is aware of it… Neverthelss, Deborah feels comfy and admired surrounded by homosexual males. Cheered on by the group, Deborah climbs right into a go-go cage to bounce. However when a random man presents her poppers and waves them just a little too shut, she faints on the spot, crashing down and slamming her head in opposition to the bars.
The comic will get admitted to the hospital as a precaution – and guess who’s listed as her emergency contact? You bought it! It’s Ava. After all it’s Ava. Who else would it not be?
When the hospital calls, Ava initially assumes it’s a late-night follow-up from the couple who hit on her on the intercourse store. However the second she realizes it’s truly a nurse calling about Deborah’s accident, she whips the automobile round and races to the hospital, to see her boss, co-worker, writing associate, greatest buddy, and worst enemy all rolled into one.
Deborah is shocked when the youthful lady exhibits up and casually mutters that she actually must replace her emergency contact. Positive, Deb. Like that’s ever going to occur. As a result of when it actually comes right down to it, Ava is all you’ve got bought. There are assistants, stylists, publicists – however no shut mates, no household that really cares, that she truly trusts or talks to. Whether or not she likes it or not, Ava’s her individual.
Whereas mendacity in her hospital mattress, Deborah all of the sudden realizes that her present is airing, for the very first time, and she or he’s not watching it. She tries to activate the TV, but it surely doesn’t work. Fortunately, Ava’s already on it. There’s no means she’s letting Deborah miss her personal premiere. She sneaks her out of the hospital room and finds a working TV in a close-by ready space. The 2 of them sit and watch. And for as soon as, Deborah is quiet – simply taking it in. She’s proud. Overwhelmed. Barely in a position to maintain again tears. She has lastly made it!
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| “I really like LA” – HACKS. Pictured: Jean Good as Deborah Vance. Photograph: Kenny Laubbacher/Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
They’re each emotional as they congratulate one another on the profitable present, and it turns into clear over again: this present – and I imply Deborah’s Late Night time debut simply as a lot as Hacks itself – solely works as a result of they work. In opposition to all odds, these two chaotic forces have managed to create one thing actually particular.
Whereas final week’s episode gave the supporting solid a breather, this week Kayla and Jimmy are again – and for me, it was the proper dose. I like them in smaller parts. They’re hilarious, chaotic, and all the time good for fun, however let’s be sincere: I’m right here for Deborah and Ava.
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| “I really like LA” – HACKS. Pictured: Rose Abdoo as Josefina. Photograph: Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Other than the standard fireworks between our favourite catastrophe duo, certainly one of my favourite moments got here when Josefina confirmed up on set and Ava clung to her like a human consolation blanket, hugging her for what felt like 5 full minutes. It was candy, susceptible, and a quiet reminder of simply how a lot her strained relationship with Deborah continues to weigh on her. However by the top of the episode, there’s a flicker of hope that they may lastly be on the trail to forgiveness, to transferring previous the blackmail, the resentment, and every thing that’s saved them from admitting how a lot they want one another, not simply professionally, however personally too.
We laughed, we winced, we could have cried. Share your tackle the episode beneath!