Everything in Hacks blew apart in A Slippery Slope, episode 9 of season 4. So many threads that we have been following all season came to a head in the penultimate episode. And I admit, the writers had me on the ropes in this one, waiting to see how everything panned out. And have left me very anxious to see how the season wraps up.
News of Winnie’s firing is bouncing around the studio, and Deborah and Ava walk into their Monday pitch meeting with Bob Lipka sitting at the table. He informs the team that the studio needs Deborah to do an interview with Ethan Sommers (Eric Balfour) about his upcoming movie. Ava objects due to the allegations of domestic violence and underage sexting that swirl around Ethan, but Deborah agrees to do the interview. During the taping, Deborah makes a slight dig about Ethan’s Snapchat account, and after the show, the executives explain that his PR agent is asking that it be cut from the interview. Ava leaves, upset at the whitewashing of this person’s actions going on.
Ava meets with her former colleague, Lewis (Aristotle Athari), and unloads some of her frustrations on him, thinking that she’s venting to a friend. However, the next day, it is reported that Lewis’s show, “On the Contrary,” will feature a piece about the studio cover-up. Ava begs Lewis to stop the story, in a clever commentary on censorship, but they explain that they are running the piece. Because it is clear that Ava is the source, Bob tells Deborah that he needs to fire Ava.
While Deborah is dealing with all of that, Jimmy and Kayla continue to address issues surrounding Dance Mom. First, they have to scour the studio lot, only to find her crashed out on the set of Desperate Housewives. They get her to the taping, but she is still barely moving, saying that she needs some cocaine “boofed” in order to perform. Paul Downs gives an incredible performance in this scene, whipping around the coke purse in the most iconic way. But following this, Jimmy storms off the set, much in the same way that Ava did in episode 6.
As the live show is about to begin, Deborah calls Ava to her office and sends her out to do some man-on-the-street interviews before the show. She tells Ava that credentials will be waiting for her on the red carpet. Ava heads down, only to discover that there are no credentials, and when she goes to be let back onto the lot, she is told that she no longer has access.
On screen, Deborah comes out to do her opening monologue. She thanks the audience, her writers, and then thanks Ava, revealing that the executives wanted her gone, but that Deborah refuses to do that and will instead be stepping down from the show. She acknowledges that art on this level is also a business, but there are lines that have to be drawn, and this is the one that she will draw.
Bob heads to the booth to shut everything down, but Jimmy is there and refuses to allow him to do that, giving Deborah time to say her piece. When we next see Jimmy with Kayla, he is sporting a bloody nose and is looking roughed up. Kayla tells him that he was right, that she does need to lead with love, and he explains that she was also right, and sometimes you need to go gorilla mode. It is a great moment between them.
Ava runs through the gate and finds Deborah as she is leaving the set. They embrace and get into Deborah’s car to leave, when Bob steps in front of them, refusing to let them go. He explains that Deborah’s contract includes a non-compete clause, and she is not allowed to perform in any capacity for the next 18 months, or the studio will sue her. The episode ends on this note, unclear what these women will be able to do going forward.
Honestly, given how Deborah has behaved through this season, I wasn’t sure how she would react to the demand for Ava’s firing. We know that hosting late night has been a lifelong dream, and we know that she has capitulated to the studio before in the events leading up to this. What made it work was not simply Deborah standing up for her colleague and friend, but her recognizing the business aspect of creating art for a mass audience. Decisions are made that we might disagree with, but there are monetary aspects of film and television that must be weighed. That pragmatism felt very honest, especially coming from Deborah, and it helped the speech land in a more authentic way than if she had just made a moral judgment on the executives.
Prior to the airing of the finale, we have received word that Hacks is being renewed for a fifth season, so whatever happens in the last episode, there is still more to come. Despite my misgivings about how season 4 started, I believe the writers have largely redeemed themselves, and I’m going into the final episode with more hope than I had at the start of the season.
Hacks Season 4 is now streaming weekly on MAX.
Learn more about the show, including how to watch, at the site for the title.
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