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The Emmy-winning series Hacks has carved out a special place in the hearts of viewers with its razor-sharp humor and the complex, often poignant relationship between its two leads. With Hacks Season 5 already a topic of speculation following the premiere of season 4 on April 10, 2025, the question on everyone’s mind is simple: will there be a season 5? As of now, HBO Max has not officially renewed the show.
A self-contained season format that works
One of the show’s greatest strengths lies in its structure. Each season of Hacks feels like a fully-formed story, a chapter that begins and ends with purpose. Rather than dragging out plotlines endlessly, the series allows Deborah and Ava’s relationship to evolve organically, season by season, giving space for reflection and reinvention.
Season 1 gave us the foundation, an uneasy partnership between two women from vastly different worlds. Season 2 let us see the cracks and the growth, as they wrestled with creative conflicts and vulnerability. Season 3 peeled back the cost of ambition and ego. Season 4, now airing, leans into fame, legacy, and the emotional toll of reinventing oneself in public. Each season ends with closure, but never with finality. There’s always the sense that life will go on, and so might the show.
A cast that brings it all to life
Jean Smart is nothing short of a force of nature as Deborah Vance. Her portrayal is layered, vulnerable, unapologetically sharp, and endlessly captivating. She gives Deborah not just punchlines, but depth, the sense of a woman who’s fought tooth and nail for every inch of her success and still carries the battle scars.
Opposite her is Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, younger, sharper-edged in a different way, and just as emotionally layered. Ava is at a crossroads in every season: figuring out who she is, what she stands for, and how much she’s willing to bend for the sake of opportunity. The chemistry between Smart and Einbinder is electric. It’s not just banter, it’s conflict, growth, admiration, and sometimes a mirror held up to each other’s flaws.
Supporting characters bring their own flavor and texture. Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Marcus) offers grounded wisdom and emotional nuance. Megan Stalter (Kayla) provides chaotic comic relief, and Paul W. Downs (Jimmy) is the glue holding a wobbly professional world together. Together, they form a constellation of personalities that make the universe of Hacks feel fully lived-in.
Inspirations and real-world echoes
Deborah Vance isn’t a copy of anyone, but she echoes many. Viewers see shades of Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Lucille Ball, women who blazed trails in comedy and refused to fade into the background. Yet, what Hacks does so well is take those echoes and build someone entirely new.
This isn’t just a tribute to showbiz legends. It’s a meditation on what it means to survive in an industry that forgets fast and forgives slowly. It’s a reminder that talent doesn’t expire, but relevance can, and staying visible sometimes means walking tightropes no one else sees.
More than that, Hacks holds a mirror up to our culture, one obsessed with virality, constantly shifting values, and brutal public reckonings. Deborah and Ava live in that space between cancel culture and reinvention, between being feared and being forgotten.
Will there be a season 5?
Right now, HBO Max hasn’t confirmed a fifth season. That said, the people behind Hacks, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, haven’t been shy about their desire to continue. They've hinted in interviews that there’s still so much more to unpack in Deborah and Ava’s journey. In an interview with TheWrap, co-creator Paul W. Downs shared,
"We pitched what we hoped would be five seasons," signaling that the creative team has a clear vision for where the story could go next.
As co-creator Paul W. Downs told The Wrap, There’s still a lot left on the table for these characters. We have more stories we’d love to tell, it just depends on how things unfold.
The decision may ultimately hinge on how well Season 4 performs, both critically and with audiences. Early signs are promising. The addition of iconic guest stars like Carol Burnett and Jimmy Kimmel has brought even more eyes to the show. If the acclaim continues, it’s hard to imagine the network letting a hit like this fade away quietly.
More than just comedy
At its core, Hacks isn’t just about punchlines and comeback tours. It’s about connection, redemption, and the messy path toward understanding someone, and yourself, a little better. The jokes land, yes. But it’s the silences, the glances, the moments when someone almost says what they mean that stay with you.
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The writing is smart, but never smug. It’s witty without being cruel. It critiques generational divides, industry hypocrisy, and personal blind spots, all while holding space for forgiveness and change.
And that’s why Hacks feels so vital. It’s entertainment with heart and bite, a story that respects its characters enough to let them stumble, regress, and grow. If the team behind it believes there's more story to tell, there’s every reason to believe viewers will be ready to listen.
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