We get two episodes of Hacks this week, starting with “D’Christening”, written by Joe Mande and directed by Doron Max Hagay. Deborah and Ava — freshly allies again — finally hit third in the late-night rankings, which is not last place! Things are looking up! My girls are on a path toward late-night success!
Jimmy and Kayla are not doing as well, Kayla’s dog client apparently prone to biting and therefore a huge liability. Dance Mom meanwhile is spiraling out, high on the thrills of Hollywood fame and on literal whippets and buzz balls. Her life has become a never-ending bender, which threatens the Old Navy brand deal she just got. Jimmy and Kayla try to reel her in, but Dance Mom — who is not even a mom, it turns out — cannot be contained. I haven’t had a chance to shout out Julianne Nicholson yet this season, but she is killing it.
The bulk of this first episode takes place at the titular christening of DJ’s fresh baby. Deborah is determined to be as big a nuisance as possible at this family event due to a years-long feud with the Catholic church after she did a set at their expense. But when she acts out at the church, DJ threatens going LC or NC — low contact or no contact. Like Ava and Deborah last episode, this signals a new stage of DJ and Deborah’s toxic relationship. DJ sets firm boundaries. She won’t let Ava’s bullshit impact her baby. I’m so glad we finally get some of Kaitlin Olson (other than on FaceTime) this season. Give her awards for the way she says “the grand opening of Wet Seal.”
It seems as if Hacks season four is determined to deliver at least one emotionally devastating scene each episode. “D’Christening”‘s happens after Marcus and Ava bond over a joint outside the church. DJ has asked Ava to be the baby’s godmother, and Marcus starts freaking Ava out by talking about how great his godfather, who taught him long division and helped him come out to his parents, was. Ava runs to DJ and tells her she couldn’t possibly be the godmother her baby deserves. Then DJ gives our requisite emotionally devastating monologue:
“I asked you to be his godmother because you understand my mom. You believe in a version of her that I never could. I want him to know that version, not mine. That’s too clouded with my own bullshit with her. I wish I could have the relationship that you guys have, but I can’t. So I think you’d be the perfect person for the job.”
Up until this point, the episode sort of feels like filler, a chance for Deborah and Ava to step aside from the chaos of the show and for us to check in more thoroughly with Jimmy and Kayla for the first time in a few episodes, but DJ’s monologue tethers the episode more to the overall arc of the season. It wouldn’t resonate as much if not for Deborah and Ava’s reunification. And it speaks to the emotional core of the season, this idea that Deborah and Ava’s relationship transcends definition. Ava can be a bridge between DJ and Deborah when it comes to the baby. DJ and Deborah’s relationship, in many ways, is irreparable. DJ realizing she can’t change the relationship but can benefit from Ava’s different relationship with her mother marks huge growth. On a show full of bad moms, DJ is poised to be a good one.
The next episode, “Witch of the Week”, written by Andrew Law and directed by Lucia Aniello, is the stronger of the two. They pair together nicely in that the first focuses on the mother/daughter relationship between Deborah and DJ and the second focuses on Ava’s own mother/daughter relationship. Yes, Ava’s unhinged mother (and therefore Jane Adams) is BACK on Hacks.
She wastes no time with her chaos, holding Ava up for work by telling her she has something quick she wants to talk to her about before saying: “I’m worried you’re not going to have children.” MY GOD. What is UP with moms of queer daughters being so obsessed with their fertility?
Winnie is pressuring Deborah to come up with a Carpool Karaoke-esque spin-off, yet another reminder that Deborah and Ava are at the whims of the network and making late night is more about business than it is about making a good show or doing good writing. This season has been, let’s just say, interesting to watch as a person who writes for a living. Not at all triggering. Not at all too real.
The episode also brings Mayor Jo back into the story, as the wild mayor of Las Vegas gets caught up in a sex scandal with a bunch of hockey players that makes her the butt of every late night joke. Ava proposes something different: Deborah should interview Mayor Jo on air in order to do something different and less hack than the rest of the jokes hosts are firing off.
On a side note, I’ve been watching a lot of films Lauren Weedman appears in. This started as a self-assigned project where I was watching every Alison Brie film, which led to watching all of Jeff Baena’s filmography, which led to more broadly exploring a lot of low-budget ensemble indie films I hadn’t seen before. And wow, Weedman is in a lot of them! She has had a really interesting and underrated career!
All of this to say: The casting on Hacks is so good. It’d be so easy for the series to coast by on the strengths of legend Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, whose talents have rocketed into the limelight thanks to this show. But Hacks‘ longevity relies on a fleshed out ensemble, and the series plays to all of these other actors’ strengths so well. I doubt, for example, any other show would know how to actually use Megan Stalter as well as she’s used here. Robby Hoffman, too. (Favorite quote of the episode: “She told me she’s a triple Scorpio, and I had to pretend I know what that means. I mean, I’m gay, but I’m no lesbian.”)
Speaking of Stalter, Kayla’s father tries to bribe her back to the family business. Jimmy has been having a rough season. Ava and Deborah never even told him they made up; he was bitten by a dog; his client with cancer is in remission but has fired him. At this point, I’m waiting for Jimmy to hit his breaking point.
After clips from the Mayor Jo interview go viral but it doesn’t impact episode ratings, Deborah and Ava propose a new strategy: What if they tape the show the day before it airs and release teaser clips on social media leading up to the episode? It’s a great idea, but again, it hits close to home for anyone who works in a creative field that relies on engagement. If I may step back and talk about myself and the website you’re reading this on for a moment: Nothing is more frustrating when we have a post pop off on social media but it doesn’t translate to people actually clicking on and reading the piece. So often, we’re forced to strategize around algorithms and restraints that don’t come from readers themselves but from the ways social media have retrained people to consume content. Deborah and Ava are contending with that on a much larger scale than our little gay website, but it’s all the same challenges and a lot of the same enemies, especially when it comes to AI, Google search algorithms, and social media. I don’t know what my point here is exactly except maybe: 1. Hacks deeply understands the harsh realities of being a creative/artist under capitalism and of working in media today and 2. There has never been a better time to become a paid member of Autostraddle. Shameless plug? Absolutely.
The strategy does work for them. They hit number one. It’s an especially sweet victory given that it follows Deborah and Ava making up and resolving to make the show they actually want to make.
The episode does drive the smallest of wedges back between Ava and Deborah though, as Ava looks suspiciously on at Deborah while taping the episode celebrating her number one spot. She’s right to be suspicious. Deborah had a direct hand in getting Winnie Landell fired. And even though Winnie wasn’t exactly an ally of Ava’s, if Ava does connect the dots here, it could make her distrust Deborah again, just another example of Deborah taking out petty personal gripes on others and treating other people as dispensable. It doesn’t matter that Winnie would have done the same. Ava wants to see Deborah is capable of change and that it’s possible to make it in this business without that approach.
