The essential comedy that says goodbye to the spectators

BarcelonaIt's one of the great comedies of recent years, but it's closing its curtains. Hacks, the funny story of the relationship between a veteran comedian and a younger one, premieres this Thursday its fifth and final season on HBO Max. It arrives at its end on its own terms, being aware that it was time to close shop and not unnecessarily prolong the plot so as not to damage its legacy as one of the best-written comedy series of recent times.

The concept of legacy is, in fact, at the center of its final season. Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) finds herself at a decisive vital and professional moment: in the previous season, she launched her late show, her big dream, to stay true to Ava (Hannah Einbinder), the young comedian she has been working with for five years. Standing up to the network and the media group that had hired her puts her in a difficult situation. The contract clauses she signed with them prevent Deborah from doing stand-up, so, technically, her professional career is over. She has gone from being a comedy icon to becoming an outcast of humor. The core of the season will be the strategy the two comedians will devise to pull Deborah out of ostracism.

A finale that will surprise

One of the best-kept secrets of this latest season is how the definitive ending will be. Without spoilers, Jean Smart has already revealed in an interview with the magazine Deadline that she was very surprised by the decision made by the creators, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. "I don't remember ever imagining an ending. I knew it would be more or less five seasons from the beginning, but I didn't ask. I just thought: 'It will surprise me.' When I finally found out what it was, I was shocked and not entirely sure how I felt because it was nothing I could have imagined. But then I realized that no, it will work because they [the creators] wrote it, and they are incredible. So I said, 'Okay,'" she explained.

In the same conversation with Deadline, the creators have assured that the ending closes the circle in a way and will have several references to the first season. In this regard, they emphasize that it is a kind of reward for the fans who have followed the series from the beginning. "[Viewers] will get what Hacks does best, big laughs and a lot of emotion, and I think this is the time we've done it best in both senses," remarks Paul W. Downs. "The last episode is for the fans. If you're someone who has watched the series, then we've finished it for you. So I really hope they find it satisfying. I would say it's really satisfying, but that's my opinion," adds Lucia Aniello.

One of the most anticipated new additions is the incorporation into the cast of young Christopher Briney, known for having been the protagonist of the super popular teen seriesThe Summer I Turned Pretty. The 28-year-old actor will play a rock star who will have an affair with Deborah, who is much older than him (Jean Smart is 74 years old). Jen Statsky assures that it is a plot they were very eager to materialize. "We have always wanted to portray Deborah as the complete and multidimensional character she is and show that women don't stop having sex and being sexy at any age. We also thought it would be fun and interesting for her to date this international rock star who may not be exactly her type and who dresses a bit more like her than other people she has dated," she details.

A string of awards

Since its debut, Hacks has enjoyed critical acclaim and awards, particularly recognizing the work of Jean Smart. In total, the series has won 5 Golden Globes and 12 Emmy Awards (Jean Smart has won four times for best actress, Hannah Einbinder once for best supporting actress, and the series was proclaimed best comedy of the year in 2024). It is very likely that they will also snag a good handful of nominations at the next Emmy Awards, and in fact, the chapter release schedule has been designed to fall within the timeframe set by the North American television academy for eligibility for the awards. For this reason, the series will premiere one episode per week, with the exception of May 1 and 8, when two episodes will be released at once. The last episode of the series will arrive on May 29 (to be eligible for an Emmy nomination, the season must have aired between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026).