The Emmy-winning HBO Max comedy Hacks is set to return for its fifth and final season this spring, featuring new guest stars and core cast members. Showrunner Lucia Aniello shared that the show's ending was part of the original pitch.
Hacks, the Emmy-winning HBO Max comedy, will conclude with its fifth season airing this spring. The series centers on the dynamic between comedy writer Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, and Las Vegas stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, portrayed by Jean Smart. Returning cast includes Meg Stalter, Paul W. Downs, and Mark Indelicato, alongside new guest stars such as Ann Dowd, Cherry Jones, and Leslie Bibb. Downs also co-stars as talent agent Jimmy and serves as one of the three showrunners with Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. Aniello, speaking via Zoom, explained the planned conclusion: “Part of our original pitch for the show was the very last scene. We knew how the season would end and how the show would end if we were so lucky as to get to imagine it how we wanted. It’s very full-circle, and there’s a lot of mirroring and callbacks and things. Hopefully people will find it as satisfying to watch as it was to write.” Side characters like Las Vegas Mayor Jo Pezzimenti (Lauren Weedman), Ava’s mother Nina (Jane Adams), and talent assistant Randi (Robby Hoffman) also feature. Aniello praised the leads: “They’re better than they've ever been. After five seasons of playing these characters, it’s such a lived-in performance, but they still find ways to be surprising and do things that we don’t expect from Deborah and Ava.” The preview highlights exciting moments from the season.