Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder received recognition as TVLine's Performers of the Week for their work in the Hacks series finale. The episode aired on May 28 on HBO Max. It wrapped up the story of the two characters across five seasons.
The finale centered on Deborah, played by Smart, who told Ava, played by Einbinder, that her cancer had returned. She planned to forgo treatment and seek physician-assisted suicide in Switzerland. Einbinder portrayed Ava's grief through emotional scenes, including pleas like wanting to know what she would do without her friend.
