Hacks – Better Late

By: Kelly Kearney

In episode two of the third season of “Hacks” finds Deborah Vance preparing for her first late-night talk show appearance since she lost the hosting job decades prior. Jimmy–her manager, books the deal, knowing it’ll be good for her career, and Deborah has no choice but to agree. Problems arise that put Deborah in the hot seat and leave her at the mercy of a team of comedy writers she just isn’t vibing with. Now that their icy reunion is starting to thaw, can Ava offer up some friendly work advice and help Deborah land the job of her dreams? Read on and find out what happens when salmonella poisoning does Deborah Vance a solid!

The Lines of Communication are Open

After running into each other at the “Just for Laughs Awards,” Ava (Hannah Einbinder) and Deborah (Jean Smart) are trying a new dynamic in their relationship called friendship. The two are blowing up each other’s phones while pretty much-ignoring everyone else in the room. Deborah is sneaking texts under the table at dinner meetings, and likewise, Ava is sneaking texts while snuggling up to Ruby (Lorenza Izzo) on movie night. The friendship is flourishing, but it’s also hedging into familiar work territory.

While the rules surrounding this new friendship are murky, what’s clear is Ava’s relationship with Ruby—it’s more solid than ever. The two have made plans to spend time together in Iceland, while Ruby films on location and Ava is on a three-month hiatus from work. They’re hot and heavy with each other, as we see them in the shower together, and even Ava’s ill-timed jokes can’t evaporate the steam coming off of these lovers. Iceland is quickly approaching, and while that should be Ava’s main focus, she can’t seem to get enough of her former boss. Of course, she is keeping their reunion secret from her girlfriend, after the two wound up in couples therapy, trying to exorcize demon- Deborah from Ava’s obsessive mind.

Speaking of the star comic, Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) informs Deborah he’s booked her as a guest on the same late-night show she’s held a grudge for since she lost out on the hosting gig 40+ years ago. Jimmy, being the excellent manager he is, knows this is the right move for her career, but Deborah tries to cancel, claiming she is too busy. Jimmy knows her schedule and she has time, and besides, this is the fourth time they’ve asked since her comedy special sold out. He knows those invites won’t continue to land in his inbox; she needs to strike while the iron is hot. The truth comes out when Deborah admits that it’s not that she can’t find the time; it’s that she’s wanted that hosting job for so long that if she can’t shine in the guest chair, she’ll have proven to herself she wasn’t right for the gig. Jimmy is honest with her, that her thinking on this is sad, he believes in her more than she does and knows she can do it. He tries to soothe her nerves by pointing out how her new comedy routine pools stories from her real life. He’s positive she has many good stories to tell that will keep the audience laughing and engaged. Reluctantly, she agrees to do the show; this could be her chance to make her dreams come true.

Workshopping Jokes with Friends

Back in Los Angeles, Ava is excited about her trip to Iceland with Ruby, especially after she finds something in Ruby’s side of the closet that makes her think their relationship is about to enter a new phase. She spots a ring box tucked away in the actress’s things, and when she opens it, she immediately assumes her girlfriend is going to propose. The ring fits perfectly, and excitedly, Ava bounces around her house, flashing her new jewelry in the mirror. She doesn’t say anything about it to Ruby and tucks it back in the box because she doesn’t want to spoil the surprise. A surprise is coming, but not the sparkly diamond one she is expecting.

In Vegas, Deborah takes Jimmy’s advice and fingers through her Rolodex, looking for names and memories that could entertain the audience. Each name is another throwback and is not exactly going to make an impression on today’s audiences. She’s starting to worry about which jokes will work and which need updates, but she doesn’t have time to dwell on that as her career is booming and she has a show at the El Cortez. Later on after the show, she is met by her adoring fans in the parking lot, where they’re begging for her autograph on some unapproved merchandise—a candle with her face on it that they bought off of Etsy. Deborah has no idea what that website is but she is livid over people making money off of her image.

After searching the internet for similar merchandise, she plops a thick pile of printouts on Marcus’ (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) desk and puts him on the case; she wants him to find every person running those accounts and demand they cease their money making ventures or be prepared for one of her famous lawsuits. Unfortunately, these fans are so die-hard that even the threat of court excites them. It’s like a rite of passage to be sued by Deborah Vance, and they will probably all line up for it. It’s not that she doesn’t enjoy the jokes on the t-shirts, and everything else they’re selling; it’s just that she’s not making any money off of it, and that’s a problem. Marcus takes the printouts and arranges a meeting with one of her fanboys, Ezekiel (Guy Branum), who’s pumping out those candles and filling fan closets. He learns that all the man did was help to fill a void Deborah’s team couldn’t. He was searching for plus-size merchandise, and when he couldn’t find any, he made his own, and they flew off the Etsy shelves. Deborah might want him to close his shop, but if he doesn’t make these things, someone else will. That truth sinks into Marcus’s head, who uses it to expand the House of Vance’s merchandising on QVC. If Deborah can find a way to sell Ezekiel’s products to home shopping network buyers, she could cut the money, and everyone wins. This unites the fans with the star and QVC, as well as offers Vance wear to people of all sizes. There is no downside here.

While Marcus is handling her new business ventures, Deborah is starting to realize that her jokes for the guest spot are a little outdated. She decides it’s time to make some new stories to pull from, so she fires up her cell phone camera and pulls a practical joke on fellow comedian and neighbor, Carrot Top (played by himself). After hiring some actors to convince him that his home is going to be demolished, Deborah rolls up to the property, driving a backhoe, and records Carrot Top screaming at her as she tears out his landscaping bushes. She never cared for those, and the way Carrot Top is screaming, he’s not too fond of her little prank. The scene makes for an excellent viral video though, and the story will surely entertain the viewers. She’s finally feeling good about the guest appearance when she gets to Television City, but all of that changes when producer Dan Bucatinsky (played by himself) says the host, Danny, has come down with salmonella poisoning and he can’t do the show. It’s last minute, and they need a funny host. Deborah is the woman who almost got the job and has been dreaming of it every day since, so Jimmy jumps in to offer her up as a fill-in. She is apprehensive at first, but then dives in and agrees to do the gig. The bad news is, that she only has an hour or so to come up with enough material to fill the show. When she heads into the writer’s room, she realizes this is going to be a lot harder than she thought. Her two mediocre writers are just as bad as the staff and all of the jokes they’re coming up with don’t land–most, she doesn’t even understand. Panic starts to set in as she worries that she’s going to fail and it will destroy her renewed success. This is the one gig she has to nail and these writers are not the ones to help her do that. She quickly grabs her phone and calls Ava for friendly advice, and in minutes, her former writer walks through the doors ready to save the day.  After ironing out her monologue, she walks out on stage in the red dress she wore for her late-night pilot four decades ago. Deborah brings down the house with laughter for the entire hour. She entertains, she charms, she gives the audience everything they could have asked for in a Vance late-night show and that successful turn-out doesn’t go unnoticed by the producers.

Dreams Do Come True

After the episode airs, Danny calls Deborah to tell her he is leaving the show in three months once his contract is up. This is his way of giving her the green light—that if she wants the job, she should fight for it. Knowing this is her big shot at making her career dreams come true, she immediately grabs the phone and dials up Ava to ask what her plans are for the next three months. Ava wants to be a part of this since it feels like the final chapter in a long book she helped to write so she agrees before she ever tells her girlfriend. When she does fill Ruby in on this new work opportunity that just popped up, she spins it like this is a favor for Ruby. The actress won’t have to juggle spending time with her while she is working on her show. An Icelandic couples’ vacation for three months has quickly turned into a few days, and when Ruby digs a bit deeper, Ava comes clean about who this job is for. That’s when Ruby loses it. After firing her and leaving Ava broken and obsessed, it took a year for the writer to move on from that toxic work relationship. The two argue, and when Ava decides to prove her loyalty to Ruby by bringing up the engagement ring she found, she drops to one knee to panic-propose. Her girlfriend is stunned—and not in a good way. That ring is a prop from her “Wolfgirl” character; she has to learn how to stage-fight while wearing it. Ava is embarrassed by the jump to conclusions more than Ruby’s accusations of her Deborah obsessions. After an emotional back-and-forth, Ruby is done playing runner-up to the boss who sent them both to therapy. She tells Ava they need some space–three months apart should give them enough perspective to see if this relationship is worth returning to. She leaves that ball in Ava’s court, assuming once again that Deborah will outrank her in the end.

When we next see Ava, she is on Deborah’s doorstep, greeted by a “welcome back” and a familiar rule to take off her shoes. Ava was hoping this new friendlier dynamic would change things, but from the looks of it, it’s bantering business as usual. Lines will have to be drawn to make this work, but asking Deborah not to cross them, should be fun to watch.