Hacks – Just for Laughs

By: Kelly Kearney

Hacks is back for season 3 with a two-episode premiere, and Vance-fans, the wait was worth it. After last season’s finale, “break-up,” for use of a better term, because how else do you define Ava and Deborah’s teary goodbye? A new dynamic has entered the chat, and it is sure to stir up the friction and the feelings for our two favorite funny ladies. This season starts off one year after Deborah’s tour took her back on the road to a familiar destination: fame and sold-out DVD sales. In seasons one and two, Deborah with the help of Ava, was trying to recapture her early years before her sister stole her husband, and she lost her shot as the first female late-night host. It wasn’t always easy, but eventually they became two parts of a working machine—the jokes and the insults wrote themselves, and they filled an hour of stand-up television that the fans couldn’t seem to get enough of. The result of their push and pull wasn’t just the stand-up’s success, but a friendship of sorts, built on mentorship, talent, and trust. Now the two can’t seem to move on from each other. It’s not that they aren’t individually accomplishing all they set out to do, but like magnets, Ava and Deborah are drawn to each other. After all, once you find your creative soul mate, everyone else pales in comparison. Besides the work, the simple fact is they miss each other—although we can assume Ava could live without those big hand jokes. As for Deborah, missing her younger muse keeps her up at night. The emotional element to their partnership seems to have snuck up on both of them, but especially Vance, who really misses Ava’s honesty now that everyone she meets just bows to her star power. If comedians pull from their everyday lives, and all Deborah has to work with are servants paid to tell her what she wants to hear, how is she supposed to know which jokes land, and which need work? She needs her muse—if only to stoke those creative fires and get authentic feedback from someone she trusts. The stage is set for the Hacks reunion the fans have been waiting for.

One Year Later…

A year has gone by since Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) unleashed their successful comedy special onto the home shopping network’s masses. Deborah Vance’s introspective look at her life and all of its tragic comedic stories put the aging Las Vegas star back on the Hollywood map, and by proximity, her writing partner, Ava, into the writer’s room of an award-winning television series. As the premiere unfolds, we see what that rediscovered fame looks like for Deborah, and it’s not as gratifying as she thought it would be. The same can’t be said for Ava, whose career is on an upswing now that she is back in Los Angeles working on a comedy series while living with her TV star girlfriend, Ruby (Lorenza Izzo).

The trouble with Deborah riding the waves of the zeitgeist and gathering a multi-generational fandom behind her is keeping them interested in the work. The DVDs of her special are sold out, and everyone wants a piece of her success—even Marty (Christopher McDonald), her former flame and business partner, who is now forced to eat crow after firing her from the residency in his hotel. Even he can’t convince Deborah to make an appearance at her former stomping ground now that she is the name on everyone’s lips, forcing him to hire a group of drag queens donning their best Vance-wear to announce the casino’s newest slot machines—the one’s banking on her image to bring in the cash. As much as the Vegas fans are clamoring for Deborah’s triumphant return to the strip, it isn’t on her agenda. To quote Marty, “she’s a little busy these days,” as we see her walking the red carpet at the Time 100 Gala. Since that raw and revealing stand-up, she has gone from hecklers and state fairs to being universally adored across the globe and she is relishing her successes. There is just one problem with this level of stardom, it is lonely at the top and full of fake people on the payroll. Life is also dull without insult-sparring with her favorite young writer, but instead of reaching out to her, Deborah is ignoring those feelings completely. The problem is that the reminders of their partnership are unavoidable when she realizes she has no one in her corner to tell her the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is for her to hear. She’s surrounded by people who smile and clap over everything she says—in fact, when we see her hit the stage, the audience is laughing before she ever tells a joke. For a stand-up comic, this as a problem. Her comedy is about her truth, but good luck getting it out of anyone on her payroll or in her audiences—she doesn’t have to be funny; they love her anyway. Josefina (Rose Abdoo) and Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) are the first to pick up on this energy from Deborah when they notice she’s been rearranging her collection of salt and pepper shakers instead of sleeping at night. Her house manager has been around long enough to know that this is a cry for help, but what is she crying out for? It’s not the what but the who that Josefina has to Ambien away from Deobrah’s mind, just so her boss can get some rest.

The Truth About Fame

The truth about what Deborah is missing hits her like a sledgehammer when she meets with her stylist to pick out a dress for an upcoming award she’s accepting at the “Just for Laughs Festival” in Montreal. She goes through a rack of dresses, none of which appeal to her, and has no choice but to take the stylist, Alexis (Rachael Taylor) to her closet for a better look. Cue the decades of couture! This is not a field trip to your average walk-in closet; Deborah has an airport hangar full of racks and racks of clothes that brings her stylist to tears. She needs the perfect look to capture the moment, and that’s why she digs out a hideous yellow and black puffy sleeved nightmare that forces her stylist to swallow down the bile and offer paid praise. Alexis takes one look at this red-carpet train wreck and calls it “elevated bee girl,” as if that’s supposed to be a compliment. On top of this yellow and black taffeta mess that was made for her back when Dynasty was setting fashion trends, Deborah is going to have to crash diet to be able to fit into the thing. It is all very ‘80s and high glam for the woman who can do no wrong, but is it the look she is going for or the inevitable laughs that dress will generate?

While Deborah is doing her best spoiled banana impression, Ava is in Los Angeles, living the life she dreamed of. She’s back with her TV superhero girlfriend, Ruby, and in her professional life, she’s found herself on the writing staff of a show called, “On the Contrary with Lewis Benton.” It’s an award-winning, critically acclaimed comedy that keeps her busy in between fender benders and panic attacks at the mere sight of her mentor/abuser/MILF/Boss selling Supreme sweatshirts on highway billboards! It is very clear Ava isn’t over their goodbye, and now her BMW—and the city bus she hit—are paying the price. Maybe an invitation to speak on a panel at the “Just for Laughs Awards” is just what she needs to forget about the woman who sent her to a year of therapy just to get over their breakup. Too bad she is out of the loop, or else she would know she is walking into a reunion she might not be ready for.

Rolling into the awards in their purple Lamborghini is the show’s other favorite duo Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter). After leaving Latitude to create their own management company– thanks to Kayla’s trust fund, the two are determined to make a name for themselves at the festival. Deborah’s success led Jimmy to sign Valerie Bettinelli, but if he doesn’t want to be known as the manager of the aging stars, he needs to fill his roster with fresh talent. After running into their former Latitude co-workers, who make them both question if leaving the agency was the right choice, they spot a new talent Clive Matthews (Matt Bush), a young comedian that everyone is talking about. It seems like Clive needs a manager, and Jimmy makes a pact with Kayla to sign him before the weekend is over. Kayla agrees to do whatever it takes to get that name on a contract—a promise that should terrify Jimmy now that she is rolling on “Big Lambo Energy.” Unfortunately, they miss Clive’s show, but they do manage to catch up with him at an afterparty and, shockingly, he almost immediately agrees to their offer. It’s too bad that “yes” was too good to be true because later the duo runs into the Latitude Bros who tell them their newly signed client only has three months to live. No wonder he was so desperate to find representation, he might be talented, but his money maker is on life support.

 The Reunion

At the festival, Ava is just happy she was invited. As a staff writer, she wasn’t originally on the list for panel speakers, but when her fellow coworker had to drop out, she filled in the spot. For her career, this festival is only a boost. We see her mingling at the after party with two other writers from her panel, Mirya (Dylan Gelula) and Logan (Jordan Gavaris). As the three chat about work, Ava catches a familiar whiff of Black Pashmina wafting off of Logan. When asked what cologne he is wearing, he says his boss demands he wear it whenever he’s in her presence, and right away, Ava knows who they’re working for. The emotions hit her like a punch in the gut when she figured out that these two people were her replacements. They’re the ones turning Deborah’s quirks into jokes, and probably deflecting those insults Ava seems to miss. She almost can’t breathe at the realization that not only did these two replace her, but that Deborah is actually somewhere in the hotel.

Her panic is on pause when she spots Jimmy, and immediately the two rattle off the same question. Why is she-you, here? Before either of them can really process this possible reunion, Ava spots Winnie Landell (Helen Hunt) across the room–she’s the head of Ava’s network, and Jimmy wants to meet her. Instantly, we find out that Landell is quite the character, as she stuffs her mouth with hors d’oeuvres and casually mentions the fact that she had an affair with Jimmy’s dad while the man was still married to his mother. Before she can leave to follow the plate of snacks, she invites Ava to a rooftop party, which is another chance for the young writer to network.

Unfortunately, that party on the roof is going to have to wait because when Ava yells for someone to hold the elevator, she steps inside to the reunion the fans have been waiting for. Deborah is shocked to see Ava and the two try to keep their composure while remaining cordial like any former co-workers would. The thing is, these two are more than coworkers, and the tension and hurt feelings over their last encounter makes the air in the elevator thick enough to choke them both. When the elevator reaches their floor they go their separate ways, but it’s only minutes later when there is a knock at Deborah’s door. It’s Ava and she is disappointed by that lackluster elevator small talk. Where were the insults about her new haircut and outfit, she wonders. “You’re not going to say I look like a little page boy or something?” and this gives Deborah the green light to dive back into their banter. “No, I just thought maybe you had put a child’s wig on backwards,” she responds, and we’re back to the ease with which these two bury each other in an avalanche of mutual insults that instantly heat up their chilly elevator reunion. The vibes only become more familiar when Ava spots the famous Tom Cruise celebrity cake delivery on Deborah’s hotel bar. It’s coconut, and anyone who is a who’s who in Hollywood has tasted that glorious dessert. Ava wants to know how good it is, but Deborah wouldn’t know, she’s dieting to fit into that dress. When Ava sees which offensive gown she is talking about, the Tom Cruise cake almost makes a vomitous reappearance. She is horrified by what she refers to as a dress that would make her look like Big Bird, and finally, there is the truth Deborah needed all along. She probably knows Ava is right, but she wants a second opinion since the gown is a one-of-a-kind Bill Blass circa Alexis Carrington 1988! Ava doesn’t know fashion, but a gay bellhop would, so Deborah hides in the bathroom while Ava asks the hotel employee for his honest opinion on the dress. Unsurprising—he hates it—until Deborah Vance comes tearing out of the bathroom yelling and all of a sudden, the bellhop changes his mind. The dress is horrible, but not on you, Ms. Celebrity Moneybags with the tips that can buy you any response you want. Deborah realizes Ava was right—the dress is outdated, and the only reason the stylist agreed was because she was on the payroll. Ava isn’t, and if she were, she would’ve never held her tongue around the boss—even if it meant the woman filed another lawsuit against her. From there, the Ava/Deb dynamic from the previous season just pours out of the two of them like the smooth gin in Deborah’s martini. Ava fills Deborah in on her life and great everything is, and Deborah does the same, but also admits her recent success has its downfalls—like audiences laughing before she ever tells a joke. Professionally, Deborah isn’t feeling creatively challenged, so when she asks for Ava’s friendly advice on the wording of a joke she is struggling with, she is surprised by the teary response she gets. “A friend doesn’t ignore someone’s texts for months,” Ava bites back. That goodbye—while it was for her own good, was made worse by Deborah cutting off all communication with her. Deborah calls it a clean break, but it almost destroyed her relationship with Ruby. The actress almost ended things with Ava over her Deborah obsession. It even sent the two to couple’s therapy! Instead, an apology, Deborah responds with insult humor—a comedian’s way of putting distance between their hearts and whatever is in danger of breaking them. The fact she can’t be real with Ava makes the young writer feel like her therapist was right; this mentor/tormentor relationship is not healthy. With coconut on her lips and the knowledge that Tom Cruise sends heavenly desserts, Ava bails on this reunion and heads up to the rooftop party she is very late for.

 That’s What Friends Are For

The next day at the “Changing the World with Laughter,” panel, Ava takes a question from the audience from a young, aspiring writer. The woman asks Ava for a little hope that all of her hard work will one day pay off, and at first, Ava gives her a nothing response—as she is still preoccupied with Deborah and her replacement on the stage. After thinking about what she went through with Deborah and where she is now, she returns to the young writer and offers her some advice. The work is hard and that never changes but she should enjoy the struggle, “’Cuz, you’ll miss it.” She misses struggling with Deborah and the look on her face says she realizes that as the other panelists drone on. If Ava had never met Deborah and all of the problematic and toxic borderline abusive situations the two of them were wrestled through, she would not be on that panel offering advice to a person who is where she was the year before. There is success in overcoming the hardships, and for Ava–Deborah was definitely hard. Hard to work with, hard to travel with, and hard to love. As Brandi Carlile’s tear-jerker, “The Story,” pumps through the final minutes of the episode, singing about a woman who’s walked through fire only to realize the burn was worth it to be with her soulmate, we can assume this is how Ava is feeling about her former boss. Regardless of how you see the relationship between these two women, one thing is certain: they’re creative soul mates who possess a keen understanding of who the other one is, and that’s something that neither of them have with anyone else on the show.

Right before Deborah heads out on stage to accept her award—not in the bee girl get up but in a green sequined suit, she gets a text from Ava with one word: toilet. It’s the answer to her question about which punchline she should go with, and the friendly advice fills her with confidence as she walks out on stage to the audience’s applause. After the award ceremony, we see Deborah delivering Tom Cruise’s cake to Ava’s hotel room, but when the maid answers and says the young woman has already checked out, the look on her face says it all; she missed her chance. After weeks of dieting to fit into a dress she never wore, she takes a finger swipe of Tom Cruise’s Coconut Delight, then tosses the cake in the trash and walks away from the hotel room with her head held high. Ava might never know the kind gesture of Deborah made with that cake, but now that the lines of communication are back open, it’s only a matter of time before these two are making the world laugh again, together as it should be.