‘Hacks’ Season 5 Finale Recap: Deborah reveals heartbreaking news as Ava joins her on one last trip
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder took their final bow as comedian Deborah Vance and comedy writer Ava Daniels, respectively, when 'Hacks' aired its series finale on May 28. The award-winning comedy series bid an emotional farewell to the two women who evolved from enemies to friends and confidants over the course of five seasons. The self-titled finale is directed by Lucia Aniello, who also co-wrote the script with Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky.
At the start of Episode 10, Ava is seen shooting the pilot of 'Who's Making Dinner?' (the reboot of Deborah's 1970s sitcom). Initially based on a group of Gen Z roommates living under one roof, Ava changes the script to focus on two women, whose journey reflects her dynamic with Deborah. Meanwhile, her best friend basks in the success of her latest career high as Deborah becomes the first comedian to perform at New York's Central Park in front of 30,000 fans. Content with her career, she decides to come clean about her cancer diagnosis while having lunch with Ava, and informs her that she plans to get legally euthanized after returning from their Paris trip.
After closing their agency, Schaeffer & LuSaque, Jimmy and Kayla join Latitude, owned by Kayla's father, Michael Schaeffer. He offers Kayla and Randi (Robby Hoffman) good positions at his firm, but relegates Jimmy to the mailroom as revenge. But Jimmy's fortune changes when he discovers that Michael has been selling his clients' personal information, including their voices and likenesses, to AI companies. He uses this information to force him to step down as the head of the agency. Michael is left with no choice but to hand over Latitude to Jimmy and Kayla. Jimmy ends the series sitting in the same office that he worked from in Season 1, and Kayla also gets back to her old desk by Jimmy's side after leaving her massive corner office.
Deborah later asks Ava to join her at a clinic in Zurich to end her life. Ava tries her best to convince her friend not to go ahead with her plan. Nevertheless, both women have a great time on their trip, where they drive a stick shift, enjoy high-end meals, shopping, and clubbing. When Ava's attempts to persuade her friend fail, she agrees to join her in Zurich and help out during her final moments. But Deborah changes her mind before hopping onto the train, and informs Ava of her decision to perform one last comedy special before her time is up. "I may not have 30 years, but I think I have another hour," she tells Ava before asking her to help write a script. The two share an emotional hug before returning to Las Vegas, where Deborah starts chemotherapy. The two women then get back to doing what they do best, writing jokes together. Viewers can stream all five seasons of the award-winning comedy on HBO Max.
