Ann Dowd and Jean Smart in 'Hacks' Season 5, Episode 2.

Photograph by Courtesy of HBO Max

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The funniest sequence in the latest episode of Hacks begins with a classic rug pull. Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), arriving fashionably — and characteristically — late to a meet-and-greet for her most obsessive fans, breezes into the room only to face a sea of dead-eyed weirdos who appear to have her in their crosshairs.

The legendary comic, currently clawing her way back to the top, is in dire need of support as she attempts to land a career-defining solo gig at Madison Square Garden. But her fans, affectionately known as “The Little Debbies,” are livid over her recent absence. They’ve spent years watching from the sidelines while Deborah sparred with her Millennial writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder). This season, Ava finally slides into the position the series has seemingly been grooming her for since the pilot — and in typical overachiever fashion, she’s arrived there ahead of schedule.

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The Little Debbies’ list of grievances for the Deborah they feel has “gone Hollywood” is as specific as it is absurd. The “Deborah’s Do’s and Don’ts” list hasn’t been updated in almost two years, leaving one man paralyzed with indecision (“Sometimes I just sit in the dark”). Deborah has apparently discontinued her branded car insurance plan, leaving another fan uninsured. Most dangerously, she’s pulled the Deborah Vance Red Light Mask from shelves — much to the chagrin of a woman who didn’t mind the skin damage (“I like the burns. It eventually turns tan”). Finally, there is the rumor gaining traction among the base: Deborah is, according to some, a lizard-person.

In this exploration of fandom and fidelity, Hacks finally leans into the reality hinted at in the season premiere: the Deborah-Ava feud is officially over. While the series was defined by dark backstabbing and sharp insults regarding bodies, hairstyles, and generational divides, there is only so much mileage left in that odd-couple friction. The show has slowly but surely transformed these two into best friends. The giggles and hugs that close the episode feel like a genuine release of joy from both the writers and the actors, relishing a fresh dynamic. At last, they’re besties.

Einbinder touched on this shift while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the season five premiere.

“There were some ‘Ava mafioso’ moves,” Einbinder said, referencing her character’s dark ultimatum in the season three finale, after discovering her boss slept with a studio executive. “When she was doing her blackmail… I was like, Jesus Christ. But from that point on, in seasons four and five, it’s really been about being steady and solid and working toward this goal again with Deborah.”

Of course, with Hacks, “solid” is a relative term. The show has a penchant for curveballs born out of impossible situations, and things may currently feel a little too cozy between the former adversaries. For now, we’re treated to Deborah throwing Ava a surprisingly thoughtful 30th birthday party — mostly to prove, as Ava immediately clocks, that she actually has friends. It all builds to a triumphant ending: Deborah lands the MSG gig, though it’s scheduled for the loaded date of September 11th.

It’s too early to predict exactly how Hacks will stick the landing, but the stakes are clear and the trajectory is set. The only remaining question is how many twists are left on the road to the Garden — and, of course, whether or not Deborah Vance actually has scales.

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