Episode 4×01 – Big, Brave Girl
The queens of comedy are back, and they’re more evil and vicious than ever—trading jabs like it’s a blood sport and swearing more than I thought was allowed, even on cable TV or streaming. They throw around words like “cunt,” “whore,” and “Judas,” often shocking the audience with the raw intensity of their unresolved anger.
Season 4 picks up right where we left off: Ava has just blackmailed Deborah into making her head writer, beating the grand dame of comedy at her own game. Enraged, as only Deborah can be, she vents her fury by demolishing her kitchen with a sledgehammer. Admittedly, she was planning to renovate anyway, so really, she was just doing the construction crew a favor.
I was genuinely surprised by how unprepared, shocked, and humiliated Ava was when Rob, the showrunner, confronts her with an envelope he’s received containing her own used panties. Clearly, a “gift” from Deborah, sent in Ava’s name to get her in trouble. This scene raises several questions: Was Ava really that naïve and truly didn’t expect Deborah to strike back? And how did Deborah even get her hands on Ava’s underwear?
Given Ava’s chaotic life, it’s entirely plausible that her days-old panties had been stuck in the leg of her trousers and fallen out unnoticed at some point. But still, why didn’t Deborah burn them on the spot? Was she holding onto them in anticipation of a moment like this? A possible answer comes a few scenes later, when Ava reveals that Deborah had donated all her clothes to Goodwill. So, did she have someone raid Ava’s hotel room? Wouldn’t put it past her.
After the underwear incident, we cut straight to a mandatory sexual harassment training for the cast and crew, where Ava and Deborah take turns asking “hypothetical” questions, each one more absurd than the last, and clearly rooted in their personal history. Ava wonders whether slapping an employee or engaging in insider trading might be considered a problem. Deborah follows with questions about whether taking nudes at work is encouraged, or if she can fire someone for free bleeding in the workplace.
| “Big, Brave Girl” – HACKS. Pictured: Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder. Photo: Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
While Ava is doing her best to be as cutthroat as Deborah taught her to be – and for the most part, she holds her own – she still falters now and then, as Deborah has a way of getting under her skin and chipping away at her confidence. With decades of experience, the comedian is better at playing the cold-hearted bitch, but even she has a fleeting moment where you can tell she’s wondering if it’s really all worth it. Like when Marcus finally tells her he’s leaving. Once again, she’s outraged. Hurt. When he assures her that by selling DV Industries to QVC they’ll be making a ton of money, she makes it painfully clear that she couldn’t care less about the finances. It’s about loyalty. There are actual tears in her eyes when she asks, “How is it that everyone leaves me as soon as I get what I want?” Gee, I don’t know, Deborah… but it might have something to do with your willingness to betray everyone to get to your ultimate goal.
Marcus’ news hit her hard, and for a brief second I genuinely wondered whether this was the crack in the armor that might finally break her. Ava, once her most trusted ally, has revealed herself as a Ginger Judas and now Marcus is preparing to walk away as well. But of course, Deborah pulls herself together quickly, rebuilding her emotional walls like a seasoned pro.
Luckily, the episode makes up for it when Deborah and Ava face off at the same party, tearing into each other like seasoned prizefighters. Things escalate quickly when Deborah violently grabs Ava’s arm, leaving nail marks, and Ava demands that she admit the truth: Ava beat her at her own game. For a moment, Deborah is actually startled, almost scared, by how furious Ava is. But she doesn’t give her the satisfaction of admitting defeat, let alone say the words “you won” out loud.
So, Ava (once again) sends a pre-drafted email to a journalist, spilling the beans about her one-night stand with Lipka. Then she unsends the message, just to mess with Deborah. The comedian claims that emails can’t be unsent. Ava replies that she simply doesn’t know how to do it, reminding Deborah how clueless she is about technology, another subtle jab at her age. As their fight grows louder and heads start to turn, Jimmy jumps in and urges them to steer clear of each other for a while. But Winnie, the network executive, has other plans.
Earlier in the episode, Deborah hijacked a press conference, got defensive about her age, and declared she’s NOT a woman, but a comedian. Naturally, some damage control is needed. A New York Times Magazine profile offers a chance to clean things up. The catch? Winnie and the head of publicity want the profile to feature not just Deborah, but also Ava, her female writer she once claimed was lifting her up.
So, by the end of the episode, the two feuding women are forced into a photo shoot, pretending to be thrilled, pretending to like each other, while quietly hurling fresh insults under their breath.
Then, suddenly, a moment of truth breaks through:
They are both visibly hurt.
Ava: “You broke mine first.”
Deborah: “You know, I hope this show is very successful and it goes for many, many years. But the second it’s done, I’ll never speak to you again.”
Ava: “Good.”
And just like that, the photographer cheerfully announces he needs a shot of them cheek to cheek. So, they do what they do best: They smile. And fake it.
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| “Big, Brave Girl” – HACKS. Pictured: Hannah Einbinder & Jean Smart. Photo: Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Episode 4×02 Cover Girls
Episode two continues with Ava and Deborah still at each other’s throats, bickering over which writers to hire and taking every possible opportunity to throw shade.
When they’re caught on camera arguing outside a comedy club, Winnie decides she’s had enough. She invites both women to her house for dinner and lays it out: Late night is in trouble. The show must be a hit, and there are no second chances. She wants them to fix whatever their problem is – fast.
As they’re leaving Winnie’s house, Deborah suddenly softens. She turns to Ava, reaches out, and hugs her. It’s oddly tender, and Ava, clearly caught off guard, is visibly affected. For a moment, it almost feels like things might be turning around. But then Deborah whispers, “Smile. We’re on camera.” Ava looks up, right into Winnie’s security camera. It was all for show. A performance. Classic Vance.
What’s especially interesting in this episode is that we finally get some insight into why Deborah doesn’t want Ava as her head writer. She wants to appeal to everyone – the so-called “common people.” Ava’s political correctness and progressive leanings make her “too niche”. Deborah claims that’s why she changed her mind. Which also implies she actually meant it when she offered Ava the job in the first place. It wasn’t just some manipulation tactic, she had actually considered it.
Later, Deborah invites Marcus to talk. She’s calmed down significantly, signaling that maybe things are settling down across the board, even with Ava. Deborah offers Marcus the role of executive producer, trying to keep him close. But he turns her down. She says she needs people around she can trust. Marcus points out that she already has one: Ava. Deborah insists that the young writer is in over her head. This is too big for her. But Marcus reminds her that when he started working for Deborah, he was even younger than Ava, and just as clueless, if not more.
Marcus: “You gotta dance with the one that brought you.”
And he’s right. If this show is going to succeed, Deborah and Ava need to stop playing games and start functioning like actual collaborators. Or, at the very least, stop sabotaging each other in front of cameras.
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| “Cover Girls” – HACKS. Pictured: Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder. Photo: Max ©2025 HBO Max, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Deborah proposes a truce. Ava agrees.
And just like that, the old dynamic is back. Co-dependent, chaotic, and deeply dysfunctional… but somehow, it works.
With writing as finely honed as a scalpel, performances that cut deep, and a rhythm that never misses a beat, Hacks proves it’s still at the top of its game – if not sharper than ever.
What was your favorite moment from the premiere? And more importantly, do you think these two will survive the season without drawing actual blood? Let us know in the comments below!
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