Hacks Season-Premiere Recap: We Can’t Work It Out

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In the wake of Baby’s First Blackmail incident, everyone seems a bit on edge. How are we all holding up? Mommy and Daddy appear to be at odds. Despite their matching power blazers that seem like a symbol of unity in colorful tones, there’s an undercurrent of conflict between them. Deborah brings her seasoned wisdom, while Ava believes she holds the upper hand. Adding to the mix, Ava sports a short, bold hairstyle, often referred to as a “fuck-ass bob.” (This season has been quite the bob-revival!) Their conversations are terse. The background music is intense. Can you sense the tension in the air? (Just joking: Hannah Einbinder has already addressed the fans who are rooting for Deborah and Ava to share a kiss.)

At the conclusion of the previous season, Deborah chose a man over Ava for the head-writer position on her late-night show despite his lack of experience (which was fair in terms of qualifications). Ava then coerced Deborah into giving her the job by revealing their past secret relationship with Bob Lipka, the CEO of the conglomerate that owns the network. This is a simplified and more conversational version of your original text.

It’s widely believed that Ava has gone too far. Jimmy is particularly shocked, not just because he was touched to see that Deborah had the kindness and humility to keep her faithful assistant on board. He cautions Ava that she’s playing a dangerous game with someone who once had someone taken off an organ transplant list. No one, according to him, can outmaneuver Deborah at her own strategy. To this, I respond: Well, have they ever tested their skills while sporting this hairstyle?

Deborah’s initial move in this conflict is to stage an embarrassing HR incident involving Ava and her torn underwear, which have holes in them. It seems like Deborah wants Ava to upgrade her lingerie to match the intensity of her hairstyle. I admire Deborah’s cunningness; she appears to be executing these moves single-handedly, perhaps to keep her secret identity hidden. The ingenuity and strategy she exhibits! I may not agree with her actions, but I must acknowledge the dedication. Given that this is a woman who has likely never acted alone since the Reagan era, it’s impressive to see what can be achieved when driven by unresolved personal issues and family traumas. Truly inspiring!

The “pantie prank” incident has bumped up everyone’s sexual harassment training to today. Led by Michaela Watkins, this meeting serves as an intriguing battleground for Ava and Deborah, testing the boundaries of their self-destructive alliance. The humor in this gathering is abundant, with jokes like “What if someone tells you their pronouns when you didn’t ask and don’t care.” Despite Deborah appearing to be the more vulnerable party, it’s Ava who exits the meeting, concerned that she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

In simpler terms, during a press conference following an event, Deborah failed to answer ageist and sexist questions humorously as planned by Ava, instead discarding Ava’s humorous responses. This unexpected move put Deborah in a favorable position, but the situation remains delicate. It’s surprising that such questions are still being asked in 2023, given that Christopher Hitchens passed away over a decade ago. However, it seems that Cici Heaumeaux, head of public relations, and Winnie (Helen Hunt) will be managing the fallout. Notably, Winnie is handling this situation while also needing to spend time bonding with her child as advised by the doctor.

Ava’s day spirals out of control as Deborah’s uncommon rudeness disrupts the rest of her workday. In a sneaky move, Deborah anonymously informs HR about Ava’s alleged drug use, forcing Ava to guzzle numerous Monster energy drinks in order to produce enough urine for a drug test. This situation becomes even more comical when the second can of Monster rolls towards Ava after she spills her first cup on her leg. To add insult to injury, Deborah poses as Ava’s assistant and organizes a dinner for the writing team at The Boiling Crab, hoping that Ava would have to consume shellfish if she could make it to the dinner at all. Despite catching a ride on the lot tour shuttle, Ava ultimately fails to attend the dinner.

Why do people always leave me once I achieve what I want?” For a woman who values vanity, Deborah doesn’t spend enough time reflecting on herself in the mirror.

In this situation, everyone is mentally prepared for an elegant gathering at your manager’s residence, where Jimmy (Tony Goldwyn) and his wife are expected, along with a few other guests, such as “key press.” The question arises: Will we maintain our best manners? Could Kayla still share the story about the Lenny Kravitz video despite Jimmy specifically asking her not to? Additionally, Bob subtly reminds us that Jimmy is a product of nepotism, this time by recalling that Jimmy’s father was concerned he only socialized with girls.

Deborah’s party attire is stunning, especially that coat which perfectly suits day-off Mikey Madison. However, Ava appears in a T-shirt and jeans that unfortunately seem to have a whiff of urine. Despite this, she carries on networking with the hostess and even manages to be seen conversing with Bob’s wife by Deborah.

Due to my focus on eavesdropping and understanding the dynamics, I am redirecting the enthusiasm I might have shown for Ava and Deborah’s kiss (which, let me tell you, they probably shouldn’t engage in) towards hoping for an unexpected reunion between Deborah and Bob. Despite his casual chatter about open marriages and submitting to female authority, there’s no denying that Bob gives off a certain vibe. Later, he seems to play a trick on Deborah by hinting at a secret they must keep, leaving us wondering if he could be a villain. However, I can’t ignore the undeniable chemistry between them!

Deborah and Ava engage in a heated dispute, likely not the last one they’ll have. In this instance, to conclude this specific altercation, Ava reveals an email she drafted to a contact at “The New Yorker” (and if I recall that episode correctly, ‘friend’ might not be the term Ava would use for her associate, given her role as a reporter, chuckles). This moment is quite amusing with Ava demonstrating her ability to send and retract an email; Deborah is astonished. “You can’t unsend an email!” Ava retorts playfully. “You still use Hotmail.

Ava insists that Deborah acknowledges her as the winner. Just then, Jimmy shows up to caution them both, having learned from his parents’ divorce that he must act as a mediator to maintain their distance. Coincidentally, Cici and Winnie appear, sharing they’ve found an excellent concept for The New York Times Magazine cover story on Deborah: It focuses on the creative partnership between Deborah and Ava.

Beneath the glaring photographic illumination, the women argue, one saying, “You don’t seem to have a good angle,” while another retorts, “At least I still possess some collagen!” Despite Deborah’s tendency to be unkind, Ava appears stunning. There’s an air of Britney Spears in Robert Palmer’s Pepsi commercial about her. Deborah acknowledges Ava’s victory and the pain it caused her. Although Ava hasn’t explicitly said so, I believe Deborah’s words offer validation to Ava, letting her know that she was noticed and that her actions were felt. As a final remark, Deborah threatens, “As soon as this show concludes, I will never speak to you again.

Then, just to play a prank, the photographer asked them to press their cheeks tightly against each other, really close. A bit more. Even closer. That’s it perfectly! 🙂

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2025-04-11 06:09