Hacks Recap: A Nerd Being a Loser

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Construction at The Diva is happening, but there are a few problems that will likely cost around $20 million to fix. It’s been suggested that a significant amount of money could be saved if Deborah didn’t insist on a large statue of herself at the entrance – complete with a mirrored base that she believes will become a popular photo spot. However, compared to the expense of replacing the entire heating and cooling system, the statue doesn’t seem like the biggest issue. To help cover the costs, Marcus proposes booking a well-known comedian to generate ticket sales, while Deborah is looking for an external investor.

Deborah tasks Jimmy and Kayla with finding a headlining act, claiming she’s retired from that part of the business. They set their sights on Bruno Fox—a podcaster, comedian, and someone who appears in Travelocity commercials—but run into a problem: he’s represented by the same firm as Kayla’s father, a place known for its unpleasant work environment. The representatives are intentionally difficult during their meeting, but Jimmy and Kayla refuse to give up and decide to approach Bruno directly with an offer.

It’s pretty obvious right away that Bruno struggles with alcohol, but Jimmy and Kayla decide to give him a chance, helped along by Kayla singing songs by Nelly Furtado. Fueled by tequila and a little bit of cocaine, Bruno agrees to a performance residency and wants Jimmy and Kayla to stay and party with him another night. While there are clear warning signs on the first night—Bruno’s heavy drinking and Kayla’s constant itching—that something is seriously wrong, Jimmy and Kayla don’t realize just how bad things will become. Honestly, I didn’t see it coming either!

Things escalate quickly on the second night after the group decides to play a risky game where everyone reveals their worst past actions, fueled by Long Island Iced Teas. Jimmy’s confession is relatively harmless – a minor scam involving free makeup samples. Kayla’s story is shocking – she admits to sabotaging her father’s condoms, resulting in a half-brother from an affair. But nothing compares to Bruno’s drunken revelation that he was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident years ago and never confessed. He’d hoped it would be like a situation from I Know What You Did Last Summer, where the victim survives, but this person actually died. Overwhelmed with guilt, Bruno finally decides he needs to turn himself in, and Jimmy urges him to call 911. The scene culminates in a perfectly delivered line by Meg Stalter as Kayla: “I’m Kayla Schaffer, and I’m reporting a murder that my friend did.”

While the murder was disturbing, what really bothered me in this episode was when Jimmy woke up to find bedbugs in the hotel. As someone who’s dealt with bedbugs before, it was incredibly upsetting and I think the episode should have included more warnings! If you’ve been through this, you’ll understand, and you’re not the only one. On a completely different note, another thing that really bothers me is artificial intelligence.

Given the messed-up world we’re living in, Deborah figures the kind of wealthy person she needs is probably a stereotypical, arrogant tech guy. While sampling food at a restaurant owned by Marty (whose chef Deborah might steal if necessary), Marcus shares that Graham Sweeney (played by Alex Moffat) wants to meet with both Deborah and Ava. Ava immediately jumps to the conclusion this is like the movie Indecent Proposal. (By the way, one of the funniest moments of the show was Deborah’s deadpan response to Ava mentioning that cold plunges help Joe Rogan: “Help him do what?”)

Ava made a striking entrance to the meeting, sporting a very 1980s look with big hair and a tight dress. She was less than thrilled to find the man she was meeting dressed casually in a fleece vest. Graham, who made his fortune in a surprisingly ordinary business – improving hospital supply chains – is now launching a new AI writing tool called QuikScribbl. He’s currently gathering data for the model online, and hopes to eventually pay voice actress Deborah for her contributions. Deborah is impressed, while Ava is completely horrified.

I’m definitely not a fan of AI – I’ve been known to completely derail conversations when people brag about using it for even the simplest tasks, and I always will be! So, naturally, I was rooting for Ava in this episode. While it sometimes felt like the show was just giving us a lecture about the dangers of AI, I actually enjoyed it. It was incredibly satisfying to hear Ava and Deborah, who often disagree, passionately argue against it. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend Hannah Einbender’s hilarious takedown of AI creators!

Deborah and Ava have a heated argument. Ava confronts Graham, criticizing the idea that AI is unstoppable – a claim she feels is made by those pushing it on everyone. The next morning, Ava is so preoccupied with researching the ethical concerns of AI – which she describes as deeply problematic – that she avoids working with Deborah. I appreciate that Deborah remains blunt and assertive, even while showing affection for Ava. Lines like “You want me to cover up what my nail technician does?” and “I sold my palm oil farm, can’t I just enjoy this?” really capture her personality.

Deborah believes that being virtuous guarantees job security, but this idea has a couple of flaws. First, it assumes those in charge actually know what constitutes good work and can distinguish it from poor quality – or even care. Second, it overlooks the fact that becoming skilled requires practice, which is impossible when AI handles all entry-level positions. Ava rightly calls this a disastrous shift that will ruin society and threatens to sue Deborah if her work is used. Ava’s mentor taught her that you can pursue legal action even without a strong legal basis. A truly American approach!

Deborah was fine with abandoning Ava’s work, but Graham unintentionally convinced her to reconsider by casually suggesting she could use his AI to create her own content. This forced her to explain to him – someone she clearly doesn’t respect – that the value of creating something lies in the process itself, and trying to streamline it is pointless and offensive. It reminded her of TV creator David Simon, who said he’d rather die than use AI for creative ideas. Deborah then realized she actually sided with Ava. She was surprised Ava hadn’t brought up this point earlier, especially since Deborah isn’t passionately committed to environmental causes. There was a funny moment where Deborah sarcastically suggested Graham use his technology for something worthwhile, like finding a cancer cure, and he responded with exasperation, as if the topic was tiresome.

Deborah, a strong supporter of art and artists (and she considers even her joke about laser hair removal a form of art, so she doesn’t care if people think she’s being pretentious), has withdrawn from the deal. That’s fantastic! Ava is thrilled, though Deborah insists her decision wasn’t influenced by Ava’s points about environmental or ethical concerns. Deborah claims it was simply because she doesn’t appreciate being one-upped by someone she considers a ‘nerd’ and a ‘loser’.

After finally getting some distance from the bedbug scare, Sassafras is ready to face Jimmy and Kayla. They’re wearing clothes from a teen store – they had to replace everything after a drunken panic about bedbugs. When they get to the airport parking lot, they find Kayla’s car being towed… by her dad! He tries to insult them, saying they look like two Hannah Montanas, but Jimmy quickly points out that Hannah Montana was actually two people. The bigger problem is that Kayla’s dad knows about Bruno’s hit-and-run and is furious that Kayla didn’t use it to her advantage. He’s disappointed in the person she’s become and tells her she’s lost her trust fund, her office, and even her Porsche.

Deborah is completely changing The Diva! She’s significantly scaling down her plans – even selling the statue – and moving away from a large theater. Her new vision is a small, classic comedy club where new comedians can develop their skills. It’s funny to think this great idea came from an argument with someone she found irritating! It just goes to show, inspiration can strike from anywhere, especially if you rely on your own unique thinking instead of artificial intelligence!

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2026-05-08 04:55