Hacks Recap: You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love

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I generally agree with Ava in her disagreements with Deborah, but I really related to Deborah’s recent panic. She had a terrible nightmare about being on stage unprepared, and realized she was stressed because she didn’t have an outfit for her Madison Square Garden show. It was a total fashion crisis! How can you feel confident and perform well if you don’t have the right clothes?

Ava was already having a terrible night, unable to go back to sleep after Deborah’s outburst. Things went from bad to worse when she was hit by a self-driving car! Seriously, another one of my bad dreams come true. The urgent care center diagnosed a small fracture and told her she needed a ride home. Deborah claimed she was at a wellness retreat in Arizona, but Ava discovered that was a lie when Merrill Markoe called to say she’d seen Deborah running a red light in Beverly Hills. Confused and upset by Deborah’s dishonesty, Ava managed to get home, hoping she didn’t rely on another self-driving vehicle to do so, even while feeling groggy from her pain medication.

Deborah is getting a psychic reading from Diana to help her choose an outfit for a show at Madison Square Garden, and it’s brilliant! The tarot cards point her towards vintage styles. Diana envisions Deborah in a white, sparkling slacks suit, looking angelic. They both realize the outfit is inspired by a legendary look: the one Carol Burnett wore on her final show, designed by Bob Mackie! Deborah even has Bob Mackie’s contact information, but he refuses to help, fearing it would lead to endless requests. Unfortunately, the jumpsuit she wants was auctioned off and won by Kelly Killpatrick, who deeply dislikes Deborah because of past homophobic behavior when Kelly came out.

Deborah’s tried this before – she’s used charm offensives and even set up a dedicated ‘apology station’ at Spagos. But her attempts to make amends fall flat, and it’s clear Kelly only accepted lunch to get back at her for past behavior. Things get complicated when Ava arrives, first by enthusiastically praising Kelly as a queer icon, and then by accidentally acting like Deborah’s partner, leading Kelly to believe Deborah is gay! This quickly results in an invitation for both of them to spend a weekend in Montecito – known as a luxurious coastal retreat and home to Meghan Markle’s American Riviera Orchard – with Kelly and her wife. It seems Deborah is willing to do anything for the sake of fashion!

Continuing the pattern of dishonesty towards someone she’s supposedly close to, Deborah tricks Ava into going on this trip. I was surprised by how quickly Ava embraced the plan and cleverly turned the tables on her normally powerful boss, using the situation to her advantage. I especially enjoyed how Deborah revealed the truth at the very last moment. Before Ava can even object, Monica (played by Leslie Bibb – a fun connection to other stories I’ve covered!) arrives with a beaming smile.

It’s funny because Deborah is pretending her made-up relationship with Ava is exclusive, and she’s actually getting jealous about Ava talking to Monica! She’s so possessive, even though admitting the relationship isn’t real would make things easier. Meanwhile, Ava still doesn’t realize Deborah is broke and only asks for a thousand dollars to keep up the charade. I thought maybe they’d fall into the cliché of having to share a single bed, but instead, Ava gets told to sleep in the bathtub!

After sending her assistant to time-out (literally, in a tub!), Deborah realizes she’s completely lost control. Ava playfully pushes things way too far, even reimagining their first meeting as a romantic moment, which leads to them unexpectedly kissing on the couch. I wasn’t personally hoping for this kiss, but I know many of you were, and it’s great that the show delivered!

Initially, I suspected Monica was intentionally provoking Ava, trying to make her crack. However, it became clear Monica is simply playful, very attracted to redheads, and enjoys having a good time. Meanwhile, Deborah holds such old-fashioned views on sexuality that she can’t even convincingly pretend to be gay. As the night progresses – with everyone getting naked and jumping into the hot tub – and Ava deliberately antagonizes Deborah (sharing explicit details about their fabricated intimacy and openly flirting with Monica), Deborah becomes increasingly frustrated. When they’re finally alone, Deborah confronts Ava, but Ava fires back, accusing Deborah of being dishonest.

Despite everyone telling them not to, they keep going to bed while still fighting. Honestly, the whole sleeping-in-the-tub thing seems so over the top! Why can’t they just share the bed like normal people? Though, let’s be real, Deborah usually sleeps with two dogs anyway! Predictably, Ava ends up awake in the middle of the night and finds Monica sensually snacking on strawberries and cream. Ava, seriously, just get together with Monica! Your relationship with Deborah is fake. Live your life! But just as Ava seems like she might listen, Deborah walks in. Ugh!

Deborah and Ava had a loud argument in their room about pretending to be a couple, but Monica and Kelly walked in on them. Concerned for Ava’s safety, Kelly subtly asked her to signal if she was okay. Kelly then pressed for details about how Ava broke her arm, questioning the unusual story she’d been given. Despite the intense argument, Monica and Kelly didn’t realize Deborah and Ava weren’t actually a couple – their chaotic relationship just seemed like typical couple’s drama. The hosts suggested they discuss it again in the morning when they were calmer. At least the argument gave Ava an excuse to get out of the bath and go to bed.

Do really close friendships sometimes have a hint of romance, similar to how romantic couples are ideally also best friends? Kelly’s advice to Ava after their emotional night is surprisingly relevant, even though Kelly doesn’t fully understand the situation. Kelly correctly points out that Ava is still hurt by Deborah’s past actions, and her tendency to overshare stems from this lack of trust. Kelly advises that loving someone means accepting their differences, and while she adds a comment about intimacy, her core message feels spot-on for Ava and Deborah’s relationship.

Ava locates Deborah and apologizes for pressing her about the lie. Deborah confesses she lied because she was getting medical treatment and didn’t want to worry Ava. I’m starting to feel overly sentimental as we near the end of the story. I used to think Deborah wouldn’t open up to anyone, seeing vulnerability as weakness. But this moment really touched me!

Following Hilary Duff’s advice, Ava and Deborah decide to be honest with each other. Unfortunately, this honesty leads to them breaking up, and likely ends any chance of Ava and Monica becoming intimate – a double blow considering Ava already has a broken arm! Dejected, Deborah confesses to Kelly that she pretended to be someone she wasn’t just to get a Carol Burnett jumpsuit, claiming her psychic advised her to do so. Surprisingly, Kelly and Monica don’t believe Deborah is truly straight, convinced there’s still something going on between her and Ava. At least one good thing comes of it all: Deborah gets to keep the jumpsuit.

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2026-05-08 06:56