‘Hacks’ Producers and Stars Dissect the Finale, Including That Twist Ending for Deborah and Ava

By Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider

Variety Editor at Large

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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the series finale of “Hacks,” now streaming on HBO Max.

Deborah Vance was never really going to die. But as “Hacks” said bon voyage with a series finale that took viewers to Paris and back, the series’ creators knew they needed to heighten the stakes with its lead characters one last time. And that came in the guise of a serious illness that threatens — but then ends up solidifying — the unbreakable bond between Deborah (Jean Smart) and her protégé, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), something that has been built up over the course of five seasons.

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