‘Hacks’ Creators Tease “Satisfying” Final Season, Possibly More After That

by

Hacks is a fantastic comedy series on HBO. It follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a cynical comedian who gets a career boost when she starts working with a young writer, Hannah Einbinder. While it hasn’t been a massive ratings hit, the show has a dedicated and enthusiastic following, especially among critics and industry professionals. It’s received numerous Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and several wins for Jean Smart as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

The fourth season continued to be sharp and bold, but ended with a shocking twist: a newspaper mistakenly published Deborah’s obituary. Even more upsetting, the article claimed she was retired and responsible for the decline of late-night comedy. Determined to reclaim her career and legacy, she decides to return home and revitalize her show.

Everything suggests that season 5 will be the final season, a notion supported by comments from creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs during an interview with Deadline at the DGA Awards. Aniello revealed they originally presented the show with its final scene already planned, stating, “We pitched this show initially with the last scene in the pitch… It is still the same.” They’ve been working towards this ending for a long time and hope viewers will find it fulfilling. Downs added that season 5 will bring many storylines and character arcs to a satisfying conclusion, with “a lot of things [coming] full-circle.”

I’m a huge Hacks fan, and honestly, everyone involved seems to really want the show to keep going! The showrunner, Downs, even said that nobody – not even Jean Smart – wants this to be the last season. They’re not confirming or denying anything officially, which is driving us fans crazy, but it definitely sounds like there’s a chance we might get more! They’re making it tough to call this the final season, which is a really good sign, if you ask me.

‘Hacks’ Could Become the New ‘Community,’ for Better or Worse


The Playlist

It’s often difficult to know how much of what these comedians say is a joke, but Brett Downs – who plays Jimmy, Deborah’s manager on the show – mentioned that the only change to their initial plan is a desire to extend the storyline. They want to give the show more time to develop before reaching the ending. He jokingly suggested the show could last “five and a half seasons, at least.”

Aniello and Downs playfully suggested they could continue the show for five seasons and then make a movie, a nod to the running joke among fans of the sitcom Community about wanting ‘six seasons and a movie.’ They also mentioned the possibility of following the example set by Sex and the City, which continued with several movies after its original run ended in 2003. Downs explained they’d be happy to explore that option, saying, “we love living with these characters.”

MovieWeb Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Immerse yourself in the cinematic universe with the latest movie news, reviews, and exclusive content from MovieWeb.

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our
Terms of Use
and
Privacy Policy
. You can unsubscribe anytime.

I’m so excited to hear that Hacks is coming back for a fifth season! HBO gave the green light right before the season 4 finale in May 2024, which is fantastic news. They’ve been pretty consistent with releasing new seasons yearly, though we had a bit of a wait between seasons 2 and 3 since they skipped 2023. I’m really hoping season 5 arrives quickly, and then maybe, just maybe, we’ll get that movie we’re all dreaming of!

Read More

2026-02-08 23:02