Will Hacks season 5 really end the show? Here are the latest updates

Is 'Hacks' season 5 really going to end the entire series?

Since season 1 of Hacks premiered in 2021, Aniello, Downs, and Statsky have insisted that the hit comedy series would end on its fifth season, just as it was pitched to HBO and other networks when they were originally shopping it around. The group maintained their five-season game plan in interviews with The New York Times, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter after seasons 2 and 3. And even last year, after the show’s triumphant season 4 came to an electrifying close, they didn’t seem to be questioning their original approach.

"We pitched five seasons. Even in the pitch of the whole series, we pitched the very last scene, the finale," Aniello told Fast Company, recalling the origin story of Hacks. "Suzanna Makkos, who bought the show [for WarnerMedia], stopped us before we got there. She was like, 'You don't have to pitch anymore. I'm going to buy the show.'"

Even when the stars of Hacks were asked about the matter, the answer never changed: Season 5 would be the end of the deliciously dry series, as far as they knew.

Ahead of last year’s Emmys ceremony, where she won outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, Einbinder told E! News: "We’re going to start [filming] next week, and knowing it’s the last season is really bittersweet… But I think it’s right. It’s nice to do something as many times as it should be done [and] not over stay your welcome. Rip it and do it and laugh and cry."

Fans still held out hope that season 5 wouldn’t be the end, latching onto showrunners’ comments about the difficulty of saying everything there was left to say in a 10-episode closing run. But on March 23, HBO released a statement announcing that Hacks would return for its fifth and final season on April 9, with the ultimate episode of the show airing on May 28.

What is the release date for season 5 of 'Hacks'?

While announcing that Hacks would come to a close with season 5, HBO also revealed that the first episode of the new chapter — which follows Deborah and Ava losing their late-night show and being exiled to Thailand to wait out the veteran performer’s noncompete in season 4 — would air on April 9. Following the premiere, the 10-episode season will release new installments weekly, with two new episodes airing on April 30 and May 7. The final episode of the season, and the series, will then air on May 28.

The season will pick up after Deborah learns that it’s been reported — and not in the most flattering terms — that she’s died and resolves to return home to make a brilliant comeback with Ava in tow. As shown in the trailer for the season, which was released in tandem with news of the series coming to a close, the unlikely comedy duo is more resolved than ever to hack it out in the unforgiving world of comedy, even if it actually kills one or both of them.

What can fans expect from 'Hacks' season 5?

Fans who are theorizing and speculating over what's next on Hacks season 5 could also take some cues from how things ended in season 4, it seems.

"Deborah is in this process of mourning the loss of her dream," Downs told TheWrap. "For her ultimate story — your obituary — to be written with your biggest loss first is just too much for her to bear. It was like rocket fuel to motivate her into a very different fifth season."

Statsky added, "She will not let this be the way that she's remembered. She will not let her biggest loss, the loss of this show — even though it was a moral and emotional victory — define her."

The season 4 finale is also revealing when it comes to how Ava will move her story forward on Hacks.

"[Ava] has unwavering belief in the work that she and Deborah do together, the power and strength of it, and the fact that they are better together than apart," Statsky told TheWrap. "Ava has really grown…to understand that [this] is what she wants to be spending her time doing. I think, first and foremost, she will always want to take advantage of this really unique, special, kismet connection that they have."

While discussing the future of the two leading women of Hacks in the upcoming fifth season, Aniello told TVLine that "Deborah and Ava are quite bonded" at this point.

She elaborated, "Obviously, they had that conversation on the boat. But Deborah doesn't say 'I have some rewriting to do.' She says, 'We have some rewriting to do.'" As such, Aniello doesn't believe that Deborah and Ava would "return immediately to that friction."

Downs agreed, "After that slippery slope, after what happens in that episode… Yeah, they're pretty ride or die."

"But in terms of what else is left to conquer," Aniello mused, "I think part of the journey is figuring out what exactly, what kind of legacy you want to leave behind, and how do you get that, and then what are the obstacles for getting that?"

She went on, "As an artist, it's a really interesting thing — especially for Deborah, because she has a certain career. And, in terms of who defines it, she's always had her career defined by other people. This is her opportunity to define it on her own terms. And how she does that, we think, will be really fun."

A fun fact revealed in the Gold Derby story is that episode 9 ("A Slippery Slope") was the original season 4 finale — which meant that episode 10 ("Heaven") was initially conceived as the first episode of season 5.

"We've actually had the idea for the obituary leaking and this misprint since season 1," Downs explained when asked by Gold Derby about that change. "We were always looking for the right place to have that be sort of rocket fuel for the character — it's almost like a near-death experience, you know? We'd really wake them up. And we were like, 'Oh, it's so much more fun to just do that now, so we can hit the ground running in season 5.'"

What's next for Marcus on 'Hacks' season 5?

The TVLine interview noted that Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) wasn't as present in "Deborah's world" in the past two seasons, and then asked the showrunners what fans can expect from the character going forward.

"He's in the finale quite a bit, and I think that is because his story is not done," Aniello replied. "Re-incorporating him into that finale was a conscious choice."

Downs added, "We've always tried to keep it true to life. We've talked about like, 'Oh, how could Marcus factor into the late-night show?' But it isn't really what he does or wants to do, so it didn't feel right for the character. It almost felt unfair to do that to the character."

"So now that we're not in the late night offices and making that show," Downs went on, "there's obviously more room for his story to dovetail again with Deborah's — which is exciting, because as we get to the final chapters of the story, it does feel nice to sort of have a return to what we started doing in season 1 with our ensemble."

Are any 'Hacks' spinoffs in the works?

Deadline's Matt Grobar asked the Hacks showrunners if they were open to any spin-off ideas, pointedly suggesting one centered on Jimmy (played by Downs himself) and Kayla (Megan Stalter).

"We're asked that a lot," Downs replied, "and the truth is that we have so many funny scenes for Jimmy and Kayla that don't end up in the show. And we're like, 'Well, that's going to be for a different show.'" After all, Downs argued, Hacks is all about Deborah Vance and her relationship with Ava. He continued, "So you're right. There's certainly a lot of material there, and it would be a lot of fun. I think we would absolutely be open to it, but we haven't been asked to do it. So, you know…"

Aniello teased, "Start the petition!"

The first four seasons of Hacks are now streaming on Max / HBO Max.