How “Hacks” Brings Emotion and Humor to Season 2’s Final Moments

in the last moments tricksSeason two saw Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) revive her career with a comedy special in which she collaborated with her Generation Z joke writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder). But instead of celebrating, Deborah tells Ava the hard truth: she’s firing her so Ava can focus on her career. tricks Co-creator and co-producer Jen Statsky takes apart the emotional scene that closes the finale and suggests that the duo
He will go separately next season.

before tricks Renewed for a third season on June 16, some fans were concerned that the scene was a sign of a possible series finale. But Statsky and co-showrunners Lucia Agniello and Paul W. The Downs have always had a plan for the show beyond this moment. “We knew from the start that Deborah’s performance would be a huge success and that she would let Ava go,” explains Statsky. “Hearing that people thought it could be a series finale was nice because it means the scene is emotionally satisfying and you can feel comfortable with where the characters leave the characters.” But there are still many stories to tell.”

“The relationship between Deborah and Ava has evolved a lot. At first, they hated each other and were very reluctant to work together,” says Statsky, adding that Ava cheated on Deborah at the end of the first season: she revealed personal information about Deborah to two showrunners in order to get a writing job. During the second season, he was forced to make amends. “As the season goes on, Ava loses a little bit. Ava has become so attached to Deborah that she gets lost. Deborah sees this and realizes that she needs to let Ava go in order to grow up and pursue her own dreams and desires. “

In the final cut, this line appears later in the scene, right after Deborah says, “You have your own mountain to climb.” Says Statsky: “When we were working on the scene with Jean and Hannah, we realized that Ava was on the move and we had to build a place where she was desperate.” Although it’s a breakup scene, Deborah and Ava are seen bickering as usual, with Statsky explaining that the line had more emotional power towards the end of the scene. “Ava already knows she lost him. He knows Deborah is leaving. It’s so heartbreaking, and that line speaks to how far these women have come and how much Ava has come to love her.”

This line was built into the square when the scene was filmed. After Ava says she’s busy, she adds, “And my final draft is broken!” “It’s a very real problem that many writers can relate to,” says Statsky with a laugh.

This breakup scene is a light joke and Tony’s challenge was challenging. “You never want it to get too cloying or sentimental,” says Statsky. “Fortunately, we have Gene and Hannah who are incredibly skilled at helping us modulate this.”

This story first appeared in the separate August issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.