Spoiler alert: This post discusses the Season 3 finale of Hacks.
Hacks, Max’s award-laden dramedy starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, returned for its long-awaited third season earlier this month. The series follows stand-up stalwart Deborah Vance (Smart) as she vies for renewed cultural relevance alongside her plucky young writer, Ava Daniels (Einbinder). Though the power in the pair’s tumultuous relationship has historically belonged to Deborah—a woman who is no stranger to forcing hands for her career’s sake—a seismic shift occurred this season.
Hosting a late-night show has always been Deborah’s white whale, especially after an earlier opportunity for her to do so fell through decades ago, but by the end of the penultima…