Hacks Season 4 Episode 1 Recap: Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) always dreamed big. Hosting a late-night show wasn’t just a career pivot — it was her ultimate destination. But dreams come with sacrifices, and sometimes, the price is your closest collaborator turning the tables on you. As Hacks returns for its fourth season, the dynamic between Deborah and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) reaches an explosive new phase. If you thought Ava’s blackmail at the end of Season 3 was the peak of chaos, Season 4’s premiere proves it’s only the beginning. The episode titled “Big, Brave Girl” pulls us into the aftermath of betrayal, professional warfare, and the redefinition of power in a very public setting.
POWER SUITS AND POISONED DARTS
We open in the aftermath of what Ava herself calls “Baby’s First Blackmail.” She forced her way into the head writer position on Deborah’s late-night show — not by climbing the ladder, but by kicking it down. Ava held the secret of Deborah’s affair with Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn), CEO of the network’s parent company, like a loaded weapon. And she used it. Now, the two women sit side by side, suited up in jewel-toned blazers, projecting the image of unity while bristling with quiet resentment.
Their words are short. Their glances sharp. Ava’s hair — now styled into a bold bob — seems like a declaration of battle readiness. But as Jimmy LuSaque Jr. (Paul W. Downs) reminds Ava, she may have underestimated the woman she’s trying to beat. Deborah isn’t just a seasoned comic; she’s a survivor who once had someone removed from an organ transplant list out of spite.
DEBORAH STRIKES BACK
Deborah wastes no time showing Ava that she may have taken a swing, but Deborah knows how to throw knockout punches. Her first strike? A humiliating HR prank involving Ava’s real underwear — holey and pitiful — being planted as evidence of a sexual harassment violation. Deborah arranges for an emergency HR training session, led by the brilliantly awkward facilitator played by Michaela Watkins. It’s here that Deborah and Ava dance around their growing animosity under the guise of passive-aggressive comments, using the workplace code of conduct as ammunition.
As the training ends, Ava realizes just how deep Deborah is willing to go. But she’s not the only one having a rough day.
THE PRESSER FIASCO
At a press conference meant to promote Deborah’s new late-night venture, Ava prepares a clever script for her boss to counter the inevitable sexist and ageist questions. But Deborah, either out of pride or pettiness, tosses Ava’s jokes and wings it. The result? A disaster. Deborah’s responses fall flat, and PR heads CiCi Heaumeaux and veteran fixer Winnie Landell (Helen Hunt) must jump in to contain the fallout. Deborah’s disdain for vulnerability costs her once again.
Meanwhile, Ava spirals further. Deborah tips off HR about Ava’s past drug use, triggering a surprise drug test. Ava, who famously hates water, is forced to chug Monster energy drinks to produce a urine sample — which ends with her spilling it all over herself. In true Ava fashion, she keeps going, wearing the stain like a badge of honor. But the hits keep coming.
DINNER DATE SABOTAGE
Next, Deborah impersonates Ava’s assistant and schedules a last-minute writers’ dinner at a seafood joint — The Boiling Crab — knowing full well Ava can’t eat shellfish. Ava tries to make it but ends up stranded after mistakenly hopping on a studio lot shuttle. Her authority as head writer is undermined with every calculated move Deborah makes.
Amidst this chaos, Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins), Deborah’s longtime manager, is wrestling with his own news: he’s leaving. Since Deborah must sever her QVC ties to focus on late night, Marcus sees no path forward. But telling Deborah is another story. When he finally breaks the news, Deborah explodes, not just out of business panic but from a deeper wound — abandonment. She lashes out, convinced that the moment she achieves her dreams, everyone she trusts walks away.
ENTER THE PARTY
All roads lead to a glamorous house party hosted by Deborah — a networking event disguised as a celebration. Ava arrives in a T-shirt and jeans still reeking of Monster, while Deborah stuns in a flowing coat, perfectly styled for the occasion. Bob Lipka and his wife are in attendance, raising the stakes even higher.
As Ava flits between awkward introductions and attempts to score favor, Deborah keeps a hawk’s eye on her. There’s sexual tension in the air — not between Ava and Deborah, though the fandom may wish otherwise — but between Deborah and Bob. He flirts in full view, dropping hints about open marriages and “taking orders from women.” Yet the mood shifts when he warns Deborah that their secret must stay buried, revealing just how dangerous this relationship could become.
COLLIDING EGOS AND A NEW THREAT
Ava and Deborah finally confront each other — again. Ava has composed a draft email addressed to her “friend” at The New Yorker, ready to expose Deborah and Bob’s affair if provoked. She even dangles the email in front of Deborah, teasing her with the ability to send and unsend messages — something Deborah can’t believe is possible. “You still use Hotmail,” Ava mocks.
The power play escalates until Ava demands what she’s wanted all along: for Deborah to admit she’s been beaten. Jimmy, exhausted and exasperated, steps in like a parent breaking up a fight between feral siblings. He tries to broker peace and vows to manage their egos before they burn the entire production to the ground.
But before anyone can storm off, CiCi and Winnie appear with big news: The New York Times Magazine cover story will feature Deborah and Ava — not just as boss and employee, but as “creative collaborators.” The words land like a grenade. Deborah forces a smile. Ava basks in the glow.
HACKS (BIG, BRAVE GIRL) ENDING
In the final scene, Ava and Deborah pose under studio lights for the photo shoot. The banter continues — insults traded like jabs in a boxing ring. “You don’t have a good side.” “At least I still have collagen.” The energy is electric, unpredictable, and rooted in years of twisted love, rivalry, and begrudging respect.
And then — a moment of honesty. Deborah tells Ava, “You won. You broke my heart.” It’s the closest thing to emotional vulnerability we’ve seen from her. For Ava, it’s vindication — not because she wants Deborah to hurt, but because it confirms she mattered enough to break through the armor.
As the flashbulbs pop and the curtain rises on a new era in late night, Hacks sets the stage for a season of brutal honesty, shifting alliances, and a mentor-mentee relationship that defies every rule of showbiz.
Come back to tvacute.com soon for more HACKS news, sneak peeks, and full recaps.
