The final season of “Hacks” is nearing its end with a strong emotional pull behind the scenes, as Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder wrapped filming after years of building one of television’s most celebrated comedy partnerships. The season will also draw attention for a lesbian storyline and for Smart’s previously undisclosed triple bypass surgery, which she says came after she noticed something was wrong while working on set.
The HBO Max comedy returns with its last batch of episodes after five seasons that turned Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels into a defining TV duo. The production moved from Las Vegas to Paris for its final shoot, while the cast and crew treated the wrap as both a professional milestone and a personal goodbye.
Jean Smart’s health scare changed the tone behind the scenes
Smart has now shared that she did not simply have a vague “heart procedure,” as the production first described it. She had triple bypass surgery after feeling pressure and discomfort while filming season three, including after a day on the UC Berkeley set where she thought the fatigue was just stress or poor fitness.
She said the warning signs seemed manageable at first, but a cardiologist’s office quickly told her to go to the nearest emergency room. Smart later learned that a stent would not be enough, and surgeons advised bypass surgery instead, adding another private crisis to a show already marked by major off-screen challenges.
A production marked by loss, injury and pressure
The series has faced repeated setbacks since filming began, including the pandemic, the death of Smart’s husband Richard Gilliland, and several health and family emergencies among the creative team. Paul W. Downs said the crew had to handle “deaths and cardiac issues and births on set,” along with strikes and other disruptions that made each season feel uncertain.
Jean Smart also worked through early-season filming while recovering from an injury she had suffered on another project. Her co-stars said the set became unusually close because everyone knew the risks and emotional strain surrounding the production.
Why the Deborah-Ava bond stayed at the center of the show
At the heart of “Hacks” has been the complicated relationship between Deborah and Ava, who moved from conflict to loyalty across five seasons. The creators built the show around that tension, and they also used it to explore aging, ambition, queer representation and the entertainment industry from a sharper angle than most comedies attempt.
The show has stood out for giving a major role to a woman in her 70s, a choice still rare in mainstream television. It also became known for its LGBTQ+ characters and storylines, including Deborah’s status as a gay icon and Ava’s place in that world, which helped expand the series beyond show-business satire.
The final season leans into relationship drama and queer storytelling
The last season reportedly includes an episode in which Deborah and Ava must pretend to be in a relationship for a weekend, adding a lesbian-coded storyline that fits the series’ long-running interest in identity, performance and emotional misdirection. Smart said one scene in that storyline hit so hard on set that she struggled to keep her lines together.
The season also includes a mother-daughter team-up with Kaitlin Olson’s DJ, plus a crossover with “The Amazing Race,” showing how the writers continue to mix pop-culture playfulness with character-driven stakes. Downs said the final episodes return the characters to Vegas with a mission to rebuild Deborah’s legacy, while also placing Deborah and Ava on the same side after last season’s betrayals.
Inside the final shoot in Las Vegas and Paris
The emotional weight of the ending became clear during the final U.S. filming day in Las Vegas, when the cast and crew gathered at the Orleans Arena for Deborah and Ava’s last scene together. Hannah Einbinder described the atmosphere as eerie, sad and beautiful, with the whole crew watching from behind the camera as the two leads filmed a quiet goodbye.
After that, the production moved to Paris for the series finale and even managed to shoot in the Louvre, adding another layer of scale and intimacy to the final episode. Smart said the last take had her and Einbinder lying on a bench-like surface under large paintings, improvising and crying through the end of the series.
What the cast says made “Hacks” last
Smart won four Emmys for the role, while Einbinder earned one, and the series took home outstanding comedy honors as it became one of television’s most acclaimed recent comedies. Universal Television president Erin Underhill said the show changed conversations about women’s relationships, aging and representation, and predicted it would be remembered for decades.
The cast and creators say the final season follows a long-planned arc, even as individual storylines changed along the way. As the series bows out, the focus stays on the same elements that made it a hit in the first place: sharp writing, a difficult but moving friendship, and a lead performance from Smart that was built through loss, illness and remarkable resilience.
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