Hacks’ Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder Unpack Ava’s ‘Eve Harrington Moment’ and Deborah’s ‘Ultimate Betrayal’ in Fiery Season 3 Finale

The following contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Hacks!

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Deborah and Ava were getting along swimmingly throughout most of Hacks’ third season. Aaaand then the finale happened.

At the end of the season’s penultimate episode, Deborah learned that she finally got the late-night hosting gig she’d been clamoring for. In Thursday’s shocking closer, she offered Ava the head writer position, only to heartbreakingly renege on the offer and blame the network for the abrupt change. But after a run-in with Winnie Landell, the head of the network, Ava learned that Deborah had lied to her — Deb could hire whomever she wanted — and that’s when the real fireworks began.

“It’s just a bridge too far,” Hannah Einbinder (Ava) tells TVLine in the video above. “I think she’s in such shock and disbelief, and yet is finally seeing everything for what it is with Deborah… She was lied to and disrespected professionally by this person who she sacrificed everything for. It’s the ultimate betrayal. Ava is just frustrated that [Deborah] doesn’t see how good they are together and that them being together is what makes the work good.”

Adds Jean Smart: “[Deborah] never should have offered her the job in the first place. She should have just offered her a writing position, not the head writer… The way she does it and the fact that she backtracks and takes back the offer and lies is just unforgivable.”

However, by season’s end, Ava does land herself the position she was promised. With a little blackmail, of course.

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“I realized that it would be really, really bad if people found out that you slept with the chairman of this company right before he gave you your own show,” threatened Ava in the finale. “Yeah, the optics of that are pretty rough, especially if the show needs to be bulletproof, like you said.”

The women’s contentious exchange sets up what should be a very interesting fourth season on the set of Deb’s new show. Yet according to Smart, there just may be a teensy part of Deborah that’s actually somewhat proud of her mentee.

“There’s a few molecules that are going, ‘Oh, my baby’s all grown up,'” she says. “Suddenly, it’s like, ‘Wow, game on. That’s what you want? OK, bring it on!’ But she’s furious and shocked at first. I mean, I was shocked when I read it, but it’s perfect! That Eve Harrington moment is just perfect.”

In the video embedded above, hear Smart and Einbinder continue to unpack the finale, while Smart offers her take on how success in show business often overlaps with an artist’s insecurities. Then, vote in our polls below and drop all of your Hacks thoughts in the comments!

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