“Hacks” Season 4 is picking up right where Season 3 left off: with Deborah and Ava on the edge of war. The latest installment of the Emmy-winning Max original comedy will premiere with its first two episodes on April 10.
“Well aren’t you a big, brave girl,” Deborah (Jean Smart) menacingly says in the new trailer out Tuesday, rounding on her prodigy.
“I guess I am,” Ava (Hannah Einbinder) replies. “It’s for the best.”
The clip then cuts between several high-energy scenes, from Deborah dancing in a club to both Deborah and Ava driving literal race cars. Kaitlin Olson’s very pregnant DJ can even be seen briefly weightlifting.
“Blackmail on day one? Not good!” Deborah and Ava’s manager Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) yells. “She’s been doing this for 50 years. You’re not going to beat her at her own game. Nobody beats Deborah.” Maybe, not yet.
If you need a refresher, Season 3 ended with Deborah finally achieving her dream of becoming a late night host. But instead of making her righthand woman Ava her head writer, Deborah panicked, choosing a more experienced name and blaming the network for the move. When Ava learned who was really responsible for her career setback, she went ballistic and went for the lowest blow possible, threatening to tell the world that Deborah slept with the network president if she didn’t hand over the job. That’s how Deborah and Ava are going to start one of the most challenging jobs in comedy: at each other’s throats.
As previously mentioned, the first two episodes of the season will premiere exclusively on Max on April 10 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. The series will then premiere one episode weekly for four weeks. Episodes 7 and 8 will premiere together on May 15. Finally, Episode 9 will premiere on May 22, and the season finale will premiere on May 29.
In addition to Smart, Einbinder, Olson and Downs, Season 4 stars Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato and Rose Abdoo. Dan Bucatinsky, Helen Hunt, Tony Goldwyn, Jane Adams, Lauren Weedman, Christopher McDonald, Poppy Liu, Lorenza Izzo, Johnny Sibilly, Paul Felder, Polly Draper, Luenell and Aristotle Athari will also return this season. New cast members include Julianne Nicholson, Michaela Watkins, Bresha Webb, Robby Hoffman, Eric Balfour, Danny Jolles, Gavin Matts, Grover Whitmore, III, Holmes, Jasmine Ashanti, Katy Sullivan, Matt Oberg and Sandy Honig.
“Hacks” is showrun by Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. Downs and Aniello executive produce through their Paulilu banner, and Statsky executive produces through First Thought Productions. Other EPs include Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment and Morgan Sackett. “Hacks” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Since its premiere in 2021, “Hacks” has become an awards darling. To date, the comedy has won nine Emmys and has been nominated 48 times over the course of its first three seasons.
