One More Hour: An Analysis of the "Hacks" Finale

As the award-winning show comes to an end, viewers are left with an odd sense of sorrowful hope during its final episode. After five seasons filled with high emotions, bitter conflicts, awards ceremonies, and strong female relationships, it's important to recognize the impact this series has had on viewers over the years. As we journeyed with Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), we saw a story that is often not showcased in Hollywood. One that focuses on a young, queer writer and an older woman in comedy trying to remain relevant in a world that wishes to silence them both.

In the finale, the pair finds themselves face-to-face with their biggest conflict yet: Deborah's cancer diagnosis and impending assisted suicide. Although Ava protests this course of action, she inevitably succumbs to Deborah's final wish of taking her to see Europe. So, a bubble is formed. For them, Paris becomes a utopia they can escape to while the rest of the world keeps turning. It's at this moment through a whirlwind montage of shopping, eating croissants, and sightseeing that time seems to stop. Deborah lives uninhibited for the first time in years, simply letting go of every expectation and societal constraint that she has worked against her entire life.

There is a particularly moving scene in a nightclub that displays this perfectly. Deborah closes her eyes and dances freely under the strobing lights, music blaring overhead. She has taken off her wig and donned Ava's old oversized jersey. She appears both invisible and the only person in the world. Suddenly, the image begins to slow. Ava sees her from across the room, her smiling face falling in sudden realization. This woman before her, someone she loves in a way no amount of words could describe, is going to leave her. It's here that the bubble pops. Suddenly, we can't ignore the truth of the inevitable and are forced to face its grim reality. It's a moment in the episode where actions speak louder than words. The audience has to sit in this grief with Ava and feel that pain alongside her. It's a kaleidoscope of emotion that is both beautiful and tragic.

As the two women wait for their train to Zurich, they riff off one another one final time. Jokes pass across the table like bullets and hit with that familiar dark and cynical twist that is completely and utterly Hacks. At this point, the audience has entered a state of acceptance of what's to come. So, laughing through our tears, we take a moment to relive simpler times. In a way, we see the character's lives flash before our eyes as if we were the ones taking our final breath. A state of longing in our final moments.

Ultimately, Deborah changes her mind. She finally chooses to fight her cancer under the guise of writing "one more hour" with Ava. At this revelation, the glow of Paris fades into the warm yellow tint of Nevada. Deborah and Ava laugh arm in arm to a duet between "Happy Days Are Here Again"/"Get Happy" sung by a young Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland in her final days. A perfect parallel to the show's dynamic duo. As they riff off one another for the last time on the Las Vegas strip, they show a wall of unity and perseverance against the uncertainty of what's to come. Though they know they won't have one another forever, they are pushing to make the most of the time they have left and take each obstacle one day at a time. As a viewer, you experience a flurry of emotions. While you are sad the show is ending, you also experience an odd sense of joy and completeness for the pair. When Judy and Barbra sing their final notes, we see that Ava and Deborah are exactly where they are supposed to be and, in a way, that in itself is satisfaction enough. The show doesn't end by tearing down everything it's built over the last five seasons by continuing on. Instead, it seizes its peak and wraps the story up in way where we don't see a bitter end, but simply a new hopeful beginning.

For many, Hacks was a once-in-a-generation show. Its graceful mixture of dark humor and realism work together to create a uniquely dynamic portrayal of usually unseen characters in a new light. It showcases the imperfection we are so afraid to confront within ourselves. Each character's flaws reflect back onto the audience and create an air of relatability that satiates our urge to conform to societal standards. Hacks defies these expectations by responding with a simple statement: Life is short, so make your mark on the world and don't take it too seriously.