Hacks is changing the rhythm this week. After three straight single Thursday releases, Season 5 drops Episodes 4 and 5 together on Thursday, April 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO Max, turning the middle of the final season into a bigger pivot point than usual.
Episode 3 leaves Deborah dealing with a very specific kind of blowback. Her relationship with Nico doesn’t just fizzle—it turns into a visibility problem, with the press and fans treating it like a calculated move rather than something personal, which undercuts the authenticity she’s trying to sell in the comeback. That lands right as she’s pushing the Madison Square Garden plan, so instead of momentum, she’s spending time managing perception again. Ava is pulled into that cleanup while also dealing with her own misread—what she thought was a straightforward connection turns awkward fast, and it bleeds into how she operates around Deborah. By the end of the episode, both of them are still moving toward the Garden, but they’re doing it with fresh baggage that shows up in how they talk, how they plan, and how other people respond to them.
More on the special two-episode midseason release below.
Hacks Season 5 episodes 4 & 5 trailer
Episode 4 arrives with Deborah still trying to build toward the Garden while navigating the legal restrictions that keep her from simply going out and performing. That gives the episode a clean engine: Deborah has the venue, the grievance, and the audience hunger, but Ava has to help her keep the comeback from collapsing under its own loopholes. The title for Episode 4 hasn’t surfaced clearly in the available official listings yet, but the release timing is firm—and because Episode 5 follows immediately after, this is the week where Season 5 starts moving from setup into consequence.
Hacks Season 5 FAQ
When does Season 5 Episode 4 and 5 air?
The episodes drop on Thursday, April 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET, streaming on HBO Max. Episodes will roll out weekly, with a couple of multi-episode drops later in the season, leading into the series finale at the end of May.
How many episodes are there?
Season 5 has 10 episodes total, and it’s the final season of the series. HBO Max is sticking with a weekly rollout, letting the tension between Deborah and Ava stretch out instead of getting burned through in a binge.
Who’s starring?
The core cast is back: Jean Smart as Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, alongside Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, and Carl Clemons-Hopkins. Season 5 also adds new faces, including Christopher Briney as a pop star who enters Deborah’s orbit, plus appearances from Tony Goldwyn and Kaitlin Olson.
