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Everything We Know About Hacks Season 2

Hacks director, actor and co-creator Paul W. Downs, as well as Kaitlin Olson, teased what to expect of the HBO Max series' second season.

By Cydney Contreras Jun 11, 2021 4:00 AMTags
Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Hacks, HBOAnne Marie Fox/HBO Max

Hacks is getting the encore it deserves.

On Tuesday, June 8, HBO Max announced the news people have been waiting to hear: Hacks is renewed for a second season. In other words, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is preparing for her redemption act with Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) by her side.

Of course, there's one potential problem that could rear its ugly head on tour: that email. Season one left things on quite the cliffhanger, as Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) was understandably upset at Ava because of the scathing email she sent to the British producers about Deborah. The comedienne is entirely unaware of what happened though, and that's probably for the best since it took a funeral for her and Ava to make up after Ava took a job interview without telling her.

Meanwhile, Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) is single and the new CEO of Deborah's business empire, D.J. (Kaitlin Olson) is married to UFC fighter Aidan (Paul Felder) and Jimmy is dealing with his own #MeToo moment involving his assistant Kayla (Meg Stalter).

The possibilities for season two are endless, but in an exclusive conversation with E! News, Paul teased what fans can expect when the show returns.

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First things first, Paul shared Deborah and Ava are probably saying goodbye to Vegas. "There is the potential of them going on the road which we are going to see Ava and Deborah out in other places," he explained, adding that a change of scenery is more fun since they're "out of their comfort zone."

However, this is only temporary, as Paul explains, "Vegas is Deborah's home base. It is where she feels safest; it is this like lawless desert oasis where she's built her fortress up around her, so we're going to definitely see that. Again, we're not going to fully abandon the Vegas backdrop, it's a big part of the show." 

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Next, viewers can rest assured they will gain a deeper understanding of Deborah's hatred towards her sister, who she has refused to talk to because, after all, the sister literally stole her husband. Paul shared, "That's a big part of her journey is that sort of fractured relationship, because you see only a moment of it and, as you know, she almost hits her with a car. You only get a tiny glimpse and it doesn't really go so well."

And speaking of family, there will be plenty more of D.J. in season two. The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actress' portrayal of Deborah's daughter has made her a fan favorite, especially after she performed the Jurassic Park theme song during her birthday party. 

As viewers know, D.J. married her UFC fighter boyfriend in a chapel drive-thru, despite Deborah's insistence she get a prenup beforehand. It's unclear if this marriage will work out, but Paul said, "[D.J.] really does like this guy, and the guy really does like her. It is genuine. But don't forget, you know he's a UFC fighter so you never know what can happen."

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Likewise, Kaitlin feels the love is genuine between D.J. and her new husband. "I think towards the end, you see that they actually really love each other and that he brings out something very special in her and her ability to see the good in herself," she shared. "I hope that it's actually a real relationship."

On the other hand, Kaitlin said, "Comedically, I hope that it gets disastrously screwed up because that's just funny."

Other than that, Kailtin has no idea what the future holds for her character, as this is one of the few projects she's acted in but didn't produce. She said it's both "terrifying and very exciting" to not know what will happen to D.J., but she feels "very fortunate" to be working alongside, Jean, Hannah and the rest of the crew.

As for Marcus, the writers want him to have his happy ending after "he's kind of turned his back on his personal life in pursuit of the almighty dollar," as co-creator and director Lucia Anello described it, according to Paul.

And Jimmy and Kayla will have to reckon with the "fallout" of their disastrous Las Vegas trip, when Kayla desperately tried to coerce Jimmy into sharing a hotel room with her, among other inappropriate things. That is, if Kayla's dad doesn't get to HR before Jimmy does.

As of now, there's no set date for the show's return, but Paul, Lucia and fellow co-creator Jen Statsky certainly have a good starting point.

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast can sit back and bask in the success of the first season, minus Kaitlin, who is currently fostering an "awesome" pair of kittens until they find a new home. (Cat lovers, click here to meet Charlie and Noel.)

Season one of Hacks is streaming on HBO Max.

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