Deborah Vance delivered her final joke in the May 28 series finale of Hacks, bringing the curtain down on a five-season journey packed with comedy, heartbreak and unforgettable chaos. What began with ostracized comedy writer Ava Daniels reluctantly moving to Las Vegas to work for legendary stand-up Vance eventually evolved into one of television’s most beloved and complicated partnerships. And now, after years of career clashes, emotional breakdowns, and hard-fought victories, the Emmy-winning comedy has finally played its last card.

So, how exactly did Hacks bring Deborah and Ava’s story to an end? Here is everything you need to know about the finale’s biggest twists, emotional payoffs and full-circle moments.

The episode opens with Ava confidently walking through the set of the show she now runs, a deliberate mirror of the very first scene from Season 1, where Deborah was the one taking charge backstage. According to the creators, the callback was designed to show how deeply the two women changed one another over five seasons. The emotional climax arrives in Europe, where Deborah, after being diagnosed with cancer, intends to end her life, only for Ava to spend the episode fighting to change her mind. In the end, Deborah relents, delivering one final reminder that their bond remained the heart of the series until its very last moments.

"For us to end that final episode with Ava, it’s like Deborah has given so much of herself to Ava so when Ava is now in charge and able to run her own show we are trying to say visually so much of Deborah is now in Ava and those shots are a continuation of that," co-creator Lucia Aniello said during a Q&A following a screening of the final episode this week in Los Angeles (via Gold Derby).

The finale also sprinkled in a few clever callbacks for longtime fans, including the show's running joke about Ava’s “large hands,” which came full circle in Paris when Deborah finally revealed that her own hand was actually bigger. It was a brief moment, but one that perfectly captured the charm of Hacks. And fittingly, that same mix of sharp humour and final bow, with Jean Smart later calling the ending “absolutely perfect” as Deborah and Ava’s unforgettable bond remained at the centre of it all.

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As Deborah and Ava's journey has taken thier final bows, the remarkable success behind Hacks remains impossible to ignore.

Season 5 brought the Emmy-winning comedy's journey to its ultimate destination, with Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder leading the cast one final time alongside Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson and several other fan favourites. The final season followed Deborah's biggest career triumph yet with the launch of her Las Vegas casino, The Diva, while Ava stepped fully out of her mentor's shadow to lead her own television project. As expected, the show's final run balanced career highs, personal struggles and emotional payoffs while keeping the Deborah-Ava dynamic at its centre.

The show's impact extends far beyond its finale. Across five seasons, Hacks evolved into an awards powerhouse, earning multiple Outstanding Comedy Series nominations while Jean Smart dominated the Emmy race with four Lead Actress wins. Hannah Einbinder also became one of television's fastest-rising comedy stars, and with 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores and growing viewership year after year, Hacks ultimately finished its run as one of HBO Max's most celebrated original series.

And with Deborah and Ava sharing one final laugh while bringing their journey full circle, Hacks closed the curtain exactly where it belonged, on the relationship that turned the series into one of television's most beloved modern comedies.

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Have you watched the Hacks Season 5 finale yet? What will you miss the most about the series? Let us know in the comments.