'Hacks' Finale Decoded By Lucia Aniello And Jen Statsky, The Choices That Shaped The Conclusion

HBO series, Hacks, has ended with its fifth season after a successful run of five years. The dark comedy drama was first released on May 13, 2021, and built a big fan base among the audience with its storyline and characters. The fifth season premiered on April 9, 2026. The episodes were released on a weekly basis, creating a lot of hype among the audience that was eager to know what was going to happen next.

While the show has concluded, the creators, Lucia Aneillo and Jen Statsky, have recently opened up on some details related to the finale while speaking to Vanity Fair on May 28, 2026. The showrunners revealed their reasons behind giving an end and certain things linked to a few characters. Keep reading to know more!

Hacks creators reveal if they ever planned the assisted suicide for 'Deborah'

Lucia Aneillo and Jen Statsky were questioned whether they opted to let go of 'Deborah' with an assisted suicide. Jen said that they never considered this option because it is a creative process, where the main job is to check the growth and development of the characters before deciding something unexpected for them. Jen also admitted that 'Deborah' wanted to take control of her own ending after she was not allowed to do so throughout the show. Statsky said:

“Deborah is someone who had control taken from her, and so she grasped at it whatever way she could: needing control over her career, over how the world sees her, how her story is told. So we knew that she would wrestle with that. At the end of the day, she lets go and realises, I’m going to lean into the fact that I love writing and creating with this person.”

Lucia Aneillo added that 'Deborah's' decision to have control over herself is something she has wanted for such a long time. Lucia mentioned that 'Deborah's' decision to be with 'Ava' for most of the time can also be described as the ultimate declaration of love.

Truth behind 'Ava' and 'Deborah's' relationship and possibilities of a reboot

During the latest interview with Vanity Fair, the showrunners were questioned whether a reboot of Hacks will happen in the future. Lucia Aneillo responded by saying that there is an open possibility since 'Deborah' and 'Ava' are enjoying themselves in Provincetown during the Dyke Week. Lucia stated that the ending was confirmed from the beginning, and the show started building the same with multiple references throughout all the seasons.

The fifth season featured a sequence in which 'Ava' and 'Deborah' pretended that they had feelings for each other. Moreover, 'Ava' also opens up about how they fell in love. Lucia Aneillo and Jen Statsky were asked if the show’s ending hints at the fact that the feelings were real. Jen admitted that it was true and added:

“Everything that is said in that episode about their history is true, and you’ve seen it all happen in the course of the show. That’s why, I think, that episode was so fun for us to write. You’re seeing all the things you’ve watched over five seasons come to fruition. It’s like, Oh yeah, they are intimately involved.”

Lucia and Jen also addressed the fact about the lack of shows created by women during the ‘70s. This was in reference to the moment where 'Deborah's' ex-husband portrayed himself as the only creator of her show. Jen said that a lot of things have changed in this field. She added that at the end of the day, it is important to feel grateful for what has happened and to check the events happening in the industry so that everything remains the same.

Lucia Aneillo and Jen Statsky reveal that they removed one scene from the show in the past

Lucia Aneillo and Jen Statsky told Vanity Fair that their next project is also with HBO, and it is currently in the writing process. The former said that although they were not asked to remove any important scenes by HBO, they were once told to cut a joke that was related to the president. Jen even described the joke as “unnecessarily mean and possibly libelous.”

Hacks Season 5 also focused on another thing related to the entertainment industry, where talent managers 'Jimmy' and 'Kayla' preferred to work in a place that has more creatives instead of depending on AI. Lucia and Jen were asked how their colleagues respond to such things. Lucia said in her response:

“Jimmy and Kayla are good people who work really hard for their clients and have a good moral code, and I know that at least some people feel very seen by that. There are so many depictions of executives who only care about money and power and are bullshit people, but there are really so many people here who are helping artists. So we think maybe it is nice to shine a light on people actually really trying to do provocative, cool work. We do think that there is a space here for those people, and we love those people.”

Photos credit: HBO Max/YouTube

Have you watched the finale of Hacks on HBO? Let us know your opinion about the end of the show.

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