After five seasons of simmering tension and devoted queer fandom, HBO's Hacks went out the way many fans hoped: with a kiss. The comedy, which wrapped its final season recently, delivered what may be its most openly queer moment in the season five episode "Montecito," leaving the LGBTQ+ community celebrating a show that had always spoken to them.
The Episode That Gave the Fans What They Wanted
In "Montecito," seasoned comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her younger writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) travel to the California estate of Kelly Kilpatrick, a lesbian comic rival, and her wife Monica. What unfolds is a weekend of flirtation and chemistry that goes further than the show had ever gone before: Deborah and Ava not only pretend to be a couple for comic effect, they actually kiss. Einbinder, who is queer, recalled the moment with enthusiasm, noting it took multiple takes. "That was not a one take wonder!" she said. "Me and Jean have been kissing, y'all!"
The episode balanced its playful energy with genuine tenderness. Between witty banter about pillow princesses in a hot tub and that central kiss, "Montecito" gave queer viewers the arc they'd been rooting for without abandoning the authentic complexity of the characters themselves.
Why This Moment Matters
Hacks had always carried weight for its LGBTQ+ audience, but this finale season took it a step further. Cast members understood the significance: Cherry Jones called the episode "a nod to the fans," and Einbinder emphasized how the show's humor and heart offered relief from daily reality. "Especially for queer people, that is the greatest thing that an artist can ever want for their life, to give people that connection and relief," she told the outlet.
With 12 Emmy wins under its belt, Hacks closes as one of television's most beloved comedies, beloved in no small part because it met its queer fans halfway: acknowledging their love for these characters while staying true to the story being told. That's the kind of representation that lingers.
Source: Queerty
Cover photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
