Look, everyone’s losing their mind because Hacks just got renewed for Season 5 and the group chat hasn’t shut up since. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are coming back to scream at each other in the funniest way possible, and the internet is already placing bets on whether this is the final season or not. Here’s the real talk—no fluff, no corporate press-release nonsense, just what’s actually happening.
Hacks Season 5 Release Details
The show has dropped new seasons in May like it’s contractually obligated: 2021, 2022, 2024, and Season 4 ended May 29, 2025. They announced Season 5 the same week the finale aired because Max knows better than to make us wait. Cameras started rolling in September 2025 (they were literally shooting in the West Village in October, pap pics everywhere). That schedule means new episodes land spring 2026, probably the last week of April or first week of May. Bet your rent on it.
Hacks Season 5 Expected Cast
Obviously Jean Smart (Deborah) and Hannah Einbinder (Ava) are back. Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter being unhinged, Carl Clemons-Hopkins side-eyeing everyone—whole gang’s here.
Big news: Christopher Briney (yes, the Conrad guy from Summer I Turned Pretty) is recurring this season. Nobody’s saying who he plays yet, but he’s been on set in New York shooting scenes with Jean Smart at a bar, so make of that what you will. Twitter’s already writing fanfic.
Everyone who guest-starred last year (Tony Goldwyn, Helen Hunt, Jane Adams) is “expected” to pop back in. Kaitlin Olson already liked a bunch of shady tweets, so take that as confirmation.
Hacks Season 5 Potential Plot
Quick recap in case you blacked out: Deborah faked her own death (sort of) by doing stand-up in Singapore so she wouldn’t violate her non-compete. TMZ ran an obituary. Ava had a full meltdown thinking her boss/monster/mom was actually dead. Cut to black.
Season 5 picks up right there. Word from set leaks and the writers’ room is Deborah comes storming back to America ready to burn the late-night format to the ground since everyone blames her for killing it. Think revenge tour meets legacy rehab. They’re shooting a ton in New York, so expect Broadway shade, podcast beefs, maybe Deborah trying to buy a network—total chaos.
Ava’s apparently getting her own life this season (shocker). Less living in Deborah’s guest house, more actually dating and writing her own special. The push-pull between them is supposedly softer but still messy. Rumor has it the finale is Deborah handing Ava something huge—some say the keys to the Vegas theater, some say a blank check to direct a documentary about her. Either way, people who’ve seen the table read for episode 10 were crying on the subway, allegedly.
