Ava's Big Hacks Season 4 Problem Calls Back To A Real-Life Conan O'Brien Controversy From 15 Years Ago (2025)

Warning: SPOILERS For Hacks Season 4, Episode 6 - "Mrs. Table"Hacks season 4's Late Night with Deborah Vance has an Ava problem, and it echoes how Conan O'Brien lost The Tonight Show. As ever, Hacks' centerpiece is the battle of wills between Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). The star and head writer of Late Night with Deborah Vance don't share the same vision for their show, with Deborah desperate for a hit at any cost while Ava strives for artistic merit.

Deborah Vance lost out on hosting a late night show once before, so her second chance can't fail. Meanwhile, becoming head writer of Late Night with Deborah Vance is the biggest career move in Ava Daniels' up-and-down comedy writing career. Of course, Ava blackmailed Deborah to get her plum assignment, creating a wellspring of constant tension and fighting that made the network's HR rep, Stacey (Michaela Watkins), ensure Ava and Deborah aren't left alone.

Meanwhile, Hacks season 4, episode 5, "Clickable Face," name-dropped Conan O'Brien, whose own controversial Tonight Show history is echoed in Ava and Deborah's creative issues. Jimmy Kimmel's savage joke that "Conan died" refers to how O'Brien no longer has a late night talk show in real life or in Hacks' universe.

Hacks’ Ava Problem Feels Inspired By How Conan Lost The Tonight Show

Creative Differences Are Causing Backstage Chaos At Late Night

A key issue plaguing Late Night with Deborah Vance's success in Hacks season 4 is how Deborah and the network want the show's humor to appeal to the broadest possible demographic, while Ava is fighting for sophisticated and political humor. Bill Carter's book The War for Late Night details a similar backstage problem between Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show and NBC. The network wanted Conan to broaden his comedy for the 11:30 pm crowd instead of the younger demo O'Brien catered to at 12:30 am. However, Conan's team refused and stayed the course.

Of course, other issues led to Conan walking away from The Tonight Show in 2010 after only 7 months, including the failure of The Jay Leno Show at 10 pm, and NBC's plan to give Jay the 11:30 pm slot and move Conan to midnight. However, Hacks seems to be evoking the same problems Conan's Tonight Show team had creatively with NBC in how Ava and Deborah are at loggerheads over the tone and direction of Late Night's comedy.

Ava Knows She Is The Wrong Person To Be Deborah Vance’s Head Writer In Hacks

Late Night's Problem Is Its Head Writer

The fundamental problem of Late Night with Deborah Vance is Ava herself. Ava is the wrong person to be Late Night's head writer, and she admitted it after her breakdown in Hacks season 4, episode 6, "Mrs. Table." Ava is immensely funny, bright, and observant, but her style of humor is not the right fit for Late Night at 11:30, a show that, as Deborah puts it, "sells soap." Ava is ashamed of the kind of comedy aimed at pleasing every demographic that Deborah and the network demanded. Ava wouldn't even let the couple she was in a relationship with watch her show until "it gets good" and more "political."

Ultimately, Ava forced her way into Late Night's head writer position through nefarious means, and Ava's ego made Late Night about her desires when Deborah is the star of the show, and they are both subject to the demands of the network. Ava and Deborah both need Late Night to be a success, but for Vance, it's paramount that she proves she's worthy of being the first female late night host.

However, Ava and Deborah reached an accord to make Late Night "for each other," and for Deborah to embrace Ava as her "voice." It sounds like it'll be Ava and Deborah against the network's wishes for the back half of Hacks season 4, but it could see them both walk away from their dream job like Conan O'Brien did The Tonight Show.

Source: The War for Late Night by Bill Carter

Your Rating

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Follow

Followed

Hacks

TV-MA

Comedy Drama

9/10

16 7.3/10

Release Date

May 13, 2021

Network

HBO Max, Max

Showrunner

Lucia Aniello

Directors

Desiree Akhavan

Writers

Pat Regan, Ariel Karlin, Carol Leifer, Joe Mande, Guy Branum, Andrew Law, Samantha Riley

Cast

See All

• 

  Jean Smart

  Deborah Vance

• 

  Hannah Einbinder

  Ava

Hacks, released in 2021, is a dark comedy series that explores the evolving relationship between Deborah Vance, a legendary comedian in Las Vegas, and an ambitious, outcast young writer. The show delves into the complexities of mentorship and creativity in the entertainment industry.

Main Genre

Comedy

Creator(s)

Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs

Executive Producer(s)

Lucia Aniello

Seasons

4

Streaming Service(s)

MAX

Powered by

Expand Collapse