On April 10, the smash hitMaxseries returns, and this time the gloves are off.
Season 4 will kick off with vitriol, bad feeling and blackmail and thats just for starters.
Deadline met with the showrunners and cast to talk about imminent divorce and even a possible spinoff.
(L-R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in ‘Hacks’Max
But Ava has learned from the best and wont take this lying down.
So, right away in Season 4, relations areextremelytense.
She compares the relationship to a marriage.
Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart as Ava and Deborah in ‘Hacks’ Season 4MAX
You know theres just that bond there, and sometimes it gets real rough.
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The audience is our third in our toxic relationship.
Its a three-way Einbinder deadpans.
Its kind of their love language.
But obviously this gave us some intense conflict to start with, which is fun, because its juicy.
Like Smart, Aniello compares Deborah and Avas relationship to a marriage.
The only thing thats keeping them together is the kids,the show.
So, this magical thing that binds them yet again is comedy.
Even if they want to kill each other, they cant.
And adding to the intensity was important for keeping it real and keeping things moving.
It was something we were very, very cognizant of the whole time.
So, what comes next?
Historically, the showrunners have named five seasons as an ideal plan.
If we found a way [to do more] that made sense, then maybe, yeah.
But right now, that is still the plan.
Aniello admits to feeling some anxiety about possibly letting go ofHacks.
But were also scared and sad.
So, you never know.
As for what that fifth season could bring, Smart chooses not to speculate.
I have no idea what they have in mind, and theyve had it in mind for years.
I just havent asked, she says.
Deborah has a grandchild.
Ava should probably connect to people her age and in her community.
I would love to see her nurture relationships.
How about a Kayla and Jimmy spinoff?
Demand it, laughs Statsky.
Were building up the world, you know?
Were ready, were ready, chimes in Aniello.
Megan Stalter, who plays Kayla, already has an idea for what could happen to her.
Throw something really challenging at her and see her totally embrace it.
I think something completely out of nowhere and see if she handles it well.
But also seeing Jimmy get dragged into it would be really funny and bizarre.
I want to see them raise a baby together, I want to see the baby in the office.
It felt important to highlight the L.A.-based crew too.
Were going to show our crew [in Season 4], Downs added.
Our crew is onscreen when theyre putting together Deborahs set and Deborahs wigs.
Thats our crew making it all.
Sadly, the Eaton firedestroyed the Altadena housethat served as Deborahs L.A. home in Seasons 2 and 3.
Only the facade of the 1915 Spanish Colonial Revival mansion remained.
It was just a beautiful house.
Charlie Chaplin shot something in that house.
Its been there since 1930.
Its been shot in many things, Downs says.
Working among the Altadena community had become intrinsic to the show too.
Altadena is the place where we shoot the show the most, Aniello says.
The climate crisis is something that weve talked about in the show since the beginning.
So, its becoming a serious emergency that its affecting us all.
In some ways life imitates art inHacksworld.
The show is very autobiographical that way, Statsky says.
We talk about that all the time.
Because Ive always said that Paul and Lucia are my favorite writers in the world.
Plus an enormous list of nominations, including three in Supporting Actress for Einbinder.
