Ava Daniels

This week on On Story, we're going inside the writers' room of the hit comedy Hacks, with its co-creator and co-showrunner Jen Statsky.

Hacks follows the odd couple antics of trailblazing stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, played by the brilliant Jean Smart, and struggling up-and-coming comedy writer Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, who's hired to help Deborah breathe new life into her worn-out routine.

The pair form a close bond as Ava pushes Deborah to take risks and pursue her lifelong dream of hosting a late-night talk show.

Hacks is packed with scene-stealing supporting and guest performances by Meg Statler, Paul W. Downs, Julianne Nicholson, Laurie Metcalf, and more.

[laughs]

Uh, so yeah, that, it, it was a fun challenge this season to show LA differently than the way it's been depicted in so much, like, media before.

We've, you know, have obviously had so many TV comedy writers in, and they've talked the last few years about how difficult it's become to write comedy and basically some of the things you're tackling in the show.

You've all embraced that, those pitfalls of comedy head on, and nothing's sacred aspect of it is kind of, seems like the tact you're taking in it.

I mean, they're all great.

I'd have an Ava Daniels moment where she throws the food at the...

Have you guys watched Hacks?

Oh, we've never finished it.

... that are humorous.

And I think of, like, those characters, and, like, Ava Daniels in Hacks, who, like, the reason that she has...

That she's able to say these, like, funny quips and, like, say these kind of irrelevant things that are these kind of one-liners is in part because of what her character does.

Mm-hmm.

So when she says one-liners, it doesn't feel out of place because she is a joke writer in the show.

Mm-hmm.

But Ava Daniels isn't walking around being like, [lips smack] "Oh, I'm winking at the camera with, you know, all of the funny things that I'm saying"

Right.

When I can't fully picture a movie, but I know the quote, I start seeing shapes and I saw a shape of somebody falling and being caught and yeah.

I was kind of doing the same thing in line for a concert about a week ago I was quoting Hacks and I couldn't remember the rest of the line and the guy that was with me was just kind of amused at the fact that I kept like it's a no it's not that like I kept working through it out loud and then like five seconds later after some silence I'm like Bates Motel it's Bates Motel that's the line it's like I can't remember anything from my childhood but I can remember an Ava Daniels monologue I don't know what's wrong with me once I figure it out I'll let all of you lovely people know

It made more of an impression.

It did.

The Emmy Award-winning show Hacks takes its final curtain call this month.

The hit HBO Max comedy series follows the professional and personal relationship between young comedy writer Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, and legacy comedian Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart.

It's now in its fifth and final season, where we find Deborah struggling to mount a comeback and under a restrictive contract.

Ava!

She quits the show, which it turns out, as per her contract, means she cannot perform for 18 months after she leaves the show.

For the non-entertainment industry among us, have you seen non-competes like this? Like, is that pretty standard protocol? How does that typically play out?

This was a big topic for us in the writer's room, and luckily Guy Branum, who's a great standup, wonderful comedian, and very funny comedy writer, is also a lawyer.

[laughs]

Of course, this is not a big stretch for Hannah Einbender, and yet...

I wonder like Ava Daniels and Chris Williams probably wouldn't be friends.

They're almost like cousins.

They're like cousins.

But then you rewatch it and when things have to get serious, she's doing a phenomenal job.

Right.

Again, I think this is adjacent to the Hacks performance with the Ava Daniels character there for Einbinder, kind of like a yin-yang almost, which is fun to see.

And then I have not seen Gillian Anderson play a performance like this.

So it's very much that.

And like the idea of platonic love and the love that Ava Daniels and Deborah Vance have for each other is so delicious.

I love their love.

and it's messy, but it's not romantic or sexual, but it's deep and they need each other.