WinonaDeer

I thought the moment in the desert is the exact opposite of being one-note. It revealed a lot about Deborah. Her fame and access got her the helicopter. The whole "talented is the mimumim" came from that moment. And being left there -- and she was not 'abandoned' there to her own devices -- AAA, or whatever equivalent, had been called, and was coming. Yes, it's hot and boring, but all Ava had to do was sit and wait. It also revealed a lot about Ava-- it's there that she came up with the idea of going back and not taking 'no' for an answer in acquiring that pepper shaker. I wonder if, having watching it all so fast together, you haven't had the time to let the show marinate and experience these characters over the years. Having watched it since 2021, I see a stark contrast. This season is not the show I remember, and if this season was the first, I wouldn't have made it to that season's end, let alone to the second. Regardless, I've had maybe about five minutes of enjoyment or interest this season. I can't think of a single joke that's made me laugh. The only scene that springs to mind that I truly enjoyed was the one between Marcus and Deborah where they came to terms with his leaving. I really, really loved this show, so this season's decline has bummed me out. I haven't had an experience like this since the Game of Shows that I shall not name. I can only hope that the penultimate seasons of each series is the only commonality, and that Hacks rebounds in S5. It seems the only ones who brought their "A" game this season are the costumer, Kathleen Felix-Hager, and the actress paying Stacey, Michaela Watkins.

I think the point of Ava's switching out or preferring the Sweden joke wasn't that she genuinely thought it was funnier (both were objectively terrible), but that she wanted to put in a more politically progressive joke. Deborah was absolutely right that the Sweden joke wasn't funny. Ava even knew that, which is why she tried to throw in a visual to save it, and Deborah rightly called her out on that. The problem is that the wine o'clock joke was also horrible. This show is starting to have the problem that the Sorkin Sunset Strip show that riffed on SNL had. The on air comedy bit parts weren't funny. Can this show move back to Vegas already? I miss Marty, DJ, Marcus, and Kiki.

The QVC audience that bought Deborah's comedy special DVD in record numbers would be a different audience than people tuning in to watch Deborah Vance on Late Night? The whole gist of the show is that Deborah Vance isn't edgy. She plays to mainstream America, the people who Ava mocks and disdains. Her fans are Floridians who vacation in Vegas. Even her special was more autobiographical and revealing than 'edgy.'

Can someone explain why the Queen of QVC, who knows how to hawk spice racks and infinity scarves and microwave covers, wouldn't already have a built in female fanbase, let alone be alone to know how to connect with them? Granted, they'd skew slightly older, but she'd at least have 40 somethings among her fanbase. I get Deborah wasn't popular with lesbians, which is ironic given the number that are obsessed with Jean Smart, but Deborah not being popular with all women? This season is half over, and it's barely out of the gate, storyline-wise. I think jpl made it too "autobiographical" and forgot about the characters already on the playing field. I did like Jimmy Kimmel's cameo. And Stacey is a highlight. Thank God she called out both Deborah and Ava on their b.s. Deborah's hurt reaction, and the way Jean delivered 'that's right,' reminded me why she keeps winning emmys. They've given her virtually nothing this season, so far. If things don't turn around, I see a big goose egg for this show, coming emmys night.

Me too. Chris McDonald must appear at some point this season, as he was at the premiere party and did the red carpet.

Ava would have assumed it was Marty. She asked Deborah as much the next morning. Aftr that, she gussed Bill Blatt from Cincinatti. Ava would not have figured out it was the married Bob Lipka. You know, that makes Ava's blackmail all the more ridiculous. She had no proof to back up her claim. If Deborah hadn't relented, and if Ava had sent that email to the New Yorker, and they bothered to check it out, they would have learned that Ava had been recently been demoted. Bob and Deborah would have denied her claim and said she was a disgruntled demoted employee. I would say, if Deborah hadn't been in panic stricken mode, she would have seen that and called Ava's bluff. But Ava is so unthinking and reckless, she possibly wasn't bluffing. This season isn't doing it for me, so far. I've heard of a sophomore slump. Is there a term for a four-year senior slump?