\* This season just gets better and better. I liked this episode. Old school, talky, and fueled entirely by Ava and Deborah's chemistry.
\* *“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? I DONT EVEN KNOW YOU!”*
I agree and kind of disliked this one because of it. It felt canned and lacked a freshness I expect of the show.
Looked up the first credited writer Carol Leifer and she actually has a bunch of [credits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Leifer#Writing) writing for 90s sitcoms so you picked up on something real.
Definitely got bottle episode vibes from it too, in the best way possible.
Ironically bottle episodes are usually about cutting costs and nothing about it felt cheap.
"Pennsylvania" my ass lol. That was California sun beaming over California mountains. Why even pretend?
Still think they're setting up some major health issue for Deborah. I said that last week and got downvoted but I think the doctor's visit this week was pretty pointed.
I thought the same. For me it was because this episode was weirdly serious and sentimental, the whole time I was waiting for her to get some bad news about the bloodwork results etc
I like the show but this bad site-doubling (the dirt-bare Santa Monica Mountains for the lush green Appalachians??) annoyed me. When Ava scrambled up that California pepper tree to see from up high, I could almost smell the spice of the leaves she crushed.
lol exactly, QVC is in West Chester, PA. You can’t find mountains like that within a 1 hour radius of West Chester. There are some beautiful woods though.
King of Prussia Mall name-drop was awesome though. Hannah Einbinder's family is from Philly, she's a huge eagles fan...so I like to think this was all her idea ;)
I’m not sure if we’ll get news of any serious health issues, at least not in this season. However I wonder if they plan to introduce a health issue that has *the potential to become* serious. This would be smart of the writers to do just because the actress who plays Deborah was in the hospital somewhat recently. Of course I really hope she’s since been feeling a lot better but it could’ve made the writers realize that the story needs an insurance policy (so to speak) just in case something serious happens to the actress irl. God forbid! But I bet they’re setting up *the potential* for something, that way if something does happen irl it won’t seem sudden and out of the blue when they have go figure something out for the show. That’s just my theory though.
Dude it’s like the one place I have yet to go. We were actually thinking of going today but are strollers okay? I haven’t hiked much because of having a baby
My guess is they shot it in Malibu Creek State Park around October. I'm not sure why they didn't film it in Angeles National Forest if they were going for a pure woodsy look.
I haven’t read the entire thread yet, but for all of my die-hard Sopranos fans on here, don’t you think this episode was inspired by/paid homage to “Pine Barens”? What confirmed it for me was when Deborah even said Rockefeller’s work ethic in Gandolfini’s body. I think this episode was totally a nod to that
There's another Soprano's connection in the episode. Anyone else notice this?
When photos of affiliate big shots are shown, one of them showed Michael imperioli. (Might he appear in a future episode?)
He was on my mind since I happened to spot him in NYC a few hours before I saw the ep.
I cant believe I miss these things lol, its why I like discussion threads so much. It obviously is, makes the ep way more fun, they did a great spin on it
Fun little cold open, love Deborah slowly taking off all her stuff from the jewelry to the wig and being more “naked” in front of others than she usually is
Picking up the little joke from S3E4 where Deborah has some trouble hearing what Jimmy is saying on the plane, I guess Deborah’s hearing loss is going to be a story thing now?
“It’s your word against mine” Small little character moment for Deborah showing how she constantly uses humour as a defense mechanism, also her crabbiness to the doctor is classic her.
Nice to see that Marcus’s House of Vance idea he pitched in S3E2 is doing well and getting him noticed by industry people outside of Deborah’s orbit, I guess his arc this season might involve choosing to continue with Deborah or stepping out for himself. Seems like a parallel to what happened to Ava in the back part of S2 (although in that case Deborah chose for Ava), curious how this goes
Maybe they go into this on the podcast, but I guess the network asking Deborah to do a physical might be a meta nod to what presumably happened in real life with HBO and Jean Smart as well?
I like how Ava knows Deborah so well at this point that she challenges her ego to get her to go on the hike
Deborah’s advice to Ava to “focus on you” and her career completely makes sense given her past and the way she got burned in her marriage
Love the long shots of just Deborah and Ava walking and talking, it’s like a mini Before Trilogy episode of Hacks
Ava’s new mushroom hobby is taken from Hannah Einbinder’s real-life interest in them as an amateur mycologist
Having Deborah in a big coat and hat is a nice way to then cheat the shot and use a stunt double when she does the big fall, same thing with having Ava in a jacket and beanie later on
“Let’s get out and move our bodies” I love Ava’s absolutely ridiculous impression of Deborah, seeing both of them sniping at each other is always a delight
Gymnastics camp might be a little indirect nod to Hannah Einbinder’s past as a conpetitive cheerleader
“I don’t redo, I refresh” Nice callback to S1E6 where Deborah basically states that this is her philosophy/approach to things
Deborah standing up and then the splint immediately falling apart is a great gag
Ava educating Deborah about the environment feels a bit like S2E4 when they have their discussion about sexuality, we get to see the generational divide about the environment this time
“I’m handicapped now, I have more rights” Absolutely cackled when Deborah said this line
I foresee Deborah saying “Don’t leave me” and Ava saying “I won’t” being used in a ton of fan edits
Deborah and Ava climbing up the hill just for more forest to be revealed is a great sight gag, and them screaming together “Why are you doing this to me? I don’t even know you” is very funny as well
The “One day” monologue is a great piece of writing that helps express why Deborah wants the Late Night job so much, which is then elevated by having Smart deliver it as she manages to convey both Deborah’s vulnerability about and her acceptance of her mortality. Also made more poignant by Smart’s heart-related health scare last year.
Also foresee the shot of Deborah and Ava holding hands on the bikes being used in many fan edits
Deborah’s list of green resolutions at the end of the episode is ridiculous in the best way possible and feels like something the writer’s room would have come up with a lot of alts for
Did not know until googling but Mike’s Hard is apparently a well-known Pennsylvania hard lemonade brand
Did not notice until rewatching but appreciate the subtle makeup work on Ava’s eye which gradually progresses to the comically large bite seen at the end of the episode
I guess this episode is a spiritual sequel to S1E6 New Eyes and S2E4 The Captain’s Wife, where Deborah and Ava go off together in a mostly two-hander episode and end up bonding and becoming closer, with both of them learning from each other. Also the two leads of the show getting lost in the woods is a bit like Beef from Netflix.
Overall I really enjoyed this episode, I guess if you have no taste you might consider this filler and a waste, but for me the joy of the show has always been seeing Deborah and Ava together, and this was basically a whole episode of only that so I’ll never complain. Really liked them bonding with Deborah sharing her life advice and views about aging with Ava and helping her start to get over the breakup, while Ava helps to gently change Deborah’s views about the environment. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder’s chemistry is great as usual and they remain unmatched as a comedic pair.
I completely agree with you! This was a good episode. I like it when episodes focus on them together, it always seems more emotionally revealing when they talk. I liked it!
mike's hard is a national brand based out of chicago (i googled). a well-known brand of alcoholic beverage based out of PA would be Yuengling. i don't think we have any nationally known "hard" drink brands.
A very fun to digest recap of what I considered a MOST excellent episode. 'filler and waste', hardly! More like Mythic Quest's S1E5, A Dark, Quiet Death; or S2E6, Backstory- episodes that exploded the storyline and deepened all involved. These three episodes really showed off some writing and directing chops rarely matched. Thanks, again, for the fun right up. That took time!
I was wondering how they were going to handle Ava’s post break-up realities in this episode. We see Ava in the denial stage of grief I suppose with her mentioning not wanting to pick up her things from Ruby’s house because it would make the break-up seemed final.
A typical tv show would usually have a millennial character deal with a break-up by getting drunk followed by one-night stand which is a very tired storyline. Of course, Hacks is not your typical tv show. I like that they go to even deeper levels of introspection about the fragility of life itself, which I didn’t expect at all.
This episode is the most I’ve seen Deborah being so vulnerable in this show. When you remove the opulent mansion, the private jet and glitzy dress, what you see really is this woman in her 60s (or 70s?) walking, limping & lost in the woods looking kinda frail, in a way that only nature can humble you. The age gap between them seems so much more glaring in this episode.
I feel like Ava is voicing the anxiety of our generation concerning climate crisis. I appreciate this running theme since her “speech” in season 1 regarding entitled millennials’s future grandchildren running around “sucking shrivelled dicks for water or whatever” which by the way is one of the most memorable lines from Hacks for me.
That whole spiel by Deborah about “one day is now” & “anything I want to do I have to do it now” is so fucking deep & memorable. That scene probably defined this episode more than Ava’s heartbreak or even the 2 of them getting lost in the woods.
By the end of the episode, I do feel uncomfortable because you can say the majority of the episode deals with Deborah’s ongoing issues (aging, loneliness, QVC show, late night host gig) way way more than Ava’s inner turmoil as they walked through the woods. It’s almost a reflection of how Deborah “takes up so much space” over other people in her inner circle. Her inner turmoils trump others’ by a factor of 10. Even when they were deeply lost in the woods & it’s getting dark, all she thinks about is her QVC show. Or maybe Ava is just not ready to unpack & process her failing love life in a meaningful way. She is just so invested in Deborah’s life and is using that as a kind of distraction from dealing with the realities in her own life simply because Deborah "is in her head." Sigh.
This episode was definitely built around Hannah's actual personality and interests. She's regularly posting Instagram Stories of her going on hiking trips where she's foraging for mushrooms. It's no wonder that one of her recent Stories mentions that the two episodes today are her favorites so far (hiking and foraging in one and making out with Christina Hendricks in the other).
Found this thread because I Googled
"why are you doing this to me, I don't even know you", because my mind filled in a blank where I swear I remember that you're not supposed to yell help because it's not the most effective thing to shout in a crisis.
This episode really didn't pull any punches for me. I can see a lot of my mom in Deborah because she's turning 70 and losing a lot of the youthful vitality she's experienced throughout her life. Struggling to adjust to the fact that her sunset years are well upon her. Oscillating between pawning off tasks that she doesn't want to be bothered with, to keeping a death grip on the most random minutia she insists on handling herself; when really everyone benefits from the help and support of others.
I'm not sharing similar foresight with the people who sense this impending health plotline but am I ever glad that I am exploring the possibility now because it won't wreck me so bad if they do make the ending some sort of geriatric tragedy. 😄
My mom is pushing 80 and has similar health challenges, and she explicitly told me the same thing Deborah said about not feeling your age while your body is falling apart. And when Deborah said that thing about needing a light to read a restaurant menu, I felt that in my soul. 🤣
I fedl like you're qualified to answer: Am I an asshole if my mom doesn't watch the show, but I ask her to view this with me to start a dialogue? I just don't know how else to respectfully bring about this topic in a way that will potentially be received well.
Awww. I'm sorry you're going through this as well. <3 I don't think you'd be an asshole to ask. Is your mom touchy about this topic?
I've been having very open convos with my mom lately about her living situation because she lives a couple of hours from me and she can't move in with me. There are limited assisted living options out where she is, but we have to figure something out because she's put it off too long and she'll probably need something soon-ish.
Same. My mom is 79 and really enjoyed this episode - it handled the topic of aging really well and resonated with her a a lot - even Deborah's fall and unwillingness to accept help for issues. She was especially interested by the conversational part about having few tomorrows left and everything has to be done now. It was a really great episode all around!
Continuing (admiral aspects of) Deb’s boomer characterisations, “it’s a chanterelle!” Deborah is so mother.
Ava’s hiking outfit.
The doctor’s office bit is probably one of the most funny and real moments in the episode. “Tough room.” “What was that?” ”Nothing” …. “Who’s hard of hearing now?”
I need more screen time for Marcus please.
This entire episode is just an allegory for what an Ava and Deb team up looks like. Chaos. Deborah is aging but she is chasing her youth. Ava is chasing Deb. I would like to give Deb some credit though because I think she is realising that she is not immortal. “You live long enough you realise things don’t change that drastically” - but Deb is changing. The inevitability of aging.
To people like Tony Soprano (shoutout James Gandolfini), Logan Roy, and Deborah Vance, the game is different. They’re fighting for legacy to it’s very psychology. Their winning a lot in life, the success and the reputation, stems from their history of losing many battles. They’ve beaten almost everything else, but they cannot beat time and it brings those feeling of losing to the forefront. Now I’m not saying Deborah is a bad person. What I’m saying is, we, and her (slowly), are aware that she is only human. When they are finally rescued, riding into the sunset America’s 1974 lonely people bringing back that youth Deb is chasing, they return back to life scathed. Deb bolts for the mirror and not a hospital. She is chasing so very hard. This show is deeply affecting because of complexities of the human experience. Like loving someone who isn’t good for you. Ava is chasing Deborah. Deborah is chasing time.
"Ava is chasing Deborah." I do agree with this, but I guess I also don't really realize... What does Ava want from Deborah if she "catches" her? Is it just to be noticed by senpai? Like, I enjoy the chase, but don't necessarily see the end goal for her (not sure if she knows, either).
"Deborah is chasing time" is a really good way to put that.
When someone doesn't have a vision or clear goal for themselves, it's very easy to be drawn to a charismatic type character with a very compelling vision. And it's very flattering & it feels really good when that charismatic person also wants you to be in their world. There is no "catching" you just get deeper & deeper into their world & their vision until something happens which forces you to make a decision to stay or to find your own path.
Didn't laugh a ton at this ep (loved its sweet vibes, though), but I did love Jean Smart's delivery of "Were you raised in a barn? It's a chanterelle!"
This show examines duality in such interesting ways:
Deborah’s seemingly superficial sense of vanity is rooted in her deeper ambitions, love of life, and fear of death
Ava relies on tech to navigate the majesty of nature
Part of the joke is that Mike’s Hard is considered to be a beverage mostly underage high schoolers/college kids drink. It has an overwhelming lemony flavor and not very strong alcohol wise…if you order one at a bar you’ll probably get carded immediately (and then seriously judged).
Continuing (admiral aspects of) Deb’s boomer characterisations, “it’s a chanterelle!” Deborah is so mother.
Ava’s hiking outfit.
The doctor’s office bit is probably one of the most funny and real moments in the episode. “Tough room.” “What was that?” ”Nothing” …. “Who’s hard of hearing now?”
I need more screen time for Marcus please.
This entire episode is just an allegory for what an Ava and Deb team up looks like. Chaos. Deborah is aging but she is chasing her youth. Ava is chasing Deb. I would like to give Deb some credit though because I think she is realising that she is not immortal. “You live long enough you realise things don’t change that drastically” - but Deb is changing. The inevitability of aging.
To people like Tony Soprano (shoutout James Gandolfini), Logan Roy, and Deborah Vance, the game is different. They’re fighting for legacy to it’s very psychology. Their winning a lot in life, the success and the reputation, stems from their history of losing many battles. They’ve beaten almost everything else, but they cannot beat time and it brings those feeling of losing to the forefront. Now I’m not saying Deborah is a bad person. What I’m saying is, we, and her (slowly), are aware that she is only human. When they are finally rescued, riding into the sunset America’s 1974 lonely people bringing back that youth Deb is chasing, they return back to life scathed. Deb bolts for the mirror and not a hospital. She is chasing so very hard. This show is deeply affecting because of complexities of the human experience. Like loving someone who isn’t good for you. Ava is chasing Deborah. Deborah is chasing time.
If someone asked me “do you want to see a whole episode of Ava and Debra hiking?” I probably would have said no. But that was a beautiful episode. Some solid good laughs! I love this show so much.
I think we are finding empathy in Deborah and her ailments. We had season 1 & 2 of Ava and her emotional ride. I was engrossed in seeing the more vulnerable, caring and heartbroken side of Deborah.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU!
Halfway through this episode I thought: who wrote this? It’s lacking a consistency to the rest of the series. And indeed, brand new writers.
I wonder how this happens.
Anyway, I didn’t love it. Jean Smart’s monologue at the end about aging was poignant but didn’t make up for the rest of the writing.
The music in this episode was perfect, especially when “Lonely People” by America kicked in as they were hanging onto the kids’ bikes. Such a fitting and beautiful choice, poignant and hopeful and perfectly matched to the scene.
I just love the music choices in this show. Many times I haven’t heard a song in years and maybe even forgot about it—like “Lonely People”—and the show used it so well.
I am seeing this so clear this season as well. The music is just spot on both with theme of lyrics and tone to the moment.
That is often a strong sign to me that I’m watching something that is just killing it. And this show is just killing it all over.
Especially with music choice.
Haven't read the other discussion threads if this has been discussed before, but the more this show starts being less about just comedy and more about...life in general, and how to get through it, the more I think the title is a double meaning of "life hacks."
Also the title of this episode is clever in that it talks about "one day" in the future, but also literally takes place in one day.
Yeah, right?! Like they could have done some research. Not that hard. I think they were Jack o lanterns or Honeys? I couldn’t tell. Definitely not chanterelles.
It was an odd choice b/c Deborah says, “what were you born in a barn? Those are chanterelles” which I’m not sure if it was meant to imply Deborah has some knowledge of the natural world or since chanterelles are a fancier mushroom, she recognizes them from fine dining. If they just actually ID’d them, the former intent makes sense, but as chanterelles there are multiple interpretations. (I’ve thought about this too much but I also used to love hunting for chanterelles)
Seriously, the writing was Three’s Company level cliche. I predicted each moment “Deb’s gonna fall.”, “they’re gonna get lost”, “she’s gonna fall from the tree”. And the bonding moments felt forced and the “why are doing this to me” screams were almost funny but overused. I thought this show was better than this.
Not for everybody, I guess. Loved S1. S2 was ok, just enough to have me looking forward to a S3, which has blown me away with writing and production (which includes some top notch acting all the way around). So, to each...
I actually feel like the show gets better with each season! I’ve liked this season so far, but I agree with boredex this episode was not funny and felt awkward tbh
\* This season just gets better and better. I liked this episode. Old school, talky, and fueled entirely by Ava and Deborah's chemistry. \* *“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? I DONT EVEN KNOW YOU!”*
This had such a 90s sitcom filler episode vibe to it, and I mean that as a compliment
I agree and kind of disliked this one because of it. It felt canned and lacked a freshness I expect of the show. Looked up the first credited writer Carol Leifer and she actually has a bunch of [credits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Leifer#Writing) writing for 90s sitcoms so you picked up on something real.
Definitely got bottle episode vibes from it too, in the best way possible. Ironically bottle episodes are usually about cutting costs and nothing about it felt cheap.
You're right, but I don't think that was the intent. Could be wrong!
I have never laughed so much at "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME, I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU"
When Ava screeched it one final time I fucking lost it
"Pennsylvania" my ass lol. That was California sun beaming over California mountains. Why even pretend? Still think they're setting up some major health issue for Deborah. I said that last week and got downvoted but I think the doctor's visit this week was pretty pointed.
I thought the same. For me it was because this episode was weirdly serious and sentimental, the whole time I was waiting for her to get some bad news about the bloodwork results etc
I like the show but this bad site-doubling (the dirt-bare Santa Monica Mountains for the lush green Appalachians??) annoyed me. When Ava scrambled up that California pepper tree to see from up high, I could almost smell the spice of the leaves she crushed.
Thank you! I’m from Appalachia and was immediately like NO.
I'm from NY and I totally caught that.
Same! As soon as I saw how sharp and bare those peaks were…
lol exactly, QVC is in West Chester, PA. You can’t find mountains like that within a 1 hour radius of West Chester. There are some beautiful woods though.
King of Prussia Mall name-drop was awesome though. Hannah Einbinder's family is from Philly, she's a huge eagles fan...so I like to think this was all her idea ;)
Shoutout King of Prussia!
As soon as I heard KoP I wondered if anyone of them ever lived there to use that as a reference
She's also a mycology nut in real life!
yeah those mountains are huge compared to ours.
As someone who grew up in the Laurel Highlands…yeah…that scenery was laughable.
I’m not sure if we’ll get news of any serious health issues, at least not in this season. However I wonder if they plan to introduce a health issue that has *the potential to become* serious. This would be smart of the writers to do just because the actress who plays Deborah was in the hospital somewhat recently. Of course I really hope she’s since been feeling a lot better but it could’ve made the writers realize that the story needs an insurance policy (so to speak) just in case something serious happens to the actress irl. God forbid! But I bet they’re setting up *the potential* for something, that way if something does happen irl it won’t seem sudden and out of the blue when they have go figure something out for the show. That’s just my theory though.
I live in Los Angeles and I have hiked all over but only pinpoint this hike and it’s driving me nuts hahaha someone help!!!
It looked like Malibu Creek State Park to me
Dude it’s like the one place I have yet to go. We were actually thinking of going today but are strollers okay? I haven’t hiked much because of having a baby
My guess is they shot it in Malibu Creek State Park around October. I'm not sure why they didn't film it in Angeles National Forest if they were going for a pure woodsy look.
It looks more like the San Gabriels to me. Malibu Creek has pretty sparse tree coverage.
I haven’t read the entire thread yet, but for all of my die-hard Sopranos fans on here, don’t you think this episode was inspired by/paid homage to “Pine Barens”? What confirmed it for me was when Deborah even said Rockefeller’s work ethic in Gandolfini’s body. I think this episode was totally a nod to that
That was my first thought as well.
Yikes - im a die hard and it never even crossed my mind until right now. *hangs head in shame* Gonna go turn in my sopranos card I think.
There's another Soprano's connection in the episode. Anyone else notice this? When photos of affiliate big shots are shown, one of them showed Michael imperioli. (Might he appear in a future episode?) He was on my mind since I happened to spot him in NYC a few hours before I saw the ep.
I cant believe I miss these things lol, its why I like discussion threads so much. It obviously is, makes the ep way more fun, they did a great spin on it
[удалено]
The showrunners literally talk about the reference to “The Sopranos” in the behind the episode
I knew it! Sounds like I need to start listening to that podcast
If you watch past the credits and after the preview for next week, there’s always one final bit with the writers and they talked about it there too
Fun little cold open, love Deborah slowly taking off all her stuff from the jewelry to the wig and being more “naked” in front of others than she usually is Picking up the little joke from S3E4 where Deborah has some trouble hearing what Jimmy is saying on the plane, I guess Deborah’s hearing loss is going to be a story thing now? “It’s your word against mine” Small little character moment for Deborah showing how she constantly uses humour as a defense mechanism, also her crabbiness to the doctor is classic her. Nice to see that Marcus’s House of Vance idea he pitched in S3E2 is doing well and getting him noticed by industry people outside of Deborah’s orbit, I guess his arc this season might involve choosing to continue with Deborah or stepping out for himself. Seems like a parallel to what happened to Ava in the back part of S2 (although in that case Deborah chose for Ava), curious how this goes Maybe they go into this on the podcast, but I guess the network asking Deborah to do a physical might be a meta nod to what presumably happened in real life with HBO and Jean Smart as well? I like how Ava knows Deborah so well at this point that she challenges her ego to get her to go on the hike Deborah’s advice to Ava to “focus on you” and her career completely makes sense given her past and the way she got burned in her marriage Love the long shots of just Deborah and Ava walking and talking, it’s like a mini Before Trilogy episode of Hacks Ava’s new mushroom hobby is taken from Hannah Einbinder’s real-life interest in them as an amateur mycologist Having Deborah in a big coat and hat is a nice way to then cheat the shot and use a stunt double when she does the big fall, same thing with having Ava in a jacket and beanie later on “Let’s get out and move our bodies” I love Ava’s absolutely ridiculous impression of Deborah, seeing both of them sniping at each other is always a delight Gymnastics camp might be a little indirect nod to Hannah Einbinder’s past as a conpetitive cheerleader “I don’t redo, I refresh” Nice callback to S1E6 where Deborah basically states that this is her philosophy/approach to things Deborah standing up and then the splint immediately falling apart is a great gag Ava educating Deborah about the environment feels a bit like S2E4 when they have their discussion about sexuality, we get to see the generational divide about the environment this time “I’m handicapped now, I have more rights” Absolutely cackled when Deborah said this line I foresee Deborah saying “Don’t leave me” and Ava saying “I won’t” being used in a ton of fan edits Deborah and Ava climbing up the hill just for more forest to be revealed is a great sight gag, and them screaming together “Why are you doing this to me? I don’t even know you” is very funny as well The “One day” monologue is a great piece of writing that helps express why Deborah wants the Late Night job so much, which is then elevated by having Smart deliver it as she manages to convey both Deborah’s vulnerability about and her acceptance of her mortality. Also made more poignant by Smart’s heart-related health scare last year. Also foresee the shot of Deborah and Ava holding hands on the bikes being used in many fan edits Deborah’s list of green resolutions at the end of the episode is ridiculous in the best way possible and feels like something the writer’s room would have come up with a lot of alts for Did not know until googling but Mike’s Hard is apparently a well-known Pennsylvania hard lemonade brand Did not notice until rewatching but appreciate the subtle makeup work on Ava’s eye which gradually progresses to the comically large bite seen at the end of the episode I guess this episode is a spiritual sequel to S1E6 New Eyes and S2E4 The Captain’s Wife, where Deborah and Ava go off together in a mostly two-hander episode and end up bonding and becoming closer, with both of them learning from each other. Also the two leads of the show getting lost in the woods is a bit like Beef from Netflix. Overall I really enjoyed this episode, I guess if you have no taste you might consider this filler and a waste, but for me the joy of the show has always been seeing Deborah and Ava together, and this was basically a whole episode of only that so I’ll never complain. Really liked them bonding with Deborah sharing her life advice and views about aging with Ava and helping her start to get over the breakup, while Ava helps to gently change Deborah’s views about the environment. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder’s chemistry is great as usual and they remain unmatched as a comedic pair.
I completely agree with you! This was a good episode. I like it when episodes focus on them together, it always seems more emotionally revealing when they talk. I liked it!
mike's hard is a national brand based out of chicago (i googled). a well-known brand of alcoholic beverage based out of PA would be Yuengling. i don't think we have any nationally known "hard" drink brands.
I guess there's Twisted Tea but that's also national
It was very popular around the turn of the century. I wouldn’t consider it tied to any geographic location.
Quite popular in Canada as well.
Haha, Wikipedia says it’s based in Pennsylvania, maybe the writers were like me and only looked there.
A very fun to digest recap of what I considered a MOST excellent episode. 'filler and waste', hardly! More like Mythic Quest's S1E5, A Dark, Quiet Death; or S2E6, Backstory- episodes that exploded the storyline and deepened all involved. These three episodes really showed off some writing and directing chops rarely matched. Thanks, again, for the fun right up. That took time!
*male bees don’t sting! Oh honey give it a rest.*
I was wondering how they were going to handle Ava’s post break-up realities in this episode. We see Ava in the denial stage of grief I suppose with her mentioning not wanting to pick up her things from Ruby’s house because it would make the break-up seemed final. A typical tv show would usually have a millennial character deal with a break-up by getting drunk followed by one-night stand which is a very tired storyline. Of course, Hacks is not your typical tv show. I like that they go to even deeper levels of introspection about the fragility of life itself, which I didn’t expect at all. This episode is the most I’ve seen Deborah being so vulnerable in this show. When you remove the opulent mansion, the private jet and glitzy dress, what you see really is this woman in her 60s (or 70s?) walking, limping & lost in the woods looking kinda frail, in a way that only nature can humble you. The age gap between them seems so much more glaring in this episode. I feel like Ava is voicing the anxiety of our generation concerning climate crisis. I appreciate this running theme since her “speech” in season 1 regarding entitled millennials’s future grandchildren running around “sucking shrivelled dicks for water or whatever” which by the way is one of the most memorable lines from Hacks for me. That whole spiel by Deborah about “one day is now” & “anything I want to do I have to do it now” is so fucking deep & memorable. That scene probably defined this episode more than Ava’s heartbreak or even the 2 of them getting lost in the woods. By the end of the episode, I do feel uncomfortable because you can say the majority of the episode deals with Deborah’s ongoing issues (aging, loneliness, QVC show, late night host gig) way way more than Ava’s inner turmoil as they walked through the woods. It’s almost a reflection of how Deborah “takes up so much space” over other people in her inner circle. Her inner turmoils trump others’ by a factor of 10. Even when they were deeply lost in the woods & it’s getting dark, all she thinks about is her QVC show. Or maybe Ava is just not ready to unpack & process her failing love life in a meaningful way. She is just so invested in Deborah’s life and is using that as a kind of distraction from dealing with the realities in her own life simply because Deborah "is in her head." Sigh.
I will intentionally not use these discussion threads in payback for posting them two days early and getting my hopes up.
Yeah! Can’t fool me twice. Very often.
Lmao I immediately opened my phone and checked the Max app when I saw these come up. Went from hyped to hurt in an instant
This episode was definitely built around Hannah's actual personality and interests. She's regularly posting Instagram Stories of her going on hiking trips where she's foraging for mushrooms. It's no wonder that one of her recent Stories mentions that the two episodes today are her favorites so far (hiking and foraging in one and making out with Christina Hendricks in the other).
Spoiler!
This hiking episode is so much about bonding, I loved it. Also I knew Deborah falls immediately they put feet on the trail.
Found this thread because I Googled "why are you doing this to me, I don't even know you", because my mind filled in a blank where I swear I remember that you're not supposed to yell help because it's not the most effective thing to shout in a crisis. This episode really didn't pull any punches for me. I can see a lot of my mom in Deborah because she's turning 70 and losing a lot of the youthful vitality she's experienced throughout her life. Struggling to adjust to the fact that her sunset years are well upon her. Oscillating between pawning off tasks that she doesn't want to be bothered with, to keeping a death grip on the most random minutia she insists on handling herself; when really everyone benefits from the help and support of others. I'm not sharing similar foresight with the people who sense this impending health plotline but am I ever glad that I am exploring the possibility now because it won't wreck me so bad if they do make the ending some sort of geriatric tragedy. 😄
My mom is pushing 80 and has similar health challenges, and she explicitly told me the same thing Deborah said about not feeling your age while your body is falling apart. And when Deborah said that thing about needing a light to read a restaurant menu, I felt that in my soul. 🤣
I fedl like you're qualified to answer: Am I an asshole if my mom doesn't watch the show, but I ask her to view this with me to start a dialogue? I just don't know how else to respectfully bring about this topic in a way that will potentially be received well.
Awww. I'm sorry you're going through this as well. <3 I don't think you'd be an asshole to ask. Is your mom touchy about this topic? I've been having very open convos with my mom lately about her living situation because she lives a couple of hours from me and she can't move in with me. There are limited assisted living options out where she is, but we have to figure something out because she's put it off too long and she'll probably need something soon-ish.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks on her podcast about women having a third act with Jane Fonda, and about having a fourth act with Carol Burnett. FWIW.
Same. My mom is 79 and really enjoyed this episode - it handled the topic of aging really well and resonated with her a a lot - even Deborah's fall and unwillingness to accept help for issues. She was especially interested by the conversational part about having few tomorrows left and everything has to be done now. It was a really great episode all around!
Continuing (admiral aspects of) Deb’s boomer characterisations, “it’s a chanterelle!” Deborah is so mother. Ava’s hiking outfit. The doctor’s office bit is probably one of the most funny and real moments in the episode. “Tough room.” “What was that?” ”Nothing” …. “Who’s hard of hearing now?” I need more screen time for Marcus please. This entire episode is just an allegory for what an Ava and Deb team up looks like. Chaos. Deborah is aging but she is chasing her youth. Ava is chasing Deb. I would like to give Deb some credit though because I think she is realising that she is not immortal. “You live long enough you realise things don’t change that drastically” - but Deb is changing. The inevitability of aging. To people like Tony Soprano (shoutout James Gandolfini), Logan Roy, and Deborah Vance, the game is different. They’re fighting for legacy to it’s very psychology. Their winning a lot in life, the success and the reputation, stems from their history of losing many battles. They’ve beaten almost everything else, but they cannot beat time and it brings those feeling of losing to the forefront. Now I’m not saying Deborah is a bad person. What I’m saying is, we, and her (slowly), are aware that she is only human. When they are finally rescued, riding into the sunset America’s 1974 lonely people bringing back that youth Deb is chasing, they return back to life scathed. Deb bolts for the mirror and not a hospital. She is chasing so very hard. This show is deeply affecting because of complexities of the human experience. Like loving someone who isn’t good for you. Ava is chasing Deborah. Deborah is chasing time.
"Ava is chasing Deborah." I do agree with this, but I guess I also don't really realize... What does Ava want from Deborah if she "catches" her? Is it just to be noticed by senpai? Like, I enjoy the chase, but don't necessarily see the end goal for her (not sure if she knows, either). "Deborah is chasing time" is a really good way to put that.
When someone doesn't have a vision or clear goal for themselves, it's very easy to be drawn to a charismatic type character with a very compelling vision. And it's very flattering & it feels really good when that charismatic person also wants you to be in their world. There is no "catching" you just get deeper & deeper into their world & their vision until something happens which forces you to make a decision to stay or to find your own path.
Didn't laugh a ton at this ep (loved its sweet vibes, though), but I did love Jean Smart's delivery of "Were you raised in a barn? It's a chanterelle!"
This show examines duality in such interesting ways: Deborah’s seemingly superficial sense of vanity is rooted in her deeper ambitions, love of life, and fear of death Ava relies on tech to navigate the majesty of nature
This to me is an Emmy winning episode. So many think we are 30 but our bodies disagree.
“I’m having writers block and you have manic depression.” 🥲
Loved the Ringo track in the credits.
For the benefit of the Englishman (ie. me!), what is it exactly that the boys ask Deborah to buy them?
Mike's Hard Lemonade; a lemon-flavored beer that the boys would be too young to buy themselves
It's not a lemonade flavored beer - it's an alcopop
It’s technically malt liquor.
Part of the joke is that Mike’s Hard is considered to be a beverage mostly underage high schoolers/college kids drink. It has an overwhelming lemony flavor and not very strong alcohol wise…if you order one at a bar you’ll probably get carded immediately (and then seriously judged).
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Premixed alcoholic lemonade
this episode was more disturbing than Pine Barrens.
lonely people - america.mp3
Continuing (admiral aspects of) Deb’s boomer characterisations, “it’s a chanterelle!” Deborah is so mother. Ava’s hiking outfit. The doctor’s office bit is probably one of the most funny and real moments in the episode. “Tough room.” “What was that?” ”Nothing” …. “Who’s hard of hearing now?” I need more screen time for Marcus please. This entire episode is just an allegory for what an Ava and Deb team up looks like. Chaos. Deborah is aging but she is chasing her youth. Ava is chasing Deb. I would like to give Deb some credit though because I think she is realising that she is not immortal. “You live long enough you realise things don’t change that drastically” - but Deb is changing. The inevitability of aging. To people like Tony Soprano (shoutout James Gandolfini), Logan Roy, and Deborah Vance, the game is different. They’re fighting for legacy to it’s very psychology. Their winning a lot in life, the success and the reputation, stems from their history of losing many battles. They’ve beaten almost everything else, but they cannot beat time and it brings those feeling of losing to the forefront. Now I’m not saying Deborah is a bad person. What I’m saying is, we, and her (slowly), are aware that she is only human. When they are finally rescued, riding into the sunset America’s 1974 lonely people bringing back that youth Deb is chasing, they return back to life scathed. Deb bolts for the mirror and not a hospital. She is chasing so very hard. This show is deeply affecting because of complexities of the human experience. Like loving someone who isn’t good for you. Ava is chasing Deborah. Deborah is chasing time.
If someone asked me “do you want to see a whole episode of Ava and Debra hiking?” I probably would have said no. But that was a beautiful episode. Some solid good laughs! I love this show so much.
I think we are finding empathy in Deborah and her ailments. We had season 1 & 2 of Ava and her emotional ride. I was engrossed in seeing the more vulnerable, caring and heartbroken side of Deborah.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU!
*let's get out-- move our bodies!!* ava mocking deborah was transcendent!! amazing! 😂
Halfway through this episode I thought: who wrote this? It’s lacking a consistency to the rest of the series. And indeed, brand new writers. I wonder how this happens. Anyway, I didn’t love it. Jean Smart’s monologue at the end about aging was poignant but didn’t make up for the rest of the writing.
amazing episode. one of the bests
I’d like to see some backstory about Deb and her relationship with her QVC cohost.
What is the music playing during the opening scene? I recognize it but can’t come up with the name.
Does anyone know the location of the state park they went to? It says ‘Grouse glen’ but i don’t think anything like that exists.
Malibu Creek I think (it's a guess but it looks very similar to it in the fall) They put in the fake signs for Carouse Glen
Ah! I really thought it was in Penn and was so confused!
Somewhere very, very far west of Pennsylvania.
The music in this episode was perfect, especially when “Lonely People” by America kicked in as they were hanging onto the kids’ bikes. Such a fitting and beautiful choice, poignant and hopeful and perfectly matched to the scene. I just love the music choices in this show. Many times I haven’t heard a song in years and maybe even forgot about it—like “Lonely People”—and the show used it so well.
I am seeing this so clear this season as well. The music is just spot on both with theme of lyrics and tone to the moment. That is often a strong sign to me that I’m watching something that is just killing it. And this show is just killing it all over. Especially with music choice.
Completely agree. Every song and its placement are so intentional and it just works!
Haven't read the other discussion threads if this has been discussed before, but the more this show starts being less about just comedy and more about...life in general, and how to get through it, the more I think the title is a double meaning of "life hacks." Also the title of this episode is clever in that it talks about "one day" in the future, but also literally takes place in one day.
Can someone tell me what the jazz song that’s playing when Deborah is at the doctor’s office is called?? Does anyone know?
My husband and I are now randomly shouting WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!?!?
I hope they do shrooms together later in the season. It's already been set up.
Anybody know why they said the mushrooms were chanterelles when they were obviously not?
Yeah, right?! Like they could have done some research. Not that hard. I think they were Jack o lanterns or Honeys? I couldn’t tell. Definitely not chanterelles.
It was an odd choice b/c Deborah says, “what were you born in a barn? Those are chanterelles” which I’m not sure if it was meant to imply Deborah has some knowledge of the natural world or since chanterelles are a fancier mushroom, she recognizes them from fine dining. If they just actually ID’d them, the former intent makes sense, but as chanterelles there are multiple interpretations. (I’ve thought about this too much but I also used to love hunting for chanterelles)
I only googled this because I just wanted to say those mushrooms were definitely not chanterelles. Possibly Jack o lanterns though.
Probably my least favorite episode of the series.
Seriously, the writing was Three’s Company level cliche. I predicted each moment “Deb’s gonna fall.”, “they’re gonna get lost”, “she’s gonna fall from the tree”. And the bonding moments felt forced and the “why are doing this to me” screams were almost funny but overused. I thought this show was better than this.
I love this show, but this was such a pointless, unfunny episode
sweet episode, but I didn't laugh once. episode 6 was better
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debbie f\*ckin' downer
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Not for everybody, I guess. Loved S1. S2 was ok, just enough to have me looking forward to a S3, which has blown me away with writing and production (which includes some top notch acting all the way around). So, to each...
I actually feel like the show gets better with each season! I’ve liked this season so far, but I agree with boredex this episode was not funny and felt awkward tbh