Hacks star Hannah Einbinder is opening up about the dynamic between Ava and Deborah in the final season of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series. The HBO Max hit, which premiered in 2021, never shied away from the obvious romantic tension between the two leads.
While the co-workers have never acted on their romance, Einbinder says the upcoming fifth and final season of the HBO show will continue to tease fans with the will they/won’t they dynamic between Ava and Deborah.
“I just read the script. It was in there,” she said in an interview with Deadline on April 9, when asked about the “sapphic undertones” between the two characters. “I thought it was so beautifully done.” Einbinder added that the upcoming storyline, which hints at their romance, feels like a “classic Hacks episode.” According to the actress, it’s her favorite episode of the bunch. “My favorite. One of my favorites, if not my favorite of the whole series,” she said.
While the two might not be “endgame” in the traditional sense, Einbinder has gone out of her way to express a deep interest in Ava and Deborah ending up together. When appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on April 5, 2025, Colbert mentioned that fans of the show are eager for Deborah and Ava to explore a romantic relationship in the upcoming season. The HBO star expressed a mutual desire, saying, “Girls, you know I want what you want. I have heard you, and we want the same things. And I have relayed your message to the powers that be.”
As for what will happen between Ava and Deborah, fans will just have to tune in for the final season of the series to explore the layers of their complex dynamic.
Season 5, Episode 1 is now available for streaming on HBO Max.
