By Episode 3, Hacks has stopped warming up and started moving. Deborah’s comeback plan is no longer just talk-show fallout and wounded pride—it’s a live campaign to turn public embarrassment into a Madison Square Garden event. Episode 2 pushed that story through the Vegas fan expo, where Deborah and Ava had to deal with fans accusing Deborah of going too Hollywood before the mood swung back in their favor. Episode 3 picks up from there with a title that says a lot: “No New Tricks.”

Episode 3 premieres Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO Max. Season 5 has 10 episodes total, with weekly releases continuing before the schedule shifts to paired drops later in the run.

Hacks Season 5 episode 3 trailer

That title fits where the season is right now. Deborah is still trying to reclaim control with the tools she knows best—stagecraft, instinct, pressure, ego—while Ava is stuck inside the same machinery, helping shape the comeback without fully buying into every move. The good part of this stretch is how concrete the story has become: not abstract legacy talk, but an actual chase for attention, audience goodwill, and enough momentum to make Madison Square Garden feel plausible. Even the comedy has a clearer engine now, coming out of campaign stops, fan reactions, and the increasingly public labor of building Deborah back up.

Hacks Season 5 FAQ

When does Season 5 Episode 2 air?

The premiere drops on Thursday, April 23 at 9:00 p.m. ET, streaming on HBO Max. Episodes will roll out weekly, with a couple of multi-episode drops later in the season, leading into the series finale at the end of May.

How many episodes are there?

Season 5 has 10 episodes total, and it’s the final season of the series. HBO Max is sticking with a weekly rollout, letting the tension between Deborah and Ava stretch out instead of getting burned through in a binge.

Who’s starring?