WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Hacks season 4, episode 5.
Hacksseason 4, episode 5, “Clickable Face,” featured the onscreen television reunion of Jean Smart and Julianne Nicholson for the first time in several years. Smart has starred as Deborah Vance in the Max original seriesHackssince 2021, the same year thatHBO’s celebrated limited seriesMare of Easttownstarring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet was released. Hacks has earned Smart three recent Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, adding to her total of six, although she was nominated but did not win for herMare of Easttownrole.
HacksdethronedThe Bearat last year’s Emmy Awardsby winning Outstanding Comedy Series, a coveted prize thatHacksseason 4 seems poised to achieve once again. Across all four seasons,Hackshas received an impressive 98% score onRotten Tomatoes, cementing it as one of the best comedy series of the 2020s, if not the 21st century. Similarly,Mare of Easttownearned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% and won four Emmy Awards, including Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Winslet and Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for Nicholson, besting Smart in the category.
Julianne Nicholson & Jean Smart Starred In Mare Of Easttown Together Before Hacks Season 4
Both Were Nominated For Emmys For Their Roles & Nicholson Won Best Supporting
Nicholson just appeared inHacksseason 4, episode 5, as “Dance Mom” after she and Smart previously starred inMare of Easttowntogether with Winslet. While Smart and Nicholson have more prominent supporting roles throughoutMare of Easttown,Nicholson joins the cast for the first time ever inHacksseason 4in a new guest role next to Deborah’s lead. It’s unclear just how much of a role Nicholson will continue to play throughoutHacksseason 4, but she could possibly return in future episodes given “Dance Mom’s” success on Deborah’s fictional late-night show.
In Hacks, Nicholson plays a popular yet fictional TikTok star who went viral on social media for her self-made dance routines.
Nicholson is just one of several specialguest stars and cameos featured inHacksseason 4, which also includes Carol Burnett, Merrill Markoe, Randy Newman, Kristen Bell, and Jimmy Kimmel, all of whom play themselves. Nicholson, who recently appeared in the hit Hulu seriesParadise, does not appear as herself inHacksseason 4 but instead plays apopular yet fictional TikTok star who went viral on social media for her self-made dance routines.
InHacksseason 4, episode 5, Deborah and her head writer, Ava, initially turn “Dance Mom” down after she auditions for the show. Deborah’s old-school mentality and Ava’s progressive aspirations both blind them from seeing that “Dance Mom”, despite being a somewhat random internet star, delivers what audiences want. Once Deborah’s late-night show starts to go sideways after a botched joke, she pulls “Dance Mom” in from the crowd, partly to spite Ava. To both of their surprise,“Dance Mom” saves the show and gets the crowd energized, becoming a highlight of the episode.
Image via Max
Despite the casting similarities inHacksseason 4, episode 5,HacksandMare of Easttownare virtually opposite in tone and content. Despite the recent feud between Deborah and Ava,Hacksis primarily a comedy series that is full of hilarious moments and one-liners.Mare of Easttown, on the other hand, is a gritty cop drama and murder mystery that takes place in a suburb of Philadelphia, far from the spotlights of Los Angeles. Both series, however, are exceptionally well done in their respective genres.
Nicholson’s Lori Ross in Mare of Easttown is virtually the opposite of “Dance Mom”, who is delightfully bubbly and overwhelmed by the buzz of Los Angeles.Smart’s role as the diva and showbiz savant Deborah Vance feels like one she was born to play, which is made even more impressive by her more serious role in Mare ofEasttown. Ultimately, the scene at the end ofHacksseason 4, episode 5, in which Smart’s Deborah and Nicholson’s “Dance Mom” dance together in front of a live audience, takes on a special meaning for fans ofMare of Easttown.
