One of Deborah Vance's unrealized dreams is to host a late-night talk show after narrowly missing out on making TV history in the 70s. The stars may be aligning to take that shot in Hacks season 3 episode 2, "Better Late." A guest spot on the show she was so close to hosting turns into a one-off chance to sit behind the desk, and she calls Ava to help with her material.
The reunion in the premiere was awkward before slipping into comfortable familiarity. Now, they are in a routine of talking to each other, even if it means ignoring everyone else.
Also, Ava's planned three-month hiatus in Iceland where girlfriend Ruby (Lorenza Izzo) is shooting a DC TV show is threatened with a work offer. Plus, Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) has to act fast when Deborah discovers people are selling unauthorized merch on Etsy.
Late-night talk show fears
Deborah claims she is too busy to go on a late-night talk show, but her manager, Jimmy (Paul W. Downs), points out this is far from the case. Plus, this is the fourth time they have asked since the comedy special came out, and the invites will stop.
Since Deborah spoke honestly about wanting the host job, it would be awful if she couldn't even shine in the guest chair. Proving he is a good manager, Jimmy calls Deborah out on this excuse and emphasizes how many good stories she has to tell. Despite her reluctance, she agrees to appear.
Back in Los Angeles, Ava and Ruby are still in the hot and heavy phase. Ava mentions booking places to stay in Iceland, and Ruby is thrilled her girlfriend is traveling with her. Later, when Ava is packing, she finds a ring hidden in a box of things and assumes Ruby will propose. Ava excitedly tries the ring on and practices her surprised face.
Unauthorized merch issues and solutions
Before going through multiple Rolodexes of potential late-night anecdotes, Deborah's life continues like usual in Las Vegas. After an appearance at El Cortez, Deborah enthusiastically greets her fans waiting outside and happily signs their merchandise. That is until she spots an unfamiliar candle bearing an image from "two chins ago." Deborah demands to know where it has come from, which begins her war against Etsy sellers.
Next, she takes what appears to be two reams worth of paper printouts of merch she has found online that include cushions and mugs. "I like the joke, but I hate that font," she tells Marcus. His job is to track down the people behind the items.
Marcus arranges a meeting with superfan Ezikiel (Guy Branum). Ezekiel explains it all started because there weren't any tour jackets in Ezekiel's size. He made some, and they sold out in a day. Now, Ezekiel is simply meeting market demands. If he doesn't do it, then someone else will.
Marcus takes this opportunity to expand the House of Vance lines by spotlighting the independent sellers on QVC, allowing Deborah to get a cut of the money.
Deborah's late-night prep
While Marcus handles business, Deborah goes through the vast collection of late-night ready stories. Unfortunately, most of them are out of date by at least two decades. It is time to make a new story, and Deborah plays a practical joke on Carrot Top that is straight out of Punk’d — she hires some actors to say his house is getting demolished.
Deborah is pretty relaxed when she heads to Television City in Los Angeles to record the episode, but host Danny Collins has called in sick due to a case of salmonella poisoning. Deborah is disappointed that a rerun will air instead. All isn't lost, though, as Jimmy sees this as an opportunity and suggests Deborah fill in for Danny.
With only an hour to craft a monologue and segments and find a new guest, it requires the best team. Deborah isn't vibing with either her own writers or the late-night staffers though. Thankfully, Ava is on hand to provide workshop material.
Guest hosting late night
Deborah is about to get her second chance on Stage 33, home to The Carol Burnett Show (an illustration from this legendary series remains). Backstage, before she comes out, we see a vision of Deborah in the red dress she wore for her late night pilot more than 40 years earlier.
From the opening joke of the monologue, Deborah is on fire, and it feels like she is home. She is funny and makes the audience feel like they are part of the show (quite literally as she interviews one of them). Luke Macfarlane plays the other guest and bench-presses her. Deborah sits alone, taking it all in when it is all over.
After the episode airs, Danny calls Deborah to thank her for filling in and reveals that he will be vacating the late-night chair in a couple of months when his contract comes up. Deborah immediately tells Ava, asking what she is doing during her three-month hiatus.
Ava nervously tells Ruby about this work opportunity to help Deborah score the late-night job. Ruby thinks Ava is more serious about her relationship with Deborah. This is when Ava drops the engagement ring discovery and discovers it's not what she thought. The ring is a prop from Ruby’s series Wolf Girl. Ruby is upset that Ava knows nothing about the TV show she is on.
Ruby points out that Deborah fired Ava and then cut her out of her life, mentioning all the other toxic elements. "You just don't get it," Ava tells Ruby. Rather than a proposal, this conversation ends with Ruby saying they should take some space while they are both away and then see where they are at.
For now, Ava drives to Las Vegas and is met with a "welcome back" from Deborah before she is told to take her shoes off. Will the pair be able to realize Deborah's ultimate goal?
New episodes of Hacks season 3 premieres on Thursday exclusively on Max.
