The Cars of Hacks Tells the Stories the Screen Writers Left Out
Taking place in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the cars naturally span from interesting to posh.
TV and movie writers have a sneaky way of conveying subtext in a show via the cars that the characters drive. Some, of course, are germane to the topic; a billionaire is unlikely to drive an old station wagon, and if they do, it has meaning.
There’s a lot of subtext in the multi-award winning comedy series Hacks, which if you haven’t watched it yet, it’s time to catch up; the fourth season just wrapped and it’s the funniest and most brilliant season so far.
The characters are rich, some actually wealthy-rich, while others are rich in irony, pop culture and Hollywoodland style. For many characters, including lead actors Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, their cars further define them. Where cars are not part of a character’s context we fill in the blanks with what car we expect they would drive.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Frugal to Fancy, the Cars of Hacks Help to Drive the Story
One of things that clicks for me with Hacks—in addition to the irresistible performances, funny characters and clever writing—is that all the characters are drivers. It’s almost impossible not to drive in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where the show is set, so driving—in a car, on a tram, in a golf cart, a Zamboni and even a fleet of candy-colored McLarens on a track—is a way to advance the story.
Hannah Einbinder said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she loves driving; it’s like choreography and it makes her happy.
No spoilers here, but let’s just say, the cars and the conversations that take place in them add rich context to the story. Here are the cars of Hacks and what they say about their characters.
Read: Performance Driving on a Track: You Simply MUST DO THIS!
Deborah Vance, Comedian and Super Luxury Car Fan
Deborah, played by Jean Smart, is the center of the story as a comedian trying to grow her career with a long-running Las Vegas show and a fashion line QVC. She’s clearly lived the good life and refuses to abandon its trappings. In addition to the fur coats, glittery jewelry and well-coiffed wigs, she drives a Rolls-Royce Wraith with a “LA DIVA2” vanity plate.
Soon she moves to Los Angeles where she drives a Rolls-Royce Dawn with a vanity plate, LADIVA98 plate. But later in the show she’s seen in a Bentley Flying Spur and it looks stunning on her.
Ava Daniels, Comedy Writer and EV Driver
Ava, played by Hannah Einbinder, who says she learned to drive when she was 11, is automotively challenged. The show sets up one of her first jokes when she picks up a rental car at the airport. Seeking the most affordable she rental can get, she’s assigned a Nissan Leaf. But clearly, she likes the electric life (though the show never shows her charging her car or discussing its electric powertrain); later in the show, as her work situation becomes more stable, she switches to a Chevy Bolt, presumably not a rental.
Ava is still driving the Bolt into Hacks season 4, when she’s become a successful head writer, but her life remains tenuous so she hasn’t given up the Bolt for something more prestigious. Our guess is, though, that when she feels confident enough to make the splash into a pricier and more plush car she’ll still go electric, perhaps in an Cadillac Lyriq.
Jimmy LuSaque, Agent, Producer and Kind Soul
Jimmy LuSaque is a pivital Hacks character played by actor and executive producer Paul W. Downs. He plays the agent/producer against the stereotype, an inadvertent fixer who prefers to ”lead through love” (his words) and kindness and for for whom the outcome works in his favor, no matter how much pain he endures. Jimmy’s ride is an Audi A5 sedan; confident, elegant and posh without being overly showy, just like Jimmy.
Kayla Schaeffer, Agent, Producer and Provocateur
Kayla, played by Megan Stalter, is Jimmy’s partner mostly because he’s too kind to fire her even though he should have early in season 1. It quickly becomes clear that, even though she has no office skills, her pop culture radar and connections through her father, a super agent, are worth keeping her around. She grows on him, and on us. Even though we never see her in a car, her story is set in LA so we’re pretty sure she drives and that she would drive a Range Rover Sport. Fancy, but still leaving room to upgrade to a Range Rover when she has her first big payday.
DJ — Deborah Vance Jr., Deborah’s Always Trying Daughter
Deborah’s only child, played by Kaitlin Olsen, has struggled to find her way in her famous mom’s wake and has dabbled in jewelry design and the party life. She manages, though and (no spoilers here) we finally see her in a posh home adorned with a BMW X7 parked in the driveway.
Marcus, Deborah’s CEO, is the Levelest Head on the Show
Marcus, played by Carl Clemmons-Hopkins, is smart, reasonable and pragmatic, presenting a grounded perspective for all that Deborah has to deal with, for good and bad. It’s easy to empathize with him, as he often seems to be the sane one in the assylum. We don’t see him in his car, but can imagine he drives something as smart as he is, and Audi e-Tron. Electric, fun and posh with a sensibly sized interior with room for friends to stretch out, it’s perfect for drives to Palm Springs or Santa Barbara.
Randi, NY Transplant and Frank Teller of Truth
Introduced to the mix in the fourth season, Randi, played by Robby Hoffman, is a New York transplant in Los Angeles who accepts the job of assistant to Jimmy and Kayla. Its’ not an easy job, she navigates it with a frank and over analyzed approach that seems to work. Robby, as a true New Yorker, doesn’t drive, so we see her commuting to work by bus and discussing it in the no-holds-barred way she discusses everything else. Life being what it is in LA, our guess is we’ll see her giving up her bus pass for a key fob in season 5 and that the perfect car for her is a Toyota Corolla. Smart, reliable and affordable. Or perhaps a Nissan Leaf.
Winnie Landell, Ruthlessly Ambitious Network Executive
Played by Helen Hunt who delivers a performance probably based on experience, Winnie is smiling with encouragement even though she’s really more coercive than supportive. As a network executive its important to drive the right car and send the right message; for her, the right ride is a Maserati Grecale. She knows the Maserati badge is based on Neptune’s Trident, but to her, it looks like a crown, which is where she wants her ambition to take her.
We’ll have to wait a year for the next season of Hacks. I’m sure there’ll be more funny story lines and plot twists. Hopefully there’ll be more cars to enrich the conversations, too.
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