This potential ‘Hacks’ spinoff is the ‘Will & Grace’ revival we desperately need

Before you tell me we’ve already gotten a Hacks ⏤ and the potential spinoff that would leave die-hard fans giddy with glee.

Season 4 of the hit Max comedy begins on April 10, when the first two episodes drop followed by one a week through May 29. As we emotionally prepare to see Hannah Einbinder’s Ava go toe-t0-toe following that jaw-dropping season 3 finale, it’s only natural to wonder how much more life the show has left. In conversation with Deadline, showrunners Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul Downs revealed that five seasons have always been the plan.

“I think keeping the relationship fresh and making sure there are new places for Deborah and Ava to go, that is the beating heart of the show,” Statsky said. “If we found a way [to do more] that made sense, then maybe, yeah. But right now, that is still the plan.” As the conversation continued, it didn’t take long to see what “more” might look like. When asked whether or not a Jimmy/Kayla spinoff might be in the cards, Statsky said, “Demand it. We’re building up the world, you know?” “We’re ready,” Aniello agreed. And Downs, who plays Jimmy, confirmed that already having a set they could use is a helpful step in the right direction.

Jimmy, Deborah’s lovable agent, and Kayla, his whackadoodle assistant, are two of Hacks’ high points. Though Deborah and Ava pull most of the focus ⏤ as the show’s Will and Grace, if you will ⏤ Jimmy and Kayla do plenty of humorous heavy lifting. The fact that they’re laugh-out-loud funny (especially Kayla in season 1) and have a Jack-and-Karen-level rapport means that a Jimmy/Kayla spinoff would effectively write itself ⏤ and give us even more of the Will & Grace magic they’re already providing. It doesn’t hurt that Downs is one of the show’s three writers! Plus he received an Emmy nomination for season 3 for Outstanding ing Actor and has won three Emmys: two for Outstanding Writing and one for Outstanding Comedy Series. There’s no doubt that if he, Statsky, and Aniello were to pitch this idea to Max, the streamer would be sold.

As for what Megan Stalter ⏤ the actress who plays Kayla ⏤ thinks of a Jimmy/Kayla spinoff, she has plenty of ideas. “I think it would be funny if she got pregnant and Jimmy has to help her take care of the baby,” she told Deadline. “Throw something really challenging at her and see her totally embrace it. I think something completely out of nowhere and see if she handles it well. But also seeing Jimmy get dragged into it would be really funny and bizarre. I don’t think they should be a couple, but that’s another thing, if he was to help her with her baby. It’s another element of them being like, ‘We’re not a couple, but it seems like we’re a couple.’ I want to see them raise a baby together, I want to see the baby in the office.”

Before we can get to a spinoff, though, we’ve gotta see what happens in season 4. When we last saw Deborah and Ava, a shocking betrayal took place, culminating in a moment that should have won Einbinder some kind of gold statue. Having achieved her dream of procuring her own late-night talk show, Deborah promised that Ava could be her head writer ⏤ only to totally go back on her word by episode’s end. This resulted in Ava deciding to fight fire with fire and blackmail Deborah in exchange for what she was promised. It was a shocking move, proving just how far Ava’s character has come since season 1 ⏤ and how much she’s learned from Deborah about “being a shark.”

Given that season 4 picks up right where 3 left off, we’re in for plenty of drama. But Hacks is a comedy through and through, so we’ll still want to minimize the amount of champagne we’re drinking while we watch lest it not remain in our mouths for very long. We’ll see how these characters balance this season’s dramedy when Hacks season 4 arrives on Max starting April 10. As for that Jimmy/Kayla spinoff ⏤ your move, Downs.