Celebrated actress Jane Adams received Emmy nominations for both seasons of MAX’s critically acclaimed comedy Hacks. Critics and audiences alike love when Adams pops in as Nina Daniels, mother to Hannah Einbinder’s Ava. Her wide-open, often deeply emotional performance emerges as an unmistakably unique presence within the comedy ensemble.
Meaning, there’s no one in the series quite like her.
Season three seems likely to bring her a third Emmy nomination thanks to a high-profile role within the stacked late season episode “The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular.” Episode writer Pat Regan and director Lucia Aniello fashion several fantastic moments within the episode. It’s that careful attention to the character — as well as the hilarious moments of inspired comedic dialogue — that keeps Adams coming back.
“I love working for them! I love the cast and producers, and they write these funny things. So, it’s a lovely experience,” Adams gushed. Later, she enthused, “If I’m making you laugh, then it makes me happy. They’re so talented, and it makes my job very easy.”
When we first see Adams’ Nina in the episode, she’s bursting from the Las Vegas airport with infectious, borderline maniac, joy. The actress finds inspiration in everyday people she encounters, and that’s the beauty of her performance. Yes, it’s very funny, but you know this woman. You’ve seen this woman in a store or seated near you in a restaurant.
The moment also speaks to the all-too-real communication issues between Nina and Einbinder’s Ava. Ava immediately complains that she’s been waiting for 45 minutes. Nina explains she was inside playing slots in the airport. Yet, at the center of the exchange, Adams believes Nina and Ava likely didn’t make specific plans regarding timing and a meeting place being two wildly different people.
“I think often, though, there’s miscommunication between mothers and daughters. [Nina] says she was playing slots, but I think it was more they hadn’t really worked out a good plan for how they were going to meet,” Adams explained. “She’s from a time — keep in mind — if your daughter was picking you up at the airport, then they met you at the gate, and you got a big hug and you walked to the car together. She’s not deliberately blowing off her daughter. She’s just adapting to the way the world is.”
The scene also feels remarkably close to a real-life reunion between a mother and daughter. Credit that to the strong friendship between the two actors. Adams and Einbinder make each other laugh, and they genuinely love each other. It’s a relationship that director Aniello comments on in the post-episode breakdown available on HBO.
Among the litany of catching up Nina and Ava engage in is Nina’s concern about buying a Christmas gift for Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance. As with many moments in the episode, a seemingly throw-away line inspires much comedic joy.
But what kind of slippers would Nina buy Deborah?
“She would know that they needed to be nice, but she’s also just practical. So she just got her a nice pair of slippers, you know, the Ugg slippers. Just some nice Ugg moccasin slippers. Not the boots, though.”
Throughout the episode, Nina constantly refers to her new roommate (“because the vitamins class-action lawsuit didn’t go my way”) Priya. Priya introduced Nina to traditionally Indian spices, to the film Slumdog Millionaire and to other aspects of Indian culture that Nina hadn’t encountered.
Those moments offer a sweet insight into Nina broadening her world as a widow. They also help Ava understand that Nina’s doing just fine on her own.
“[Nina] sees that Ava’s doing okay, and they have a nice time. They do have some conflict in the episode, but they also end up enjoying each other more. It’s not a bad Christmas for them!”
Hacks streams exclusively on MAX.
