Hacks Recap: The Best Jokes From the Roast of Deborah Vance
Move over, Tom Brady. It’s Deborah Vance’s turn in the hot seat.
In Episode 3 of Hacks’ third season, Deborah agrees to participate in her very own roast and the jokes are unsurprisingly fire! Not only does it lead to some A+ cameos from the comedy world, but it tees up some nice development in the relationship between Deb and DJ, who also took the stage (albeit, nervously) to stick it to her acid-tongued mom.
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But before we dive into DJ’s bits, here are a few of the best one-liners to come from Deborah’s public skewering:
“Deborah is so old she still calls movies ‘the talkies.’ It’s not her fault though. You don’t know what they are if you can’t get cast in them.” — Jack Danby
“Deborah, you’re an important reminder of what my future could look like… if I don’t find a decent plastic surgeon and just allow a carpenter to rebuild my face.” — Natasha Leggero
“I’ve never understood why Deborah is so huge with gay men… and then I met her and I realized, oh, she smells like poppers and her face looks like a nut sack.” — Patton Oswalt
And then there were DJ’s quips. After ribbing Deb for being a negligent absentee mom who gave her “crippling anxiety, bipolar disorder and multiple subpoenas,” DJ hits the crowd hard with her three-word roast-worthy catchphrase: “What a c–t!” (Kind of basic, but her delivery is on point!)
She continues: “Some of you may know this, but my mom is always collecting antiques… I’m like, bitch you are an antique!”
Much to Ava’s (and, well, everyone’s) surprise, DJ’s roast kills. Who would’ve thought, right?
After the event, DJ realizes that her mom is just like her: an addict. Only Deborah is addicted to getting laughs. Now that DJ has experienced that thrill herself, she gets it. Deb doesn’t seem totally sold on the theory, but hey, whatever makes DJ feel better.
At the end of the episode, Ava approaches Deborah about setting some boundaries for this new iteration of their working relationship. No more asking Ava to fire people. Plus, she wants set working hours with overtime pay, no more writing for Deborah’s personal life and no more more jokes about her physical appearance, including cracks about her hands. (“Come on, those are grandfathered in!” Deborah exclaims.) Deborah agrees to Ava’s terms, but on one condition: Ava makes time to work on her own stuff while she’s there. It’s a sweet moment that brings a smile to Ava’s face.
So what did you think about Deborah’s roast and what was your favorite moment from Episode 3? Sound off in the comments!
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