WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Hacks season 4, episode 5.
Jimmy and Kayla’s storyline inHacksseason 4 so far is leaving out one of their most promising season 3 plot developments. Kayla, played by Megan Stalter, and Jimmy, played byHacksco-creator and frequent director Paul W. Downs, have become a crucial and hilarious duo in the Emmy-winning comedy series. Next to Deborah and Ava’s leading dynamic, Kayla and Jimmy are arguably the most important duo inHacksand are oftentimes the funniest characters on the show. That said, the expansion ofHacks’list of guest starshas limited their season 4 screen time and shared narrative.
InHacksseason 4, episode 5, “Clickable Face,” Jimmy and Kayla try to book some promising talent for Deborah’s late-night show. They tap into the social media market and discover"Dance Mom", a viral sensation on TikTok, played by Emmy winner Julianne Nicholson. Dance Mom eventually becomes a hit on Deborah’s late-night show after both she and Ava initially rejected her, proving that Jimmy and Kayla were onto something by trying to convert her internet popularity into TV stardom. Outside this new development, however,Jimmy and Kayla have been mostly underutilized, especially regarding a seemingly abandoned season 3 storyline.
Hacks Season 4 Hasn’t Followed Up On Jimmy Promising To Produce Larry’s Screenplay From Season 3
It Would Have Been Jimmy’s First Time Producing A Feature-Length Screenplay
WhenChristopher Lloyd made a cameo as Larry inHacksseason 3, hestruck a deal with Jimmy to produce his screenplay about Fatty Arbuckle.Arbuckle was a massive movie star during the 1920s, otherwise known as the Silent Era of Hollywood. However, season 4 hasn’t followed up on that at all, which is interesting considering that it was going to be the first project that Jimmy actually produced.
Key character details, particularly in regard to Kayla, Jimmy, and Larry’s budding Arbuckle biopic, seem to have been swept under the rug.
As thefeud between Ava and Deborah has taken over the spotlight inHacksseason 4, these key character details, particularly in regard to Kayla, Jimmy, and Larry’s budding Arbuckle biopic, seem to have been swept under the rug.
Christopher Lloyd’s Larry appeared inHacksseason 3, episode 7, “The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular.“Larry is the grandson of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, who has written an extensive biopic screenplay about his famous grandfather’s life. Jimmy reads the screenplay during the episode and is impressed, especially since Larry is a first-time screenwriter. Larry insists that Jimmy produce the film, which takes Jimmy by surprise. Ultimately, he agrees, but since then, there has been no mention or apparent development of the project.
Christopher Lloyd’s Return Would Be Great For Jimmy & Kayla’s Season 4 Subplot
It Would Give Them Something To Focus On Outside Of Supporting Deborah & Ava
Throughout the first half ofHacksseason 4, we have seen Jimmy and Kayla attempting to find assistants and recruit new talent, all while engaging in their typically hilarious banter. Besides this,there isn’t really a clear throughline for their characters with anyone other than Ava and Deborah. This has ultimately reduced their collective roles from being secondary protagonists to purely supporting characters.
One wayHacksseason 4 could fix this would be to see a continuing story for them with Christopher Lloyd’s Larry coming back to produce the Arbuckle biopic. As it currently stands, it’s one of the biggest loose ends inHacksseason 4 and would automatically solve Jimmy and Kayla’s lack of a standalone story arc.The location shift ofHacksseason 4 from Las Vegas to Los Angeleshas made several continuing storylines more difficult to include, which has also left out series regulars such as Kaitlin Olson’s DJ Vance and Christopher McDonald’s Marty.
Larry, however, could simply go out to LA, where the Arbuckle movie would likely be made, meaning that his supporting character isn’t as Vegas-dependent as others. Considering all the guest stars and surprise cameosHacksseason 4 has to offer,another appearance from Lloyd is certainly possible, especially since he remains quite active in the television space. He’s set to appear in Wednesday season 2.Hacksseason 4, however, has largely departed from character arcs in previous seasons, making it equally possible that Larry’s Arbuckle project will never see the light of day.
