Exclusive: ‘Hacks’ Season 3 premiere date and teaser revealed

It's finally happening, HBO's "Hacks" is making a return!

On Feb. 29, TODAY shared an exclusive teaser for the upcoming third season.

The one-minute clip starts with Deborah (Jean Smart) and her brash young head comedy writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), looking perplexed after they run into each other in an elevator.

After a montage of moments teasing the new season, the clip ends with Hannah and Deborah discussing some of Deborah's "more problematic material" which is "gaining traction."

"OK, which minority group is upset?" Deborah says annoyed.

"I don't think minority is the proper term anymore," Hannah replies.

"What are they called?" Deborah asks.

After her response, Hannah tells her that it's not OK to say "they" either.

"I thought everybody was they now!" Deborah hilariously yells.

"It's a different thing," Hannah yells back.

In January, the hit Max comedy announced on Instagram that its third season would premiere this spring.

“Steppin’ on out. Hacks returns this spring on Max,” the series wrote alongside a photo of Deborah’s glam stiletto heels and Ava’s rugged Doc Martens.

"Love them," Einbinder, who shared the image along with Smart, joked in the comments.

What do we know about Season Three of "Hacks"? Read on to learn.

When does Season Three of 'Hacks' premiere?

Season Three of "Hacks" is set to premiere on May 2.

When was Season Three announced?

The then-named HBO Max announced that "Hacks" would be renewed for a third season back in June 2022, just two weeks after the premiere of the show's Season Two finale.

Why filming of the third season was delayed

In February 2023, production on Season Three was paused after Smart, who has earned two Emmys for her portrayal of Deborah Vance, underwent a heart procedure.

HBO Max and Universal Television, which produces “Hacks,” issued a joint statement at the time, saying, "We are so happy that our beloved Jean Smart’s heart procedure was successful and she’s on the mend. HBO Max and UTV send their well wishes," Variety reported.

What kind of relationship do Deborah and Ava have?

As fans of the show know, “Hacks” follows the story of Deborah and Ava's mismatched union, a comedy partnership that was arranged by their mutual talent agent.

At Season One's onset, Deborah viewed Ava as a hapless slacker, while Ava thought of Deborah as a washed-up Sin City has-been. By the season's end, the dysfunctional duo had bonded more than either could have imagined.

Ava showed a knack for helping Deborah tap back into the creativity of her youth, while Deborah acted as a surrogate mom, helping Ava to get her personal life together.

But the calm between Deborah and Ava never lasts for long, as viewers were reminded in Season Two.

What happened between Deborah and Ava in Season Two?

The show's second season kicked off with Deborah excited about the new stand-up material she was writing, which delved into real events in her life. Meanwhile, Ava struggled with anxiety because, before she and Deborah called their truce, she'd drunkenly sent off an email filled with Deborah's secrets to the producers of a TV series.

After learning of Ava's betrayal, Deborah retaliated by suing her for violating her NDA, but kept her on as an employee.

The season ended with Deborah taping her triumphant stand-up special —  granted, an audience member had a heart attack and died while she performed — with Ava flying back from a quick job in Los Angeles to surprise her.

After publicly thanking her for her contributions, Deborah later fired Ava, instructing her to tend to her own career.

The episode's final moments showed Ava's agent offering her a TV writing job and telling her that Deborah finally dropped the lawsuit.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com