Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hacks season 3, episode 9.
Summary
- Deborah and Ava reunite in Hacks season 3, filling scenes with iconic songs to underscore emotional developments.
- The soundtrack features classic artists like Electric Light Orchestra, The Temptations, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
- Musical choices like "Evil Woman" and "Shining Star" enhance plot points.
Hacks season 3 has landed, and it continues the show’s awesome tradition of filling the soundtrack of each episode with great songs from a wide range of genres. Picking up a year after Deborah fired Ava in Hacks season 2's ending, season 3 sees the two rekindling their friendship. After bumping into each other at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, they start texting each other again, then start working on new jokes together, and eventually put aside their differences and reconcile their working relationship with the goal of taking over a popular late-night show.
From Deborah’s newfound fame to Ava’s troubled relationship with Ruby, Hacks season 3 has a lot of emotional developments to underscore with music – and the producers picked the perfect musical accompaniment for each scene. Hacks’ season 3 soundtrack features songs by such iconic artists as The Temptations, The 5th Dimension, and Electric Light Orchestra. Almost every scene transition in a given episode is punctuated by a recognizable riff from a classic soul track or a rock ‘n’ roll ballad. A great show needs a great soundtrack, and Hacks season 3 has a great soundtrack.
|
Song |
Artist |
Episode # |
|---|---|---|
|
Evil Woman |
Electric Light Orchestra |
1 |
|
Famous |
Parcels |
1 |
|
Born to Be Alive (Mix 79) |
Patrick Hernandez |
1 |
|
The Story |
Brandi Carlile |
1 |
|
Plastic Soul |
Mondo Cozmo |
2 |
|
Love is Not a Stranger Anymore |
John Henry |
2 |
|
Waitin’ for the Rain |
The Fantastic Johnny C |
2 |
|
Miss Hot Stuff |
Clarence Reid |
2 |
|
Feelin’ Alright? |
The 5th Dimension |
2 |
|
Evolution |
Magnum |
2 |
|
Give Me Some More of Your Funky Good Lovin’ |
The Soul Brothers Six |
2 |
|
You Can’t Even Walk in the Park |
Johnny Pate |
2 |
|
Get Ready |
The Temptations |
2 |
|
Dirty Work |
King Princess |
2 |
|
Symphony No. 94 In G Major, Hob. I: 94 Surprise: I. Adagio. Vivace assai |
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Stefan Sanderling |
3 |
|
Afrikaan Beat |
Bert Kaempfert |
3 |
|
Shining Star |
Earth, Wind & Fire |
3 |
|
T.C.B. or T.Y.A. |
Bobby Patterson |
3 |
|
Time Check |
Buddy Rich |
4 |
|
Never Enough |
AXS Music |
4 |
|
Dancin’ in My Feet |
Laura Taylor |
4 |
|
Evil Gal Blues |
Aretha Franklin |
4 |
|
Baby I’m Burnin’ |
Dolly Parton |
4 |
|
Deep Blue Sea |
Art Lown |
5 |
|
Lonely People |
America |
5 |
|
It Don’t Come Easy |
Ringo Starr |
5 |
|
Funky Funky Way of Makin’ Love |
The Soul Brothers Six |
6 |
|
Going Down |
Freddie King |
6 |
|
At the Top of the Hill |
Jackie Moore |
6 |
|
Purple Snowflakes |
Marvin Gaye |
6 |
|
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) |
Darlene Love |
7 |
|
Up on the Housetop |
Gene Autry |
7 |
|
We Wish You a Merry Christmas |
N/A |
7 |
|
Sleigh Ride |
The Ronettes |
7 |
|
Carol of the Bells |
Michael Tedstone, Maryann Tedstone & Rory Finn |
7 |
|
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
N/A |
7 |
|
Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV Menuets I |
Jeanne Bovet |
7 |
|
Have a Little Faith |
Benny Latimore |
7 |
|
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year |
Andy Williams |
7 |
|
Change (feat. Kira Divine) |
PNAU |
8 |
|
Who Let the Dogs Out |
Baha Men |
8 |
|
Freak Me Now |
Jessie Ware |
8 |
|
Players |
Coi Leray |
8 |
|
Rhythm of the Night |
Corona |
8 |
|
Elastic Tango |
Edmund Vera & the Edmund Vera Orchestra |
9 |
|
Good Thing |
Michael Nau |
9 |
|
Some Love |
Laura Taylor |
9 |
|
It's Still Good |
People's Choice |
9 |
|
Oregano |
Chilly Gonzales |
9 |
|
Hotel Sorriso |
Kraak & Smaak |
9 |
|
Cannock Chase |
Labi Siffre |
9 |
|
Neverloved |
Parcels |
9 |
Hacks Season 3 Episode 1 Songs
"Just for Laughs"
Fittingly, Electric Light Orchestra’s “Evil Woman” plays on the soundtrack to introduce Deborah.
“Evil Woman” by Electric Light Orchestra – Hacks season 3, episode 1, “Just for Laughs,” opens with what looks like Deborah arriving at a casino in Las Vegas and being shown to a stage on the casino floor. Initially, it seems like maybe her career has taken a step backward. However, the subject of the tracking shot is revealed to be a drag queen dressed like Deborah, who has been hired to appear at the unveiling of a Deborah Vance-themed slot machine at the casino. It turns out Deborah’s career hasn’t taken a step backward; quite the opposite. She’s so popular and successful that she has her own Vegas impersonators. Fittingly, Electric Light Orchestra’s “Evil Woman” plays on the soundtrack to introduce Deborah.
“Famous” by Parcels – When the real Deborah is introduced, walking along a red carpet and being questioned by paparazzi, “Famous” by Parcels plays. This is, of course, an appropriate song choice, since the purpose of the scene is to show how famous Deborah has become since releasing her standup special.
“Born to Be Alive (Mix 79)” by Patrick Hernandez – As Deborah grows bored with the outfits she’s been sent by designers who want her to wear her clothes at red-carpet events, she decides to get some of her own clothes out of her “wardrobe.” Patrick Hernandez’s “Born to Be Alive (Mix 79)” kicks in on the soundtrack as Deborah and her team drive out to her wardrobe – a giant warehouse full of clothes in the middle of the desert – to pick out an outfit.
“The Story” by Brandi Carlile – Ava initially refuses to help Deborah with the wording of a punchline, because she still resents her for the firing. However, after thinking about it for a bit, Ava sends Deborah a text helping her with the joke. As the text comes through, Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” plays on the soundtrack. The song carries through as Deborah goes to Ava’s hotel room to give her the Tom Cruise coconut cake, but finds that she’s already checked out.