Things get unexpectedly personal—and hilariously unhinged—in the latest episode of Hacks as Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance finds herself abandoned on premiere night and turns to a very familiar face: her longtime assistant, Damien, played by Mark Indelicato.
In Season 4, Episode 4, titled “I Love LA,” Deborah’s big debut as a late-night host is off to a rough start. Her staff is too exhausted to celebrate, her musical guest Randy Newman is a no-show, and the network stands her up at dinner. Left with a fully booked reservation and an empty chair, Deborah dials the one person she knows will answer: Damien.
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What follows is an unexpectedly heartfelt—and laugh-out-loud—episode that finally gives Indelicato the spotlight. While Damien has been a key background player since Hacks began, this episode cracks open his world. Over a slightly awkward dinner and a wild night out in West Hollywood, viewers get a peek at Damien’s vulnerability, his thirst for approval, and his conflicted relationship with LA gay culture.
“I was very jazzed that no one really knew about Damien’s personal life,” Indelicato told Queerty in a recent interview. “I kind of liked him being this enigma—this workhorse. And then in Episode 4, we get to see him wiggling!”
And wiggle he does. Damien drags Deborah to a silent disco-style gay club in WeHo, surrounded by shirtless men, flashing lights, and a very accidental poppers moment. (Yes, that kind of poppers.) It’s peak Hacks chaos—absurd, poignant, and somehow deeply relatable.
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Filming the scene was just as surreal as it sounds. “It’s so weird to shoot those because they’re like, ‘Okay, dance!’ and there’s no music,” Indelicato said. “Thank God I had the great Jean Smart just wiggling beside me.” He also couldn’t help but recognize some of the background extras. “They were like, ‘You’re going to dance with this guy,’ and I was like, ‘I’ve seen too much of you…’” he joked, referencing a few ahem familiar faces from the adult film world.
The real heart of the episode, though, is the dinner scene between Damien and Deborah—a rare moment where the two get to interact without any distractions. For Indelicato, it was actually his first scene filmed this season, which helped him tap into Damien’s anxiety.
“I was nervous! When you go on hiatus and come back, you’re like, ‘Do I remember how to act?’” he said. “But Jean is such an easy scene partner. She plays with you, sets you up for every laugh—it’s such a gift.”
Later in the episode, Damien spills his thoughts about trying to fit into LA’s image-obsessed gay scene. “There is definitely an industry standard of what a desirable archetype is in Los Angeles cis-gay culture,” Indelicato shared. “I’m just really happy that I don’t have to subscribe to it anymore.” Cue a flash of his engagement ring: “Bling, bling, bling!”
And yes, the infamous poppers moment—Deborah sniffing them mid-dance floor—is already a standout in the show’s legacy of chaotic brilliance. “If you told me a few years ago that Jean Smart would be in a go-go cage sniffing poppers, I would’ve said you’re insane,” Indelicato said. “And yet, here we are.”
In a recent interview, Smart herself leaned into the absurdity. Asked what she’s learned from the queer community, she answered simply: “Poppers.”
Fans have already declared the episode a standout, and Indelicato’s performance is earning plenty of praise for adding depth and nuance to a character often relegated to comic relief.
Hacks Season 4 is currently streaming on Max, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
