WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Hacks season 4, episode 5.

HBO's celebrated limited series Mare of Easttown starring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet was released. Hacks has earned Smart three recent Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, adding to her total of six, although she was nominated but did not win for her Mare of Easttown role.

Hacks season 4 seems poised to achieve once again. Across all four seasons, Hacks has received an impressive 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing it as one of the best comedy series of the 2020s, if not the 21st century. Similarly, Mare of Easttown earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% and won four Emmy Awards, including Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Winslet and Best ing Actress in a Limited Series for Nicholson, besting Smart in the category.

Julianne Nicholson & Jean Smart Starred In Mare Of Easttown Together Before Hacks Season 4

Both Were Nominated For Emmys For Their Roles & Nicholson Won Best ing

Nicholson just appeared in Hacks season 4, episode 5, as "Dance Mom" after she and Smart previously starred in Mare of Easttown together with Winslet. While Smart and Nicholson have more prominent ing roles throughout Mare of Easttown, Nicholson s the cast for the first time ever in Hacks season 4 in a new guest role next to Deborah's lead. It's unclear just how much of a role Nicholson will continue to play throughout Hacks season 4, but she could possibly return in future episodes given "Dance Mom's" success on Deborah's fictional late-night show.

In Hacks, Nicholson plays a popular yet fictional TikTok star who went viral on social media for her self-made dance routines.

Nicholson is just one of several special guest stars and cameos featured in Hacks season 4, which also includes Carol Burnett, Merrill Markoe, Randy Newman, Kristen Bell, and Jimmy Kimmel, all of whom play themselves. Nicholson, who recently appeared in the hit Hulu series Paradise, does not appear as herself in Hacks season 4 but instead plays a popular yet fictional TikTok star who went viral on social media for her self-made dance routines.

In Hacks season 4, episode 5, Deborah and her head writer, Ava, initially turn "Dance Mom" down after she auditions for the show. Deborah's old-school mentality and Ava's progressive aspirations both blind them from seeing that "Dance Mom", despite being a somewhat random internet star, delivers what audiences want. Once Deborah's late-night show starts to go sideways after a botched joke, she pulls "Dance Mom" in from the crowd, partly to spite Ava. To both of their surprise, "Dance Mom" saves the show and gets the crowd energized, becoming a highlight of the episode.

Julianne Nicholson & Jean Smart's Hacks Dynamic Is Very Different From Mare Of Easttown

Comparing Both Celebrated Series Showcases Each Actresses' Incredible Range

Despite the casting similarities in Hacks season 4, episode 5, Hacks and Mare of Easttown are virtually opposite in tone and content. Despite the recent feud between Deborah and Ava, Hacks is primarily a comedy series that is full of hilarious moments and one-liners. Mare of Easttown, on the other hand, is a gritty cop drama and murder mystery that takes place in a suburb of Philadelphia, far from the spotlights of Los Angeles. Both series, however, are exceptionally well done in their respective genres.

Nicholson's Lori Ross in Mare of Easttown is virtually the opposite of "Dance Mom", who is delightfully bubbly and overwhelmed by the buzz of Los Angeles. Smart's role as the diva and showbiz savant Deborah Vance feels like one she was born to play, which is made even more impressive by her more serious role in Mare of Easttown. Ultimately, the scene at the end of Hacks season 4, episode 5, in which Smart's Deborah and Nicholson's "Dance Mom" dance together in front of a live audience, takes on a special meaning for fans of Mare of Easttown.