Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 4, Episode 7.
The Hacks D’Christening episode delivers the quintessential mix of heartfelt mother-daughter tension and razor-sharp comedy that has defined the HBO Max hit. Directed by Lucia Aniello and written by Jen Statsky, the 32-minute installment drags Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) back into DJ’s (Kaitlin Olson) orbit for the baptism of DJ’s newborn son.
What should be a solemn sacrament spirals into a sidesplitting holy melee—complete with communion-wafer warfare, spilled sacramental wine, and a shrewd business pitch for D’Jewelry.
A reluctant reunion in the pews
Deborah enters the church already on edge: decades earlier she quit organized religion after a priest mocked her act. The Hacks D’Christening episode resurrects that wound in seconds. Smart’s micro-expressions—part terror, part disdain—signal a woman reliving a lifetime of judgment in stained glass silence.
Meanwhile DJ appears serene, even radiant, in an immaculate cream suit. Olson milks the contrast for laughs; the daughter’s newfound spiritual fervor clearly confuses the mother who still views church as “open-mic night for hypocrisy.”
Communion gone combustible
The turning point arrives when DJ emerges as a eucharistic minister. Deborah’s gasp practically echoes off the cathedral arches. Their whispered argument escalates until DJ stuffs a wafer into Deborah’s mouth like a pacifier. Smart retaliates by chugging the wine chalice, dyeing her lips crimson.
As the pair tussle for liquid leverage, wine cascades over Father Michael’s vestments. It’s the most sacrilegious slapstick since Monty Python.
Importantly, the scene crystallizes Season 4’s theme: old grudges die hard. Deborah’s shame at being invisible in sacred spaces meets DJ’s fury at being ignored in secular ones. The Hacks D’Christening episode forces both women to confront the ugly symmetry.
Why DJ turned to the church
Once Deborah is threatened with “low-to-no contact,” a panicked détente ensues. Here Olson steals the half-hour with a confessional monologue: DJ’s baptismal zeal is less about piety and more about profit. She’s been hawking D’Jewelry to parishioners after Mass, outselling her entire web shop in three months. “The body of Christ pairs beautifully with cubic zirconia,” she deadpans.
This revelation reframes DJ’s religious rebirth as a strategic pivot—classic Hacks irony. The creator trio (Downs, Statsky, Aniello) once again tie each character’s emotional evolution to brutal career calculus: Deborah rewrote her Vegas act; Ava weaponized Twitter; now DJ rebrands communion into customer acquisition.
Kaitlin Olson on DJ’s holy hustle
Speaking to press, Olson called the Hacks D’Christening episode “some of the funniest physical work I’ve ever done.” She credits Smart for matching her manic energy: “Jean can flip from maternal guilt to pure rage in one stare. I’m just trying to keep up without slipping on fake wine.”
Olson also teased future D’Jewelry storylines: “DJ thinks she’s found a captive market. Wait until she discovers Etsy for ex-nuns.”
How the episode shifts Season 4’s arc
- Deborah’s vulnerability – Seeing her humiliated crushes Ava’s rose-colored image of the legend, deepening their reunion.
- DJ’s leverage – By threatening estrangement, DJ forces Deborah to respect her as both mother and mogul.
- Ava’s material – Ava now holds gold-standard stand-up fodder: America’s diva comedian brawling with the Eucharist. Count on Episode 8 to test Deborah’s tolerance for punchline-based penance.
The Hacks D’Christening episode thus functions as mid-season gearshift, resetting stakes for the final stretch.
Easter eggs & craft notes
- Wafer weaponization: Prop designer Matthew Folkman baked edible “breakaway” hosts with softer texture to survive multiple takes.
- Costume symbolism: DJ’s suit mimics Deborah’s iconic white-jacket look from Season 1, signaling the daughter’s subconscious modeling.
- Title pattern: Every Season 4 title begins with “D’,” echoing DJ’s brand. “D’Christening” marks her literal baptism into narrative centrality.
Final communion thoughts
The Hacks D’Christening episode distills what makes the series formidable: blistering jokes, painful family wounds, and ambitious women commodifying every crisis. Olson’s DJ graduates from lovable mess to formidable foil; Smart reminds us no one weaponizes shame like Deborah Vance.
Whether DJ’s church hustle fizzles or flourishes, one truth stands: In Hacks, the only unforgivable sin is wasting a good comeback. And on that score, Episode 7 is downright immaculate.
