TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Hannah Einbinder

THE PERFORMER | Hannah Einbinder

THE SHOW | Hacks

THE EPISODE | "Mrs. Table" (May 8, 2025)

THE PERFORMANCE | Ava Daniels' mammoth meltdown was a long time coming. From Deborah's conniving torture to the pressure of the head writer position, everything in Season 4 had been building up to Episode 6's volcanic eruption. And when the character just couldn't take it anymore, Einbinder delivered her best performance yet, which was both skillfully comedic and glum.

After the late-night show was forced to pivot following Cher's cancellation, the team booked Ruby Rojas, Ava's ex. Einbinder reveled in her character's discomfort, letting her humor and physicality shine. But after Deborah cut one of Ava's segments, the host urged Ruby to share an embarrassing story about Ava — that whole proposal mishap — on the air. It was a vicious move that cut Ava deep... a hurt we could read all over her face as she stood on the sidelines in tears.

The half-hour continued giving Einbinder excellent material to work with. Yes, Ava's boyfriend and girlfriend broke up with her, but the final straw? Finding out her staff was ordering elaborate lunches (branzino?!) on her dime. We couldn't help but laugh as a horror movie-worthy shriek escaped the actress's mouth, and the poor dead fish was flung across the room.

The rollercoaster of emotions (for us and the character) continued when Deborah and Ava finally had a heart-to-heart about their ongoing feud. Einbinder showcased a deep fragility after her boss told her, "You are my voice." When Ava replied back, "But I kind of hate you now," her voice quivered with what felt like genuine pain. While we were glad to see the two women finally back on the same page, we're even more thankful to see Einbinder continue to hold her own on such a sharp series that allows her to flex her pure talent.

Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week...

The eighth episode of Andor Season 2, which depicted the Ghorman Massacre, packed a dramatic punch, as did the performances by Denise Gough and Kyle Soller. Since the series' very first episode, Soller's Syril Karn has been a man on a mission (though you never sensed he was 100% equipped for it). But in rising ISB star Dedra Meero, Syril saw a muse, one who helped him reach a certain potential. As such, when the Empire's true plans for Ghorman came to light, Soller conveyed Syril's disappointment in his complicit partner, as well as a personal revulsion — all of which he took out on wanted man Cassian. Gough meanwhile showed us the toll that Dedra's ambition was starting to take on her; you believed she was truly worried when Syril fled into the crowded plaza. With Dedra's private breakdown at episode's end, Gough revealed a new layer to a complicated woman. — Matt Webb Mitovich

We love sunny, sparkly Dina on The Last of Us, but we were even more into the troubled version of the character that Isabela Merced revealed in last Sunday's episode. When Dina thought that Ellie had sacrificed her life to save her, the devastation on Merced's face spoke volumes about the connection the two had forged. The Dina that held a gun on Ellie, tears running down her face, was miles from the bubbly teen we met in Jackson; Merced quickly and capably communicated just how much it was going to kill Dina to euthanize her just-bitten love. And once Dina was assured that her best friend wasn't going to turn into an angry mushroom, the relief that flowed out of Merced was the best kind of overwhelming: When she had Dina finally act on her feelings for Ellie, frantic in the character's realization that all might have been lost, Merced's intensity was electric. Having seen what she unearthed in Episode 4, we're looking forward to what else the actress brings to light about Dina as the season continues. — Kimberly Roots

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!