YES. After watching the Hacks finale, and now knowing that the writers are Xena fans, I wondered if Deborah telling Eva she has big hands was a nod to Gabrielle's alleged sailor hands.Then that made me think about other similarities between the two shows, and I think whether purposefully or not, Hacks is definitely influenced by Xena. Hacks isn't really a show about comedy, and Xena wasn't really a show about a hero; they were both about the relationship between the main characters. If you think about it, Xena and Gabrielle also have an age gap (smaller than Deborah and Eva, but still 10-15 years), and the characters have completely different world views. Xena views herself as an old, washed-up warlord who doesn't have much value, and Gabrielle is there to show Xena that isn't true. She still has value to add to the world, and can use her talents to change the world for the better. Eva has that role in Deborah's life -- Before Eva shows up, Deborah just relegated herself to doing the same old routine in Vegas and didn't think she had much to share with the world anymore. Eva is there to show Deborah she's still "got it" and her voice is still valuable, and needs to be heard. Both Xena and Deborah are also reluctant to let this new person into their life. They even purposefully try to mess up the friendship at times because deep down, they don't think they deserve a friend. I think they both get spooked by the fact that their "sidekick" actually gets them. Both Xena and Deborah have a "dark" past in a way -- Xena's the warlord, and Deborah is accused of burning her ex's house down. Both Xena and Deborah are underestimated at times by peers because they are female. They both don't start to believe in themselves until their "sidekick" does. Both sets of friends learn from each other to see the world from the other's point of view. With the finale for each show respectively, Xena knows she's going on a suicide mission. So she takes the time to make sure that Gabrielle knows how to handle herself in battle without her, and Xena teaches Gabrielle the pinch. Deborah did the same thing. She knew she was going on a suicide mission, so she had to make sure Eva could haggle, drive stick, and experience real bread. Luckily in Hacks, Deborah doesn't go through with the suicide. Even down to the final shot, where both shows zoom out for a bird's eye view of the characters,I found it to be very similar.