Bad Wigs, Fran Drescher, and AI Await in The Comeback Season 3

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As a critic, I remember being completely captivated by Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish when The Comeback originally aired on HBO. It’s been almost twelve years since we last saw her, that wonderfully tragic and resilient sitcom actress, but Kudrow and co-creator Michael Patrick King – you might know him from Sex and the City – assure me Valerie hasn’t disappeared. She’s simply been biding her time, plotting her next career move.

Lisa and I used to get together for lunch every few weeks, and then we’d inevitably start wondering what our friend Valerie would be up to, according to Michael C. Hall at SXSW. He was there with the first episodes of the third and final season of The Comeback, which they’re now calling a trilogy, and the audience of dedicated fans loved it. The new season starts airing on March 22nd.

The first season followed Valerie, a former sitcom star whose career had faded. She was struggling to relaunch herself as a character on a new, poorly-received show called Room & Board, all while filming a reality series about her attempts at a comeback. In season two, Valerie tries again to stay relevant by playing a fictionalized version of herself in an HBO drama. The show centers on a sitcom writer and his difficult relationship with a demanding actress who is very much like Valerie – and surprisingly, she wins an Emmy for her performance.

King explained that he and Kudrow often brainstormed ideas during lunch, like Valerie attending a yoga camp or appearing on Broadway – something that actually happens in the new season. However, they couldn’t find a storyline substantial enough to bring her character back. Then, Kudrow jokingly wished Valerie had been around during the SAG and writers’ strikes, imagining how funny she would have been amidst the chaos. This sparked an idea for King: start the story in the past, during the strike, and then jump forward three years to the present, where union negotiations were anticipated to resume due to the rise of AI.

As for the hook that sold Kudrow? Valerie would star in the first sitcom written by AI.

King described the situation as reminiscent of the early 2000s fascination with Valerie and reality television, but with a more unsettling feeling. He explained that this dynamic – ‘the machine’ – was the turning point, after which Lisa decided she’d had enough.

He went on to say that she’s a strong-willed person and needs a really compelling reason to return. Luckily, he added, she has excellent judgment.

From the beginning, The Comeback felt remarkably relevant, even predicting the future. The show’s first season focused on the struggles of minor celebrities trying to stay famous through reality TV. Kudrow joked about how few people understood the show at first, but acknowledged those who did. She then pointed out that now, everyone seems anxious and is essentially creating and broadcasting their own personal reality show online.

Casey Bloys, who leads content for HBO and Max, quickly approved the project and stressed the need for a fast turnaround. According to King, Bloys wanted them to start filming immediately, explaining, “We need to get this out there before any other studio acknowledges they’re using AI,” which King described as both thrilling and a little scary.

However, Kudrow explained that the conversation largely focused on the possibility of AI replacing TV writers. She added that it seems like it will be quite some time before studios openly admit to using AI in this way.

The season begins with Valerie taking on the role of Roxie in Chicago, but the production is short-lived, failing to move past the initial rehearsal. Audiences at SXSW couldn’t help but laugh at the terribly unflattering wigs Valerie wore – one on the promotional poster and another during the rehearsal itself.

I got a real kick out of the scenes with Valerie trying to avoid politics, but then getting hilariously dragged in by Fran Drescher – what a fantastic cameo! And her dinner with Jane Fonda was gold; Valerie just had to try and get some social media content, even while clearly out of her depth.

Damian Young reprises his role as Mark, Valerie’s husband, who is now a contestant on the reality show Finance Dudes. Dan Bucatinsky is back as Billy, Valerie’s manager, still hoping to profit from her success. Sadly, Robert Michael Morris, who played Valerie’s hairdresser Mickey, passed away in 2017. Now, Valerie gets her hair done by Tommy (played by Broadway director Jack O’Brien), who originally filled in for Mickey on I’m It! and is currently an 85-year-old resident near the set of an independent film being shot at a nursing home.

This season introduces Andrew Scott as the network president, who hilariously insists on Zoom calls with Valerie and Billy despite being right next door. Abbi Jacobson and John Early play the writers facing potential replacement by artificial intelligence. Ella Stiller, Ben Stiller’s daughter, shines as Patience, Valerie’s 23-year-old social media manager.

You know, someone actually asked Rob and me what we were trying to say about AI with this movie, and honestly, I completely froze for two days! We finally realized it wasn’t about having a message, it was just about showing what’s actually happening right now. And a big part of that is how tough things are getting for people trying to work in Hollywood. Take Jane, the documentarian played by Laura Silverman – she’s back, and still struggling! She had to bail on her Broadway project and now she’s juggling filming with shifts at the cash register at Trader Joe’s just to make ends meet.

Silverman always held onto the hope for another season, but understood it would only happen if Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow were enthusiastic about a story idea. When she received the call offering her a return, she kept it a secret, even from her own manager, figuring he’d find out when necessary. Speaking at SXSW, she explained she didn’t want to risk jeopardizing this special chance, as she felt this would be the last revival – though, being Valerie Cherish, she added that you never know for sure.

Silverman enthusiastically agreed to participate, saying she was excited to spend time with people she cared about. She imagined herself happily playing a small role – maybe even getting accidentally caught on camera – and simply enjoying the experience one last time. She described it as ‘the best time of my entire life.’

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2026-03-19 00:55