The Comeback Recap: Death Hurts

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When I heard a third season of The Comeback was happening, I immediately wondered how they’d handle the loss of Mickey, Robert Michael Morris was just brilliant in those first two seasons. They’ve paid tribute in little ways, which was nice, and I was starting to think they wouldn’t dwell too much on such a sad topic. But wow, “Valerie Faces Reality” really blindsided me – it’s the most focused the show has been on Mickey so far, and it genuinely got to me. I actually complained last week that the show was leaning too heavily into drama, but this episode nailed the balance between funny and heartbreaking – exactly what I love about The Comeback. Seriously, I laughed, I cried, and I probably made some truly awful noises doing both!

The episode begins with Valerie recording her podcast, “Cherish the Time,” with Tommy. I initially underestimated him when he first appeared, but he’s doing a good job of establishing himself as a unique character, even though he’s stepping into the role previously held by Mickey – a difficult replacement. The show is clearly aware of how viewers might see this parallel, and it doesn’t shy away from addressing it. Jane arrives late to filming, citing work as the reason. Tommy jokes about still working at Trader Joe’s even if he had an Oscar, and Valerie immediately corrects him, instinctively saying, “Mickey, don’t.” This awkward moment highlights the ongoing comparison between Tommy and Mickey, and it’s a theme that resurfaces throughout the episode.

When Val arrives on the set of “How’s That?!”, she’s still thinking about Mickey. She realizes the filming location, Stage 24, is where Mickey’s beloved movie, “Now, Voyager,” was made. Val remembers Mickey often saying, “Let’s not shoot for the moon when we have the stars,” and she finds the quote endearing, even if she’s not sure who originally said it. Inside, they meet the sitcom’s cast, including Tim Bagley as Frank Flynn, who briefly appeared last season as Gary the Worm. As a fan of Bagley’s previous show, “Somebody Somewhere,” it’s good to see him back on HBO. Matt Cook also returns, playing Petey P, an actor who plays triplets on “How’s That?!”. He previously played Ivan, a member of the documentary crew in season two. We learn Ivan was Petey’s twin brother and died of an overdose eight years ago – Petey describes it as “He Heath Ledger-ed out,” which makes both Patience and the narrator uncomfortable. The scene shifts when Petey starts to cry. Val, typically oblivious, tries to relate by mentioning her character’s brother dying on the show, but we know Val is dealing with real grief. She offers support, saying, “Death hurts, right? You’ve got nothing but love and support here,” which is surprisingly touching. However, the moment is quickly disrupted by Billy arriving and complaining about his parking space.

Before starting rehearsal, Jimmy points out the episode needs a more emotionally resonant scene. Val suggests a moment between Beth and Bo, as they’re the only family members left, and Jimmy agrees – it’s great to see Val taking charge as an executive producer! The writer’s assistant, Marco, quickly arranges for the scene to be filmed. Valerie and Dean (playing Beth and Bo) perform the lines: “Your dad had the biggest heart, Bo,” Beth says. “Probably just got tired of carrying so much love.” While it’s not a masterpiece, it’s understandable given the quick turnaround. Josh, who wasn’t involved in writing the new scene, thinks it’s overly sentimental – he calls it an “aww, ick,” meaning it elicits a cute reaction from viewers but makes writers cringe. Mary tries to calm her husband and writing partner, Josh, but he stubbornly insists, “I’m the voice of the women of a certain age!” Jimmy, meanwhile, is worried about how easily AI can now generate passable scenes. Jane asks Val for her opinion, knowing Val wouldn’t admit to any anxiety about the technology. Val simply brushes it off, saying, “We needed a new scene, got a new scene.”

Valerie is much more assertive when dealing with Carter, the wardrobe supervisor on “How’s That?!” She’s upset to learn her character is being dressed in intentionally unflattering outfits – inspired by looks from Katharine Hepburn in “On Golden Pond,” Mrs. Roper from “Three’s Company,” and Bea Arthur’s Maude. Carter asks if Valerie will wear a gray wig, referencing Beth’s age in the script. (The show loves to use that phrase!) Valerie remembers reluctantly wearing ridiculous costumes on her previous show, “Room & Bored,” and now knows how to stand up for herself. She refuses to play a stereotypical “Aunt Sassy” character, explaining she wants her character to be more than just a joke and to actually drive the story forward. Carter is dismissive and rude, accusing Valerie of overstepping her bounds as an actress. She has to remind him that she’s also an executive producer and refuses to try on the outfits he’s chosen. Jane is supportive after the confrontation, genuinely pleased to see Valerie assert herself. However, Valerie is a little unnerved by Jane calling her a “boss lady” and goes back to wardrobe to smooth things over. But Carter doesn’t deserve her kindness!

Following a recent conflict, Valerie looks forward to chatting with Tommy over lunch, like she used to with Mickey, but Tommy avoids eating in public. More importantly, Valerie discovers Tommy doesn’t have her wigs – something Mickey always managed or reminded her about. Tommy gently points out he’s not Mickey and can’t fill that role, which is a painful realization for Valerie, who is still struggling with Mickey’s death. They apologize to each other, but Valerie dismisses Tommy’s observation that she seems to have unresolved feelings about Mickey. Later that night, Valerie wakes up asking where Mickey is – she’s referring to the box containing his ashes, which she can’t find. This leads to a frantic search through her storage unit. She reveals to Jane that Mickey had a special place next to her award when she and Mark lived in Brentwood, and she’d been waiting for the perfect spot to scatter his ashes. She’s decided Stage 24 is the place, but the box is missing. Valerie is distraught, saying she can’t lose Mickey again, especially after being unable to visit him in the hospital due to COVID restrictions. She’s heartbroken remembering being denied access, not wanting him to be alone while sick, and the scene is incredibly emotional.

Tomorrow’s a new day, and we have a TV show to film. Today is the first dress rehearsal, and Val walks on set wearing a huge hat that makes her look like she’s on safari. This was a compromise for Carter, who apparently didn’t know Val previously starred as someone who always wore hats and didn’t see a problem with it. Val is happy when Jimmy asks her to take the hat off because he can’t see her face, but Carter’s choice for Val’s scene partner, Gabrielle (Brittany O’Grady), is causing more trouble. The script calls for Gabrielle’s character to wear a shirt from Mianus University—a real place in Connecticut—but the costume department put her in a revealing crop top instead. Josh completely loses it, interrupting rehearsal to freak out over the change. He yells, “The show won’t work without that Mianus U shirt!” and storms off to fire Carter. It was an amazing outburst—that’s why you hire John Early.

After everything that happens, the most touching moment is when Tommy discovers Mickey’s ashes hidden with Valerie’s wigs. Seeing Valerie’s reaction to finding them is incredibly moving – Lisa Kudrow delivers a fantastic performance. Valerie, Patience, Jane, and the film crew then secretly climb onto the scaffolding above Stage 24 to scatter the ashes. As she releases them, Val poignantly says, “Dear Mickey, I wish you were here,” then adds, “But why ask for the moon when we had the stars?” It’s a truly tear-jerking scene, especially with Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” playing in the background. True to form, The Comeback ends with a bit of humor, as security guards tell Val and the crew to get down from the scaffolding as the credits roll. I really appreciate how this show isn’t afraid to embrace genuine emotion, even if it might make Josh cringe.

Give Her Another Take

The episode’s first truly funny moment came when Val explained why she likes podcasts. She said part of their appeal is that they’re often casual and not overly polished – that’s what makes them enjoyable!

Jane was understandably shocked when Mark announced he was doing “Finance Dudes.” He explained his decision by asking, “Why should I be the only one not on a reality show?” Valerie chimed in, pointing out that they already have their own reality TV expert – Mauricio Umansky, who she knows from his work outside of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

There are a lot of fun memories from the Val set. One moment that really stood out was someone saying, “No notes from NuNet! Oh, No, No, Nanette! That’s a show, isn’t it? I never watched it, but I recognize the title.”

• When a passerby compliments Jane on her hat, Val explains, “Mrs. Hatt fan.”

Valerie excitedly pointed out that Private Benjamin was also filmed on Stage 24. But the most notable past production is definitely Joker: Folie à Deux – it seems like the set might be unlucky!

Like last week, I’m not a big fan of mentioning the popular sitcom. The show explains that Jane asked for a close-up of the Friends listing on the Stage 24 tenant list – what’s the reason behind that request?

Now that I’ve talked about the rest of Val’s fellow actors, I wanted to give a special mention to Barry Shabaka Henley, who plays Walter. Walter is the actor who portrays Sheriff Charlie Baker on the show How’s That?! (It’s hard to follow this sitcom sometimes, especially when you remember it was actually written by artificial intelligence.)

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2026-04-06 06:56