The Comeback Recap: Death Hurts

The Comeback
Valerie Faces Reality
Season 3 Episode 3
Editor’s Rating ★★★★★
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Ever since a third season of The Comeback was announced, I wondered how the show would address the absence of Mickey, an indelible presence throughout the first two seasons played by the late Robert Michael Morris. And while season three has honored him in small but meaningful ways, it was starting to seem like the series wouldn’t linger too much on such a somber subject. Perhaps that’s why “Valerie Faces Reality” caught me (and my tear ducts) so off-guard — it’s the most Mickey-centric episode so far, and it packs a surprisingly emotional punch. I know I complained last week that The Comeback might be focusing too much on story over jokes, but this is exactly the kind of tonal balancing act I come to this show for. I laughed, I cried, I made grotesque noises doing both at the same time.

We open with Valerie recording her podcast Cherish the Time with Tommy, a character I may have been too hard on when he was introduced in the season premiere. Yes, he’s obviously there to fill the space that Mickey has left, but that’s a really tough act to follow, and director-turned-actor Jack O’Brien is doing a nice job making Tommy his own character. It helps that The Comeback is very aware of how this looks to viewers — I should have had more faith in the always-meta series to address the elephant in the room. Jane arrives late to film, explaining that she was delayed by work. “If I had an Oscar, I don’t think I’d be working at Trader Joe’s,” Tommy says. Instinctively, Val replies, “Mickey, don’t.” The comment hangs there awkwardly, and it won’t be the last time this episode Tommy’s role as the de facto “new Mickey” is called into question.

When Val arrives at the How’s That?! set, Mickey is still on her mind. She notes that Stage 24 is where Now, Voyager, Mickey’s favorite movie, was filmed. Val recalls that Mickey would always say, “Let’s not shoot for the moon when we have the stars,” and whether that’s Val’s misquote or Mickey’s, I’m charmed all the same. Once inside, we meet the cast of the sitcom, including Frank Flynn (Tim Bagley), who briefly popped up last season when he was playing Gary the Worm on Tom Peterman’s kids’ show. As someone who misses Somebody Somewhere dearly, I’m just happy to have Bagley back on HBO. Another returning actor: Matt Cook, who previously played Ivan, one of the documentary crew members in season two. Here, he’s Petey P, an actor portraying triplets on How’s That?! Ivan was Petey’s twin brother, and we learn that he died of an overdose eight years ago. “He Heath Ledger-ed out,” Petey shares, a line that makes both Patience and me grimace. But the scene takes a turn when Petey starts to cry. Sure, Val shows a familiar lack of self-awareness when she says she can relate because her character’s brother dies on How’s That?!, but we know that Val herself is mourning real loss in her life. “Death hurts, right?” she continues. “You’ve got nothing but love and support here.” It’s oddly moving, even if the moment is immediately ruined by Billy showing up and complaining about not having his own parking spot.

Before rehearsal begins, Jimmy tells Val the episode needs a more human scene. She suggests something between Beth and Bo, her last remaining family member — I love Val in executive producer mode! — and Jimmy agrees. Writer’s assistant Marco (Oh, Mary’s Tony Macht) is able to get the new scene produced with terrifying speed, and soon enough, Valerie is performing it alongside her co-star Dean (Zane Phillips), who’s playing the hunky nephew. “Your dad had the biggest heart, Bo,” Beth says. “Probably just got tired of carrying so much love.” It’s not great, but what can you reasonably expect from Al? Josh, who didn’t do any of the writing on the added moment, is equally unimpressed. He calls it an “aww, ick,” meaning it makes audiences go “aww” and writers go “ick” thanks to its treacly sentimentality. Mary arrives to try to rein in her husband-slash-writing partner, but Josh isn’t having it. “I’m the voice of the women of a certain age!” he insists. Meanwhile, Jimmy is more concerned that AI is able to instantly produce a decent scene. Jane asks Val what she thinks, as if she’d ever cop to her own anxiety over the technology. “We needed a new scene, got a new scene,” Val deflects.

She is less nonchalant when it comes to her interaction with How’s That?! wardrobe supervisor Carter (Benito Skinner). Much to her horror, Valerie discovers that her character is once again being dressed to be the butt of the joke — the inspirations that Carter is pulling from are Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond, Mrs. Roper from Three’s Company, and Bea Arthur as Maude. Carter asks if Val will have her hair up and gray, since the script says Beth is a “woman of a certain age.” (Take a shot every time you hear this phrase on The Comeback, but only if your liver is in good shape.) While Valerie gave in and wore the tracksuit (and the giant cupcake costume) on Room & Bored, she has grown and learned how to advocate for herself since then. And she’s not playing Aunt Sassy! “I’m more than willing to do that if that’s what the character is,” she tells Carter. “But this character is moving story along and having feelings.” Carter is, I’ll say it, a real dick in response, dismissing Valerie as an actress trying to dictate wardrobe. She’s then forced to pull rank as an executive producer, declaring that she won’t try on any of the caftans he’s pulled. “I liked seeing you like that,” Jane says after the blow-up, and there’s real affection in her voice. I don’t blame her; it really is thrilling to watch Val assert herself. She does seem a little freaked out by Jane’s description of her as “boss lady,” though, and she ends up returning to wardrobe to make amends. Carter doesn’t deserve your grace, Val!

After the scuffle, Valerie is excited to debrief with Tommy over salads the way that she and Mickey used to do, but he doesn’t eat in public. (Relatable!) A bigger issue arises when Val realizes that Tommy doesn’t have her wigs. Mickey would have picked them up himself or reminded Val to bring them to set, she explains. “I’m not Mickey,” Tommy replies. “I’ll never be Mickey. Mickey isn’t here.” It’s another meta moment for the show and a painful one for Valerie, who is still in denial about how much Mickey’s absence continues to affect her. She and Tommy exchange apologies, but when he tells her that it seems like she has “unfinished business” with Mickey, she brushes him off. Clearly, he’s onto something — we next see Val waking up in the middle of the night, asking where Mickey is. She’s referring to the box holding his remains, which appears to have been misplaced. That prompts a trip to her storage locker and a furious search. She tells Jane that Mickey had held a prime spot next to her People’s Choice Award when she and Mark lived in Brentwood, but she was waiting to find the right place to spread his ashes. Now, she’s found it in Stage 24, and the remains are M.I.A. “Can’t have lost Mickey, right? Bad enough I couldn’t be with him at the hospital,” Val says. “Remember COVID? Wouldn’t let us visit. Couldn’t visit. Wouldn’t let me in. Didn’t want him to, you know, just be there alone, sick.” She’s crying, and you better believe I am, too. 

But tomorrow is another day, and we’ve got a sitcom to make. It’s the first dress rehearsal, and Val enters wearing a giant hat that makes it look like she’s on safari. This is a concession to Carter, who apparently never saw Val’s starring role on Mrs. Hatt and isn’t worried about the association. Valerie is relieved when Jimmy asks her to lose the hat because he can’t see her eyes, but Carter’s choice for Val’s co-star, Gabrielle (Brittany O’Grady), turns out to be the bigger problem. Per the script, the character of Lori is supposed to enter wearing a Mianus U shirt — yes, Mianus is a real place in Connecticut — and the costume department has put her in a sexy crop top instead. Josh interrupts rehearsal to have a full-blown meltdown over the outfit change. “This show doesn’t work without Mianus U!” he screams before storming off to fire Carter. It’s an incredible tantrum to witness; this is why you hire John Early.

In the aftermath, something more important happens: Tommy finds the box of Mickey’s remains, tucked in with Valerie’s good wigs. Her face at being reunited with Mickey is enough to get me emotional again — Lisa Kudrow is so damn good at this. Val, Patience, Jane, and the rest of the documentary crew sneak up to the scaffolding above Stage 24 to scatter the ashes. “Dear Mickey, I wish you were here,” Val says as she dumps the box. “But why ask for the moon when we had the stars?” If you’re not fully weeping at this point, what’s wrong with you? That Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” is playing only makes the moment more poignant. Of course, The Comeback makes sure to end on a laugh, with security demanding that Val and the others get down from the scaffolding as the credits start rolling. But I have to commend this show for leaning so hard into genuine emotion, even if Josh might think it’s “aww, ick.”

Give Her Another Take

• First laugh-out-loud moment of the episode: Val’s explanation of the appeal of podcasts. “They’re supposed to be sloppy and unprofessional,” she says. “That’s the charm.” 

• Jane has an appropriately horrified reaction to Mark doing Finance Dudes. “Why should I be the only person not on a reality show?” he reasons. “Got our own Mauricio right here,” says Valerie, who has evidently been keeping up with Mauricio Umansky’s TV work outside of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

• There are so many great Val moments on the backlot. I was tickled by, “No notes from NuNet! No, No, Nanette! That’s a show, yeah. I never saw it, but I know the title.”

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

• Valerie gushes over Private Benjamin when she learns that it was also filmed on Stage 24. Of course, the real standout on the list of previous productions is Joker: Folie à Deux. Safe to say the set is cursed.

• As was the case last week, I’m less enthused about the reference to Kudrow’s most famous sitcom. What is the in-show explanation for Jane getting the camera to zoom in on Friends on the list of Stage 24’s past tenants?

• Since I’ve mentioned the rest of Val’s castmates, I wanted to shout out the always great Barry Shabaka Henley, who plays Walter, the actor portraying Sheriff Charlie Baker on How’s That?! (Every time I try to make sense of this sitcom, I remember it was literally written by AI.)