The Comeback - 12/21/14

I agree about Marc. Damian Young was finally given a decent scene to act. Or ad lib most likely.

There's no ad libbing in The Comeback, as per MPK and Lisa Kudrow.

Mickey's sense of humor is so bizarre, that shit about vcrs all playing Silkwood because he's so radioactive. And his phone message, that's going to be my phone message, so hilarious. Plus he always nails every line, he's got real talent, not just a boring stereotype. Has the actor been in anything else of note? I looked up his imdb page and ended up downloading the stoner comedy Smiley Face, which is quite good thanks to star Anna Faris, but he's wasted just walking by with his poodle.

What's fabulous about you, why do we care?

Mickey said she hasn't been in his apartment in a very long time but she still had a key...

Wish season 3 would have a good part for Laura Dern...

Tyler mocking Mickey's ho was hilarious.

Jane is a little crazy isn't she? Or is that just my imagination?

I'm not reading the posts in detail but I am so glad the show will be going out (forever) on a good note.

I have been stockpiling the last 3 episodes for Christmas.

I know most were disappointed with the episode a few weeks back, and that combined with horrifically low ratings, I would have hated to see DL turn on this awesome show!

I'm going to miss Valerie, but I am so glad that Valerie (and Lisa) got this 2nd chance.

Best show on TV right now. It started a little weak but the past few episodes have been even better than the first season. Its SO dark. This is the greatest performance of Lisa Kudrow's career.

Of course, nobody's watching. Fuck them. It will be a crime if Kudrow doesn't get any awards next year.

The show hasn't been officially cancelled has it?

Its done R9-

And I will say that the producer/writer said from the beginning that the season (this season) ends on an emotionally satisfying note and that he doubted that the show would be back again. (And this was before the show started airing)

So combine that with the really low ratings, and we have our answer.

I will miss this show! This is the role of Lisa's career.

My understanding was that HBO gave Kudrow and PMK a carte blanche to come up with another season if and when they want to do it. It enjoys substantial critical acclaim while being very cheap to produce,

It was oh so gratifying to glimpse Kellan Lutz in the preview of the final episode.

But he was rather bizarrely fully clothed!

Great episode in a great season. And it was nice to see some dick! I agree with R6--Tyler's reaction was hilarious.

That "I am somebody" stuff from Val was very real.

I love how the show tests what you think you know about the characters. For example, Val's been a little wary of the cameras around Mickey. The most obvious explanation is that she doesn't want Mickey and his cancer to pull focus from her - and I think there's a grain of truth in that. But if that was the whole story, she wouldn't be nervous about Mickey going AWOL, even if she partly goes to his apartment "for the story".

I loved how Mickey, who usually seems to adore "Red", testily remarked that Val hadn't been to his apartment in over a decade.

And the bloggers were hilarious. The feminist blogger reminded me of an ONTD poster ("I am insulted by this demeaning of women... oh, but James Deen is so fucking hot!"). This show is a masterclass in reviving an old show and keeping it fresh.

[quote]Mickey's sense of humor is so bizarre, that shit about vcrs all playing Silkwood because he's so radioactive.

I loved how Val responded with "A dingo ate me baby!"

I'm hoping against hope that we'll have a season 3 of this brilliant show.

Glorious episode.

So is Val going to have an affair with Kellan? How nice would that be?

Her "I have a birth certificate" speech was hysterical and gut wrenching all at the same time.

That photo on Mickey's wall of the twink dressed as a sad clown was the most perfect piece of set decoration I have ever seen.

I loved Val pausing for applause that never came during her appearance on THE TALK.

[quote]I loved Val pausing for applause that never came during her appearance on THE TALK.

That was hilarious.

By the way, what happened to Mickey's partner? In the first series, it was implied they'd been together for many years. He seems to have disappeared entirely.

r16, well what about the report in the other Comeback thread that a 3rd season was announced on the People Magazine Awards, or whatever it was. It seemed to specific to be made up.

I love how nuanced the writing is. You learn so much about these characters without having to be shown everything. I like that they made mention of Mark's (now adult) daughter Francesca and the possibility that she has some sort of eating disorder (anorexia).

There's just not enough praise you can heap on this brilliant show and group of actors. Lisa Kudrow is truly a brave actress and not in a clichéd and obvious way. Kudrow seems to embrace all the awkward and demoralizing scenes with gusto. You need an actor without a lot of personal vanity to effectively portray such a vain and narcissistic character like Valerie. It's a shame that this show hasn't caught fire like it should. Lisa and MPK genuinely deserve the accolades and award recognition.

If you can find the People Magazine Awards on-demand or online, R19, it happens very early on. Sean Hayes presents an award to Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback and says it was renewed for another season. When she gave her acceptance speech, she didn't reference whether it was true or not. I take it as an unofficial pick-up before HBO makes an announcement. It may not even be on the schedule yet.

Val and the camera crew bursting in on people (Jane at home in S1, Paulie getting a massage, a passed-out Mickey) cracks me up so much!

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!"

Here's the link. I don't hear anything about Season 3. #pleasegodletitbetrue

"The Assassination of Valerie Cherish".....well that just means we need to work on the title, right, Jane? Jane?

[quote]That "I am somebody" stuff from Val was very real.

That was the best acting I have seen all year. The thing that makes Kudrow so good is that she takes things to unexpected places. When you think she's going to zig, she zags.

Good assessment, R25. And even when it's unexpected it's still real.

I got a feeling Paulie G kills himself. And I don't need to see that!

The thing I didn't need to see was Mickey's naked ass!

Please Baby Jesus deliver me from that memory!

I wonder if they decided to include Mickey's naked ass and his trick's dick to balance out the naked porn women.

I like the episode as well. It just felt though felt that I missed or they skipped some scenes? I would have love to see her actual reaction when she learned she got nominated for Emmy.

Why is this show not getting good ratings? Season 1 was brilliant but was something of a romp comedy about a fallen sitcom star with dark undertones, this season goes for the throat and really shows the damage the quest for fame will go to. Every real housewife of every Bravo series needs to watch the parking lot scene between Val and Mark.

My theory about the low ratings is that the audience for The Comeback is younger and tech-savvy so many of them are watching it by using torrents or the streaming websites. They're not watching it through "official" means such as an actual television so the ratings aren't being counted.

I pray to god this is true about a 3rd season!

r32 I'm a massive fan of the show, I've watched the 1st season a thousand times over (I did buy the DVD set), and it's true of me - I watch the new eps online and am not counted anywhere. I'm sure there's lots like me

R32: I don't think that is true. Lisa Kudrow and Michael King are names that appeal to people well into their 40s and 50s, not teens and 20-somethings.

Granted, they may be young compared to you, but they are not young for TV.

[quote] Lisa Kudrow and Michael King are names that appeal to people well into their 40s and 50s

I'm not sure that's true.

Lisa and Michael have their followings from Friends and Sex and the City, two shows that most truly young people don't even know about.

I think the cachet MPK had from Sex & the City took a hit from the second Sex & the City movie. Isn't he the head of that awful 2 Broke Girls? He's having to whore himself out (at a high rate, no doubt but still...) on that one.

And Lisa has only ever had cult success outside of Friends. Romy & Michelle, Opposite of Sex, Web Therapy and the Comeback have their fans (and quite an overlaps of fans, I'd say) but still only at a cult level.

I'm in my 30s and everybody I know watches stuff online on the streaming sites or does torrents, and we've been doing it for years. A lot of us already watched all of the new Downton Abbey, which won't be broadcast in the US until January. I still prefer watching shows through the "official" channels though, but I feel like I'm becoming the minority in my age group...so many people in their 20s and 30s now are doing everything online "illegally," so to speak.

Anyway, back to "The Comeback" - I do believe this is what's going on with "The Comeback." Nearly everybody I know is watching it, but not necessarily on television. Hopefully, though, the ratings were good enough for a third season.

The scene with the self-important bloggers just killed me. And Tyler's reaction to Mickey's trick was priceless. Every scene is just packed with so much, it's too bad more tv shows couldn't be this smart, funny and clever.

There are always some scenes in each episode which are just remarkably well done. Lisa Kudrow can really act - and with so many layers.

I also loved how the nephew was cracking up - so funny.

I hope that if there is a third season it doesn't have to involve Jane making a documentary about Valerie. I think it will be time to put Valerie through some entirely new situations.

This episode feels like the penultimate episode of the first season, which gave Valerie her sad but funny "I had a rod in my back" moment, so I expect the final episode will achieve the same heights as the first season.

Paulie G being nice to Val, even if it was trying to get an invite to the party, was even more shocking than seeing the naked trick.

r32, I cut the cord 2 yrs ago and download everything. So much cheaper, I'm getting super fast internet for just $40 a month. And if I really like a show, I keep it and store the episodes on external hard drives.

This is probably a little off-topic but Valerie's Season 1 monologue about being the high school assistant coach with a rod in her back was the most beautiful, honest scene I've ever seen on a TV comedy show, ever.

Oh, I just want to add that for some inexplicable reason, every time Valerie says Jane's name I crack up. I have no idea why I find that little bit so funny, but I do.

Lisa Kudrow can go from hilarious to poignant on a dime, she is so talented. Just hand her the Emmy!

Valerie talking about being the assistant coach in high school. This actually made me cry the first time I watched it.

I could watch that clip a million times, r46. And it gets me every single time.

Thinking back on the episode - it was clever to bookend the whole thing with Valerie appearing on "The Talk" at the beginning and with the bloggers at the end.

For the pros, she spilled out all the lies and phoniness and they played along. The bloggers had their own agendas, but it was far more real, and the one question Valerie couldn't answer was "So who are you? And why should we care?"

The first time I saw Kudrow do anything besides "Friends" was in the movie "The Opposite of Sex," where she played the brittle, bitter sister of one of the main characters, and she was very impressive. But this is a whole different level.

That scene in the parking lot with Mark -- it had to resonate with anyone who's ever argued with a spouse or partner, where you don't quite lose control but the argument still goes to some really ugly places and you know it's a mistake while you're saying them. Both actors were able to express exhaustion, bitterness and a really sad sense of loss without overdoing it.

Can't wait for next week, but I'll be sorry it's gone.

This show is perfect. If they want a third season in sure they'll get. HBO doesn't care about ratings and this seasonis getting near-perfect praise.

I love that the housekeeper has finally bought into the cameras and is playing it up.

She's written to be an extraordinarily difficult person to be around, and the show is structured that way, but what I most appreciate about her character is she's a trouper in the old actorly sense. Yes, she has her complaints and peccadilloes, but she does her JOB and she's professional, unlike most of the whiny jerks surrounding her. That's exceedingly rare in the entertainment world these days. I appreciate this show for that particular aspect of the portrayal.

I liked the Ryan Seacrest diss - Valerie couldn't have been less interested when that guy told her that he was somewhere nearby. That's how people normally react to HER. Everyone hates Seacrest.

Seacrest wasn't just nearby, he was doing Soulcycle. I love the funny little details in this show.

Mickey's naked trick:

I love Mark L. Young, who plays Tyler. I've seen him in some other things..I think he will go far.

I don't want this to happen...but I have a feeling Mark will make Valerie choose between him and the Emmys, and she'll not attend and won't be there to collect her award.

Or worse, Mickey will die and she will miss the ceremony. I just have a feeling she will win but won't be there. I hope she does win and is there to get it!

Tyler, the nephew, why does anyone think he's special? He just giggles like a typical Beavis and Butt-head moron. And his guffawing about Mickey and his trick was hardly endearing, just banal, predictable homophobia.

I really don't get the Tyler love either.

Richard Crenna as Walter Denton, a similar character, was far wittier 60 years ago.

I didn't read Tyler's reaction to Mickey's trick as homophobia at all. They thought he might be dead and here he was, this old man, with a twentysomething Latino hookup. Tyler was just laughing at the ridiculous and embarrassing situation they caught themselves in.

I just love the way Valerie wars with herself when it comes to doing what she knows is right as opposed to her "career". When Mark looked at Valerie and said "Are you even in there?" my heart broke a little because you knew she was going to pick her career,but really hoped she'd finally wise up. This show is BRILLIANT.

Perfect. I want more.

If you're going to talk about her other great work, don't forget "Wonderland", another great cult film. I love her as John Holmes' first prudish wife (and watch the special features and you'll see Lisa captures her well).

I feel bad for Shana. I want Val to apologize to her. Shana was only doing her job and she didn't deserve Val talking to her like that. The guy in the wheelchair is another story. He's always been an asshole.

Next week's episode is titled "Valerie Gets What She Really Wants." In my mind I see this episode playing out like this: Val and Mark are on bad terms at the beginning of the episode. It's not looking good. Val is hoping Mark will at least come with her to her big night at the Emmys but he won't return her calls. Maybe she leaves her second Emmy ticket at his new house's front door like she did with the beef rotini. She ends up going to the Emmys without Mark. She wins the Emmy. Even though Mark isn't there she thanks him, emotionally, in her acceptance speech. As she's leaving she turns a corner and Mark is there, in his tux. He saw the whole thing.

R57, I don't think Tyler is wonderful, but it's pretty easy to see why a cute college twink has his fans here, especially on a show that has had two consecutive episodes where Valerie intrudes on a naked fat man.

And in the character's defense, if you have to go back to "Our Miss Brooks," aired when Mark L. Young's grandparents were children, the show is probably doing a more than adequate job with him.

R48 - yes, I forgot about the Opposite of Sex - she was very good in that as well.

I hope this opens the door for her to do more roles - she's a really good dramatic actress.

Is MPK fucking the boy who plays Tyler? That's the only reason I can think of why he is even on the show. He seems like a pass around bottom to me, always showing up on shows and films with gay directors and show runners and getting a big part. I bet the Alan Ball and Big Love creators have also had a taste of him.

Isn't Mark L Young the son of Damian Young, who plays Mark? (I know he plays his nephew in the show, but i think they are father and son in real life.)

They are not related, r66. Mark L. Young's real name is Markell Efimoff.

Wonder if the horrid stepdaughter will appear...

Kellan Lutz had a crush on Valerie? Yeah, right...

No one has mentioned Jane's transformation? Initially she didn't even want to return, and she always seemed protective of Val. Now she's singularly focused on the documentary, boundaries be damned.

Yep, Jane knew filming the dinner date could break up their marriage, and she didn't care. She's trying to claw her way back into the business by any means necessary. Better than eating kale chips out of a shopping cart, I guess.

Valerie is far from innocent. Notice how half hearted her attempt was to turn off mike at the dinner scene.

Jane also shows Valerie's good side. Remember the note she left Markie Mark?

This show is far and away the best thing on TV. Tyler is perfectly cast as are all the others. Running into Gigi at Whole Foods was brilliant. She was wearing a fat suit and eating Kale chips. She loses it like no one else. The finale will be filled with problems, but I think it will end well.

She only turned it off when Mark mentioned the abortion. If I'd had FFrancesa for a stepdaughter Id've aborted too.

I wonder what is the best way to contact Lisa and PMK to beg them for another season?

But I do wonder what a third season could be about...

A third season could be about Valerie returning to "civilian life" and trying to be a better wife and step-mom. Jane could film it all as another documentary, or not.

R62 you are far more sentimental for this show. That is a traditional sitcom ending.

Do you think Jane has hate or contempt for Valerie? She seems to want to get Valerie on film in embarrassing and humiliating situations. I wonder if the documentary is "just a job" for Jane or payback for Val.

Valerie can certainly be annoying, but she hasn't done anything worthy of anyone hating her. Especially with the psychotic intensity Paulie does.

The irony in the restaurant scene with Mark was, without her realizing it, she turned into a Real Housewife, which she refused to become in Episode 1, during the flashback/outtake with Lisa Vander Dump.

Jane clearly has contempt for Valerie.

Good observation, R79.

I don't think Jane has contempt for Valerie, R80. I think that she sees an opportunity to say something about women in Hollywood and she's using Val to do that.

I love the moment at the end of R46's clip when the door closes and Jane's humanity is exposed in the mirror for a brief moment.

Jane is an interesting character...

Jane is CONSTANTLY throwing withering glances towards Valerie. She clearly can't stand having to deal with Valerie and is swallowing all the pride she can muster.

How can anyone say she doesn't have contempt for her?

With Jane's 'spider eyes' how can you tell she's giving withering glances?

R81 - you made a good point. The entire documentary might be about how crappy women get treated in Hollywood.

If there is a third season, I would love to see Valerie get cast on an American Horror Story type show with a bunch of actresses who are more acclaimed, more famous, and more crazy than her. Her brain would explode.

Good idea r86...

I'm not sure I believe Valerie would hire Jane to shoot her documentary after what Jane did in the first Comeback. It just seems like a contrivance to have the same cast.

r88, HBO requested it, it wasn't Valerie's idea, she just compiled by asking Jane to direct. I forget the reasoning involved, but I do remember Valerie was only doing what she was told.

Jane is on Valerie's side. For the most part. I think the documentary is going to make Valerie a huge sympathetic figure.

And I don't think Val will win the Emmy, but I do bet it will have a happy ending.

Kudrow is brilliant, but the supporting characters get me all the time. I love Tyler, he's just like my own slacker nephew, always on his i phone. The director Randi is another one, brilliantly cast.

I'm also a bit puzzled by the Tyler praise. He only stands out because he's young and relatively attractive. He hasn't really stood out in terms of acting or what's been written for him.

You forget the premise of season one. Yes Valerie was outraged with Jane about how she was depicted but that changed when people started to be interested with her again. Remember how happy she was with The Tonight Show's response to her?

r93, do you know any guys Tyler's age? Vacant, doing only the bare minimum of work, constantly in a daze, and yes constantly on their iPhones. The character is a riot if you know guys like him.

I'm in my 20s so I know plenty of them. It's a pretty obvious character. He's been mildly amusing. He's no Mickey Deane.

Season 3 Tyler becomes a victim of the gay mafia and sues Bryan Singer...

Mickey's apartment. LOL. The only thing missing was the laptop opened to Datalounge.

Hah R98. So true. You just know Mickey will soon start a thread on DL called "My Latino Hustler Won't Return my Calls" or something.

Haha r98! So true. Mickey is exactly how I imagine many DL posters to be. All that's missing is a caftan.

Mikey's far nicer than most DL'ers.

I thought so but he made a mean comment about the fat girl....

Get a rope, that fag's gotten too uppity.

What really pissed me off is when Mickey expressed astonishment that Valerie could act. The nasty old queen didn't care that the implication was she hadn't shown any real talent before. From her acclaimed sitcoms like "I'm It" and "Room & Bored", it's clear Valerie would've been regarded on the same level as such greats as Joyce DeWitt. And as Valerie explained, she once had to play a brunette with migraines! Mickey knew full well Valerie was a stellar actress with astonishing range, who could even play characters with different hair colors. And yet he insulted her by pretending to be surprised.

Let's get ahead of ourselves. I doubt Valerie could triumph as Maureen in RENT, which Joyce DeWitt made her own in the regions. I mean, I know Valerie can sing (She WILL survive etc.) but I'm not sure exuding raw sexuality is in her wheelhouse.

I have mixed feelings about the finale. I need to think about it a bit.

What I thought was most interesting was that Valerie ended up getting EVERYTHING she wanted, and Jane & Paulie G. were left with pretty much nothing to show for their efforts in sabotaging and using Val.

Valerie really had to go through the s#!t - literally - to move on...but she did!

Loved the finale. I was rooting for Val - and wa glad she got it. it just seemed so wierd when they break her being followed by cameras for all the last few scenese. It broke the point of view I expected her to be imagining or something.....

I KNEW her better nature would triumph !!!! I actually cried when she left the Emmy's to go be by Mickeys side ! Ms. Kudrow is a hell of an actress,far better than I realized,though Ive always liked her.

Just finished watching it. Repeated the last 6m 47s three times. Loved it. Didn't card that they broke the POV. Thought it supported the real life counts more theme of the episode. Sometimes you've got to win what you thought you wanted to see what you already had.

I've been binging season 1 and 2 and I LOVE this show. Cant believe it took me so long get into.

It is so clever and honest and Lisa Kudrow is far more talented than I would have imagined. Season 2 took a bit to get going but it ended up being a worthy successor to Season 1. That big fight between Valerie and Mark was everything, and I love it was her bond with Mickey that finally got her back in touch with her humanity away from the business.

Apparently Season 3 can happen whenever they have an idea they want to write, can't wait.

Hmm?

no it int

lisa Kudrow has the talent of a chimney sweep.....alas.