THE COMEBACK

She's fantastic and it's a brilliant show. The second season's series finale is particularly great.

Awww, The Comeback. Love that show. Funny!!

Recently stayed at the hotel from the palm springs episode. The sheep chair is gone.

[quote] But why did Pauly G hate her so much?

She was annoying to him because she made demands from him and the other writers, and also he considered her uncool because she was ten years older than he was (unlike the other actors on the show).

I loved the gay actor who plays her aggressive publicist. I've forgotten his name, but he was really good.

Also, The Pauly G character was writing for a cheesy TV sitcom and felt Kudrow's character personified third-rate cheese and that he was too good for that.

Right I felt like Pauly G was frustrated by this career. He wanted to be the edgy, slick guy but here he was writing a sitcom. The network were coming in and making it cheesier and cornier and more “paint by numbers” sitcom and he gets saddled with this old broad who is known for a terrible cheesy old show and symbolises everything he doesn’t want and everything he thought he’d never be. It’s himself he hates most of all and we later find out he was so frustrated with his life that he was on heroine. He’s just lashing out at Val for what she stands for and because she’s an older woman and he’s a sexist frat boy type as many TV writers are.

I'm still pissed she lost the Emmy for Season 2

R5 I believe his name is Dan Bucatini (sp?) and I think he’s her writing partner. He’s written for a couple of other shows and he’s very funny and talented. He’s like Danny Strong, a decent actor and a very good writer.

I haven’t stayed at the Palm Springs hotel (Parker) but I’ve had breakfast there in Norma’s and I was so tempted to ask for the Angie Dickinson!

Simply the best.

So many clever plot devices in the writing, and really slick performances. Some gags were good and mean, and so satisfying to watch.

The neediness and desperation were so real, and so funny. It was great.

Didn’t enjoy season 2 at first, yet binge watched it a few years later and really enjoyed it. The character Mickey was so tough to watch but ultimately I cared for him, especially the beautifully written and acted finale. It was just awesome.

The blowjob scene in the second season gives further context re Pauly G. Sexist (and ageist) prick.

Loved this, Kudrow is truly brilliant in it. For some reason I loved when she referred to her old show all the time "on "It!"...we would...."

[Quote] The character Mickey was so tough to watch

Why?

Yea I'm gonna rewatch Season 2 too. I thought I remember something about his reasons for his behavior. In season one he is brutal. haha. So rude to her. It really is so good and everyone it. Episode 2 when tbey went to the upfronts and Valerie thought he forgot to announce her. Too funny, desperate, heartbreaking and joyful at the same time.

Thank you for reminding me about this show. Love it.

Some of it was very off-putting--in the first or second episode Valerie is talking to the camera in her bedroom while her husband is having a very loud session on the toilet nearby, and it was pretty disgusting. That's just not my sense of humor at all, so it almost put me off the whole show. But after that there was almost no other toilet humor--I thought that was just a bad misstep.

It was a brilliant show, both seasons.

I also forgot about the episode where Mickey said he wasn't gay. lmao. And he was deeply offended by Juna.

Mickey died not that long ago. He was apparently very sick when they filmed the second season.

I wish there were more seasons of The Comeback. Would've been nice to have gotten at least 6 to 8 seasons out of that show.

I wonder why the long hiatus?

The actor-writer's name is Dan Bucatinsky.

was the Jane character meant to like Valerie? Seems like at end finale of Season 1 she was almost in tears when the Tonight Show audience greeted her outside.

The best scene of acting ever on a half hour television show.

It adds extra depth to the second season and the season finale to know that Robert Michael Morris was so unwell during the filming.

He was an acting teacher who didn’t get his break until The Comeback. I think Michael Patrick King used to be his student but talk about being born for a role. It’s al glad he got to leave us The Comeback because I marvel at his performance. Whether it was “acting” or he was so like Mickey irl it doesn’t matter. I took an acting class years ago and I remember our goal was to appear to be not “acting” but just existing under a set of circumstances. It’s really hard to achieve that, reality stars can’t even achieve it! bit Robert really hit it out of the park.

I’ve shown the show to people who are not into pop culture and know nothing about the business. They recognize Lisa and then get confused because they can’t accept that all the others in the show are actors! I explain and I can see them trying to process it and then they go right back to thinking Mickey, Mark and Jane are real people.

Season 1 was classic. Season 2 wasn't as good but Kudrow was brilliant.

The most amazing comedy show I’ve ever seen. Thank you OP for bringing this up. I actually got started watching the housewives because of LVP’s appearance in season 2. I was so enchanted with her appearance I looked her up and started watching RHOBH then RHONYC!

I never realized what acting really was until I saw Lisa Kudrow play this character. All of my acting friends love this show and I understand why. I could never be an actress.

This is the only comedy show that I have ever watched and rewatched. Looking at Kudrow’s technique in each scene shows the multi faceted talent that she is.

I agree about Robert Michael Morris. His performance as Mickey was incredible, like r26 said it didn't feel like he was acting at all. I was sad to hear that he died.

If any show deserved a reboot, they should look no farther . Maybe this is ahead of its time so the awards snub? But who could be the new Mickey?

Kurdrow knows that critics and fans want another season and that HBO would be onboard to produce it, she said something like she’d do it if she felt Valerie had another story. So I took that as a good sign, and I think skipping years would work too since the world of TV and reality programming keeps morphing.

The thing about Valerie is that she’s so annoying, but I still feel sorry for her when people are mean to her. It’s a complicated thing, and I experience it in real life, too.

Love it. It's hilarious and cringe worthy and so so entertaining, but it's watching Kudrow's outrageous performance that keeps me going back to re watch. Each time I've re watched it I love it even more, and respect for Kudrow and her amazing talent.

Trust me honey, "Friends" is forgotten.

I find Kudrow's performance very one note and annoying. That stupid jittery voice. I can see why people like it, but it bores me and I find her sad and not in a good way.

Well, r35, you're obviously stuck with that opinion. For the multitudes of us who recognize how brilliant Kudrow was, we can revel in her performance and in a truly great show.

Maybe some of us can identify with Valerie. I can. I was bullied and excluded as a child and I struggle with low self esteem and needing outside validation. I’m not in showbiz and I’m not as needy and as desperate as Valerie (I hope!) but I can empathise and I can relate to why she is the way she is.

The Comeback made me appreciate Lisa Kudrow's talent in a way I never had before. She was unbelievable on this show. She makes her Friends co-stars look like the hacks they are.

I like most of the "Friends" but Lisa is certainly the strongest and the only one who could get me to check something out just because she's in it.

I always love it in s2 when she’s trying to make it to her dinner with her husband and they’re shooting in the desert and she freaks out on everyone. I also love it when she tells off her smarmy, ugly, Olmec headed husband.

I love the fact that it's a behind-the-scenes of the world of showbiz type of show. I love tv shows and movies about the inner workings of Hollywood. Show business is such a fascinating world to me. Always have and always will be.

Web Therapy was also very good- she's brilliant.

Web Therapy is brilliant.

I agree about Web Therapy, she really nails cringe-worthy. Her character reminds me SO much of a psychiatrist I used to see as well, it was fascinating.

Just finished Season One. Soo funny. You know, Valerie is actually a very positive, sweet, strong person who knew how to handle herself in situations. I would have snapped on Pauly G a long ass time ago and it would have been bad. When she caught them making fun of her in the writers room but she just marched on in there and gave them the cookies anyway. It's actually taught me how to handle myself better in situations like that instead of letting my temper fly. I would love more seasons too because its so good but maybe we should leave it alone. It wouldn't be the same without Mickey. I love that behind the scenes story of how he got the role. Love that. R24 I think Jane liked her a little and got her but also knew the business and this was just another gig and she had a job to do.

Jane initially thought Valerie was superficial and annoying, but she came to see the real person and ended up really liking Valerie.

This is one of the best shows ever, imho. There is just so much to it, and Kudrow and the rest of the cast were magnificent.

One of the touches that I loved was that a lesser show would have made Juna superficial or supercilious or vapid.

Instead, she not only liked, but truly respected Val and looked up to her. It made the show so much deeper and more interesting.

It's a show that never took the obvious roads it could have. Valerie was a bit much and sort of annoying, but had such a good heart underneath it all and, believe me, having worked with actresses of a similar tier and age, Kudrow hit this right on the money. She's just the right amount of annoying.

There was going to be a 3rd season, but when the gentleman who played Mickey died, it seemed to end right there.

My gut says there will be a season 3 by 2024.

I really am hopping for another season. This show is a guilty pleasure of mine. Just wish there was more seasons already.

I agree that the show can't be rebooted without the character of Mickey. He was very much the soul of the show, with his love of and devotion to the character of Valerie, or "Red," as he called her.

R50 There’s no need to feel guilty about it. The Comeback is a quality show.

Yes, r50, why would you feel guilty about loving one of the very best shows that have ever been made?

Having Valerie grieve over Mickey would certainly humanize her.

This show was way ahead of its time. Plus many times smart shows like this aren't "gotten" by the masses.

R55 Smooches.

So much of the show echoes what went on the Friends set. The writers mocking Valerie in sexual situations calls to mind the "dried up twigs" suit.

And cast trying to stick together is like the famous pack the six Friends made.

r54, she already was humanized by Mickey--watch the very last episode of the series.

Flopped in original run and flopped in reboot. Move on.

R52 and R53 Because, the show obviously wasn't big enough to continue on in a consistent manner year after year etc. So that tells me there probably wasn't enough mass appeal or interest in it for it to be a hit show.

That's why.

It wasn't dumbed-down enough to me a massive hit with the American public, most of whom are mouth-breathing idiots.

You're right, r61--so it wouldn't appeal to someone like r59.

r59 confuses popularity with quality.

It makes you wonder why anyone would go into show business. It makes the whole industry look so unappealing and humiliating.

r64, you don't understand the psychological makeup of many actors.

Oh believe me, I do. They crave attention and praise, but so many of them are floored when they actually get in the business and find out what it's really like. Some can handle it and some go crazy.

Humiliation is part of the deal and a lot of actors are willing to accept that.

Valerie learned to accept that.

Lisa Kudrow's portrayal of Valerie in the final episode of Season 2 makes you forgive every needy, cringey, uncomfortable moment we witnessed. SPOILER ALERT!!!!

The last 10 minutes when Valerie leaves the Emmy Auditorium minutes before her category is to be announced, was sensational. It was a bold, creative move to change from single-1st person camera to multi-cams to show Valerie in what we know to be the real world, and for possibly the very first time in the show, with Valerie knowing there was no reality show camera on her, we got to see who she truly was for the very first time. Yeah, there had been many hints along the way, but I know I had no idea of her humanity. Mickey knew who she really was all the time, we finally got to see it. It was heavily rewarding - and should have been heavily awarded!

I agree with you one thousand percent, r69. That was my personal favorite single episode of any television series I have ever seen.

R69, when she gets in that Uber, it is pouring, her dress ruined, and her phone dies- Oh my god..

And she looks out the window and starts crying?

Probably one of the truest and saddest moments I have ever seen-

It's a fucking brutal show that at the same time manages to be hilarious and very poignant. It's quite an accomplishment to pull something like that off.

Lance Barber also deserved an Emmy for playing Paulie G so realistically. It's hard for me to see him in anything else without thinking he's a seething misogynist asshole.

This is so MARY! but that ending of the final episode of season 2, when Valerie realized what was truly important and rushed to the hospital, had me crying like a baby. It was so well-acted by Lisa Kudrow.

R69 here. SPOILER ALERT.....

You know what else was great about the finale? So we have a comedy turned almost tragedy - but again they do something brilliant - and it's almost an aside. They have to remind us we are watching a comedy. That final stroll of Valerie and Mark as they're exiting the hospital. He asks her if she'd be interested in attending any of the Emmy parties, Her response, "Have you met me?" PERFECT!

Bump

[quote]r32 The thing about Valerie is that she’s so annoying, but I still feel sorry for her when people are mean to her. It’s a complicated thing

Valerie Cherish is unnerving because she's so brightly pushy about everything, but she's also right. She's a professional. She's good at one thing, and she knows the public responds to that. We can see that all her choices are so tacky, but sitcoms and their stars ARE tacky. Val knows that if you don't get attention, and don't look good, you're not a star.

[italic]"You know what, Ron? I WAS up on the set, okay? I was up on the set, earlier ... locked in a hot, gas fume smelling trunk with live snakes! And where were you? YOU weren't there. Where WERE you? I know where you were - you were sitting in your chair in AIR CONDITIONING!"

Ron was SUCH an asshole.

^^ and then he later tried to worm himself into pictures with her at the Emmys!!

(which is what Val would have done if in his place, of course.)

The Comeback panel discussion.....

Has Kudrow ever namechecked Linda Granger?

I did learn a bit of Valerie Cherish trivia.

The character has a habit of doing kind of a "buddha bow" with praying hands when she says thank you, and Kudrow said she saw an actress do this once in a professional setting and thought it was hysterical.

Then I saw Lisa Rinna do this on her first season of RHBH!! It's Season 5 episode 9 ("Live and Learn") where she shoots a movie scene with Penn Jillette and her husband, Harry Hamlin, and as she's saying goodbye to the crew she does that stupid bow. Rinna must have been doing this for years, and Kudrow caught it.

I thought Ron was an asshole too. But I thought he was kinda sexy in season one too. haha. Don't ask me why. I still do. I like everyone in this show. I think Pauly G the actor himself is handsome and sexy too.

Where can we watch Season 2? I skipped it because the first episode wasn’t very good but now DL is saying it was really good!

r86 if you have cable it's Ondemand.

R86 I'm watching it all on HBO NOW. Season 2 is good. Not like the first, but still good enough.

I think I like Season 2 better, in some ways.

I purchased the episodes on amazon prime, like I did FEUD. I think you have access to them forever.

Season 2 brings the entire world of this show and these characters full circle. It's every bit as good as the first season, imo, and the season finale is the best of all of them.

I wish a better version of this clip existed

A compilation of Valerie and Mickey.

That's gold, r92.

In Season 2 you see that Valerie has two theater programs framed on her wall. One looks like GODSPELL - which is the kind of dippy show she'd do.

I like to think the other is something she helped produce, herself ... which closed after 3 nights.

"I like to think the other is something she helped produce, herself ... which closed after 3 nights."

r94, she wasn't THAT pathetic a character.

You're right. She still was a TV celeb that would draw SOMETHING of an audience.

The cover on the left isn't an official Playbill cover. It was probably something more experimental she did in L.A. ... like at the Odyssey Theater, or somewhere.

[italic]I want a closeup of those props!

I think this is one of my favorite scenes. It shows the character's stupidity, but also when she says "I believed in me. I'm not no one," it shows the kind of commitment it takes to stay in show business, where people are steamrolled every day.

This is a crappy copy - - the scene really starts at the 1:52 mark:

Her character really isn't stupid, r97.

Part of the brilliance is that Valerie is stupid. She's not of substandard intelligence. But that doesn't mean she's not frequently stupid in her choices. Many (most?) of us are. It's part of what warms the audience (that appreciates the show) to her. The key scene I recall from the first season is when James Brooks counsels her. Does she listen?

She's not stupid--she makes very dubious choices totally based on trying to have that titular comeback. She's rash, she sells herself at every opportunity, etc.--but none of this shows ignorance, it shows desperation, the desperation of a woman in a business that treats women like garbage.

r84, I always thought Lisa Rinna was one of the people on whom Valerie was based. Desperate to work, desperate to be liked.

Ignorance and stupidity are not the same thing.

Valerie was based on improv Kudrow did pre-fame. She mentioned seeing an actress on a nightime talk show - I think she was working the charity angle. Was Rhinna on those night talk shows back in the early 90s?

Granted, r102, they're not--at the same time she is not stupid. She's not slow of mind.

Shelley Long is likely much more of an inspiration. Long was famously her own worst enemy.

[quote]r98 Her character really isn't stupid

In the clip @ r82, Kudrow describes the character as an idiot.

But I do agree I used the wrong word with "stupid". Maybe I should have said Valerie has "overly narrow focus" (which I would consider a form of stupidity.)

She may have called her an idiot, but I doubt she really thought that about Valerie. You can't play an idiot in comedy, unless it's parody along the lines of Alec Baldwin spoofing Trump. Kudrow is too nuanced to dumb down her character like that, imo.

Well thank you, Lee Strasberg.

Glad you checked in.

You're welcome, r108!

Valerie makes very poor decisions, even when she has guidance from... cooler heads. To a lot of people, that's an example of stupidity.

Stupid decisions do not make a stupid person. She certainly exhibits more than a few moments of discernment and intelligence, especially in the second season. Willingness to degrade herself is a form of tragedy, not stupidity.

[Quote] Willingness to degrade herself is a form of tragedy, not stupidity

Nonsense. She could choose not to, but she doesn't. It's no coincidence that Valerie has options. She's not young. She doesn't need the money. The show isn't didactic. But I think anyone who watches it should be able to reflect over the best course of action with the Pauly G's in their life. Perhaps it just an argument of semantics. Stupidity isn't a hole out of which someone can never get, but they sure can splash around in it for far too long...

In the Comeback panel, Kudrow mentioned that it was very important that Valerie's husband Mark was wealthy, so money would never be a motivation for Valerie's desperation. It was solely about getting back in the limelight, she didn't need the money.

"She could choose not to, but she doesn't. It's no coincidence that Valerie has options."

r112, Valerie doesn't feel she has options as an actress of her age and career level. This is why she jumps at the chance to make her life a reality show.

[Quote] Valerie doesn't feel she has options as an actress of her age and career level. This is why she jumps at the chance to make her life a reality show.

But does Valerie simply want to act? No...

Yes, she does. She wants fame and to act. She takes her silly part on that show seriously. And she's good enough as an actress and serious enough it gets her... {SPOILER ALERT COMING}...an Emmy in season 2.

There's a reason Val's breakoutshow was called "I'm It!" You seem to romanticise the character in a way that Kudrow never does. I guess that's a testament to Kudrow and Co's skill.

I don't think I'm romanticizing the character to defend her as an often unthinking, always deeply insecure middle-aged TV actress who sees this as her last chance. I think it's painfully true and brutal and incredibly funny, and that Kudrow is a comic genius (and a great actor).

[quote]R111 Stupid decisions do not make a stupid person.

That’s like saying behaving whorishly doesn’t make someone a whore. Or that making intelligent decisions doesn’t make someone intelligent. You’re being ridiculously literal, Lee.

Tho it’s not your intent, your defense of Valerie Cherish is actually making me dislike her.

Just accept that, if not literally stupid, she’s a stupidass.

That's your opinion, r119. And if my defense of the character makes you turn against her, all I can say is I'm sorry your thinking is so easily changeable.

I'd of course welcome a third season as well, but, I agree with the general sentiment that I don't think it makes sense after that incredible season 2 ending. That felt like a series finale, and I think it was.

BTW, The Comeback fans should really check out Kudrow's equally wonderful performance in Don Roos' 2005 film Happy Endings. She's just brilliant. He's the director/writer of The Opposite of Sex as well as the creator of Web Therapy.

It would never be the same without Mickey.

The season 2 finale was bullshit, unless Mickey was on his fucking deathbed ,Valerie deserved her emmy moment on the stage!!!!

She thought he [italic]was[/italic] on his deathbed.

And she'd probably get more press the next day than if she had accepted it herself, so it would have benefited her, in the end. Like when Joan Crawford stayed home sick, and all the papers photographed her in bed with the award.

R86 and others. This is the thing about The Comeback. Episodes might at first seem to not be good or uncomfortable, but watch them again after you've viewed the entire season. You'll notice stuff you didn't notice the first time. You'll be far more absorbed. I didn't care for the second season at first. It was too much, too uncomfortable, too cringy. But after seeing how it ended, I watched it again under a different light.

Trust me. Every episode is brilliant!

Where can I see Web Therapy?

It's on YouTube, r127. Also Showtime.

I don’t think Valerie is stupid. She’s making these decisions because she’s seen other actresses doing the same thing. She’s following a wired playbook.

I think Anna Nicole Smith was the only “actress” who’d done reality TV at the time THE COMEBACK debuted.

It was not a standard career move.

“I don’t want to see THAT”

“I don’t want to SEE that.”

“I. don’t. want. to. see. that”

Well, I got it!!!’

“I DON’T want to see THAT!”

Supposedly, the character of Valerie Cherish was based on Kathy Griffin: quasi-star of a lame sitcom, early celebrity embracer of reality TV, etc.

I need to know that I am being heard. Am I being heard?

I'm finding watching the god-awful clip of Shelley Long singing @ r105 unnerving.

Shelley IS Valerie Cherish!

When Shelley starts singing "Solid" by Ashford & Simpson!? That clip is comedy gold.

Valerie did Real housewives but not dancing with the stars?? That is blasphemy!!

I like the way Shelley looks kind of startled when the dancers start encircling her at the 3:00 mark.

Valerie could do a lot with that moment.

Has anyone mentioned her husbands butt in The first season because it was NICE.

[quote]r140 Valerie did Real Housewives but not dancing with the stars?? That is blasphemy!!

Oh, she did DANCING WITH THE STARS! It's a bonus video.

[quote]r126 You'll notice stuff you didn't notice the first time.

I've skipped through some of Season 2 again, due to this thread, and it's so apt that when Valerie goes into the SEEING RED audition, Paulie G is vaping! That's such a funny yet realistic choice for a character who's a recovering heroin addict ... like he's trying to make "healthier" choices, but hasn't given up entirely.

I hadn't noticed that at first!

At 3:20 in that clip, when Shelley is looking terrified during the onstage costume change, she IS Valerie Cherish.

I always found it odd that they never mentioned where exactly Valerie lived in LA. It always seems to be such a status symbol there.

Does anyone have any idea of the location of the house they used in the exterior shots? I've been to about 15 famous TV houses around LA.

Has Shelley ever cut a record? That church lady alto...

I believe Valerie lived in Beverly Hills. Mark was quite wealthy.

That Shelley Long number from the Emmys was a cringey trainwreck. It reminded me how awards shows at that time were still doing super-cheesy 1940s-style song and dance numbers that were so out of date. That didn't end until well into the 1990s, IIRC.

[quote]r148 I believe Valerie lived in Beverly Hills.

I don't think so. In the fake REAL HOUSEWIVES footage @ r91, Valerie says she doesn't live in Beverly Hills, and so shouldn't even be on the show.

Some very successful actors I've met live in the San Fernando Valley. You can get a really big house out there that makes you feel like a star without paying what you would on the other side of the Hollywood Hills.

In the final episode, where Valerie goes to the Persian neighbor's house to take a shower, their neighborhood was mentioned and I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

Where the name Valerie comes from:

[quote]r151 n the final episode, where Valerie goes to the Persian neighbor's house to take a shower, their neighborhood was mentioned and I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

Oh! Thanks for remembering that's where it's referenced!

He says, [italic]"You Brentwood people are all the same."

Ok, it's now settled that Valerie and Mark lived in Brentwood. Mark was some kind of corporate attorney and made big bucks. There was a scene where he was looking at NYC real estate and bitching about the cost of buying an apartment for his daughter Francesca, who was going to attend FIT. He was pissed she didn't want to stay in LA.

I think Mark handles stocks or investments.

In the clip @r97 Valerie says to him, [italic], "Well, I was there for you, Mark. Okay? All those boring firm dinners...and I'm sorry, but they were. 'What is it that your company makes? Hmm? Well, whatever it is, I'm sure no one's going to manage your portfolio better than my husband, Mark.'"

This was the best scene. Lisa Kudrow acting like she’s acting and even making mistakes.

This was the best scene where Valerie auditions for the show about her. I can’t find a better clip of this.

recently discovered footage:

R158 That was kinda funny. Kind of like Divine doing Valerie Cherish.

Did anyone happen to see Jessica Lange on The View the other day? When she came out, she was doing the prayer hands to her face just like Valerie Cherish.

Tim Murray is awesome

Who, r161?

Add me to the list of folks who were crying during the Season Two finale (I know, Mary!). I got choked up first when Val was helping Mickey to her limo and he worried that he was letting her down by not accompanying her to the Emmy Awards. “When have you ever let me down?” Val asked. So moving.

And then later, when Val bolted from the awards show (in the rain, no less!) and took an Uber to the hospital to see him, I started crying.

A brilliant episode, and Kudrow is outstanding.

Absolutely, r163.

Lisa Rinna plays the sexy card far more than Valerie Cherish, but it's the same level of desperation. Has anyone seen Lisa's dancing bikini vids? She has several. The little finger snaps are what turn good camp into great camp.

Oh my God, r165--thank you for that.

^^ I like when she makes her hands into little pistols!

It's weird to me just why it is I love this show so much. Valerie is more than an ambitious has been, and through her vapidness, we see something deeper. Plus the writing was great and Kudrow's performance was off the charts. I would love another season.

R126 here. I don't mean to hijack this thread. Those who've read my posts know how much I loved the entire The Comeback series and think it's one of the greatest ever, a show that only gets better with each repeated viewing.

On that note, this is probably old news for most, but I just want to strongly recommend another show: FLEABAG. I recently watched in it's entirety. Similar to The Comeback with it's discomforting cringe factor and at-first seemingly unlikable lead character. But, OMG, what an emotional journey and payoff by the end. It's by far the best series I've seen since The Comeback. Totally deserving of every surprise Emmy it was awarded!

I need a little time to pass before watching it again. Then I'll determine for myself how well it holds up - if it matches The Comeback's resonance, But I think it's the perfect follow-up for everyone here looking for another show to match The Comeback's excellence and portrayal of empathy. I'm curious of anyone here who has seen it and if they agree.

P.S. I normally hate to use the word "journey" for anything but an extended vacation, but I couldn't think of a better one.

I watched the episode of “Fleabag” after the Emmy Awards to see what the fuss was about. Admittedly, I was watching with a jaundiced eye because I think that Catherine O’Hara and Christina Applegate were robbed, but I wasn’t impressed. The cringe factor most definitely was there, but the Fleabag character wasn’t likable enough (in a way that Val was) to make me want to watch again.

The first season (series) of Fleabag was just ok. It was the second season that was off the charts amazing.

R168 Valerie Cherish lookin hot!!! 🤘

Oh, BABY GIRL!!!!! R173

I do not get these likeability trolls who want characters in fiction to be their best friends.

But to claim that a deluded, insensitive woman who cannot even take responsibility for a dog she adopted, and treats other people like props is somehow more likeable than a women mourning her mother and best friend trying to win the affection of her family but hiding her vulnerability under sarcasm.

Seriously, Valerie is more likable than Fleabag?

Certainly, Fleabag has a stronger moral compass. Valerie is truly an awful person who only cares for what makes her look good.

And Fleabags greater self awareness automatically makes her more likeable.

Likability or unlikability doesn't mean very much when it comes to a show as good as THE COMEBACK, r175. In fact, insisting on likability as a quality is tedious. I also think you're being rather drearily literal minded in your analysis of Kudrow's character.

Well, if you consider likeable and tiresome as opposite poles, it makes sense. I haven't watched FLEABAG, so I can't comment on that. Valerie is trying but she's not tiresome. It's a tightrope that Kudrow and Co. walked expertly.

FLEABAG is alright. The central character is fairly shallow, though. Valerie is shallow as well, but it's a comedy.

Lol R173. Juna was a favorite character of mine. They definitely threw you for a loop by making her a genuine sweetheart as well as a cool It Girl. It would have been cheap to make her a hot young bitch. The relationship between Juna and Val elevated the show in season 1– Great foil for Val.

I loved the scene where Valerie busts out her 80s white leather fringe jacket for a night of going out with her co-stars. "I wore this on Knight Rider!"

How fortunate that they were able to do a second season while Robert Michael Morris was still able to work. As was mentioned upthread, he was very sick at the time. I would still love a season three, but it won't be the same without Mickey.

If they do a season three I’d like to see more of Jane, her deadpan is hysterical.

Laura Silverman added so much to the show, she was the perfect foil for Valerie.

THE COMEBACK sealed my opinion that FRIENDS is crap for idiots.

My partner and I worship this show and are of the opinion Kudrow and the others who created this are geniuses. It's too good to win too many awards.

The actor who... so well... played Mickey died a few years back, which would put a dent in any future seasons I would imagine (though his character did almost die at the end of the last season).

My partner and I are (still) always quoting this show. "Spider eyes!" "This is MY comeback. THIS is my comeback. This IS my comeback!" "Look at yooouuuu..."

It's hard to pick a favorite episode but the one that always springs to mind is the one where the little person from LITTLEST ASSISTANT becomes her personal assistant, to add spice to her reality series.

Anatomy of the pilot...

I'm re-watching the next to last episode of The Comeback (in season 2....the episode where Valerie discovers Mickey with a rent boy) It is so fucking brilliant...especially the scenes with Valerie and Mark as they meet for dinner.