‘The Comeback’ Season 3 Review: Cherish is the Word I Use to Describe Lisa Kudrow [A-]
It’s been almost 12 years since Valerie Cherish has brought her heightened brand of neurosis to the small screen. The Comeback, initially canceled after its freshman season but brought back in response to a cult following, has always been hyperspecific in its protagonist moving through the world with both eyes closed. After two hilarious seasons, it was only a happy surprise when HBO announced that Lisa Kudrow would return for one final outing as a world class narcissist hell-bent on creating a successful career for herself. The show returns with eight new episodes, all provided to critics for review, and the series has grown into itself with confidence and ease.
Since last we saw Valerie winning an Emmy while sitting bedside in the hospital for her beloved longtime friend and hairstylist, Mickey Deane (Robert Michael Morris), not much has changed. Her win inflated her already aggrandized sense of self, furthering the rampant narcissism that propels her through her everyday life. In July 2023, Valerie found herself on stage in a Broadway production of Chicago: The Musical before a case of COVID thwarted her role, so she created a fabrication that her absence on stage was to be with her fellow actors on strike for a better future for writers and performers. As is the same as the actor that played him, Mickey passed away in the time between seasons. Morris’ presence is missed dearly on the show, a gap that isn’t fillable nor a performance that’s able to be recreated. Valerie certainly isn’t the same without her favorite gay — uh, guy. The Comeback does a remarkable job at displaying Valerie’s grief for her friend, one of the biggest presences she ever had in her life. Kudrow plays this brilliantly, weaving in the sadness of loss into the complicated feelings of a pathological narcissist.
Now in 2026, Valerie is hosting a podcast, Cherish the Time, and has recently starred in the EPIX limited series Mrs. Hat. She has a young woman, Patience (Ella Stiller, daughter of Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor) filming her for her social media platforms. Her manager, Billy Stanton (Dan Bucatinsky, overly decked out in branded Thom Browne in every scene), is still around to instill panic into any scene he’s in while fishing for the next big role for Valerie, which he thinks he has for her. Valerie is being offered a role on the new multicamera comedy How’s That?! on the NuNet Network and learns from NuNet president Brandon Wollack (Andrew Scott) that she’ll be working with showrunners Josh (John Early, Search Party) and Mary (Abbi Jacobson, Broad City), but they won’t be doing much work because the scripts are written by AI (nicknamed Al-assist). Jacobson is mostly reserved as Mary, but Early’s Josh is teetering on the edge – he’s moments away from devolving into a tantrum at all times. It’s stressful running a show that’s written by a computer.
Valerie is shocked by the use of AI, but of course steers herself into believing it could be a good thing, as is her greatest strength: she’s able to see anything, no matter how negative for others, as an opportunity for herself to push forward. She sees herself as someone working on the first show fully scripted by AI, so why should she have any issue with it? The biggest problem here is that none of the other actors are supposed to know, according to Brandon, so Valerie will have to keep it to herself while filming.
Valerie hilariously sees this as an opportunity to pick the documentary cameras back up, much to the chagrin of her husband, Mark (Damian Young). Since being fired from his job and COVID creating a downturn for Valerie, the pair have had to move from their chic Brentwood estate to the Century Tower apartments (itself an exclusive building). Mark’s also found a place in the documentary space as a featured guest on Finance Bros, which Valerie will only allow him to talk about for so long before steering the conversation back to her own career. The dynamic between Kudrow and Young has always been exceptionally tense, a man trying to love his manic wife who always seems one step away from a nervous breakdown. Young is a highlight, as he has been the entire run of The Comeback, Mark being the only person willing to put up with Valerie’s shenanigans despite the complications she brings to almost every situation. She’s frustrating to watch, always at the forefront of agitated mania that forces her to devolve every scene into a masterclass in self-obsession.
The Comeback is a series that wouldn’t work without the dedication of its performers. The camera, mostly in the tune of raw footage, will hold on Kudrow’s face as she passes through every known feeling to get to one of the most hilariously awkward performances of the past couple of decades. The series coming back once every ten years allows creators Kudrow and Michael Patrick King to hone in on the specifics of the time period. Valerie feels like a character that’s grown over the course of the past two decades, especially since two decades have passed within the show too. Kudrow’s performance is rich, the interior of a narcissist on full display with every brow movement or over-explanation she gives to another actor. She’s the star on How’s That?!, not a smaller role like her previous comedy Room & Bored, and this has certainly gotten to her head. How’s That?! is also filmed on the same stage that Friends was filmed on, a callback to Kudrow’s time on the popular 90’s sitcom that brings another layer of meta specificity to the series. Kudrow is giving one of the finest comedic performances ever put on camera, and this final season only solidifies her dedication to the character. Valerie finds Jane (Laura Silverman) working at Trader Joe’s and brings her back to produce the behind-the-scenes footage of her new series Jane’s reluctance to return is only matched by her desire to pursue the subject one more time. She knows Valerie is difficult, but she knows what good TV is too. Joining Kudrow in her new venture are fresh and seasoned performers: Matt Cook (The Greatest Beer Run Ever), Tim Bagley (Somebody Somewhere), Brittany O’Grady (The White Lotus) and Barry Shabaka Henley (Bob Hearts Abishola), as well as multi-Emmy-winning legendary TV director James Burrows (Will & Grace).
The Comeback feels timeless because of its specificity. Valerie is a character that can be plucked out of any time period, as self-obsessives have always walked amongst us, but it’s how it all comes together that makes it special. Across the season there are an array of guest stars who up the ante, from Benito Skinner as a show costumer to Trixie Mattel as a co-contestant on The Traitors to Jane Fonda as herself trying to have a peaceful dinner at SoHo House. Everything about the series feels fresh, despite its (woman of a certain) age. Kudrow and King are brilliant together, having created one of the defining comedies of the 21st century that perfectly encapsulates the time we live in. The show has managed to drop into three separate decades seamlessly and never feels out of place, only positioning itself further up in the comedy hall of fame. Though season three is the show’s last, its laughs will never end.
There is no doubt about it: The Comeback is one of the best comedies ever. Lisa Kudrow gives one of the most dynamic performances on television this century, only made better by every single person that surrounds her in the show. It’s a show that has a surprisingly big heart, accompanied by, predictably, bigger laughs. If I had it my way, The Comeback would come back every year.
Grade: A-
The third and final season The Comeback will return to HBO on March 22 with eight weekly episodes.
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