The Comeback: Lisa Kudrow’s HBO Series Tackles AI & Hollywood’s Future

Lisa Kudrow’s “The Comeback” has returned, a television anomaly reappearing after long absences and this time, it’s grappling with a particularly timely and unsettling question: what happens when the industry starts writing itself? The third season, which premiered on HBO on March 22, 2026, marks the final chapter for Kudrow’s satirical take on the entertainment world, and it’s a surprisingly poignant exploration of artificial intelligence’s growing influence on Hollywood.

The series, created by Kudrow alongside Michael Patrick King, initially debuted in 2005, shortly after the conclusion of Kudrow’s decade-long run on “Friends.” That first season skewered the burgeoning reality TV landscape. A nine-year gap followed before a 2014 revival, which took aim at the rise of dark, “prestige” television streaming dramas. As Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times notes, each iteration of “The Comeback” has mirrored the evolving media environment, and this latest season is no different.

Valerie Cherish Navigates a Changing Landscape

Kudrow reprises her role as Valerie Cherish, a veteran actress now 60 years old, perpetually striving for relevance in an industry that increasingly favors youth and novelty. The new season finds Valerie navigating a series of increasingly precarious professional situations. Her two-season stint on the Epix cozy mystery series, “Mrs. Hatt” – described as a display about a “part-time gardener [who] solves crime, husband is an ex-police chief” – has barely registered with audiences. A brief foray into a low-budget film resulted in just two episodes of work, and a podcast, “Cherish the Time,” flounders for direction. She’s even attempting influencer marketing, posting product photos with little impact.

Despite these setbacks, Valerie isn’t struggling financially. She and her husband, Mark (Damian Young), have relocated from Brentwood to a condominium in Sierra Towers, overlooking the Sunset Strip, thanks to Mark’s severance package from a finance job – a job he lost after telling a joke “at a time when jokes were illegal,” according to Valerie. Mark now dedicates his time to pickleball, whereas also pursuing a potential reality show appearance on “Finance Dudes,” with limited success. The couple’s situation reflects a broader sense of mid-life uncertainty and the challenges of maintaining a foothold in a rapidly changing world.

The AI Script and a Dystopian Hint

The central conflict of Season 3 arises when Valerie’s manager, Billy (Dan Bucatinsky), presents her with an offer for a new series on a new network. The catch? The script is being written by artificial intelligence. Brandon (Andrew Scott), the network executive, assures Valerie that the arrangement is “within the Writers Guild agreement” but insists on secrecy. This secrecy becomes a recurring comedic device throughout the season, highlighting the industry’s anxieties about AI’s role in content creation.

The AI-generated sitcom, titled “How’s That?,” is a generic multicamera comedy about a woman running a bed and breakfast with her “hunk nephew.” Valerie’s character, Beth, is described as existing within a formulaic plotline designed to appeal to viewers seeking an escape from the complexities of “dark streaming shows.” The show’s writers, Josh (John Early) and Mary (Abbi Jacobson), are unaware of the AI’s involvement, with Josh obsessing over injecting “the voice of women of a certain age” into the script and Mary remaining largely indifferent. A junior writing assistant, Marco (Tony Macht), is simply focused on acquiring a “really nice house.” The AI itself is referred to internally as “Al,” a remote worker no one knows exists.

A Return to Roots and a Human Core

The season also revisits familiar faces from “The Comeback’s” past. Valerie reconnects with Jane (Laura Silverman), her former documentarian, who has abandoned filmmaking and is now working at Trader Joe’s, disillusioned by the struggle to gain recognition for her work. Lance Barber is also set to reprise his role as Paulie G., Valerie’s longtime rival. The season acknowledges the loss of Robert Michael Morris, who played Mickey, Valerie’s hairdresser and confidant, who passed away in 2017, with Jack O’Brien taking on a similar role.

Despite the increasingly surreal circumstances, Valerie remains grounded. She’s not a superstar, but she’s a working actor with a history of success, including an Emmy Award for her role in the drama “Seeing Red” (featured in Season 2). She pushes back against a costume designer who wants to dress her in a caftan, asserting her professional pride. As Lloyd points out, Kudrow’s portrayal of Valerie is sympathetic and ultimately heroic, as she finds herself at the forefront of a technological shift that threatens the very essence of human creativity.

Shifting Aesthetics and a Director’s Insight

Season 3 marks a departure from the documentary-style aesthetic of previous seasons. The first season mimicked amateur video, while the second evoked guerrilla filmmaking. This season adopts a more conventional television format, allowing for private conversations and meetings without the need to constantly acknowledge the presence of a camera crew. This shift, paradoxically, enhances the sense of realism.

Director James Burrows, appearing as himself in the series, offers a pointed critique of AI-generated writing, stating that while it may be speedy, it lacks the depth and nuance that comes from a collaborative writing process. “Surprising only comes from a group of writers huddled in a corner beating themselves up to beat out a better show,” he observes. Kudrow’s performance, he implies, is something an algorithm could never replicate. She isn’t a copy of someone else, or a collection of quirks; she is uniquely herself, and irreplaceable.

What’s Next for “The Comeback” – and Beyond?

With Season 3 billed as the final chapter, the future of “The Comeback” itself is settled. However, the themes it explores – the impact of AI on the entertainment industry, the challenges faced by actors of a certain age, and the struggle to maintain artistic integrity in a commercialized world – are likely to remain relevant for years to come. The series serves as a timely and thought-provoking commentary on the evolving landscape of television, and its legacy will undoubtedly continue to resonate with audiences and industry professionals alike. As noted by AOL, the show’s return feels almost mythical, a reminder that even in a rapidly changing world, some stories are worth revisiting.

The show’s final run is currently airing on HBO, with new episodes released weekly through December 28, 2014.