After more than a decade away, Lisa Kudrow brought Valerie Cherish back to television screens on Sunday, March 22, 2026. The third season premiere of The Comeback aired on HBO at 10:30 p.m. ET, also becoming available for streaming on HBO Max (now known as Max).
The new season picks up years after the events of the 2014 finale. Episode 1, titled “Valerie Gets a New Chapter,” immediately sets the stage for a different kind of struggle for the persistent actress.
A Broadway Dream Falls Apart
The premiere opens in 2023. The entertainment industry is dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic and the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes. Valerie has landed her first Broadway role. She is set to play Roxie Hart in the long-running musical Chicago.
She arrives for dress rehearsals with her film crew. The crew is smaller now. Jane Benson (Laura Silverman) is still there, filming another documentary. Valerie also has a new social media specialist named Patience, played by Ella Stiller.
Things go badly almost immediately. Valerie is not ready for the fast pace of the show. She struggles to keep up with the choreography and music. She keeps stopping rehearsal to talk to the cameras. The theater director is harsh and offers no encouragement. Some of the younger cast members laugh at her openly.
When a frustrated Valerie wonders why the producers called her, a dancer makes a sharp comment: “Because they were up to the Vs?” This public failure leads Valerie to quit the show. She uses the ongoing strikes as her excuse for leaving.
The Show Handles Mickey’s Absence
One major story point in the premiere is the absence of Mickey Deane. The character, Valerie’s loyal hairstylist and best friend, was played by Robert Michael Morris. Morris passed away in 2017 at the age of 77.
The show addresses this loss directly. In the episode, Valerie explains that they “lost Mickey.” She says he passed away from “Covid, the first round.” The character Tommy Tomlin (Jack O’Brien), who had worked on Valerie’s first sitcom, helps her talk through her grief. The show uses this moment to honor Morris and give closure to Valerie’s long friendship with Mickey.
Valerie Returns to Los Angeles and the Picket Line
After leaving the Broadway show, the story flashes forward to Valerie back in Los Angeles. She is now on the picket lines with other actors and writers during the Hollywood strikes. Always looking for content, she has Patience filming her again.
During a protest, Valerie spots Fran Drescher, who was the real-life president of SAG-AFTRA during the strikes. Valerie tries to get a photo with her. The moment goes awkwardly. This shows that even during a serious industry event, Valerie’s need for attention and her struggle to read the room are still very much part of her personality.
A New Opportunity in a Changed Industry
The episode sets up the main conflict for the season. After the strikes, Valerie gets a new acting job. The offer comes from a struggling network called NuNet. She is asked to star in a new multi-camera sitcom titled How’s That?!
The twist is that the sitcom’s scripts are being written by artificial intelligence. The network’s CEO, played by Andrew Scott, presents this as an exciting new direction. Valerie agrees to the project. The premiere ends with her preparing for this comeback, even though the circumstances are stranger than anything she has faced before.
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How to Watch
The Comeback Season 3 will have eight episodes. New episodes air every Sunday on HBO at 10:30 p.m. ET. They are also available to stream on Max.
For viewers in the UK, the series is available on Sky Atlantic and the streaming service Now. Canadian audiences can watch on Crave. In Australia, the show streams on Binge and Foxtel. The season finale is set for May 10, 2026.
The cast also includes returning stars Dan Bucatinsky as Valerie’s manager Billy, and Damian Young as her husband Mark.
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