The HBO series The Comeback ended its third season on May 10, 2026, delivering a finale that tackled the growing threat of artificial intelligence in Hollywood. Valerie Cherish, played by Lisa Kudrow, went through major changes in the last episode. Her longtime manager Billy Stanton (Dan Bucatinsky) decided to walk away from his job, and Valerie found out the studio planned to replace her completely with a digital copy of herself.
The finale wrapped up a season that premiered on March 22, 2026. The third season took a hard look at AI’s impact on writers and actors, a topic that became urgent after the Hollywood strikes. Valerie found herself working on a sitcom called How’s That?! for the streaming service NuNet. The show relied on an AI program to write jokes, and the cast did not even know about it at first.
Billy Stanton Chooses a New Path Away From Valerie
The finale showed Billy Stanton arriving at Valerie’s house with unexpected news. He had just returned from a Marc Jacobs fashion show in New York City. Valerie got excited at first, thinking Billy would walk the runway. But Billy clarified he only sat in the audience, second row from the front.
Then Billy gave Valerie the real shock. He told her he would no longer work as her manager. Billy explained he saw this as his new path forward. The two shared an emotional goodbye after working together for over twenty years. Dan Bucatinsky, who plays Billy, said his character had become obsessed with getting his own spotlight. Billy stopped reading scripts, stopped coming to table reads, and only showed up on tape nights dressed to impress so people would notice him.
In an interview with The Playlist, Bucatinsky explained Billy’s transformation:
“They created a Billy that was so thirsty and driven and using this opportunity to get his star, to get his light shining on him. And it really builds to the creation of the monster that is Star Billy.”
The actor also pointed out that social media changed everything. In 2005, Valerie needed camera crews to feel seen. But in 2026, everyone controls their own image. Bucatinsky said it took 22 years for everyone to become Valerie Cherish.
Valerie Faces a Disturbing Situation With AI Replacement
The live taping of How’s That?! turned into a nightmare during the finale. The AI assistant that wrote all the jokes stopped working because the studio hit a paywall. With a live audience waiting and Jack Stevens (Bradley Whitford) watching from his seat, Valerie had no material to perform.
Valerie turned to Evan, a young production assistant who once said he wanted to become a writer. Evan had given up on that dream because he believed AI made writers useless. Valerie convinced him to try anyway. Evan wrote one joke that saved the entire episode. Valerie told him to join the Writers Guild of America right after.
The real blow came during the press conference. Brandon Wallick (Andrew Scott), the NuNet executive, announced a second season of the show. But Valerie spoke up about how Evan saved the taping when AI failed. Brandon got angry and said Valerie did not have to return for season two because her AI version could do the show instead.
Valerie learned the terrible truth. When she agreed to get scanned at the Digital Dome earlier in the season, she had signed away the rights to her own face and body. The studio could legally replace her with a computer-generated copy. She had no way to sue them.
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The Show’s Closing Message About AI and Human Writers
The finale ended with a title card that made a clear statement. It read: No AI was used in the writing of The Comeback. The show’s creators Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow wanted audiences to know real human writers made every joke and every scene.
The episode also shifted from black and white into color at a key moment. King explained the choice during a press conference. He said the color returned when Valerie’s humanity started to show. People always saw Valerie in black and white terms—victim or crazy person, loser or winner. King wanted audiences to finally see her differently.
Kudrow compared Valerie’s situation to her own experience on Friends. She said:
“On Friends, there was this huge backlash. Where everyone hated us, we were overexposed. And we got together and just said, all right, we have to just head down, stop doing press, and just do our work.”
Valerie did not end the series broken. After losing her show, Jack Stevens called her with a new opportunity. She landed the lead role in a series called Judge’s Table about a judge who becomes a chef. The final on-screen text revealed Valerie received three Emmy nominations in 2027 for her work.
Also Read: The Comeback Season 3 Episode 7 Recap: Valerie Faces Public Shame and Mark Confesses a Dark Past
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