Valerie Cherish confronts AI in a thrilling final season.
By Belen Edwards on March 17, 2026.
Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King’s comedic masterpiece *The Comeback* has always been a remarkably foresighted satire of Hollywood.
Season 1, which aired in 2005, brilliantly captured the viciousness behind reality TV. Almost ten years later in 2014, Season 2 poked at prestige antihero dramedies. Now, *The Comeback* returns once more with its third and supposedly final season, focusing on Hollywood’s hot topic: AI.
That focus gives *The Comeback* Season 3 an urgency, setting it apart from its predecessors. It’s still hilarious, cynical, and an exceptional showcase for Kudrow in her best role, but it’s also a warning.
*The Comeback* Season 3 begins during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. “AI is coming after all of us,” says then-SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher in a celebrity cameo. Valerie Cherish (Kudrow), always more concerned with appearances, is more focused on the optics of her presence at the strike than the strike itself. She’s busy directing her Gen Z social manager Patience (Ella Stiller) to engage with social media instead of fully grasping the situation. (Kudrow is a prime candidate for an Emmy for this performance alone.)
Fast forward to 2026: Valerie struggles to launch her podcast (*Cherish the Time*) and takes minor roles in low-budget films. Her fortune turns when she’s offered the lead in a new sitcom, *How’s That?!*, entirely written by AI.
*The Comeback* Season 3 examines AI’s role in entertainment. The show’s humans, Mary and Josh (Abbi Jacobson and John Early), are there to supervise the AI-generated scripts. Initially, AI shows promise with its speed, but as the season progresses, its shortcomings become apparent. AI-produced scripts become dull, merely mimicking other writers’ work.
*The Comeback* highlights that AI can churn out scripts, but it lacks soul and can’t truly connect with audiences. Valerie benefits initially from the AI, securing a role she’s long desired, with even an executive producer credit. However, she’s unaware that the danger looms for herself as well, leading to a *Black Mirror* style conclusion.
Despite its AI theme, *The Comeback* Season 3 is filled with comedic elements, like Valerie’s ignored show *Mrs. Hatt*. Kudrow’s performance remains outstanding, making even Valerie’s selfish moments charming. The looser documentary format offers a more personal look into Valerie’s life, giving us the most humanized view of her yet.
While *The Comeback* might be less subtle about AI’s threats, it rightly cautions against its potential to dismantle the industry. In *The Comeback*’s view, AI shows produce mediocre content, compared to the show’s brilliant swan song.
*The Comeback* Season 3 premieres March 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.