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The Comeback Finale Confronts AI and Bids Valerie Cherish Farewell

The episode blends industry satire with a tender character send-off to close the trilogy on a reflective note.

Overview

  • HBO’s The Comeback, which returned for a planned third and final season, aired its series finale on Sunday, May 10 with a story centered on artificial intelligence in TV writing.
  • The episode places Valerie Cherish at the center of an AI-made sitcom and shows the professional backlash that follows without resolving the debate over machine-written shows.
  • Co-creator Michael Patrick King said the finale’s shift from black-and-white to color was designed to mark Valerie’s restored agency and to reframe how viewers see her.
  • Cast members described filming the goodbye as deeply emotional, with Lisa Kudrow stepping away to regain composure and Dan Bucatinsky noting their last time together as Billy and Valerie.
  • Variety’s review pointed to tension between the show’s warning about AI and its affectionate goodbye, and noted the storyline takes license given recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA protections on AI use.