‘The Comeback’ Didn’t Earn a Happy Ending — But It’s Still Nice to Get One

Home TV Columns May 10, 2026 8:00pm PT ‘The Comeback’ Didn’t Earn a Happy Ending — But It’s Still Nice to Get One By Alison Herman Plus Icon Alison Herman TV Critic aherman2006 Latest ‘The Comeback’ Didn’t Earn a Happy Ending — But It’s Still Nice to Get One 1 minute ago Apple TV Israeli Thriller ‘Unconditional’ Gets More Absurd (and Enjoyable) As It Goes: TV Review 3 days ago Steve Coogan and Tom Burke Excel as Undercover Agents in Netflix War on Drugs Drama ‘Legends’: TV Review 4 days ago See All Courtesy of HBO SPOILER ALERT: The following piece contains plot details from the series finale of “The Comeback,” now streaming on HBO Max. Five minutes before the credits roll, “The Comeback” is set to end on a grim note. Valerie Cherish, the sitcom actor and pioneering reality star played with insistent cheer by comedic master Lisa Kudrow, is in a trap. She’s finally the face of a hit show, the classical multi-camera “How’s That?!” on the streaming service NuNet. But she’s also the face of television written by artificial intelligence, a fact over 70% of the audience seems to have no problem with.  Related Stories ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Episode 5: Did a Main Character Just Die a Horrible Death?