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“The Comeback” recap (2.5): Valerie is Taken Seriously

The fifth episode from the second season of the cult hit The Comeback opens with a scene we know Valerie is very comfortable in. The lights are so bright that she is almost fully washed out. That’s how Val likes it! Jane interviews her about where Seeing Red has gotten to in production, which apparently isn’t far. Val tries to stay upbeat as she explains that she has no idea which episode they are shooting or where they are in the script. She only knows what they tell her she is doing the day of. Today, they will be shooting her on the set of the fictional sitcom in which her character, Mallory, stars. When asked to repeat a line, Val gets very flustered and has an outburst at Jane, who, very cooly, reminds Val that this entire “interview” was her idea. This settles Val down immediately.

On set, Val, in her old track suit from Room and Bored (the actual sitcom where Paulie first met Val), is apologizing to Jane. “I’m human!” she shouts, and makes sure they are “good.” Her nephew and PA, Tyler, approaches with a wrap gift from Seth Rogen. Val has no idea that her scenes with Seth were over, which upsets her. She asks Tyler to find his address. Val tells us she is excited to get back onto the set of a sitcom! She knows she is in her element there. Of course, the door opens to a green screen set. Val is soon informed of two massive developments: Pauly G will not be directing the next two episodes because he has fallen too far behind AND the New York Times will be on set to write a piece about Valerie.

Val is introduced to the new director, Andie (Meryl Hathaway) who has directed a number of dance movies. She is fun and high energy, she exudes positivity which sends Val into a manic joyful place. Andie has a dance move for almost every line she throws out, which is as infectious as it is off-putting. As Andie walks away, Jane asks Val how she feels about Paulie getting booted from the director position.

Val is beside herself with happiness, but blurts out something about how bad she feels. Her publicist, Billy, enters exclaiming that there is terrible news. He is followed by the man that runs artist publicity for HBO who has set up the meeting with the NY Times. Val’s publicist is only upset because he can’t do the job he set out to do, as far as where she gives her interviews.

Andie takes Val to set and runs through her blocking. Val is upset because there is no audience for her to play off of. Andie points out the audience of extras, consisting of about 20 people. It’s not what Val had imagined, but they end up giving her the energy she needs. After her lines Val is instructed to start spinning at which point she will turn into a large green monster.

In her trailer, she exits the bathroom in a full green body suit with only her face peeking out through a small hole. Val sees herself in the mirror and decrees that nobody shall see her in this getup. Her publicist, Billy, enters and has a full on freak out. He has had to cancel every interview he set up because HBO has their own ideas about which media outlets Val should be speaking to. Billy quits, citing his experience with Eva Longoria having fired him right before she took off. Val takes this as a compliment.

Outside of her trailer, Val meets Liz (Stephanie Cannon), the writer from the New York Times. She is upset because she is in the green suit and did not want to be seen at all! She asks to push her time with Liz until tomorrow, but tomorrow is Seth’s day.

On the green screen set, she spins around and is directed to act like she is ripping a child apart. Val meets this command with confusion, and Paulie yells from the other side of the room, “You’re killing my inner child! You’re killing my inner child!” Paulie has so much aggression building up. He hates Val and the pressure of this production is really getting to him. Val approaches Liz and jokes about how horrible this situation is. Liz says that she understands the rest of the show isn’t like this because she saw the first episode. She says Val’s performance is “brave.” Most of us would take this as a compliment, but Val is probably thinking back to all of the times people have told he she looks “real.” She freaks out. Luckily Jane has the password which can get her into the website that hosts the dailies.

Back at home, amongst the hammering on the set (which is still going strong in her home), Val tries to get into the website to see the footage that Liz referred to as “brave.” Val is most worried about how she appears, and she has to make sure she looks ok. They watch a scene where Mallory leaves a nasty message on Mitch’s (fictional Paulie’s) voicemail. She is incredible. Her performance is deep and layered and fascinating. Mickey even says, “Red, after all these years, you can really act!” which Valerie disagrees with. She thinks she looks terrible, the light is too low. She says she needs to get Billy back so she can get some “pretty magazine covers” as damage control. She goes to the lighting guy, who is actively trying to dim the lights on the set in her living room. He directs her to Paulie G. Val goes to Paulie and tells him that she saw the dailies and that there needs to be more light on her. She asks for a light box or something for her “eyes, so they pop”. Paulie looses his mind, saying he is two scripts behind and he didn’t want anyone to see the dailies. In a flourish of anger he tells Valerie, “You are a fucking needle in my arm” before he storms off. Val asks Jane if they should go after him. She fears he has no one to talk to in times like this. She plots to go find his old writing partner, Tom.

On the set of a Nickelodeon children’s show, Val watches a little girl, a bookish caterpillar, a lamb mathematician, and an absurd pretty bird sing a silly little song. Tom is apparently directing this show. She greets Tom on the set and congratulates him on his new show. She tells him about the plight of Paulie. He informs her that he hasn’t talked to Paulie in six years and that their relationship ended badly. Tom tells Val this guy is always on the edge. He asks why Val would work with a man who once said to him that they should find a stake and put it through her heart because she is the devil. Tom laments how everyone always forgives Paulie even though he is such an asshole, and the biggest thing he gets is a Nickelodeon show. He becomes enraged, and when the bookish caterpillar asks Tom to get back to shooting it turns into a physical altercation. Luckily, Val gets a message from Mark saying they got a great place to stay in the Palisades, to get away from the loud production in their home!

Back on the set of “Seeing Red”, Billy approaches Val and says he is back! When Val sees where she will be shooting, she refuses to go on. The lighting is very low and dramatic, and Jane informs everyone that HBO has seen the footage and has told them to move into a more serious direction. HBO sees an interesting angle about her obstacles regarding the making of the show. Val wants more lights and Jane stands up for herself for the the first time ever. She says, “I like it like this,” and Val storms off of the set, saying more lights or no more of their “little documentary.” It is great to see Jane taking a stand! She likes to let Val think she is running the show, but Jane has begun to show that her point of view is also incredibly important.

Val walks outside and sees Liz, the writer for the Times. She awkwardly runs to her car and gets her to roll down her window. After a few minutes of uncomfortable nice-to-meet-yous, Val comes straight out and asks Liz what she meant when she said her performance was “brave.” Liz tells Valerie that her performance is “so emotionally raw. People have never seen that side of you before. It felt like you were exposing the inner part of yourself in a really surprising and compelling way. Surely you must have been aware of what you were doing. ” Val is so obsessed with how she looks and how she is coming off that she had no clue (she doesn’t say this out loud but we get it). Liz says that people are going to see her in a “whole new light.”

Val is a real actress now! All it took was a nightmare sitcom experience that ended violently and covered in vomit, nine years, and taking a chance on an ex-addict who wants to see you killed! It just goes to show, a little positivity will get you a long way. (Accidentally.)

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