Ep 6. Valerie Saves the Show

Valerie Cherish is back with a bang! In the sixth episode of The Comeback's first season, titled "Valerie Saves the Show", the action takes place during the filming of the fictional sitcom Room and Bored. Valerie is determined to prove her worth and secure the spotlight by taking steps to improve the show's quality.

Valerie sets up a meeting with HBO executives hoping to use her newfound importance as a lead actor on the show to request more influence in the writing process. She demands that the writers incorporate more scenes for her character Aunt Sassy, played by Kellan Lutz, and her bossy, opinionated nature. However, the executives are not very receptive to her ideas and Valerie's plans backfire.

In the meantime, Valerie gets a taste of what it is like to truly bond with her costars. She discovers that the cast, including Seth Rogen and his girlfriend, are welcomed into the inner circle of the show's writers, where they are able to foster close relationships with the creative team. Valerie yearns to be a part of this elite group and decides to ask the writers if she can join them. The cast and the writers find Valerie's request quite bizarre, but Valerie is determined to become a part of the gang, little realizing what it might entail.

The majority of "Valerie Saves the Show" revolves around the actual shooting of Room and Bored's most important episode. The whole team knows the episode is crucial to the show's future success, so they are all on edge. Valerie is delighted to find one of her own bitingly witty one-liners in the script, but when she arrives on set and starts rehearsing, she realizes that the joke has been cut. The situation deteriorates when the director subsequently reneges on his promise of more closeups for Valerie and assigns the chore of closeups to her assistant, played by Laura Silverman, instead. The fact that Valerie has to watch the pivotal scene being filmed from the sidelines is too much for her to bear, and she ultimately takes matters into her own hands in a most unorthodox fashion.

As usual, Valerie's husband Mark Berman, played by Rory O'Malley, is by her side throughout the episode. The normally timid Mark takes bold action to help Valerie advance her career and insists upon speaking with the show's executive producers himself. His good intentions ultimately land him in a funny, albeit embarrassing, situation that practically steals the spotlight and makes the whole team laugh.

"Valerie Saves the Show" is a funny, quirky, and entertaining episode, and it stands out as one of the best in the first season. It highlights Valerie Cherish's resourcefulness, drive, and passion for success. Viewers witness her struggles as she tries to grow as a person and a performer and are charmed by Valerie's vulnerability as she navigates the Hollywood landscape.