By: Kelly Kearney
What’s a comedy icon without her fans? It’s the question Deborah Vance is forced to confront as she scrambles to lock down a coveted Madison Square Garden gig—only to discover her loyal “Little Debbies” are defecting to Kathy Griffin! The shift isn’t entirely surprising: Deborah’s been busy chasing Hollywood ambitions alongside her writing partner (and occasional frenemy) Ava Daniels, leaving her core audience feeling sidelined. Now, with her legacy moment on the line, Deborah has no choice but to dive headfirst into the convention circuit and win back the very fans who made her a legend in the first place.
Deborah Vance Takes on New York
When we open, Deborah (Jean Smart), Ava (Hannah Einbinder), Damien (Mark Indelicato) , Jimmy (Paul W. Downs), and Kayla (Megan Stalter) head into Midtown Manhattan to meet with Amanda Weinberg (Alanna Ubach), the not-so-thrilled executive in charge of booking talent at Madison Square Garden. After last week’s impulsive announcement that Deborah is reclaiming her independence from Bob Lipka with a one-night engagement at the world’s most famous arena, there’s just one problem; no one at MSG actually agreed to it. Now Deborah is left trying to charm, flatter, and outright bribe her way into a time slot, armed with flowers, chocolates, and even two class A shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. She’ll try anything to make her comedy legend dreams a reality.
Unfortunately, the woman in charge isn’t impressed or swayed by stock incentives. She admits Deborah’s act could sell out Radio City Music Hall or Webster Hall–a suggestion Kayla finds deeply insulting, but she’s not convinced Deborah’s social media presence or current fanbase can fill the Garden. Other than the talk-show–which the woman admits, “was great” she hasn’t toured in years. The Garden is the pinnacle of New York culture, and Deborah’s promises to pay the rent regardless of ticket sales, isn’t a convincing angle. Jimmy pushes back, insisting the Little Debbies are a loyal army who will absolutely show up for their queen. They even once kidnapped him, and because they were so sweet, he never pressed charges, that’s how crazy they are about her. While it is true they might be a dedicated bunch, the executive points out that this is the Garden, where history and legends are made. Ava scoffs at that and points out how the current show booked is a true crime podcast–not exactly a history-making event. Apparently she underestimated Americans’ thirst for murder, because those crime podcasters swayed an election–they earned their time on the stage. Nothing Vance-world can say or do can secure this deal–even if Deborah plans to paint herself as a free speech warrior fighting against the silencing misogyny of Bob Lipka. She knows that angle will sell, but the answer is still “no.” Luckily for New York comedy fans, that word is not a part of Deborah’s vocabulary. She might be leaving the city without a date, but she is already hatching a plan beneath that perfectly blonde and sculpted French twist.
Her idea is simple; take this Madison Square Garden dilemma straight to the fans. Conventions used to be Deborah’s stronghold, where she kept her “Little Debbies” close and fiercely loyal. In recent years, between her late-night ambitions and ongoing battles with Ava, those appearances have become few and far between. Now, with a major fan convention on the horizon, Deborah sees the perfect opportunity for a comeback. There’s just one catch: The date falls on Ava’s 30th birthday. Ava shrugs that news off because who else would she be spending her day with besides Deborah? Still, the moment calls back to their fight in Singapore, when Deborah took a sharp jab at Ava’s lack of a social life. The memory lingers between the two, but Deborah, true to form, doesn’t apologize for the burn. Instead, she pretends she doesn’t remember the comment at all. To Ava’s credit, she pushes through the discomfort with comedy. It’s no big deal, “I didn’t survive growing up in Massachusetts, by letting a drunk person’s insults affect me.” After almost losing Deborah in Singapore, Ava’s main focus now is on making the comedian’s dreams come true. Turning 30 can wait; Deborah’s legacy cannot.
The Little Angry Debbies
At the Convention Hotel, Jimmy and Kayla catch Ava in the lobby to wish her a happy 30th birthday, along with an apology for skipping their usual gift. Money is tight, but there’s a glimmer of hope. Ava’s Mall Girls script could be their way out. Jimmy loved it and plans to shop it around Hollywood, hoping it’s the fix their struggling company needs. Assistant Randi (Robby Hoffman), meanwhile, is already thinking like a mogul. After declaring that power is everything in Hollywood, she proudly shows off her latest investment: a heated coffee delivery tray. This assistant has plans. With that, Ava heads to the convention floor to meet Deborah, only to find the reception is noticeably chilly.
After years of focusing on her late-night ambitions, Deborah is now face-to-face with a fanbase that feels ignored and forgotten. The Little Debbies are not holding back, they call out her absence from message boards, the rumors she is a lizard-person, and her decision to chase Madison Square Garden instead of showing up for smaller, loyal communities across the country. The disappointment is palpable. Even Ezekiel (Guy Branum), the president of the Southwest Branch, a major figure in Deborah’s fandom, announces he’s stepping down to join Kathy Griffin’s camp. It’s a brutal reality check. Deborah isn’t just losing fans, she’s losing her most loyal ones.
Ava, on the other hand, is gaining a following of her own. To her surprise, a fan named Cindy (Hannah Pikes) approaches the table and bypasses Deborah entirely to ask Ava for an autograph. She’s followed Ava since her first post-college writing job and even credits her with revitalizing Deborah’s career. Ava takes it all in with a mix of awkwardness and quiet pride, signing the autograph and later reflecting on turning 30 over a birthday corn muffin the Cindy buys her. It’s not quite candles-in-a-cupcake-level fame, but she’ll take the moment.
In a Land of Ancient Gods and Fangirls…
Elsewhere on the convention floor, Jimmy is busy thanking Billy Baldwin for swapping halls last minute with Deborah. Billy makes it clear he’s firmly Team Vance and has no love for Bob Lipka, whom he colorfully refers to as a “freaking animal.” It’s a reminder that Deborah’s fight for independence has more allies than she might realize. The easy rapport between Jimmy and Billy is a relief for a spying Randi, who is determined to keep her boss from “falling prey to the male loneliness epidemic,” like her suicided Uncle Morty. That dark mood shifts when Jimmy–beaming with lesbian fangirl energy, all but loses it when he spots Renee O’Connor, the actress who portrayed Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess. While Kayla only vaguely recognizes the show and Randi hasn’t finished movies yet so hasn’t made her way through TV, doesn’t understand Jimmy is a proud Xenite. He can barely contain himself, as he rattles off “traveling bard” lore and deep-cut plot points at a mile a minute. Kayla nudges him to go for it, and after a moment of hesitation, Jimmy gathers the courage to approach Renee. What follows is an endearingly chaotic stream of appreciation as he gushes about the show’s mythology, its evil kid arcs, and just how much the show meant to him. He also mentions how hot rewatch podcasts are now, hoping to tempt Renee and Lucy Lawless into a new project. Renee listens graciously, clearly used to this kind of excitement, and offers to take a photo with him. Thrilled, Jimmy grins ear to ear in a way that makes it very clear that, despite working with celebrities and talent every day, this moment hits differently.
Back on the convention’s floor, Deborah’s line is filled with fans eager to air grievances rather than celebrate her. She is nervous but Ava–with her one fan experience offers her some advice to keep her cool. Then everything falls apart when one fan (Bayne Gibby) hands Deborah a piece of artwork she and her late mother created together. It’s an homage to Deborah and the corgis made entirely of seeds and grains. It’s not exactly gallery-worthy, but it’s deeply personal. The two Little Debbies spent months on it, hoping to give it to Deborah in person. That moment never came, and now the daughter hopes her mother is somewhere in the universe, happy, Deborah finally received their gift. Overwhelmed, Deborah steps away from the table and heads to the roof for some air, where she receives an unexpected perspective from a fellow convention performer dressed as a blue alien (Ann Dowd). The woman reminds Deborah of the unspoken contract she made with her fans. They chose her because she showed up for them. What they want isn’t just exclusive merchandise or autographs, it’s connection. They want to feel seen, valued, and part of her world.
Reigniting the Base for Grassroots Warfare
When Deborah returns to her table, she does so with a clearer understanding of what she’s lost and what it will take to earn it back. She gathers the Little Debbies for an announcement: Madison Square Garden won’t let the show go on because the powers that be think she isn’t big enough for their stage. She admits she came to the convention in hopes her fans would rally for her, but now she knows asking them to do that is unfair. She apologizes for neglecting them, but she can barely get out her regret before the Little Debbies start to rally. How dare MSG say Deborah Vance—their idol—isn’t big enough to sell out the arena? How dare the Garden deny Deborah her moment? If anyone is telling Vance what she can and can’t do, it’s the Little Debbies! An insult to her is an insult to all of them. Even Ava’s fan,Cindy—who she finds out is a third-generation Little Debbie and was just using Ava to get closer to Deborah—is ready to fight. This grassroots movement to headline Madison Square Garden is born out of fandom fury and the desire to white-knight-save their favorite icon. The Little Debbies are on a mission, and Deborah is giving them what they always wanted: bragging rights to say they were a part of her success. Damien stands up on a chair and leads the crowd to start their campaign with Weinberg, then rattles off her address. The fans are whipped up into a frenzy.
Meanwhile, Jimmy secures himself a new client and a payday when Renee approaches with news that Lucy Lawless loved the podcast idea. Not only are both actresses interested, but Renee is looking for new representation and wonders if Jimmy would take her on as a client. He jumps at the chance, and Renee hands him a stack of hundred-dollar bills—10% of what she made that day. Things are looking up for Jimmy and Kayla.
After the convention, Ava walks into a planned surprise party at Deborah’s mansion. Everyone is there for her birthday—her mom, Poppy (Poppy Liu), even her elementary school friend Jenny Reagan (Alyssa Limperis), who she hasn’t seen since the fourth grade. The mansion is decked out in balloons and all of Ava’s favorite treats—even cupcakes from a queer bakery. Deborah has thought of everything. As if the party isn’t nice enough, thanks to Ava’s childhood diaries and her mother’s lack of boundaries, Deborah hires her teenage boy crush Jesse McCartney to serenade her with his early-aughts hit, “Beautiful Soul.” Ava is catapulted back to her middle school fangirl days, as the party is everything her younger self ever dreamed of having.
When the party is over and the only ones left are Ava and Deborah, the two sit down for a chat about that Singapore comment they are both trying—and failing—to avoid. Ava thanks Deborah for the party, but then questions if she organized it out of guilt over what she said. Deborah doesn’t admit it, but Ava thinks “guilt looks good on you.” Deborah doesn’t have to feel bad about what she said because it is true—she is Ava’s only friend. The only part that stung is when Deborah found that fact weird. Ava doesn’t think it is; she is happy in this relationship and doesn’t need more. Deborah almost breaks her composure, then admits that perhaps one of the reasons the Little Debbies were pushed aside was because, before Ava, they were her only friends. Ava can’t believe that—Deborah has plenty of people around her. She is popular. Deborah points out, but Ava is her first and only true friend. She used to get ideas and career validation from the fans, but all that changed when Ava entered her orbit. Ava quietly shrugs and says, “It makes sense. I’m your number one fan.” Before their moment gets too deep and sappy, Deborah checks her watch and notices they have fifty minutes left of Ava’s birthday and asks what she wants to do. It takes Ava all of two seconds to decide: DREAM BLUNT ROTATION! She takes photos of Deborah puff-puff-passing a birthday joint, and the moment is so memorable the birthday girl makes it her phone’s background. Then a “Cheech’d-out” Deborah shoves a spoonful of fat-free pumpkin yogurt bread batter into Ava’s mouth and tells her she plans to include it in her newsletter she’s sending out to the Little Debbies tomorrow. The fans need all the energy and inspiration they can get if they plan to secure a date at Madison Square Garden.
Fandom Power
Whatever was in that recipe worked because Deborah’s fans go all-in on harassing Weinberger at the Garden. Bags and bags of glitter-bomb mail land at her office and at her home. She is bombarded with Little Debbie rage—from her local barista to picketing outside her office, and even sneaking their message into her private bathroom—written on the TP with their demands: Deb 4 MSG.
Meanwhile, Deborah is working overtime to fix her social media presence. She even takes Damien’s advice and appeals to the lizard truthers, proving that she is not and never has been a reptile. Deborah’s name is everywhere, and Amanda Weinberger cannot deny the power of her people. She calls Deborah with a request and a booking date: call off her fandom goons and the Garden is her’s. The campaign worked! Sure, the date offered is September 11th—not exactly a funny day in New York—but DEBORAH VANCE IS PLAYING MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. Nothing else matters. Both she and Ava can barely contain their excitement for what the future holds.