By: Mariah Thomas
Mark (Damian Young) receives some positive news about his potential work future as he watches TV with Valerie (Lisa Kudrow). When the two finish the small celebration and get back to watching Valerie’s sitcom ‘How’s That?!’, an AI Valerie pops up on the screen to promote a sports package subscription. She realizes this is what she must have agreed to getting her full body scan done. The following morning the cast discusses the negative conversations surrounding the premiere of the show. Despite not following her own advice sometimes, she encourages the cast to not read the negativity. She uses Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” lyrics to ease everyone. Valerie tells the cast how she started to let a negative comment get to her (“she can’t act”) but not letting it get to her remembering she has “this” as she proceeds to whip out her Emmy. She brought it to set to be an inspiration for the cast. NuNet plans a zoom check in with the cast. NuNet creator Brandon Wollack (Andrew Scott) reveals the network actually aired two episodes of the show to test ratings and 72% of viewers stayed. Brandon reveals due to that, the network plans to do a season 2 and invites Valerie to join the press conference at the end of the week to announce it to the world. In the excitement, the cast cheers for Valerie and PDP (Matt Cook) pounds the table repeatedly. This sends Valerie’s Emmy flying to the ground and breaking. PDP feels immense guilt and says he “should be dead like [his] brother.” Valerie quickly shuts down his breakdown by reminding him relationships and memories matter more and it is just a physical object that serves its purpose. However, she is instantly delighted when Patience (Ella Stiller) announces she found someone who could fix it.
Valerie’s presence is requested by TV legend Jack Stevens (Bradley Whitford). Arriving at his office she also meets Ben Morrow (Justin Theroux) and Matt Wright (Adam Scott). She is quick to show her delight and call them the “Mount Rushmore of television writers. After some fun banter, they tell Valerie they requested her for a reason. They heard about the press conference and NuNet’s intention to use her as the “human” face of AI and would rather her use the opportunity to speak out on behalf of writers. They tell her it’s not a victory lap but rather a funeral for writing. The success of ‘How’s That?!’ will only inspire more shows to go the AI script route. Valerie is adamant that writers are still needed and AI can never replace them. They want her to say that in front of the press. Valerie is put in a tough spot to minimize her show and the success for the greater good. The men continue to put pressure on Valerie to do the right thing by telling her, “The future of television depends on what you do.” Back at home, Valerie vents to Mark about the meeting. He is quick to point out these notable writers never put her in previous projects. Now they are depending on her.
In the dressing room of the ‘How’s That?!’ season finale taping, Tommy (Jack O’Brien) drops in to check in. Valerie is delighted to tell him that the show was picked up. When he asks how many episodes, he is shocked when Valerie says “8” instead of the typical 20+. Billy (Dan Bucatinsky) finally makes an appearance after Valerie tries to get a hold of him for a few days. He tells her that he’s been offered the Marc Jacobs show in New York. Once Valerie tells him how proud she is, Billy clarifies he’s been offered a seat in the audience. “They promised second row!” Billy is adamant this could lead to exciting opportunities. He is not able to attend the press conference with Valerie and announces he will be quitting as her manager. “I think it’s time for me to manage me.” “This is our last show,” Valerie tearfully points out. They both check in to make sure Jane (Laura Silverman) caught that moment for the project she’s filming. Valerie thanks Patience for doing a great job with her social media and offers her the role of being her new manager.
Valerie and the cast make their grand entrance to the live taping. During the taping, they scramble for alternative lines/jokes only for the AI system to be down. The studio only budgets so much of the AI system to be used a day and with another film for the studio also using the system, ‘How’s That?’ is out of luck. Valerie attempts to encourage Evan (Julian Stern) to write some jokes himself but he has given up on his dreams of being a writer after no longer seeing it being sustainable. She gives a typical Valerie Cherish metaphor to convince him to still write by comparing what’s happening to a space war. The line Evan came up with isn’t the best but the live audience still manages to laugh.
After the taping of the episode, Valerie thanks the audience for showing up. She also takes a moment to highlight Evan stepping in to help when they had an earlier hiccup. Valerie also accidentally lets it slip ahead of the press conference that there will be a season two. She shushes the audience and tells them they’ll find that out tomorrow.
Before the press conference Valerie and Brandon check in with each other. He asks her what she intends to say and she accidentally lets her meeting with the big three slip. She tells him what they requested of her and she assures him that she knows that’s not what today is about. Brandon begins to let his mask slip and is beyond upset. He points out he just renewed one of their contracts and feels punished by them. Brandon didn’t create AI and he doesn’t understand why he’s the singular villain. Valerie assures him that he’s not, and he is doing good work. Brandon immediately addresses the AI of it all when it comes to ‘How’s That?!’ He is adamant that the show is not is not an AI sitcom since they have have a real crew and real actors. He also points out while the scripts may be AI, there is still a need for writers to work those systems. He then announces a season two. Valerie is asked directly what it’s like working with the AI. She points out how sometimes it’s fast and you have fifty-two new jokes in a second and then also tells the story of the night prior. Brandon is of course visibly agitated by her talking about the studio paywall. She takes this moment to also give writers their proper shout out.
Brandon tells Valerie that he felt ambushed by her statements to the press. He felt she undermined a very expensive system telling the world it didn’t work. Valerie remains calm and assures him that wasn’t her intention. She also uses this moment to push for a new showrunner so that the show can be “great”. Brandon is quick to let her know they aren’t looking for “great” – just “good enough.” Valerie rebuts, “You felt ambushed? I feel betrayed” She doesn’t want to come back for season two without a showrunner. When she questions what he would do without her, Brandon reveals they could just use AI Valerie and she is free to leave. Brandon reveals she signed over her rights when she did that full-body scan. Brandon tells her she won’t be able to stand up against the network’s lawyers when she threatens to sue. Valerie leaves in a rush and tells him she’ll call with her final decision tomorrow.
With her sticking to standing up for the writers, she receives a text later that night from Jack Stevens about a new show he is developing. While talking out her feelings with Mark, she feels relieved to still be able to do what she loves without the chaos of NuNet. She is okay with real Valerie working with an Emmy winning writer while AI Valerie stays on ‘How’s That?!’ The episode concludes with Jane interviewing Valerie some time later about her new show. Jane reveals how proud she is of Valerie for sticking up for herself. “Thanks everyone. That sure was fun.” mark the final words from Valerie Cherish as this twenty year stretched show comes to an end.