Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of The Comeback.
The Comeback is a HBO show that got the world talking during its first two seasons, both of which helped offer commentary on the state of the TV industry. Those with a HBO Max subscription were recently treated to the premiere of Season 3, which is set to be Lisa Kudrow's final bow as her cringeworthy character, Valerie Cherish. The season premiere had plenty of laughs, including an A+ dig at the Real Housewives that I couldn't get enough of.
The Real Housewives franchise continues to be wildly popular, with a number of cities airing regularly on Bravo and streaming with a Peacock subscription. In-universe, Valerie was nearly on Beverly Hills, before having a meltdown opposite Lisa Vanderpump. Season 3 of The Comeback has once again acknowledged the Bravoverse, this time taking aim at Housewives who have done stints on Broadway. Let's beak it all down.
The Comeback Season 3 Premiere Poked Fun At The Real Housewives Starring In Chicago On Broadway
Lisa Kudrow's portrayal of Valerie Cherish has a cult following, so there were tons of eyes on The Comeback during its Season 3 premiere. The episode's first major scene was in 2023, at the height of the WGA strike. Kudrow's character is shown preparing to make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart, a role that a number of Bravolebrities have taken over the years. Unfortunately, she's struggling with the choreography and lyrics required for the iconic musical number "We Both Reached For The Gun."
Val only has one rehearsal with the full cast the day of her debut and it is... not going well. She eventually asks the director "is this the Real Housewives version?" of the choreography, to which he responded:
Yes, this is the dumbed-down version.
Shots fired. Chicago, which is the longest running Broadway revival in history, is known for bringing in celebrities to play leading roles and therefore sell tickets to their fans. A bunch of Bravo stars have treaded the boards over the years, with both Lisa Rinna and Erika Jayne playing Roxie Hart. That role as also famously played by Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix. Most recently Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Whitney Leavitt also played the show's lead. And it looks like The Comeback is throwing some shade by claiming they got an easier version of the choreography during their tenure on the Great White Way.
Additionally to Rinna and Jayne playing Roxie, both Nene Leakes and Kandi Buress have played Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago on Broadway. But that track doesn't require intense choreography like the lead role. Unfortunately for Valerie, she realized she was in over her head, and ended up dropping out of the role (after having a delightful conflict with the cast).
Since Valerie is a reality TV icon legend herself, it's always fun to see The Comeback's connections to The Real Housewives. We'll just have to wait and see if Bravolebs end up taking any more lumps throughout the rest of Season 3. It's still very early; we haven't even watched Lisa Kudrow's character start filming for her new sitcom. And there's sure to be lots of backlash to her signing on, because it's going to be written by AI.
New episodes of The Comeback air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. While I'm bummed this will be the show's final season on the air, I can't wait to see what Lisa Kudrow and company will bring to the table.
