Uh-huh.

And, um, and he just went, "Okay.

Should we read it?" And I said, "Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah." We did it, and he said, "Okay.

Well, thank you, and we'll, we'll, we'll w- be in touch." And I went, "All right.

Thank you very much," and I walked out.

I'm walking down the hall.

Hm.

Mm-hmm.

So I was eight.

So yeah, I was old enough to understand what he was doing.

And as I got older, also, you know, 'cause he lectured all over the world about headache, and so he would write his lecture and do it to me because he wanted to make sure it was all understandable.

So I'm maybe, like, 13, 15, you know, I don't remember how old He proposed a hypothesis for, you know, the mecha- potential mechanism of cluster headache, and so he wanted to make sure I could fully understand it.

Mm.

I didn't wanna watch me.

And then after Matthew passed away, there were so many, um, well, there's always a marathon anyway.

And, uh, what's he talk about? A, a, a retention time or keeping people in front of the television set as long as possible.

Right.

That it, you know, it's that second screen thing that people are talking about, that people will just have something on while they're looking at their phone or their iPad or doing something else, and it doesn't have to be genius, you know? That he was never looking for great, just good enough.

And you know, that rings true for all of us because not everything has been great, and not everything has been, you know, culture-defining.

But they've been popular and profitable.

And that doesn't mean it's bad, 'cause ener- the audience tells you [laughs] what it wants.

You know? I mean, I don't...

Because it was such a beautiful ending.

Let's listen.

[instrumental music] This is what I pictured.

This is exactly what I pictured.

It's unbelievable.

I feel connected to the smile that would come across her face when she'd say it was so beautiful.

And I'm so happy that she got to grow up here, and it's so pretty, and I'm also so happy that she, um, got out and her sisters got out, and I'm sorry for everybody else.

My grandmother learned from Yuri what happened here.

Has that experience shifted the way you thought about yourself, you know, learning all of this history about yourself and, and your origins?

Yeah.

And, uh, said so much, and, and just seemed like a fantastic ending, like beautiful ending.

Um, yeah, that, the, it was, this time we were a little nervous.

You feel a little pressure.

But I think early on we knew that the end of this was going to be sort of a different reveal about Valerie Cherish in that.

Yeah.

Um, yeah.

And I, there will always be value in that.

Why was she such an important person in your life and development?

Because she was such a great, ugh, teacher, but, but just energy.

You know? Easy to laugh, and no bullshit, and would just sort of scream out while you're up there, like, "More energy! Bigger! Brighter!" You know, "Commit!" So that first class, I'm up there and we're doing very basic exercises, and there's a, some people there, and some of them, you know, are like, "Yeah, I'm, I've just booked a commercial," and, you know, really cute.

I don't look anything like those girls.

And you know, and everyone is so earnest.

And these exercises, and she'd shout out emotional adjustments.

You know, it's like you're lifting a disc, but angry.

Nice, nice.

Ooh.

You know, at, at school.

By, not their peers.

That's never changed.

Um, but even w- amongst their peers it's a little better, I feel like.

You know, the, the crazy meanness, you know, is, that used to just be allowed because that's what kids do.

They'll figure it out, you know? [laughs] That stuff.

Really super optimistic.

Okay.

He wasn't At that moment, and then he got better by the end.

Mm-hmm.

And he was sending her off.

Like, "Yes, go to Paris.

Don't think twice." Yes.

It's a great opportunity.

But as you've watched this from the audience perspective, watched all the shows, do you ever have moments where you remember exactly what was going on during certain episodes that you now laugh about?

And how much fun was it to play Paul and Lydia and talk to me a little bit about them as a couple and then individuals? Because there's a lot of drama, a lot of hidden stuff that starts coming out as the season goes on.

Yeah, it was, I mean, to me, it was fun and easy to play a couple that's been married a long time.

I feel like I just connected with Ray.

I won't speak for him.

But there's something that's familiar, just personally, that we have some neuroses in common and, you know.

really

hard.

It is.

Mm

...

I would say right now.

He lets her know, "Oh, no, we have writers." Doesn't tell her as beards.

[laughs] Um, have to have writers.

Yeah.

And it's okay with...

... realizing.

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Lighter fabrics, better materials, pieces that just feel good the moment you put them on, and look effortless.

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My and Bialik's Breakdown is supported by noCD.

Was that something you were actively thinking about while playing her?

Yes and no.

I mean, it's funny and because there's something pathetic, we thought, and one could think about someone who is so desperate to be in the spotlight that they are willing to play Dot, dot, dot, you know, and she's but she's always looking on the bright side, you know, didn't get fired.

Yes.

Now I'm wearing a track suit and I'm Aunt Sassy, not a sexy single, but didn't get fired.

Still have a job.

You know, she she changes the rules as they're changing on her, you know, and and just accepts them pivots and goes with it.

Yeah,

No

...

if it doesn't go well.

That's the trick, 'cause they can tell when you're devastated.

I did a round table with other actresses who do comedy, and they're all younger and really talented, and the f- question was, "So how do you deal with, like, you all did improv, and bombing in front of an audience?" Like, and they're going into these big explanations too about, "Well, you try to win them back.

You gotta try to win them back.

You gotta da, da, da, da." And I thought, "Oh, I don't have an answer for this.

Yeah.

[laughs]

...

if they're right? She knew that there was a joke about Korean barbecue and puppy dogs and that that joke was m- bad taste, and she, w- we were cringing, like, "Why? You don't say that." Jimmy Burroughs tells her, "You don't say that to your, these writers.

You're a 40-year-old woman.

You're telling these 30-year writers their joke's no good? You can't do that." It, th- we're in a different world where if you say it respectfully, y- you should be able to say something.

Yeah

Yes.

It's something along those lines.

What was the inspiration for Valerie Cherish?

What first happened was wanting to respond to reality TV and how I thought that was a huge shift in our culture and society where people were what I thought was just humiliating themselves and throwing dignity away and to be on TV and then how were they going to cope with that when they saw it back and got a response about it you know so that's what I was interested in and thought oh a character I did at the Groundlings who's an actress it was your favorite actress on a talk show

Listen to me.

Be who you are and be happy about it, all right? You're wonderful.

Yeah, the movie.

It's just, it's got so much to it.

You know, it's, you know, the end of the world, almost.

My

Okay, um, what's been your favorite storyline, Val, that you've gotten to do on Judge's table, or favorite cast star?

Uh, well, I'll tell you.

Okay.

My favorite was, uh, her nemesis, an old paralegal, right? Um, lost her job 'cause AI took over, right?

Um, Lisa, what was your favorite part of performing Smelly Cat with Lady Gaga during the Friends reunion special? And was it intimidating to duet with her?

It was very intimidating.

I mean, I, even though I knew I wasn't meant to actually sing well, 'cause it's Lady Gaga.

But she started singing it, and I just shut up, and my mouth fell open, and I, I just listened and went...

Which is Valerie sort of reveals her true self that she's always been, but now you're able to see it, that you couldn't see 21 years ago.

Mm.

Yeah.

And you know, w- we had been talking when we were first talking about, you know, this season, and something came back to me, which was when we were doing the first season, people would s- you know, "So cringe," and I had to watch it like this.

And actors and everybody would say, "How hard that must have been for you to do, to act, to be, to play." And I h- didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

Hard? Nothing was hard.

Valerie felt zero pain.

How can you possibly come back again and not fall? That's what I'll miss, that sort of obstacle and conquering of this weird gift.

if there's something new to say? Yeah.

Yeah, exactly.

Michael Patrick King, we had talked about different things, and he said, "Okay, she's on, she's finally offered the lead in a multi-camera sitcom, but it's the first one written by AI."

[laughs]

I don't know what that means.

And so second class, I dragged myself.

I almost didn't go.

And I just got there late and just watched, and oh, there's a new guy there.

Take a look at this clip.

Hello, hello, hello.

Lisa, I'm loving my new tracksuit.

Thank you.

Just fits in perfectly in the city for an afternoon jog.

How's that? [audience cheering]

But as you've watched this from the audience perspective, watched all the shows, do you ever have moments where you remember exactly what was going on during certain episodes that you now laugh about?

Well, um, yes.

You couldn't have seen this.

No, no, couldn't.

We actually thought we were going to do a season two and a three, and we got canceled right after the first season.

But to come back 10 years later and to put Valerie, and it's a totally different TV landscape 10 years later.

And so now it's another 10 years later, and the threat is AI.

Because first season, the threat was reality TV.

Right.

Are you sure this is it? I'm just

... of you with the, I think they have a plaque outside.

And then, yes.

Oh, I, I tried not to cry 'cause I never would've stopped.

Warner Brothers put The Comeback on the plaque.

That's Friends.

That's Mike and Molly.

That's the Friends reunion.

[laughs]

And it's scary.

Yeah.

[laughs] Yeah.

No, I mean, it, for sure, even though...

And Patience is trying to say, "It's really only writers, and, you know, each of them only have, like, 11 followers," but, you know, it can feel universal when you're in your echo chamber.

Something's going on, and he needs to leave home in order to fix it, and I'm wondering, like, what that does for Valerie to feel like she can't help him or sh- or her, the help that she's offering, it's not, it's not working.

She's tried to help him, and you can't help someone if they can't hear it and they're not there.

So she's tried to s- you know, like, well, get in touch with guys from the firm.

I sense that she was trying to recalibrate how to take him in and maybe perhaps seeing him, as we learn later in the episode, in this vulnerable state.

Honestly, as Valerie, and w- writing it, wasn't seeing her calibrating him or taking him in and where is he now.

She asks the only question she really wants to know, which is, "Are you sober?" That's all she wants to know because she knows he's a good writer, broken.

Jimmy said those broken, beautiful souls.

No, no one's more broken than Paulie.

He's funny, and he knows how to be in charge.

Yeah, yeah.

Valerie knows what she's doing, and she really was disappointed when Jane says, "He's so vulnerable.

Okay.

Because we wanted that character to be just, like, a sweetness coming out of him, like a goodness.

And, um, I was like, "Man, that feels like Julian." And Mike went, "Yes, Julian.

Yes." You know.

And, um, yeah, so all I did was tell him, "We're writing something for you." And, uh, and when I told him what it was, he's like, "Sweet nerd." You know, and he went, "Oh, that's like ground zero for me.

Great.

That's ..." You know.

Oh, tragic.

Yeah.

No, it was because she's finally offered the lead in a multi-cam sitcom.

So it has to be.

the worst thing possible.

It's written by AI.

But how does she say no to a lead on a multicam sitcom? And to me, the interesting thing in the first episode is she kind of does say, she does say, I

And then Andrew said, what did he say? Anything? I'd like the show.

Oh, yeah.