The Comeback Season 3 Honors Robert Michael Morris’s Legacy Following His Death
More than a decade after its last outing, The Comeback returned on March 22, 2026, with a fresh challenge for Valerie Cherish – but before the AI storyline fully kicks in, the Season 3 premiere made space for something far more personal.
Acknowledging the Loss of Mickey
The HBO comedy quietly – and meaningfully – addressed the loss of Mickey, Valerie’s beloved hairdresser and confidant. Robert Michael Morris, who originated the role, died on May 30, 2017, at age 77. The part was written with him in mind.
Navigating the Revival After Loss
Bringing The Comeback back at all wasn’t a given after Morris’s death. According to co-creator Michael Patrick King, Lisa Kudrow initially struggled with the idea of continuing the series without him. “When we were going to talk about coming back after Michael died, Lisa couldn’t even entertain the idea,” King said during a press conference alongside Kudrow. “She just kept saying, ‘Well, no, that’s done.’”
A Sensitive and Authentic Tribute
As Season 3 began to take shape, the creative team found a way to honor Morris that felt true to both the character and Valerie herself. Mickey’s death comes into focus in the last 10 minutes of the episode, when Valerie takes a one-day role in a low-budget indie set at a senior care facility. After misinterpreting the setting, she leans into a retro styling, reconnecting with Tommy, a former colleague who once filled in for Mickey as a hairdresser on the set of I’m It. When he asks about Mickey, Valerie delivers the news plainly: “We lost Mickey. He passed away. COVID. The first round. COVID OG I call it.”
Valerie’s Coping Mechanism
The moment lands, but Valerie quickly moves on – a response that feels very Valerie, and underscores just how much of that grief she’s still keeping at arm’s length. “Maybe because it happened off camera… maybe Valerie hadn’t dealt with it,” King explained. This aligns with Valerie’s established coping mechanism: if something is too painful, she simply reframes it – or avoids it altogether. The result is a tribute that doesn’t play as overtly sentimental, but instead unfolds in the show’s signature layered, sometimes uncomfortable way.
The Importance of Acknowledging the Absence
Dan Bucatinsky, who returns as Valerie’s longtime manager, Billy, said it was essential for the series to acknowledge the absence head-on. “We really felt the loss of Mickey because he’s such an integral part of Valerie’s inner circle,” Bucatinsky told Gold Derby. “It was a real loss to Valerie.”
Recognizing Morris’s Legacy
For King, honoring Morris also meant recognizing how much the actor’s legacy had grown over time. “He went from obscurity to when he died, the Entertainment Weekly headline said, ‘Television star Robert Michael Morris dead,’” King said. “And I always got this great happiness about the fact that in that moment he was called a television star, which is something he would’ve loved.”
It’s a fitting tribute – both on-screen and off – to a performer who helped define The Comeback from the very beginning. And as Valerie steps back into the spotlight once again, Mickey’s absence serves as a quiet reminder of just how much has changed – even if she’s not quite ready to face it yet.