Critic Reviews
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68
Metascore
Generally Favorable
positive
49(68%)
mixed
18(25%)
negative
5(7%)
Showing 72 Critic Reviews
Mar 12, 2014
100
The show truly teeters on wonderful. This is probably TV's most poignant half-hour comedy in years, a masterfully modulated combination of shrewd satire and a tender, even tearful, central story. [5 June 2005, p.N01]
Mar 17, 2026
100
“The Comeback” works astoundingly well for a third time. .... She [Kudrow] is just extraordinary in this role, and this victory lap only solidifies Valerie is one of the greatest pieces of full-bodied comedy creation in TV history.
Mar 18, 2026
100
The mockumentary’s best. .... She [Kudrow] is, once again, fantastically layered in her portrayal of Valerie. .... Both she and this season of “The Comeback” are made for this moment.
Nov 6, 2014
91
The Comeback is the same as it ever was, and more highly concentrated. It still out-metas anything else on television. The performances remain stellar all around.
Mar 17, 2026
91
“The Comeback” Season 3 regularly achieves what seems unachievable, which includes adding to the legacy of a classic.
Aug 21, 2026
91
Kudrow is giving one of the finest comedic performances ever put on camera, and this final season only solidifies her dedication to the character.
Mar 12, 2014
90
Sly as "The Larry Sanders Show," keener than "Fat Actress," more sympathetic than "Curb Your Enthusiasm," this new half-hour comedy hits the bull's-eye in every direction. It's funny, sad, smart and immensely appealing. [5 June 2005, p.11]
Mar 13, 2014
90
The Comeback has its flaws. But this is a moment well beyond the depth of most television comedies. This is the stuff of which plays by David Mamet and Arthur Miller have been writ. This is a sitcom to which some attention should be paid. [4 June 2005, p.1D]
Mar 18, 2026
90
The new season of “The Comeback” thrives largely on the very human art of casting. Kudrow, of course, is pitch-perfect, as are returning cast members including Damian Young as Valerie’s mopey husband, Mark, and Laura Silverman as her dogged documentarian, Jane. But the bit players are the scene stealers here.
Mar 19, 2026
90
She’s still funny, sometimes foolish and still prone to malapropisms. .... In a season as upbeat as Valerie herself, “The Comeback” allows itself some moments of earned emotion.
