The Comeback

It's the weekend of the Emmys in the second-season finale, and Valerie is riding high thanks to her success in "Seeing Red," and even gets noticed by a former "Room and Bored" costar at Juna's big bash, but she's still not sure if her husband, Mark, will be by her side on the most important night of her life.

"Seeing Red" premieres and Valerie deals with a barrage of reviews, but the harshest criticism comes not from the ladies on "The Talk" or the media but from her husband, Mark. Meanwhile, Valerie gets a surprise on a trip to Mickey's apartment.

Valerie plans a special date for her and Mark, but a re-shoot threatens to change her plans. Paulie feels anxious over early reviews.

Valerie's set up for an exclusive interview by the network's publicity department. Later, Valerie visits Paulie G.'s old writing partner when she's concerned about her current boss.

Valerie makes an impulsive decision when she learns that some of her "Seeing Red" scenes may be cut. Later, she brushes up on her improv skills at The Groundlings Theatre.

The first day on set for "Seeing Red," Valerie meets her A-list movie star co-star - Seth Rogen - who will be portraying Mitch, the fictionalized Paulie G. Later, Valerie does her best to put on a brave face while filming a fantasy sequence in the show.

Preferring she use a professional crew for behind-the-scenes footage of "Seeing Red," HBO asks Valerie to bring back Jane, the producer who followed her on "Room and Bored." Meanwhile, Val's publicist, Billy, gets her an appointment with celebrity stylist Brad Goreski for the Golden Globes.

While shooting footage for a self-produced reality TV pilot she hopes will get picked up by Bravo, Valerie Cherish learns that her nemesis, Paulie G., is creating a series for HBO about a sitcom writer and his relationship with a neurotic older actress - a redhead named Mallory Church. After dropping in on Andy Cohen's lunch, an incensed Valerie crashes the HBO offices to create a "table flipping scene" worthy of a Bravo show, as she tells them to cease and desist.

After hosting a memorable coming-out party for the premiere of The Comeback, Valerie marks an even more memorable guest appearance on The Tonight Show. Valerie Cherish's "comeback" appears to be official... could she really be "it" again?

Jane pulls rank on Tom and Paulie G. to get Valerie more lines on "Room and Bored". A stalker threat forces extra security on the set, exposing Valerie's old back problems as she's prepping for a big pratfall scene.

Valerie is pleased as spiked punch when "Room and Bored" gets nominated for a People's Choice Award. After a rigorous fast and a painstaking wardrobe selection, Valerie is ready to make a big impact on the red carpet... if only the paparazzi will oblige.

With Juna getting all the hype and magazine covers, Valerie enlists a new publicist, Billy Stanton, to land her a cover. Billy scores her a shoot for Be Yoga, forcing Valerie to remodel her fitness room and take a yoga crash course.

At the insistence of the network, "Room and Bored" gets a makeover and two new cast members, spurring talk of a coup by the "original five". Meanwhile, Valerie spends some quality time with her stepdaughter, Franchesca, and her rotten little friends.

Valerie and Mark head to the desert for a long weekend at a Palm Springs resort - with strings attached. While Mark draws the line with Jane's crew on the golf course, Valerie finds a new mentor in an old acquaintance.

Excited about a "Room and Bored" episode dedicated to her character, Valerie pulls some strings to get a "name" actor to play Aunt Sassy's romantic interest. A celebration at the Viper Room proves typically embarrassing for Valerie.

With the cast in a funk following "Room and Bored"'s lackluster premiere, Valerie tries to boost morale with a late-night cookie delivery that gives new meaning to her trademark line, "I don't want to see that!"

Valerie worries that her comeback storyline isn't "enough," as the network tries to spice up her reality show by cross-breeding it with another one - and by pulling a highway prank that nearly sabotages Valerie's lunch with a TV Guide editor.

Concerned that Paulie G. has written an unflattering line that will turn audiences against her character, Valerie enlists a new writer, Gigi, to help pitch a less offensive one. Meanwhile, Valerie rethinks her impulsive decision to adopt a puppy.

After a table read for "the first official episode," Valerie invites her co-stars to a "bonding lunch," but Juna doesn't show up. The two make up later with a one-on-one lunch, where Valerie learns why Juna is such a paparazzi favorite.

The cast of "Room and Bored" is flown to New York City to introduce the media to Aunt Sassy and her attractive young charges. The ever bubbly Valerie gets a reality check on just how far her star has fallen.

Valerie wants a role in a new sitcom pilot called "Room and Bored", about four hip singles living in a condo, but can only get it if she allows cameras to follow her for a reality show. She lands the part but soon discovers that it's not the one she was expecting.