¶ The Comeback's Personal and Cultural Resonance
Hi, I'm Kristin Davis and I want to know are you a Charlotte?
Hi?
Everyone, Today is Part three with the wonderful, brilliant Michael Patrick Key. Thanks for joining us, little segue. I want to talk about The Comeback for a second because I love it so much.
Thank you.
So of course, whenever I watch anything else that you do, depending on the thing, obviously, right, but the Comeback is always like so close to home in so many ways, right, because she's an actress and she's our age basically, and you know, the first episode the first season was right after the end of our show, and I've told you many times I was just laying on like I was crying. So it was a great time for me to be watching to come Back. Though I really wanted to watch it,
but I was just so sad, you know. And I was forty or forty one or whatever it was, right, so like, and we didn't know what was happening. We didn't know if we were going to get our film made or what the hell was going to happen, right, Yeah, So it was just painful, you know, And because Valerie is always down and trying everything in her beautiful, sweet way to get things going and trying to make the
best of the situation that she's put in. It's just heartbreaking rate and I love this current one and I laugh out loud so many times. But also like, why did you name her show that?
How's that? Uh? Huh? Her name is? Her show is named How's that? Because Lisa and I after we did season two, there was never like a mandate to come back. We were just kind of like everybody thought we did a good job and that was that. HBO was kind of happy with it. But every now and then over the last eleven years, ten years, Lisa and I would have lon Jouey Lewis Valerie doing we maybe there's something new come back for it. We never really came up with an idea that was a big enough machine to
come back. We had funny things like Chicago, which we put in the first episode Vallery stars in Chicago, like because all.
The fucking funny.
Yeah, I know, but it was like we knew it was like right, but it wasn't. You can't super satisfying five years ago. We kept thinking it's not enough. So then one day we were talking and Lisa said, it's too bad. Valerie wasn't around during the SAG writers strike, Yeah, because she would have been hilarious. And then all of a sudden, the door opened in my mind and I said, why can't we go back for a minute, Why can't we start then? Because it's so funny, Why don't we
start then? And they'll think about this sag Writer's strike was when it ended. The thing, The sentence that stuck in my mind was we're going to have to renegotiate
in three years because of Ai. And as soon as that's what everybody was saying, like it's a happy ending, but we're still going to negotiate in three years because of Ai, and the minute that popped into my mind, I said, And then three years later we have We're at Ai and Valeries cast in the first multicam written about Ai, and Lisa went click, and then we started talking about it would be about bed and breakfast, like a typical sitcom, but we thought it was going to
be all about like she's a luddite and she doesn't understand technology. And Lisa within two minutes did a monologue as the proprietress and she went, I don't know what I'm doing everything I can, but I don't know that. I can't do any better than that. How's that? And it just came right out of her mouth, and I said, how's that. That's the sentence, that's the phrase, that's the name of the catchphrase. That's also the sitcom. So it just presented itself.
It didn't remind you at all of and just like that, how's that?
And then just like that, uh huh no, because it's not because it has the word that.
They're just they're just interestingly similar, kind of like dot dot dot question you know what I'm saying. They're phrases.
Well, and just like that is a dot dot dot to infinity, right, and this is a question mark in an exclamation. Right.
I'm sorry I said that to a writer. You guys have my trouble now.
I just letting you know that. And just like that eludes to who something happened? Yes, this is just like it's a comedy word. It's so I don't connect them except the word A J, A J, L T and H T. When I would see it, I oh that, I guess I like the word that.
Yeah, I think you do, because every reason I said, I'm like, wait, is he talking about us? I mean there's so many times then, like what because obviously you have so many situations in there, like you have Benito on Benny Well, Benito is my god a dream, right, but that whole scene, I'm dying that whole scene, right, Like I'm having similar situations in my current life. You know.
I think it's interesting because Valerie's world is usually about people diminishing her and she's got to fight for her thing our world and just like that and Sex and the City never felt like the is any mandate to
¶ Fighting Ageism and Media Expectations
diminish any of you. So the costumer clearly to me, would never happen on one of our shows, would happen on every other show.
Oh definitely, you know, I mean I'm having Kristian life. Oh yeah, yeah, because that is our world. You are diminished and told things by young people that are wrong.
I mean you realize that in season one, when she was forty, they made her an aunt in a funny, awful tracksuit.
Yes, yes, you're done now.
That part is a similar in the brand. Yes women saying yes, stop seeing us like we're done, right, And that's the connection.
Yes, totally, totally, totally.
It's like the thing that I love the most about what we did with that show was saying, stop seeing us the way you think we should be, and start seeing the way we are and can be. And that not only goes for the way the characters evolved specifically from Miranda to Miranda, but also the way that you were allowed to look and dress and I guess you're not allowed to be fifty eight fifty nine and go to a bodega in a tool skirt without meaning the
end of the world. And it's all really about how both the shows are about how women are fighting the way they are being told to be.
Yees seen yes or not seen? You know, fighting you exist.
Or danccene right right, I mean the Great Shocker Oan just like that to me was how there seemed to be you go away, I know, like we don't need to see you now, I know. And that happened on the second movie. Right before the second movie, there was an article in New York magazine where there were the four of you from Sex and the City a promo four like from back in the day, and they had masking tape over.
Oh oh, I remember. That was horrible.
It's like, what are you talking about? You haven't seen them. That was actually the first movie. You haven't seen them in four years and they can't speak. Why?
Right?
And that even it happened so much that I put it in the second movie when Carrie has tape over amount in the review of her book, right, But like, why are they told to go away?
Right?
Why are they told to me?
It's like in mainstream media, told without apology to go away. That's the part that bugs me, Like you should be embarrassed to say that. You know what I'm saying, Like, how dare you tell a whole demographic of people to go away and not speak? What is that? We know what it is. It's audacious that it's misogyny on their.
Society st right, society, still society.
This is why I'm not worked out about just like that, just so you know, because you're like, why we beget when we began, you were telling me, Yeah, I'm not.
Worked out about it. No, there's a lot of things to have an unrest about. Yes, When I was doing press for the comeback in Europe, somebody said to me, oh, I think it was a grace. I'm sure you're hoping that this goes better than your last attempt at coming back, And I said what are you talking about? They said. The reaction to him just like that, And you know what I said, call me in four years.
It is going to I saw that quote pulled out.
And I actually just recently heard something Lena Dunham said in her press tour about significant shows are never about when they're launched, They're about where they are in ten years.
Interesting.
I like that, do they stay in the consciousness? And I feel that and just like that was incredibly well made and anarchy again, which is what I'm so happy about. Right, because when we started Sex in the City, it was you're thirty four, right, you should have a husband, right? Was that simple?
Yes?
And if you don't, there's something wrong with you.
Right.
And then just like that was your fifty something you should have this figured out by now, right, and if you don't, there's something wrong with right.
And also you should just be quiet, just be quiet, mind your own business over there in the corner or whatever.
Just quietly, right, go into the background. Right, don't be old, right and bright, right and confused, right and alive, all the things. Don't be people we've never seen.
Before, right, that really upset them.
Rue McClanahan on the Golden girls was I think fifty and they had already retired and worried Florida, right, nothing, no future, I mean, and then there are all those women on it, just like that, violently fighting to be themselves still and it was quite a expression. And I
¶ Character Evolution and Creative Process
think people like their stories left alone. It's the only thing I'm interested in.
I agree, It's never entered my mind that they would want their stories left alone.
It's the same thing that made Sex and the City work is the evolution of the characters. And I'm really interested in the evolution of characters. And it was a it was a bold move to come back again with Valerie Cherish eleven years later. Yes, but I'm only interested in how people are growing or changing or not growing or not changing with the stories around that are and
with you three so beloved. I thought that'll be interesting, and then they were like, oh, okay, but maybe we didn't want them to change that, right.
Which I think too. And I mean, I don't really know, because as you know, I'm still processing. But I also think that some of it has to do with our bigger cultural moment of upheaval, you know, like maybe if we weren't in a total cultural chaos, they would have had more room for us to grow and change.
You mean, if the world was calmer, the characters could have had chaos maybe, but chaos on chaos. Yeah, it was a little we want ice cream, we don't want.
Us right like like or I don't know a syllabus, maybe I wouldn't, you know, But yes, it was a lot for them to try to take out on I just saw something the other day that seemed really smart that was about how you know the success of the Pit and the Pit the characters are obviously, you know, beautifully written and deep and you know whatnot, but they also are very good at their jobs and they care about the right things. So you're seeing the thing that
we're not seeing the world on your screen. Because when I first watched The Pit, I couldn't go to sleep, of course, because I have like medical anxiety, right, so it's like, oh my god, the anxiety. But then I did want to watch it. I did find myself drawn to watch it and try to try to get to sleep. I try to watch something lighter after and then go to sleep. But you know that people want to see
competence and solidness. They're not being super eloquent right now in what they're seeing, because the world is not that right, but we we are challenging our brand is.
I will say that everything on the pit which I find so interesting is the new people I think no is amazing, Yes, and the more people you haven't seen before. Yeah, but all those characters that are making mistakes and putting in the wrong catheter catheter.
Right right right, that's good, f right right, right, right right. That's a good point. That's a really good point too. That's a really good point. I think all that stuff is super interesting to think about.
Yeah, I love all the humanity and the pit. I think it's really interesting, how flawed the character, especially know as character is, and all the new faces that's what TV used to be.
Yeah, I agree, it's beautiful. It's beautiful to watch. I agree. And I feel like we did that too, you know, in the first show and the second show, you know what I mean. But I think my other reason that I'm still you know, first of all, as I've said many times now, so forever, you know, I still just want to work together forever. Yeah, because everything else is like like less.
Ah. Here's the thing. Yes, I got to a point on Sex and the City where my story person that lives inside my head. Yeah, said, we're done for now.
Right, you told me this and it happened, right.
And this felt like that, and ah, I didn't. I respect everybody so much that I thought we're done for now.
And I respect that. I just didn't necessarily expect it in that second that had happened, or that moment. I mean, I wasn't shocked. You Remember when you called me. I was like, no, I felt the vibes. Yeah, but I didn't feel the vibes from you. I felt the vibes from the world. And I don't mean the criticism. I
just mean the the strangeness. I don't know how to put it right, But like, we really just take you for granted that you are like plugged into this you know, vision board of the ethers or whatever it is, because you always really are, which reminds me I need to ask you something from the season specifically. But like, I fully respect that you are the font, right, you are the Oh look, I.
Mean that's a very grand statement to say.
It's true.
I'm happily every now and then visited by an idea that I is very clear. Yeah, yeah, And when we were doing the end of season one of it, just like that, we were standing, we were doing the blocking of Carrie moving into that house, and I knew season season.
Yeah, yeah, and I saw the lights.
In your boom. I know what season three is. Yes, and I waited it didn't come. It's not. I'm not the vision board. I am the executor of a vision.
But the reality is I mean, you're the receiver of the vision.
Yes, yes, or else. I have my sense of story taste right, and I could work for you with you forever.
¶ 9/11's Impact on Sex and the City
Me too, Yes, me too, and that's why and good, good, That's what I want here to say. So, big question, big question, with some debate. Remember I love New York, Yes, how wait, I heart New York. I heart New York. How Okay. So there's this a picture of Willie and Sir Jessica on the streets of New York wearing an outfit that is not ever in the show. And Sir Jessica told us it was a scene that was iHeart New York but got cut, but that they had filmed it.
But we filmed and wrapped before nine to eleven, because I remember we I wrapped on like the ninth or something like this, that a photo shoot on the tenth, was flying on the eleventh, Sarah was starting rehearsal on the eleventh, like we had just wrapped, right, But then for some reason, bless you, for some reason, they held episodes. They cut our season into two that year. Do you remember this?
The season was cut into six and then the rest.
Okay, So what we do know for sure is that we had filmed you had written, and we had filmed iHeart New York before nine to eleven, correct, correct, got it? So anyone who thinks out there that we were somehow responding and had gone back to film, no, you had some kind of prescient unless.
The iHeart New York is the one where the autumnly faults, Yes, and Miranda's water breaks, Yes, and she talks about voiceover. Now, I could have changed the voiceover, got it. I could have said, seasons change as cities. I remember that, got it, got it, got it, So I could have addressed it there.
Got it, got it, got it.
Got It's really where we addressed it was anchors away the beginning of the next season, which was week.
Right, that's the pregnancy season.
And that was we got to go downtown and spend some well earned money because of how bad Damn Town was. But seasons change, as do cities. I think I probably did got it redo a voiceover, got it, got to incorporate something, and we did take the World Trade Towers out of the opening credit.
Right, which I thought was the right thing.
And a couple of scenes actually, when Samantha and Richard are on the roof of his swim, the whole background was the World Trade Towers and we had quite a debate about should we take them out or leave them in or take them out of leave them in, But it was after they had gone, so it made the show invalid.
I agree in stressing in the moment right, very stressful.
Yeah, yes, it's still very stressful. When you see them in things, you go, oh my god.
Yes, I agree, totally, totally. Okay, that was super helpful because I had also had some weird idea. But I think it was that when we did go back to work, they said, will you guys go downtown right to be on the streets and you know, show that we're functioning. I couldn't remember when that was. And because there was this picture of Willia and Sarah in a scene that I don't remember, and Sarah said, oh, yeah, we filmed a scene that was just didn't make it in the EPISODECU.
Obviously we had to cut things like not based on anything important, just time. You don't.
Yeah. The only scene that I ever remember seeing pictures of that was not in anything was there was a Willie. There was a Stanford Carrey scene in the first movie where she's in a very very very pretty pink dress. I think this is in a bright suit a summer see.
What was the scene.
I think it was scene right around talking about BITSI or something. I don't got it, got it?
Got it? So it's just cut just for time, not not Maybe that's what it is. This is the it's a beautiful PIC's west what I think that's from? Got it? Okay? This picture is what has been irking me, like I can't place it? Yeah, okay, got it, got it.
It's a summer scene. He's in a gray suit. She's in a pink dress with like a little islet lace.
I think so top it's a thing. Can you pull the picture up in can you find it? Got it? Because that's been the thing that's been just like, what was that? What was that or either one of you. Thank you so much. That was because when when we talked to Sarah, she said, oh, I do think there was a scene cut, but maybe she's remembering also the movie you know.
Yeah, I mean I don't remember ever putting a Stanford scene on the ground except for the movie.
¶ Behind the Scenes: Props and Mementos
It's Funny.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. It was always so much fun fun.
Funny and fun and very those were like targeted, like you really wrote those with such intense yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Did you see this sale on Julian's.
I did not.
Oh my god. It is so trippy and bizarre. So you can get like like all of our props and stuff from and just like that, you can go and and and and buy them at this auction called Julian's. And there's like all the letters that Stanford wrote Carrie are there.
Oh that's my handwriting.
I know, that's your handwriting.
Every handwriting on the show is mine. Everyone the Burger posted is the Miranda list of pros and cons for Steve is my handwriting got Carrie some of Carrie's And every now and then I would say to Sarah, Jessica, write this right, because she's left handed and has a weird signature, right, but yeah, that is definitely my handwriting in Stanford.
Harry's chapters of her book are there. Oh yeah, yeah, I mean, oh.
All that's good ship, Yes, that is good. I remember writing that and going like this will be fun to write. And then now it's available.
Yeah, well it's available if you go on there.
And I would I wanted if it was seen by Sarah Jessica that she didn't feel like she was a bad writer.
Oh that's nice, you know, so at least the.
First three pages where she would flip there would be then thick looking.
Oh they just duplicated. Okay, I don't think anyone. I don't think the sale is closed or whatever song you we'll be hearing more, got it?
The first two pages or key pages, this pros and the rest is just every I'll work and no play makes jacket from the shining. It's just it's just repeated, repeated, repeated, repeated prop.
Wow, that's super funny.
Okay, there's some legitimate writing by me. Wow wow, asked Kerrie writing a book, Maybe.
Craig should go on Julian's and did.
Craig actually said to me a couple of times, Page what about this auction? Like I always feel like I don't know.
I feel the same way like I don't know if.
I want to see any of our magic. I know, down to a table.
I know. I mean they have Myrtle's dog bed, Richard Bird's dog bed, and the little Taco dog toy. I kind of want that.
You know what I have in my office? I have Charlotte's white opaque drinking glasses in.
Every bedside or from the kitchen from.
Sex and the City kitchen, And every time I get a drink of water, I have that white opaque.
That's beautiful.
Yeah, I have like six of them.
That was a good one. Good call. Charlotte lamp. Have Charlotte's pink lamp from the Very very.
Fantastic and in and should have at one point. Carrie has a very tiny silver shamrock necklace sauce with a little diamond chip in it. And Pat Field and Sarah Jessica gave me a duplicate of that. It's such a delicate that I wore it, Baby Chain. I wore it from the minute they gave it to me Season four, all the way through and up till the movies, and I actually took it off when the first movie wasn't going to go. Oh, because we thought it was going to go, and then it wasn't going to go. Couldn't
make the deal. Couldn't make the deal. And that night it was three. The script was ridiculously long, it was three hundred pages. I had a big fire. I had a big fireplace in La outside.
I remember what we did the ceremony on New.
Year's Eve, and I said, all right, I have to let this go. And I took the three hundred page script and I sat in front of the fire and I started throwing pages and like I was in an Ibsen play. And then and then it was so hot. I was like I started throwing in thirty at a time. And I was still there, my knees were and I went upstairs and I took off the chain ceremonially, and I put it away, never to be thought of again. And the next day they called and said, they made
the deal. We're doing the real way. God, how you made it, got it?
This is fascinating all.
Those years wow, wow. And I called that baby chain because it was so deelius.
Yeah, but where's the necklace? Where's the next? Oh good, it's say good good good carry.
I was like, oh, there it is.
Oh look there's the picture. There's the picture. That's it. It's totally can you see it? Yeah, thank you so much for answering that question. We have asked that question and.
Like, definitely not in because that was that was fall right. That's pink that got.
It, got it, got it, got it, got it, got it. That makes so much sense, I think because Cynthia all
¶ Miranda's Pregnancy: A Bold Narrative Choice
were already had Sam when we met her. You know, obviously super maternal in her own way. Right, everyone is maternal in their own way. So I had forgotten, like when you're really because now I'm steeped into characters much more more than I was when we were originally making them. I'm like, yeah, this this is crazy, that this, you know, she's so.
Like hardball, hardball, rocketball.
Yes.
Yes, everything she says about being a mother, she said, okay, kids, let's forget my life.
I mean literally everything she says about.
Love, yeah, well she says to carry at one point. Okay, you know what else is interesting? There's some things that I didn't write, and I wrote lines off of Carrie and it happens twice off a reaction. The first thing is, Okay, what's what the eyes? You said? Oh, yes, given the eyes. Yes, there's no really words I could say. I just had them say.
It was great. And it reminds me. Do you remember later when Charlotte.
Just like that, you give the big But what about in the Miranda scene where Carrie is saying, she's saying, you're not going to have it? She gives her a look, Yeah, you're right, I'm going to give up everything I wanted in life and have Steve's baby pizza for everyone. The sarcast god is intense, fantastic buzz saw. And you know that really leads to the fact that when they did those polls back in the day when we were doing the show, who do you identify with?
Oh?
Yeah, it was always like eleven percent Miranda. And I was like, bullshit, I know so many Miranda's, but they don't want to attach to that wildly sharp wit, sarcasm and uh negativity. What was so important? You know? No one wanted to identify with that, even though that's a lot of the world.
Yeah, and also, I mean, Marena's brilliant, brilliant, had great jokes, Yeah, great jokes and like she's not wrong.
Miranda had one of those things that I love is when a character has a sense of humor and you know what, like it's not the writers putting jokes in her mouth, Like Miranda has a sense of humor, and Miranda has imagine saying something funny.
Yeah, yeah, like a.
Character an actress doing a joke. It's like Miranda's funny, right.
She's funny and whip smart, I mean, super smart and insightful and just going to call it like it is. I mean it's quite something too of fault absolutely, but still yes, yes, So when she does, I mean I really was just thinking like, yeah, this is a stretch, Like this is a big stretch to have Miranda just suddenly decide. But when she's in the waiting room with Carrie.
Oh that is interesting because it was kind of as you said, none of the writers in the writing room were at the trying to have children or having children. Yet. I think Julie might have kids when we met her, Julie Julian and we're together.
I think they were together, but I don't think they had a kid.
Well they don't because their kids are thirteen and seventeen. Yeah, and we're way past those, right, right, they had babies after.
Yeah.
But the thing that Miranda says that's interesting is what about when I'm forty something and her scary age, her scary age. Yeah, she says, Charlotte's having trouble now. And then she says, is this my baby?
I know it's cuts? Oh it cuts. It's so good, It's so good. And that's also like he's just so good, you know, She's just like, I mean, everyone's so good when I look back. I mean, not that I didn't think they were, but you know, the layers.
The layers, layers, and that the complete evolution. There's a slight evolution in everyone from doing it and being it. Yeah, being it. At this point, everyone's just being it. Yeah, you guys are acting and stuff, but you're sort of embodying it. You're just living in it. Everybody's very relaxed and happy, and we all know what our jobs are. And the writing is leaving space. Oh you mean, like there's space for you to feel underneath it. Yeah, you're saying jokes but filling them in with subtext.
And yeah, but that's also the editing, Like you guys were editing amazing because like there'd be silences where I remember in the beginning it would cut cut when you spoke right and then like you might have a two shot reaction. But now there's so many silent.
Became a very It had a great vine. Yeah, that it grew into a great vibe where there was pace but also unexpected, like people were surprised every week.
I mean I'm surprised rewatching it and I thought I knew everything, but I do not.
There was a surprising Oh, they're going to Miranda's pregnant, right, how are they going to get away with that?
Yes?
What are they going to do with that? Now Miranda
¶ The Emotional Depth of The Comeback
has a baby? How's Maranda going to be Miranda?
I know, I can't wait, Just like how is.
Anyone going to be a mother? Yes, they still maintained themselves.
It's a huge question. It's still an ongoing question.
It was we laid a ball, yes, and yet still seems current.
Well, this is why we're still talking about it, why it's on Netflix, and why all kind of young people come up and talk to me about it.
Yeah. So nice, Yeah amazing. Yeah, Well I just want to.
Talk about the comeback for a second too, because like when I think about you, And I thought about this when we were at the Human Rights Campaign when the package rolled, which is so brilliant and so many different things in different shows and different so so many different ways.
It was a package that I put together of all my LGPTQ plus characters and the straight friends yeah.
The Allies, the Allies yeah, and the visibility. The award was for the visibility, And it was so brilliant to see it altogether because there was so much right, was so much over so much time too, and it was just beautiful to look at. And each show obviously is different, it has a different vibe, and that's what I was thinking about when I watched the Comeback. It's so incredibly different. Yeah, but it has so much heart, but also I'm laughing out loud. It also has so much to say about
our culture but also our industry. But also her is just a human trying so hard, and you love her so much and you just feel for her and like it's almost like everything is just stacked against her all the time and she's trying so hard. Like the one that I watched this morning, which when I was talking to Juliae and Alisa last week I made the mistake of watching Motherboard rewatching Motherboard while I was doing my makeup. Well, then I had to start all again because man, did
it get me bad. You know, I mean it cuts straight down into the grief and the loss so great, so incredible and so then but then what they said was that you were the one who had said, we are going to do this, Like it was on the whiteboard, we are going to have a death's going to be a Miranda's mother. This was not something that was being done in television in general and comedies, you know, it
just wasn't. But you said we're going to do this, and then they didn't know who would be assigned witch scripts. And then as it was coming closer, you were like, you guys, and it's just so incredible what they were able to do. And then the next one, a change of address that they wrote, also incredible, like wow, And they really said that was because you like kind of
brought them in, you know, they met with Darren. They almost missed the meeting because they were going to get on the plane because they're so funny, and then their agent was like, no, you're going. And then they went to the writer's room and you were there and you just kind of cultivated them, and then you would also lean in their office and say you're fired.
Well, they were terrified.
I love it. I love.
Terrifying.
Definitely, definitely so good. But also they were just like little kids. They were so young.
Yeah, that's smart and so clever and originals my mother board myself. That's their story. It's so sad. Mac the computer died. That's them and that was a good story. And then I took a big swing and said, you do the funeral. And you know, they're all us. They're all us. So you know, it is thrilling to be able to completely have different vibrations of shows and still have something that you feel as important humanity to them.
So you know, the Comeback has a wild sort of wheels coming off the cart pace that we didn't have in a lot of shows, right, but it does have it suits its personality, oh most definitely.
So this morning I was watching as I was getting ready. I think it's just the most recent one where at the end, you know, they found out I don't know, I hope I'm not straight. Yes, the leak, which also made me laugh out loud, but then at the end I was just so crushed and then I was like, don't cry, you gotta go Jamaica on see Michael Patrick. But I mean it was oh so good when things have just like and it's not her fault. It's not Valerie's fault, but no one sees everything that she goes through.
They the whole TikTok world turns against her, and any actress can sort of imagine that nightmare. But the thing that's great about that episode and why you probably cried, is because the husband comes home.
Oh thank god. I was so worried. I was so worried.
Here's the thing. If you're going to write sad, give them something definitely to be okay about.
Thank God, I guess you.
Know what I mean. That's what we did on every You know, if Charlotte can't get pregnant, give her a friendship where she sees someone loves her. And then she showed you know, it's all about don't leave them there. They can get enough of.
That in real life in real life, definitely.
But to reflect life and then sort of elevate or not elevate, but like bring a little bit more energy up to it so you have a little bit of overview, So you can sort of cry in a.
Good way definitely, well cry in a connection connected way, like you're connected and you feel But also it's like a kind of about our culture in a way, you know, like the thing like we're just like this, one tiny part of a story leaks and blows up and then the wrong person's blamed, and then someone might be trying to defend that person, but then the other person still blamed, and it just feels like the world is against you and doesn't understand you, and it's like so just deeply
upsetting the culture.
You know, it is a very challenging time to be an individual totally. It'll go further. A human definitely is a machine.
Definitely.
You know, everything that's so great about art, acting in it, writing it, directing, it is about being a human. Yeah, and like saying hey, this hurts, it's funny, and it's this and it's that. So that's why I think we're always sort of be here because I agree we're looking for us.
Yes, and and AI is not us.
No, no, And there's been a million million attempts at doing some brand, but unless it has the spark of that individual group, right, it doesn't.
¶ The Future of Human Storytelling and AI
Track, right, And it's also I believe that the things that made people laugh and or cry are unexpected things. So how is AI going to be able to do unexpected things if it's just uh, what's the word when you're like reading everything and then spitting it back at you. There's a word. I think it's called Okay, there's a better word, but I can't think of it. But you know what I'm saying. It's not a it's not an original thinker, right, So how is it going to surprise anybody?
Unfortunately, there is a ton of television that doesn't command your heart or soul.
I know you enjoy it, Yeah.
You can just watch it. So you know, people always thought when we started the Comeback it was really about the emergence of reality TV and it wasn't going to kill in the narrative storytelling. And it didn't. It just made a very tacky wing on the house, totally like a tacky wing. Sure that if you enjoy it, I have a judgment. If you enjoy it, you can go
over there. But you can still go see adolescence. Yeah, you know there's a still a world, yes, where there's some very human expression and then just stuff to watch right, so I'm sure a I will find it's that's a good point.
That's a good point. That's a good point. How many episodes more do we have of the comeback coming?
There's eight in total and they just aired six.
Oh no, Michael, what are you gonna do next?
I'm thinking and dreaming and imagining. And it's a very interesting moment because I don't have any ip right now. I have to create something completely new, and it's thrilling.
Well, that's exciting.
It's very exciting.
Are you well rested? Have you gotten rest? You have?
Still a little bit like a crack monkey looking for the button because I just came off the big press tour in the machine of it. But I don't think I ever rest. I think I it's hard to picture. Calm down a little bit and I dream and I then start thinking something else, like what's coming in next?
That's good?
What's coming into the antenna? Yeah, what's the next? So it's exciting as long as there is a next, and I think there will be.
How could there not be? Come on?
We need you, yeah, we need you. We got to work together again, I know any time.
I mean, yeah, we'll see if I can find anything interesting. I don't know. It's tough out there to find interesting stuff after you've had what we've had, you know, do yes, it's interesting. Like there's people that I meet and I like them, right, youngsters, really young young directors, and I think like, yeah, yeah, I could go. I could go and work with them. I could go and work with them. But then it's like.
It's tard because.
It doesn't pull all of you, like the parts aren't. And then I'm like, should I do it? If I don't care that much? Do you know what I mean?
It's hard to be open to be surprised. Okay, because I just had a meal with two really exciting up and comers and I'm like, wow.
Well that's how I feel about Benny and Mary Beth.
Yeah, come on, I like, I was like, wow, those are and they're self made and they're doing and remember we had an evolution. Everyone's going to have an evolution. Yeah. But the thing is.
Uh, you're right, you're right.
That's good to thinking of people as wild cards.
I mean, the people. I'm totally not upset with the people. It's more the overall project. And I think it's because I'm spoiled right.
There's not a lot of great ideas out there that are getting a lot of light.
No, so you know, right, Yeah.
Anytime people see you, they're excited. Just but you do have a level now that you want to maintain.
Yeah, so that's that's the that's the difficulty.
That's where it gets scary. It gets scary how long can I maintain my level?
But it's not even so much about that because some of that I I understand that we're in a chaos point, right, So I'm not so much it's more about the level of excitement of the actual creative work. That's where I get hung up.
Here's the facts. Yeah, you have a lot to give, and you've been asked to give fully. To give a third or less or less feels a little bit disappointing.
Right, And then I don't want to go if I'm going to feel disappointed because I don't want to let the people down. Right, such a hard thing to navigate. I feel like I should send you these things. I think we're done now, we probably because now we're going to just you know.
Start talking about projects.
Totally, which you know, we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But I mean, you know this is.
Say yes or no to it.
Okay, great, thank you, thank you. I mean you won't you're shaking your head. I mean it's a joy. I mean, there's so many things I was supposed to ask you about. I'm sure, but I forgot. But I don't care, because it's just a joy to follow you in a conversation. Well, it's a pleasure to We love you so much, and I love you pass