The original post: /r/television by /u/Classic-Survey3618 on 2024-07-08 17:58:03.
I find most modern TV comedy leads unlikeable and difficult to root for (e.g. The Other Two, Schitt’s Creek, You’re The Worst, even Fleabag). It can certainly work, Veep’s Selina Meyer is one of the very best, as we’re meant to laugh at her and watch as she loses every last shred of her humanity rather than root for her success. And of course characters should be flawed, I don’t mean to suggest otherwise.
But Valerie Cherish, despite having many flaws of her own, is fundamentally a kind person who tries her absolute hardest. She’s the person who gets personalized presents for everyone, bakes cookies for her show’s writers at 1:00am because she knows they’re working late, makes sure her stepdaughter eats, etc. Most refreshingly, as jealous she is of her younger costar - a walking reminder of what she once had and no longer does - she doesn’t take it out her once and instead takes her under her wing. A lot of that was “too much” and definitely cringe, that’s where a lot the comedy came from, but it was always well-intentioned. She lets it all go to her head especially in the show’s second season but inevitably comes back down because that’s who she is.
Even if we don’t understand or relate to wanting the spotlight that desperately, or her goals in general, we can’t help but want it for her. We need more characters like her.
I also want to give credit to Lisa Kudrow not just for her unbelievable performance but for co-creating and co-writing this show, which doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough.