The episode establishes the plot of the series, which centers on comediennes from different generations (played by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder) who are thrust into a working relationship after separate circumstances threaten their careers.

Deborah Vance is an established comedienne in the twilight of her career with a residency at The Palmetto casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

She is financially successful and content with her regular Friday and Saturday night performances, as well as her frequent QVC sales appearances.

She later panics when Marty, the Palmetto's owner, takes her to lunch to celebrate her 2,500th performance and informs her that he is moving her to midweek so that her premium dates can be given to new acts like Pentatonix.

In an interview for Collider, Aniello said that the show aims to highlight the work of women trailblazers in comedy whose contributions have been minimized or who have experienced mistreatment by the media.

With her precision timing and bored California drawl, the actress brings such compelling confidence to her entitled, condescending character that it's all the more effective when Ava finally begins to face some hard truths about herself.