ABC 20/20

Legendary Vegas comedian Deborah Vance is in danger of losing her residency. Meanwhile in LA, young, entitled writer Ava is desperate for a job. Their mutual manager Jimmy sets them up on a meeting, much to their chagrin.

With her prime performance slots hanging in the balance, Deborah reluctantly begins working with Ava, testing their initial compatibility with a highly unconventional road trip. As they encounter unexpected bumps, Ava learns a messy lesson in resilience.

After being enlisted for the arduous task of archiving material from Deborah’s entire career, Ava gains invaluable insight into her employer. An unexpected package fuels longstanding tensions between Deborah and an estranged family member, and later, Ava reaches out to someone from her own past.

As Deborah scrambles to keep her dates intact, an unexpected tip drops in her lap at a bat mitzvah. Meanwhile, after DJ’s request for a favor from Deborah is rejected, Ava accompanies her to a jewelry expo – only to learn more about Deborah and DJ’s complicated mother-daughter relationship.

Reeling from a surprise encounter with a group of former colleagues, Ava takes a chance on George, who promises a wildly different Vegas evening – and encourages her to take a bold leap of faith. After a disagreement with Marcus over the future of her career, Deborah reveals her cards to Marty.

While her retreat with Deborah isn’t what she envisioned, it provides Ava a chance to correct a mistake. Finding himself with rare time off, Marcus reaches out to a surprising source for company. Later, Deborah reveals the truth about a major myth in her career.

While DJ shows off her new man at her birthday party, Deborah and Marty put their differences aside to enjoy each other’s company. But when the celebration becomes a surprise dual function, Ava is tasked with an important responsibility.

After Marty delivers a crushing blow, Deborah and Ava travel to a comedy club in Sacramento to try out her new material, which inadvertently sparks a career-defining moment for Deborah. Meanwhile, Ava finds herself stuck between her parents’ competing interests, and Marcus takes a step forward with Wilson.

Ava tries to keep a secret from Deborah, but someone in Deborah’s inner-circle leverages the truth. Meanwhile, Deborah stares down the barrel of her first radically honest show.

For her final performance at the Palmetto, Deborah must decide between playing it safe and putting her entire career on the line. Meanwhile, Ava deals with a family crisis.