The Morning Show is not only one of faces of the AppleTV streaming platform, it has consistently been among the app’s highly anticipated and viewed series. Can’t say I’m surprised; this is a show that showcases Hollywood’s elite acting talents in starring as well as guest-starring capacity, and Season 3 of the series continues to follow that recipe. Let’s start with the main cast, which includes Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, and Mark Duplass; these four have made up the core members of the cast for the show’s four-season run. They are consistent faces that appear in every episode, with the storyline wrapped around these four. This is also the first season that does not include Steve Carrell’s character, signifying the show moving in a different direction and away from the scandal that was a recurring theme of the first two seasons. The show also featured a number of new faces this season including Nicole Beharie, Jon Hamm, Stephen Fry, Tig Notario, Clive Standen, and Natalie Morales.
To recap the first two seasons, The Morning Show followed the chaotic aftermath at a top television network after a beloved male co-anchor (Steve Carrell) is fired amidst a massive sexual misconduct scandal. Season 1 chronicled the power struggle and shifting dynamic between his former co-host, Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), and a fiery, unpredictable new reporter, Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), as they navigated institutional complicity and media ethics. Season 2 shifted focus to the anchors trying to rebuild their shattered reputations and navigate shifting cultural reckonings, all while the quiet, looming arrival of the 2020 global pandemic began to disrupt the world around them.
“The world as we know it is over, Alex. We are officially in the Thunderdome.”
In a sense this quote particularly encompasses where the characters find themselves in this season. As previously stated, the network is in uncharted territory, with each member of the crew facing both professional and personal obstacles. Take Alex, who shifted from a media survivor into an institutional power player, as this season she leverages her star power to demand a leadership seat on United Broadcast Association’s (UBA) corporate board. However, her ambitions become intertwined with her personal life, as she becomes enamored with tech billionaire Paul Marks (Jon Hamm), who Cory is attempting to convince to buy the network. Cory, on the other hand, spends much of the season in desperation mode, as he fights for the network’s financial survival in a high-wire act, balancing legal and professional limits. Recognizing that UBA is on the brink of bankruptcy, Cory banked everything on securing a multi-billion-dollar buyout from tech billionaire Paul Marks.
“The truth matters. Sometimes it’s the only weapon that we have against the powerful men who are trying to shut us up.”
The above quote perfectly summarizes Bradley’s arc this season, which is centered around an agonizing moral crisis and a dark legal coverup that ultimately threatened to destroy her journalist career. After securing her dream job as the evening news anchor, Bradley’s life is thrown into chaos when damaging criminal evidence threatens to expose a loved one and forces her to make a questionable choice in the name of protecting them. This situation and her guilt over it plagued her throughout the season, leading her to make a decision that will affect her future going forward, both professionally and personally.
Of these storylines, I think I found Bradley’s moral dilemma the most humanizing and the one I found I was most invested in. All deference to Aniston’s and Crudup’s performances, but their storylines were essentially about their characters seeking to further their ambitions and secure their power. Bradley’s at least showed the crossroads of familial loyalty and journalistic integrity. Witherspoon did great showcasing this dilemma, as well as balancing her dynamic with Crudup as the two find their friendship/relationship tested this season on multiple fronts. Where things leave off for Bradley on all these fronts provides Witherspoon character with the most growth opportunities for the next season, whilst Aniston’s and Crudup’s have winner and loser. I’ll let you watch to know which one is which.
Of the ten episodes, I found White Noise the most compelling of them, as the network is thrown into turmoil as a result of email leaks which show an executive making disrespectful comparisons of the news station’s new co-anchor, played by Nichole Beharie. The episode gave the newcomer a opportunity to confront the exec in what was supposed to be a saving-face interview, but with Beharie hijacking the interview to force the exec to show her true colors. The subplot shows additional fallout from the leak as execs found themselves confronted with pay disparity disputes. For me, the episodes shone a light on many of the toxic workplace conditions that are far too common in this day and age, making the episode very much grounded in reality.
I can see why The Morning Show has remained one of the crown jewels of the AppleTV platform. It really is a compelling and very grounded example of, or at least what I imagine, occurs at a major news affiliate. I hadn’t watched prior to this review being assigned to me, but I dare say that I’m invested now. At the very least, I have to watch the next season to know the fallout for three of the show’s main characters.
