You may wonder why is this adjacent to Time 2 Live Again?
My response: well-dressed power players, in a perfectly shot production about living the high life amidst corporate takeover? You tell me why it doesn’t fit…
That fit is exactly why I’m covering this now. But its lack of polish at points is why it’s taken so long to acknowledge. This has been rectified. For three seasons, The Morning Show was a frustrating watch. Neither Jennifer Aniston’s charm, perennial favourite Jon Hamm, nor silver fox Steve Carell could truly redeem it. The show lingered in that uncomfortable middle ground: just interesting enough to pull you back for “one more episode,” but never enough to satisfy. Now, finally, it has found its footing.
So what’s changed? The show has accepted that its sleeper picks are its true asset. Leaning into Billy Crudup’s smarmy yet satisfying, sharp Cory Ellison, and giving Mark Duplass meaningful storylines. This is what has made all the difference. These characters bring substance and tension, the kind that makes you care. Yes. Mia and Christina are both more interesting than previous and that helps move things along.
Spoiler Below
Previous seasons relied on tired tropes and hackneyed clichés, never delivering catharsis. Mitch’s storyline, for example, felt trapped in a post-MeToo bubble: more interested in cataloguing the problems left by powerful men than in exploring what to actually do when their actions don’t land them in jail. The answer can’t just be “if he dies, he dies.” And Jon Hamm’s Elon Musk/Bezos hybrid? Poorly executed, dragging through Season 3 with a political message that no one was brave enough to deliver.
Thank goodness for Stella, Cory, and Bradley characters. Their arcs finally save the show from the inevitable cringe surrounding Alex Levy.
I don’t know anyone who actually watches The Morning Show. Surely they exist somewhere, like Lotuses. Maybe they all live in Monaco too? I know Slow Horses fans. I know Ted Lasso disciples. Mr. Corman never really gripped the masses but then, pearls before swine. And yet, despite its stellar cast, The Morning Show has always underperformed, even with beautiful cinematography and phenomenal acting on display.
My criticism has always been the same: it’s a hodgepodge. Self-serving girl-bossery, the stuff of Goop subscriptions. Recycled MeToo reckonings, Covid, racism in the workplace, January 6. This show tackles ambitious topics but rarely has a perspective beyond “people are complicated.” It has existed in my mind as gorgeous doership. Technically proficient, visually appealing, and star-studded but lacking soul. Existing to exist. Okay that was harsh? Quite. Now, it’s quite good. Midway through season 3 TMS decided to tell good stories. To lean into great acting. To focus on the most compelling characters and give them arcs that actually matter. That’s gold.
Currently, my Sky Glass displays the Apple TV Top 10: Ted Lasso is number 5, despite years’ hiatus and most people not knowing how to spell Sudeikis. The Morning Show sits at number 2, likely buoyed by Witherspoon and Aniston’s cover appeal and the strength of the last two episodes. And number 1? Slow Horses. Five seasons, Gary Oldman, tight storytelling in a world of espionage and glorious filth. The Morning Show is finally catching up. Maybe the next cover should be Marion Cotillard?
More to come on this topic. This is worth watching…now, finally, for the right reasons.
More TV worth your evening, and a Bond conversation it forces: Amazon Just Made the Case for a Brown James Bond.