‘The Morning Show’ Season 3 is As Sensational, Hot-Button-Pushing, and Soapy As Ever
Breaking news and juicy personal drama still make for good TV
Apple TV+’s The Morning Show has never tried to hide that it was somewhat the clickbait equivalent of television right from the start. Mirroring and reflecting on real-life news, events, and hot-button topics through a fictional broadcast news program and its stars has always been the bread and butter of the series. The main difference setting it apart from ostentatious and shallow dramas, however, was its talented cast and the cognizant writing that lent the appropriate amount of sensitivity to issues like the MeToo movement and cancel culture. Although it might not have always been as profound and eye-opening as meant to be, its often provocative and swing-for-the-fences approach consistently managed to spark conversation in one way or another.
The latest season begins on March 10, 2022 — two years after the events of Season 2 — basically skipping the entire pandemic apart from some flashbacks that take us back briefly into the midst of lockdowns and public distancing again. Since Season 2 has efficiently adapted the lead-up to the outbreak from an incisive journalistic (and personal) point of view, it seems like a wise decision to move on from that as quickly as possible — without ignoring the aftermath effects that COVID-19 brought on the world.
Now, Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) is the host of the evening news at UBA, while Alex (Jennifer Anniston) still carries The Morning Show with new anchor Christina Hunter (Nicole Beharie is a fantastic addition to the cast), an Olympic gold medallist turned broadcaster, and also doing her own interview series, Alex Unfiltered on UBA+ (the network’s new streaming service). But despite the efforts of its two biggest stars, UBA is struggling financially. The global effects of Covid didn't go easy on the network, so our charming/ruthless CEO Cory (Billy Crudup, the true MVP of the series) has already begun secretly “courting” tech billionaire Paul Marks (Jon Hamm in a role he could play in his sleep), hoping for a buyout to yank him out of the jam. Naturally, there's no such thing as a done deal when it comes to The Morning Show, so elaborate manipulation, corporate intrigue, and the exposure of long-buried nasty secrets are on course as usual.
It doesn't take long until things kick into gear, either. Early on, Alex is about to be shot into outer space on live television while UBA’s security system gets hacked, unleashing thousands of compromising emails, text messages, and other juicy personal info to turn the network’s integrity into a pile of shit. And that’s really just the beginning of the jarring media circus Season 3 embarks on throughout its ten episodes (which were all provided for review).
Although the scandalous heights the series rises to this time can strike the viewer as a little too excessive at first, a few episodes in The Morning Show finds its way back to what it does best. Old-fashioned backstabbing, emotional exploitation, and heartless blackmail intertwined with personal drama are still engaging entertainment despite offering barely anything out of the ordinary in the current landscape of television. And while all those things serve as the main draw of the new season, substantial and controversial cultural issues like abortion rights (Roe vs. Wade), racial inequality, domestic terrorism (Capitol attack), and the Russo-Ukrainian War also get addressed — even if their scope isn’t as comprehensive as it may have been before.
Doubtless, the most amusing quality of the season is watching a handful of highly powerful people fight for a seat at the table, staying relevant, or taking revenge on someone who wronged them before. For instance, in the pursuit of maintaining his authority, Crudup’s character flirts with becoming an antihero in the likes of Don Draper and Frank Underwood to some extent, but eventually, the show reluctantly backs out of making him a totally morally bankrupt villain (which would've been an intriguing turn this far in).
There’s also an increased amount of unlikely romances and family troubles that quickly escalate to become a conflict of interest, especially for female characters who possess great power in media. Whether the focus is on those women who sit every day in the spotlight or the ones making things happen behind the scenes, The Morning Show portrays their relationships with emotional accuracy and due attention instead of solely treating them as plot devices. Emotions run high in media — they always have — and can lead to baffling and tragic outcomes that often reshape corporate politics and work relationships in and outside of a network. The series' agenda has always been about emphasizing feminism in the workplace, and that aspect is still what defines it.
Though diminishing returns may apply to The Morning Show’s third season, its combination of soapy drama and high-octane sensationalism still delivers engrossing television (if with slightly less intensity) that's just too damn fun to not get swept up by it. After all, breaking news continues to attract the eyeballs of millions, especially if it's delivered by people we know.
The first two episodes of The Morning Show Season 3 are now streaming on Apple TV+.
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