"You've been watching The Morning Show all wrong. A lunatic season 3 proves it"
"The Morning Show" returns with a laugh-out-loud comedy that trivializes serious stories for personal melodrama. It's addictive and can't-miss TV.
The general consensus is that "The Morning Show" is a prestigious drama that has put Apple TV+ on the map as a content creator. It has attracted top talent from the film and television industry, who have received award nominations and even won Emmys (such as Billy Crudup). However, I would argue that it is actually a comedy—a hilarious and absurd satire that pokes fun at serious storytelling. While the creators may not have intended it to be comedic, the show is a riot of laughter.
"The Morning Show" returns with two episodes this Wednesday, followed by eight more episodes released on consecutive Wednesdays. It is a must-watch, but not for the reasons you might expect.
For those unfamiliar with the show, it revolves around Alex Levy (played by Jennifer Aniston), a powerful former anchor of "The Morning Show" on UBA, a national network based in New York. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex now hosts a magazine-like show on the network. Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) has taken over as the host of the evening news after being unexpectedly plucked from obscurity by Alex to co-host the morning show in the first season.
Steve Carell's character, Mitch Kessler, was Alex's previous co-host—a character reminiscent of Matt Lauer, caught up in a #MeToo scandal. He has since been written off the show. Crudup portrays Cory Ellison, the conniving CEO of the network, while Stella Bak runs the newsroom with an icy demeanor, brilliantly portrayed by Greta Lee.
While other characters come and go, these central figures are most likely to be entangled in the absurd personal drama that unfolds against the backdrop of major events like pandemics and the January 6th Capitol siege. It's like a soap opera that shamelessly exploits real-world issues for its own melodramatic plotlines.
Part of the show's appeal is witnessing just how far it will go to showcase the emotional instability of its characters. The answer? Farther than you can imagine.
This season introduces Jon Hamm as Paul Marks, a billionaire tech mogul attempting to launch a rocket. Alex is supposed to accompany him on a space trip akin to Jeff Bezos' ventures. However, personal and technical complications arise, leaving Paul angry and determined to buy UBA.
The season revolves around this deal, which, in addition to the usual business dealings, involves romantic entanglements. If you've seen the trailer, you can probably guess which characters are involved in these entanglements. With two attractive and famous actors in the cast, it's no surprise that their characters don't always behave professionally or adhere to journalistic standards.
But that's the beauty of it—it's a comedy, remember?
That's not to say it's not addictive to watch, because it absolutely is. Everyone involved fully embraces the melodrama, although Aniston's character, Alex, boasting about her interviewing skills can be a bit over the top.
But that's the whole point—everything in the show is exaggerated to the extreme. And that's what makes it so entertaining.
The show attempts to humanize Cory a bit more this season, but who wants to see the softer side of a heartless cynic? Crudup was more enjoyable when he was dishing out the pain, not enduring it.
Bradley's missteps related to the January 6th events eventually become too much, although the show does address this eventually. It just takes a while to get there.
If guilty pleasures exist, then watching "The Morning Show" is a form of glorious masochism.
The immense talent of everyone involved in the show is undeniable, and there's something captivating about watching the chaos unfold. It's addictive, like most bad habits.
The first two episodes of the new season will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ this Wednesday, followed by new episodes released every subsequent Wednesday.
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