The Morning Show: Fever

November 19, 2021 7:15 AM - Season 2, Episode 10

TMS covers a growing crisis that turns personal for Alex and Bradley.
posted by ellieBOA (3 comments total)

I, for one, do not welcome our more jerktastic Alex. Her apologies in previous episodes seemed sincerely contrite and that she was trying to make amends to those she had wronged, while her streaming TV episode seemed to be going into the feverswamp of rightwing "fuck the haters" attitude and railing against "cancel culture". Chip tells her to "just read the script", which makes me wonder how much was supposed to be her contribution versus his, or how much is his us-vs-them aggrieved world-view filtering through.

I, for one, also do not welcome the Cory + Bradley romance subplot. In the behind-the-show after the show, one of the principals said how excited the audience was for Cory and Bradley to get together: "Just kiss her already!". I have no idea what audience she was talking to... It's a wildly inappropriate power imbalance between the CEO and an employee, plus totally rude since Bradley has a girlfriend.

I did love Stella's series of post-its concluding with "destroy these notes". If you're taking notes on a criminal conspiracy, be sure to add an action item to shred them later.
posted by autopilot at 11:52 AM on November 20, 2021 [4 favorites]

I had the same thought as the Vulture reviewer over at NYMag - a tiny part of me actually wondered for a brief moment if Alex would die alone in her penthouse and her dog might eat her cold dead body. By the end of the episode that macabre scenario did not seem any less awful than what actually happened.

Other thoughts - Cory did not earn that big I LOVE YOU moment and him saying it 3 times without Bradley responding only made it more ridiculous. This season needed 90% more Stella and Mia, and 95% less Chip. This show frustrates me to no end, because the actors are fantastic, the characters are awful but compelling, and the plot is just a nonsensical mess. If there's a Season 3 I doubt I'll watch.
posted by pjsky at 1:36 PM on November 23, 2021

I mean, I don't know.

It was enjoyable (for the most part) to watch the season as a good distraction and as something to pass the time. But I'm left wondering what this show would be like with a stronger writers' room. Everything feels really, well, thin and unearned.

Agreed wholeheartedly on the Cory moment... of course it was set up to have him confess to outing Bradley... but of course it wouldn't go that way; it'd be too neat. Now it's an unfinished plot point to bring into next season: a love triangle for Bradley, perhaps.

As for a follow-on season, I do think this one feels like there aren't many natural places to go that are worth our time and effort. Alex? She'll be fine, probably. Yanko? Plot is wrapped up. Daniel? Plot is wrapped up, not much suspense there, not enough character investment to truly care (for me, sadly). Chip? Who cares; another boring white dude. Bradley? Road to redemption with her brother, but her girlfriend is a thousand miles away.

All in for more Stella, though. Greta Lee is pretty damn great and was fully in the room with folks like Crudup and Aniston.

If this gets another season... here's what I'm thinking: time jump. It's a cheat, but it's a way out without going through and revisiting the incredibly painful pandemic (and subjecting us to a lot of watching faux Zoom meetings, please do not do this.) This skips, say, 3 years out past the pandemic – in their universe. Paolo's documentary aired on UBA+ and kicked it into overdrive. Stella is CEO to a much smaller, streaming-focused UBA. Chip is divorced and whining & pining over Alex, who lives alone in her cabin. And Bradley and Laura are ranchers in Montana, living a quiet and peaceful life.
posted by hijinx at 5:05 AM on December 13, 2021