Should There Be a ‘Morning Show’ Season 3? 7 Storylines We’d Need to Leave Behind
Spoiler Alert
Season 2 of The Morning Show has mimicked the pattern we identified in its first run. The opening episodes demand your attention just for the next few to put you to sleep — yet the last remaining episodes redeem the season’s colorless center.
There were plenty of stories this season got right. Cory (Billy Crudup) becoming the CEO of UBA Networks. Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) exploring her sexuality with the alluring Laura Peterson (Julianna Margulies). Alex (Jennifer Aniston) facing the consequences of her past actions. COVID as the backdrop of crisis. And so much more!
But The Morning Show‘s biggest imperfections are its uneventful filler episodes. The show obviously deserves another season — Aniston and Witherspoon alone are irresistible selling points — but in order for it to be entertaining all the way through, they need to pluck out all of the extra nonsense they cram in the middle.
Scroll down to see which stories we think The Morning Show should omit in Season 3.
Let Mitch's Story Rest With Him
It seems that the show’s producers want to keep Steve Carell on the show for as long as possible, but his character gave us absolutely nothing this season. Being labeled as one of America’s notorious “sexual predators,” Mitch seeks solitude and self pity by staying at a beautiful Italian villa. What a punishment! Every scene with him this season felt like eating stale bread — except when Alex visits him — which is why his death was desperately necessary to pick up the story’s pace.
Send Paola Back to Italy
It’s clear they’re still trying to keep Mitch’s essence alive through Paola Lambruschini (Valeria Golino), an Italian documentary filmmaker who hates cancel culture and develops a romantic relationship with Mitch while also trying to give him a redemption narrative through her art. At the end of the season, she shows Cory footage of Mitch, telling his story, and we see how this may be used for the show’s next season. But like Mitch’s story, we should also let hers come to a rest.
Chip and Madeleine Should Split
This season we are introduced to Chip’s (Mark Duplass) new fiance, Madeleine (Katie Aselton), and their relationship is like watching paint dry. Once he becomes Alex’s producer again, she gets pushed to the sidelines and we learn nothing new about her, other than the fact that she’s his wife-to-be. In the finale, Madeline calls Chip and he ignores it, suggesting a tension that will be addressed in Season 3. We don’t know Madeline enough to root for them to be together, so it’d be best if they just break the engagement off!
Daniel Does Not Need to Return
We got to see a lot of Daniel (Desean Terry), and maybe a little too much. Co-anchor of “The Last Hour,” Daniel is tired of being pushed to the sidelines and being doubted in having “the it-factor.” He tries to prove himself, like randomly bursting into a Neil Diamond song or confronting Pete Bullard (Dave Foley) on national television. On top of that, we see him furious with Alex’s return and disgruntled with Mia (Karen Pittman). Ultimately, his story becomes so disjointed, it ends up swiftly fizzling out. He quits in the season finale and states how he has to visit his grandfather in the nursing home — yet we’ve never heard of this grandfather until now. The ink seems to be drying out in writing Daniel, so it might be best to just keep him unemployed at UBA.
Give Stella a Proper Backstory
Some characters had too much useless backstory this season — *cough* Daniel *cough* — but Stella Bak (Greta Lee) remained an enigma. We grew familiar with most characters’ family lives, their friends, and/or romantic relationships, yet learned little to nothing about Stella outside of being UBA’s president. This needs to change in Season 3 because Stella possesses an invigorating energy that could help save the show’s imminent downfall.
Make Yanko Relevant Again
Yanko Flores (Nestor Carbonell) held a more significant role in the previous season, but unfortunately, this season failed to keep him connected to the story. They put him in a position where he had to reflect on his privilege and monitor things he says, like the term “spirit animal.” But the storylines they gave him felt like they were seriously running out of material to work with. Hopefully by next season, they’ll revive his relevancy and stop typecasting him as this figure of ignorance.
Let's Wrap Up This Lawsuit
The death of Hannah (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) has made a long-lasting impact on UBA. Now, the network is being sued by her father. The lawsuit isn’t introduced until the fifth episode, and it’s piled onto Cory’s long list of work difficulties, yet the show makes it feel like it holds no significant weight. They drag it on for the rest of the season, and even Claire (Bel Powley) returns for one episode, revealing she’s financially supporting Hannah’s family with the lawsuit. However, this lawsuit is another stuffed conflict that wanes out by the end — and if it’s addressed later, there should be a lively resolution.
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G
I think they should air Mitch’s interview with Paola in its entirety and then they can move forward. Cancel culture is an important topic as is sexual misconduct. And Paola adds a different flavor to the mix that I enjoy. I do agree that Yanko needs more airtime, Nestor Carbonell deserves better. I do not understand the dynamic between Bradley and Cory though. Early in season 1 Alex had a party where she and Cory ended up singing a song together and there was a real vibe there. I don’t know why they didn’t choose to pursue that instead the lack of chemistry I feel he and Bradley have.
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B
I agree with EVERYTHING BUT PAOLA. I think she’s a great actress and would like to see more of her.
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G
More Paola, less Bradley and Laura. Their relationship is too mother-daughtery. Mitch's story was very important. It's all about people being cancelled too quickly without a chance to defend or redeem themselves. It's a valid point that 99% of the time people are not all bad, but complicated and complex and motivated by many things. Lose Bradley's family. Don't care.
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P
I think they should show what has happened to Alex daughter and their relationship. Remember her daughter took the bottle of liquor when she left to get Alex some food. Did she become an alcoholic and what about Bradlys brother?
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G
Of course we need more SEASONS! Too many cliffhangers left to finish. 🙋🏻♀️
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G
Mostly agree with James but strongly disagree the storyline about Mitch which is the strongest and deepest plot including Alex’s visit. Friendships are complex and people should be allowed to repent, today they are being written off easily and sentenced to death. This plot was so much needed. Hassan Minhaj was the waste of space and time, not even mentioned.
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B
I didn’t want Mitch to die either. The story could have kept evolving with trying to get back to UA or another venue or becoming a journalist or in a homeless shelter and rising up and back. Who doesn’t want to watch Mitch and Alex!
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P
I agree with a lot of what hour saying. The season finale was bad. Bradley not talking to Laura was bad Cory telling her at the on top of everything that is happening that he loves her. Knowing that she is with Laura and he outed them. To me that was cruel.the issue with Bradley's brother needs to be address and finish.