An Apple original, The Morning Show released in 2019. The show is based in the aftermath of The Weinstein Scandal. It highlighted the plight of abused women at the behest of powerful men.
The Morning Show highlights one such story, of the lead morning show host Mitch Kessler of Network UBA, who’s fired in wake of multiple sexual accusations against him. Jennifer Aniston plays Alex Levy, his co-host, a powerful media woman with a fantastic redemption arc and Reese Witherspoon plays a fearless journalist Bradley Jackson, hired in Mitch’s place.
It is a powerful critique of the culture of silence that pervades in powerful offices.
As A Woman There Aren’t Enough Of Them
In the opener episode, Alex Levy addresses the American audiences alone. As Mitch Kessler, her co-host of 15 years is fired by the Network, Alex takes it upon herself to carry show and the network through the scandal. Alex makes a powerful speech on live television. She offers her sympathy and support to the affected women. Referring to the consequences that Mitch Kessler will have to face if proven guilty, Alex says,
“But there are consequences in life. As a woman, I can say that there aren’t enough of them.”
Because What You Did Was Wrong
The Morning Show focuses on sexual assault, admitting outright that it doesn’t always have to be a direct assault that qualifies for wrong. Throughout the course of the #MeToo movement, many women who came forward with their testimonies did agree to have consensual encounters with powerful men. But sometimes not everything is as it seems.
As Mitch Kessler makes a victim plea on grounds on consensus, Alex hits out at him, bluntly:
“Because what you did was wrong.”
I Don’t Want You To Protect Me
The Morning Show talks of equal opportunities to both the sexes in matters of employment. Post Mitch’s firing from the show, the host Alex Levy asks the network bosses for co-host approval, continually. After learning that her right to choose her host has been vehemently denied by the higher-ups, she walks up to her producer, Charlie Black.
Alex threatens him by saying she wouldn’t go on air if the latter didn’t guarantee her co-host approval in her contract renewal. She says
“And I don’t want you to protect me, I’d like you to respect me.”
So, They Have To Take It
Unable to get co-host approval and break the ice with the males to up the corporate ladder, Alex Levy drops a surprise announcement for the world at a black-tie. Without consulting anyone, even Bradley Jackson, she names her as her morning show co-host. Now, this obviously appalls the network higher-ups, more specifically Fred.
As Alex’s teenage daughter has a breakdown, seeing her mother all worked up, Alex gives her an invaluable lesson.
“Sometimes Women Can’t ask for control. So, they have to take it. I want you to remember that.”
You Don’t Have The Power Anymore
The highlight of Alex’s character is the speech she makes to the network executives for exercising her right to announce her co-host. Granted, she takes everyone one by surprise, including Bradley Jackson herself. A woman her stature when summoned in the board room, retorts:
“The part you guys never seem to realize is that you don’t have the power anymore. The news division is held up by my show. And the only thing keeping us afloat is me. Because guess what? America loves me. And therefore, I own America. It seems pretty f****** simple but so easy for you guys to forget.”
Gingerly Step Around Your Male Egos
At this point, the network head Fred interrupts her by saying she’s trying to justify her actions. Alex comes out strong-worded before she walks out of the boardroom.
“I don’t need to justify anything. You all are so convinced that you are the rightful owner of all of the power that it doesn’t even occur to you that someone else could be in the driver’s seat. And so, we have to just gingerly step around your male egos in order to not burst this precious little bubble. Well, surprise! I’m bursting it. We are doing this my way. Because, frankly, I’ve let you bozos handle this long enough. Not the apology you were expecting?”
Typical Woman?
The head of the news division, Cory is smitten by Bradley Jackson. Reese Witherspoon’s Bradley is all set to join Alex Levy on air, come Monday. So Cory takes her shopping at Barney’s and lets her pick her wardrobe for a budget of $30,000.
Bradley isn’t the type of person who’d swoon over such a move, she’s a confident woman, throughout the show, in charge of her opinions and herself. Unimpressed by the man trying to decide her wardrobe and calling her “not a typical Woman”, Bradley goes,
“What is a typical woman?”
To Enable This Behavior In Men
A meaningful conversation takes place between the female co-workers during a night out at a bar. The show highlights how important it is for women to be having these conversations amongst themselves, gaining and regaining perspectives on what really is okay at the workplace. The conversation typically goes in ‘men will be men’ direction, each lady excusing Mitch for his sexually predatory behavior. But a young Claire silences a senior Mia by calling out Mitch.
“Maybe you have too much perspective and too many years of being trained to enable this behavior in men. I’m not blaming you, I’d still wanna cut off Mitch’s b**** in ten years. He’ll still be a f****** creep.”
Although Claire is interrupted by her senior by boasting her 20 years of experience and whatnot, she continues, “You don’t have to have worked here for 20 years to know that what Mitch did was f***** up.”
I Worked My A** Off To Get Where I’m
Alex has a troublesome relationship with her daughter Lizzy. Mostly because Lizzy blames her mother for her parents’ divorce. The kid isn’t able to understand that parents (in this case her mother) are people, and they have as much right to chase their dreams as men do. And for how long should motherhood stop a woman from living the life she wants? Lizzy also fails to understand that sometimes people outgrow each other in relationships and it’s no one’s fault.
So when Alex comes to Lizzy’s dorm to talk things out, the latter dismisses her as a selfish person, asking her to leave. Alex does leave her room, but makes a quite a speech:
“I want happiness. I earned happiness. I’m a human being, Lizzy. Don’t you dare b**** at me about my career, little Miss I’m-So-Progressive. Yes, I worked my a** off to get where I am. And I wanted it. I wanted to be something. I wanted to mean something in this world. I didn’t know that was a f*****” crime."
The Abuse Of Power Has To End
The finale episode of The Morning Show ended on a high note, Fred Micklen, the CEO of the network was publically exposed by TMS hosts on live TV.
“We haven’t been honest with you. We don’t tell you everything even a little bit. This whole place is really different than what it may appear to you. We would like to share some information with you. We believe Fred Micklen to have been central in creating an environment that silenced women who came forward to complain about sexual misconduct.”
Alex: “Because I’m as culpable as anyone in terms of not calling out or helping to end the sexual misconduct that goes on in this f****** building. Fred Micklen dictated a culture of fear and silence and paranoia and pain. I saw it, I saw how it affected the women and I never stopped it. The many Fred Micklens are out there, there are billions more people like me, and like Bradley and like you.”
