It isn’t long before The Morning Show’s fourth season jumps feet first into the AI debate, the manosphere, the Olympics, and the presidential election. That’s right, the already chaos-driven Apple TV+ workplace drama is taking on events from 2024.
Given the array of journalism deep dives and tabloid-worthy headlines already fueling the jaw-dropping antics at the fictitious media empire, it should come as no surprise that the forthcoming season offers plenty of juicy twists and turns. It is far from newsroom utopia for the folks at The Morning Show—especially after last season’s landmark merger and leadership overhaul.
Not only does The Morning Show rip storylines from the news, but real-world events are seemingly taking their cues from Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) and Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston). Think last year’s lampooned celeb Blue Origin space flight, which couldn’t help but raise comparisons to Bradley’s leap for womankind.
“She [Bradley] had a little less notice,” jokes showrunner Charlotte Stoudt in reaction to the life imitating art connection.
There isn’t anything quite as bonkers as an impromptu jaunt on a tech billionaire’s rocket or catching a relative committing a felony at the insurrection early in Season 4, which premieres Sept 17. But that doesn’t mean TMS is slowing down or shedding its prestige soap crown.
In a conversation with The Daily Beast Obsessed, Stoudt is joined by executive producer and director Mimi Leder to tease what’s to come, including the precarious UBN power structure, making audiences laugh and cry, and the daunting challenge of selecting real-world inspiration for storylines.
Don’t worry, TMS isn’t about to drive off a cliff into a misery soup (a la Mitch Kessler in Season 2). The silly swings and rat-a-tat dialogue maintain the fun, filling that giant-sized hole left by The Gilded Age and its impressive ensemble.
“It’s a tremendously complex, difficult, and often very cruel world out there, and what I like about these characters—and why I keep wanting to write stories—is they’re very resilient people,” says Stoudt. “They’re fundamentally optimistic people, even though they make a lot of mistakes and have to face a lot of difficult things.”
All the previous obstacles (think the Matt Lauer-inspired first season, COVID, January 6th, tech bros) inform what direction Stoudt and the writers’ room take the characters in regarding real-world influences. “We start with character first. Where are these people on their journey to some kind of more integrated selfhood or feeling like a whole person?” says Stoudt. “What are their gaps? What are the lessons they still need to learn?”
Season 4 begins two years after the events of Season 3: Bradley is not in jail and has quit New York media, Stella (Greta Lee) is the CEO of the merged UBA and NBN, Alex finds herself caught in a new scandal, Cory struggles as a movie producer, Chris (Nicole Beharie) is UBN’s face of the Olympics coverage, and Mia (Karen Pittman) is still waiting for a promotion. Some things never change.
There is a host of new characters, with TMS boasting an impressive list of actors joining the starry cast, including Marion Cotillard as UBN board president Celine; Aaron Pierre as Celine’s hot artist husband, Miles; Garrett Hedlund’s manosphere podcast host Bro Hartman; and Jeremy Irons playing Alex’s ornery father, Martin.
Stoudt knows that with this many characters to service, there are only so many current affairs that will fit, so don’t expect to see an entire rundown of 2024, which is probably for the best. “There are so many issues, we can’t cover everything. It’s very, very, very frustrating,” says Stoudt. Undoubtedly, cuts are made, and the issues they choose are “a thematic mirror to what somebody’s going through.”
For example, the role of AI as a tool for a company like UBN goes beyond being part of their splashy Paris Olympics broadcast plans. Having Stella champion this controversial development not only aligns with her tech background but also holds a deeper meaning. “Stella is a split person. She’s carrying a secret,” says Stoudt. “Some part of her wants to be a genius at this job. Some part of her doesn’t want the job at all.”
Using AI as a way to explore Stella’s internal struggle—including the aforementioned secret—underscores how the writers’ room weaves IRL talking points into character development.
But the greatest TMS balancing act is how Leder sets the tone every season, marrying melodrama and grounded emotion from the jump. It is a skill Leder demonstrated on shows like ER and The Leftovers, and she does so here: “When we first started the show, that was the biggest fear: How do I set the tone visually, dramatically, and emotionally? How do you cry one moment and laugh the next, all in the same shot?”
As with previous years, Leder takes the reins of the first two episodes, crediting the cast for helping with this delicate dance. “When you have these actors who are great comedic actors, as well as deeply beautiful thoroughbreds as dramatic actors, you can find it,” says Leder. “You just keep it real, you keep it grounded, you keep it authentic.”
After I mention how much The Leftovers and ER made me cry over the years, Leder notes that TMS also taps into that catharsis: “This show does too. It does have an emotional line right straight to your heart, and it gets you and makes you feel a lot of things that you wouldn’t think you are about to feel.” Leder isn’t wrong, as several of the episodes made available for critics tick the teary-eyed box.
“That’s the surprising part of the writing is that you’re so invested in these characters. It is a character-driven show, but it’s about the world,” Leder continues. “It’s about the changing world, and it’s through these characters that we understand it and know how to navigate it.”
One image that Leder focuses on in Stella’s office in the premiere is a Variety cover story featuring Stella, Alex, and Celine. It is a familiar-looking “Girl Boss/Lean-in/Girl Power” visual tinged with some skepticism thanks to this header: “New Paradigm or Glass Cliff?” Cracks have already formed between this trio, with Stoudt calling these leadership roles a “mixed blessing.”
A toxic work environment isn’t vanquished simply because women are at the top of the corporate tree. “When the women get power, we always knew it was ‘Well, be careful what you ask for,’” says Stoudt. “You’ve been asking for a seat at the table. Well, now the whole table is yours. Enjoy.”
It raises numerous questions both on and off-screen. “How can they survive? How can they not succumb to the patriarchy? How can they do it better? And can they?” says Leder.
They are beset with problems ranging from layoffs to failing to STEM scandals. Stoudt knows audiences enjoy watching the crisis unfold: “A character’s not interesting unless you stress the hell out of them, and you gotta see what’s underneath.”
It is equally important to let them climb out of the muck. Take Alex and Bradley, whose dynamic continues to be a roller coaster of antagonism and allyship amid trying situations.
“When these two women—who argue about everything—can come together and help each other and save each other and affirm each other,” says Stoudt. “I find that really necessary—even for myself—to see that it’s a challenging world, but you can keep your humanity, and try to hold on to your values, and it’s the people around you and your connections that help you do that.”
The Morning Show isn’t becoming the TV equivalent of doomscrolling. We have the real world for that.
