The Morning Show

Journalist, author and a vital force for change,

Alex Levy will forever be remembered as an icon.

From her many years on The Morning Show to her Emmy-winning hit Alex Unfiltered,

Alex brought us closer to the world and to each other.

You've all meant a lot to me over the years,

and I want to thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.

- - I look too perky.

Don't you think I look too perky? Like, "Oh, my God. She's dead."

- Yeah. I'll find some alts. - You agree, right?

- Yeah. - You guys...

- - this obituary shit is morbid...

- I know. - And it is unnecessary.

You're going up in a suborbital rocket for, like, 13 minutes.

You're not gonna have time to finish your peanuts.

I would not put it past Cory

to blow me up on live TV just for the ratings. Son of a bitch.

But then what would he do for Sweeps Week?

Hmm.

Guys, honestly, how maiden is this voyage?

I mean, they do test these rockets, right?

No, they don't test them.

They just kinda staple them together and blow 'em up into space.

Of course, they test them, okay?

You're going up with the guy who built the thing.

You don't think he wants to come back in one piece?

I hope so. I don't know.

Oh, my God. Okay.

The guy has multiple NASA contracts. It is going to be fine, Alex.

That's what they said to the crew of the Challenger.

- Oh, boy, here we go. Really? - And Apollo 1.

- Okay. - Oh, and 13.

Thirteen came back. I mean, they had Tom Hanks, but still.

Cory, it's Alex. Why are you avoiding me? Question mark.

- Fucker. -

- Alex. - Yes?

- We're ready for you. - Oh, God. Good.

- Esther. Let's do Esther. - Let's do it.

I am joined today by acclaimed psychotherapist Esther Perel,

best-selling author, speaker and host of the podcast Where Should We Begin?

- So happy to have you here. - Thank you. Pleasure to be here.

So...

- Two years after the world shut down... - Hmm.

And we are all just barely getting back on our feet.

- Esther, you speak to a lot of couples. - Mm-hmm.

What is everybody feeling right now?

Are you sneaking out of your own bed?

I must be off my game.

Sorry, I'm late.

So, no lunch?

I gotta go to work.

You got anything to eat?

Advil?

You were more fun last night.

I gotta be there soon.

Okay. Okay.

- We haven't just had a physical lockdown. - Hmm.

We are in an emotional lockdown,

and we have been surviving and now we are wanting to be thriving.

But for that, we need to fully experience the difference between not being dead

- and being actually alive. - Hmm.

"Not being dead." And how do we... How do we do that?

How do we get back to feeling alive?

I don't even know what that looks like.

It's different for every person.

- So let me ask you, Alex... - Hmm.

How would you complete the sentence "I feel most alive when..."?

What would you say?

Um, when I'm working.

- Mm-hmm. Right. - When I'm working on something

that I feel very passionate about, I feel very alive.

- Right. And you feel immersed and engaged... - Yes.

- Yes. Hmm. - And curious and present

- and able to take risks. - Right.

So, my question to you is, why only at work?

I mean, when is the last time that you allowed yourself

that kind of immersion and intensity but with another human being?

Whoa. Oh. Okay.

Are you sure this is safe?

What if someone sees your story and knows it's me?

No, no. Please understand, we will completely conceal your identity.

I promise you no one will recognize you.

But people have to know what's going on in Texas, Luna.

It's just, I-I can't express how important it is right now.

I have to go next week. It's the only time I can get off work.

No problem. I'll see you in a few days, okay?

- Okay. -

- Bradley. - Cory.

How are you?

I'm good. Yeah. Busy.

Hmm. You... You got the speech ready for tomorrow?

Oh. Well, shitty first draft, but yes.

Well, we will all be there to cheer you on.

- Great. Uh, I'm on in an hour. - Right.

- Yeah. - Kill the people.

Okay.

Did you see the revised copy on the flood in Australia?

Yeah. Did we get a confirmation on the death toll?

Government says 21 dead at least, but they finally declared a national emergency.

That's confirmed?

- Yeah. - Okay. Got it. Thank you.

- Good evening, everyone. - Hey, Bradley.

- Let's have a great show. - Good evening.

- Sound check? - Ten seconds, guys.

Three, two, one.

Can you hear me?

Yes. I can hear you, Gayle.

- Okay, clear. Four, three, two. - Have a good show.

Welcome to the UBA Evening News. I'm Bradley Jackson.

President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping today

as the US navigates China's ties to Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

- -

- Too hot? -

- Nope. What doesn't kill you... - Almost kills you.

I was solo climbing on Annapurna a few years back.

Oxygen tank failed.

Weather rolled in, should've buried me.

- Wait, don't tell me. You survived? -

Came across these other climbers, they had a spare tank.

They gave me their spare tank. I put their kids through college.

Well, fuck yes. That's a good story.

That's people who need people, and that could be us, Paul. You and me.

You got to admit,

- it would make a great press release. -

While everyone was doomscrolling under the covers during COVID,

two guys, they cross paths at high tide in the Hamptons

to forge the biggest media deal in a decade.

So now you're thirsty?

Well, I literally am thirsty. Yeah.

But, hey, my kimono is open. So are my pores. Where are we on this?

What do you mean? I'm ready to close.

You're the one that's holding this thing up.

It's time to either dance or fuck off.

Well, meet my price. I'm ready to go to the prom.

- I wanna wear my crown. - Your number's inflated.

Says the fucking rich guy.

UBA's on the bubble. COVID saved your ass,

and I-I am offering a 20% premium on top of market value,

and you're lucky to get that.

You are lucky to get me 'cause I built a goddamn pyramid during a pandemic.

That's undeniable, and so am I.

You started a streaming platform at the beginning of a global lockdown.

Care to speculate what might happen

when the world decides it's time to get back to business?

Well, I'm starting with launching the first female journalist into space.

- Haven't you heard? - I'm launching her. It's my rocket.

She's my journalist.

- - Come on. Think about it.

You got America's sweetheart on the maiden voyage of Hyperion One.

She's gonna make space as safe and appealing

as a warm Cinnabon and a cup of Folgers.

Wh-What... What is it... What is this Alex Levy magic?

Can you explain this to me?

She's a survivor. That's it. And that's what people want to see right now.

I mean, she got the broken marriage,

she got the predation of the creepy coanchor,

and then she suffers through a biblical plague on live TV to become the one human

that people can actually relate to in this shit show of a so-called democracy.

I did not discover Alex, but I did bring her back from the dead.

So, to your question, Alex Levy is Lazarus,

and that makes me Jesus.

Except I'm in more houses seven days a week.

Well, I hate to break it to you, Jesus, but here's your problem.

You're overleveraged. No more loaves and fishes for you.

You need a miracle, and, buddy, I'm it.

And tomorrow morning, we will watch Alex Levy as she continues training

for next week's historic journey on the maiden voyage of Hyperion One.

Alex and Hyperion founder, Paul Marks, will reach the edge of space

on Wednesday, March 16th live on The Morning Show.

It's all a part of celebrating Alex's two incredible decades here at UBA.

I know. I know.

We've got to stop waking up this early.

- It's the absolute worst. It's awful. -

- -

- Hey, Mel. - Hey. Morning, Alex.

Yeah. Well, th-the race is the fun part.

- It's the training that sucks. - Ah. Yeah.

You're living at the gym.

- Uh-huh. - There's no social life, no vacay...

- Right, yeah. - No bacon.

- Wait, wait. Did you say, "No bacon"? - No.

- Like what... Like ever? No... - No.

I lost a race after a grand slam breakfast at Denny's.

- Never again. -

Well... ...I don't know if that's the bacon's fault.

- Camera two, stay with Chris. - Alex, oh!

Take camera two.

- The worst part about training... - Hmm.

- Is that you're never in the mood. - Oh, well.

- Okay. All right. - Yeah. You're too tired.

- Sore. - Mm-hmm.

- Dehydrated. - Okay.

- Okay. Very clear. - Yeah, all right. Cringe. We 9... Got it.

- We get it. Thank you. - You know what I mean.

- Okay. Well, that's a perfect segue, uh... - We're moving on. Moving on.

- No, it's a horrible segue. - But we're gonna roll with it.

- Yes. Ooh. Oh, my God. - And speaking of rolling, the space chair.

- There she is. - Center up Alex.

- Oh, look at that. - Take it, two.

- Root canal flashbacks. - Widen out. Wider.

- My little baby. - Wow.