The Morning Show

...cohost approval.

Start putting together a list of names, men who can sit next to Alex for now

and also work with someone younger once she's gone.

Rapist!

Sexual misconduct is what I'm being accused of.

Don't you wave your fucking hand at me!

- Your show sucks. - Please.

You really think this is gonna help you get a job?

People like you are the reason broadcast news is what it is.

Do not show your face tonight. Do not do that to Alex.

My tux is pressed.

I can't unpress my tux.

Cory would like for you to be at the Leadership in Journalism event tonight.

I'm confused. I had a meeting with Chip Charlie Black,

and it did not go well.

You remember Bradley Jackson?

Oh, my God.

But why is she sitting at that table over there with our people?

He sat you at my table to fuck with me.

Me fuck with you?

I'm not closing without cohost approval.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that, because you're not getting it.

Then I'll walk.

Then walk.

I have some exciting news to share with all of you tonight.

I would like to announce my new Morning Show cohost...

Bradley Jackson.

I would like to take this moment to announce my new Morning Show cohost,

Bradley Jackson.

Don't look too surprised.

- All right, stand up. Up. - Okay.

- Bradley! - Bradley!

- Miss Jackson! - Bradley, how are you feeling?

- Smile. Smile. - How do you feel right now, Miss Jackson?

Is she drunk?

That would make sense.

Get her to the studio. Don't let either of them make statements.

She is the perfect person for the job, and you will see what I'm talking about.

Yeah.

Hope you had fun up there.

Oh, I'm really excited too.

- Are you both gonna be lead anchors? - Bradley.

Let's go. Let's go.

Bradley, Bradley,

- Maggie Brener, New York Magazine. - Hi.

- Congratulations on... - Maggie, my love. Tonight is a tease.

But, Cory, how'd you manage to keep such a delightful secret?

Well, you guys are only interested in the obvious choices.

Bradley Jackson isn't obvious.

After Mitch, we felt we needed a big change and quickly.

One that makes a statement about where we intend to go.

Where is that?

If you guys wanna know more...

tune in on Monday for Alex and Bradley's first show.

Bradley. Bradley, how excited are you?

How long are you gonna be with this network?

What are you fucking doing?

Congratulations, Bradley Jackson.

Your life just took off.

Don't say anything to anyone and meet me at the studio.

You're changing the game. How does it feel?

- Bradley! Bradley. - Are you excited to work with Miss Levy?

What is the statement that you would like to make to young women?

- I don't... - Hey, let's get you outta here.

They're looking at you like you're raw meat.

- Okay. - Okay. We're going this way.

- Bradley! - Excuse me.

This way.

Oh, my God. What the hell just happened?

They'll have answers for us at the studio. Chip knows we're on our way.

Oh, no, no. I'm going to LaGuardia. LaGuardia, please.

- We're not going to LaGuardia... - Yes.

And with all due respect, who the hell are you to tell me what to do?

Do you have a cigarette?

Twenty bucks.

Bravo, buddy. Way to take advantage of a woman in need.

Do you have $20?

Yeah. Cory put it on public record that the show is launching on Monday.

Yeah, well, he's insane too.

Agreed. But let's for one moment assume you are the coanchor.

You can assume that. I don't want to assume that.

I'm going to LaGuardia. I don't wanna be the coanchor.

Why the hell not?

Because they're gonna use me to try and get an Eagle News audience

that I won't attract because I'm not that kinda conservative.

But you don't know that,

because there's no way in hell that I have been vetted.

And I am being set up here to be some sort of fall guy,

and I am not interested in that.

Not interested.

Do you have a light?

No smoking, ma'am.

You've gotta be kidding me.

What the hell were you thinking?

Why would you back that unhinged woman to a room full of reporters?

You were given clear instructions.

Why would you box us in to a Monday launch with that nobody?

I feel it's a bit dismissive to refer to them as "unhinged woman" and "nobody."

Don't fuck with me. I need to understand how you plan to fix this.

Or explain to me why I shouldn't fire you along with Levy?

Well, because that "unhinged woman" did us a serious favor.

Look, this show slipped in the ratings, Fred, because the show is stale.

Alex Levy, her sell-by date, it expired years ago.

She needed to go. Everybody knew we were gonna fire her,

but Mitch fucked that up by fucking everything.

So, now, everybody's curious. What are we gonna do?

So what we're gonna do is, we're gonna give her this victory.

A Pyrrhic victory. Make her think that she's won.

But really, we're gonna let this "nobody" in to freshen the show.

Juice the ratings for sweeps and finally push Alex Levy off the shelf for good

when it is convenient for us

and when we don't have to look like the bad guys.

That doesn't explain why we have to rush them out for Monday.

Well, the streak.

If we don't do something next week, the streak is over.

YDA is not sneaking up on us, they're breathing down our fucking necks,

in spite of our "Mitch is a predator" boost. It feels old.

People are getting too used to their favorite cuddly men turning into monsters,

but watching a beloved woman's breakdown

is timeless American entertainment.

The Morning Show audience values stability.

When has it been the case that a morning audience prefers fighting over family?

I don't know. Families fight, Fred.

Look, all right, hey, give me a month of "The Alex and Bradley Show,"

either they work well together, or it's horrible.

Regardless, putting Bradley in lets us get back to replacing Alex.

And it'll be interesting and fun, fresh, you know,

which is imperative right now.

I'm gonna make something clear.

I have an easy fall guy when all this goes to shit.

Oh, we're talking about me, right?

Chaos, it's the new cocaine, Fred.

You screwed yourself.

Committed a fireable offense, overtly in breach of contract.

We'll be lucky if the network even continues negotiations.

You need to go in and find Fred and apologize tonight.

Right, right. Is there an alternative option?

Not unless you wanna pull the rehab card.

We could say you were emotional about Mitch.

But I'm not emotional about Mitch.

I was emotional because no one's fucking listening to me!

Mom! What's going on? Are you? Are you...

- Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. - Let's just take a beat here, please.

- Sarah, listen. I'm going to handle this. - It's okay. It's okay.

Then put on your apology face and fucking mean it.

- Absolutely. I completely understand. - Do you understand?

Guys, guys.

Listen, don't... Honey, baby. Honey, listen to me.

Sometimes women can't ask for control.

So, they have to take it, okay?

Okay.

I want you to remember that. Okay, baby?

- Okay. - Okay.

Okay. Everybody knows you're here. They want you to sit tight for 15 minutes.

I will not sit tight.

There are some snacks. Some TV.

There's definitely some booze around here somewhere.

They're deciding my life out there.

Yes, and I know that's insane, but Alex is meeting with the CEO.

Chip is gathering the staff, and if you're even remotely considering doing this...

I don't know what this is.

You need to let them come to you.

You need to let yourself take a breath. Have a fucking drink.

Think about what you want.

Consider this the start of me being a great producer.

- You're not my producer. - Yet.

Oh, my God.

Hal, where have you been?

You cannot seriously be making this about me right now.

Okay? Can we please talk about you? You're all over the news.

This is so weird.

Yeah, no kidding. Is Mom okay?

She's pissed at me.

She said you embarrassed her with her friends because you didn't tell her.

I didn't know.

Is this even real?

Fuck, Hal. I hope not.

- Hey. She's waiting in the green room. - You're a god.

- Is this for real? Or are... - Fucking hope not.

What the hell was she thinking? It's a room full of press, and she just...

I think she was thinking it would be effective.

- Yeah, well... - So?

Wait till she finds out Bradley Jackson is a fucking raving lunatic. Jesus.

- Chip. - What?

I wanna produce her.

Why?

Because I've been in purgatory. I'm too good for that.

If this is real, you should put your best person on it,

and you know that's fucking me, and, honestly, I like her,

which could go a long way to making this work.

If this works, it's gonna be a fucking disaster,

and you're gonna be tied to it.

Yeah, I've been tied to disasters before.

I want this, Chip.

Hold on. Let's just get some quiet. Can I get quiet for two seconds, please?

I refuse to accept any of this as reality. Fuck. Jesus.

Who died?

Ideally, not my show.

Come on, Chip. Cheer the fuck up.

We're in the middle of an epic rebirth.