THE MORNING SHOW gave viewers another inconsistent season with a compelling story that was current and could have kept fans hooked to their screens, wanting more. Alas, there were not enough high-tension moments to sustain ten episodes. Less is always more. What is the barometer for gobs of sex and expounding the same conspiracy theories? When do fans dare to say enough? Hopefully, not within another season.
I must give a shout-out to the finale episode. It brought the entire season together and left glimmers of what could happen next at the news station. There were moments of sheer brilliance in how the current real media world matches up with the imagined fake TV land. It pushed the envelope for how far reporters will go to get the story to the public’s attention. It richly demonstrated all the powers that can put the brakes on whatever they want. It was a wake-up call for us to be better, but the writing got in the way of actual storytelling.
The ensemble was excellent as ever, especially Billy Crudup as Cory and Mark Duplass as Chip. I felt their anxiety, angst, fears, sadness, and devious moments to get their desired results. It was palpable at times. Reese Witherspoon needed more airtime, and Jennifer Aniston had too much. My heart broke for Stella, and I wished there were more Mia-like characters in our world. There were scenes I could hardly catch my breath, but still, it all needed balance to maintain the calibre of acting talent next to the subplots.
THE MORNING SHOW tried to capture the essence of what is going on in today’s media world. Scary times to be sure, but our real-life situations are far worse than what was showcased during season four. Maybe the writers should have written that script. Probably no one would believe it. Make-believe has nothing on reality. Now this keeps me awake at night.
THE MORNING SHOW is streaming on Apple TV.
