Since it launched in 2019, The Morning Show has seen a vastly different reception from critics and audiences. Apple TV+ continues to bank on its star-studded cast as it has returned for the fourth season with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon at the forefront. However, this season has many excited as new additions in Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, and Aaron Pierre have been brought in to spice things up.
The fourth season of The Morning Show is set two years after the end of season 3, and the UBA-NBN merger is complete. As a result of the merger, the newsroom is grappling with its newfound responsibility, shocking motives, and the polarizing truth within America. As they battle conspiracy theories, deepfakes, and corporate cover-ups, it leaves them to wonder who they can trust and what is real.
The Morning Show Season 4 Review
The Olympics are on the horizon, and the pressure of the network knocking the coverage out of the ballpark is what the newfound owners are expecting from UBN. With Alex struggling to balance everything, Mia and Stella decide to bring Bradley back to the network to help with it all. Bradley turns the deal down, but a mysterious text message comes across about a cover-up at her old workplace, piquing her interest in potentially returning.
Over the last decade, we’ve seen attacks on journalism at an all-time high. It really began with the widespread accusation of “fake news” being spread that allowed for the questioning of journalistic integrity. It’s no longer about the depth of an article, but about what clickbaity article we can post that might be filled with half-truths. The mass layoffs within journalism, whether it be because people are buying or reading people’s work or companies are cutting costs due to the use of AI, have hit this space harder than ever.
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The Morning Show writers dive headfirst into AI and deepfakes that exploit how the tide for how people get their news is changing. Whether it was watching Alex Levy talking into the camera and then using the technology for her to be broadcast in several different languages. Or being attacked for someone using deepfake software to alter things she said to come after her job.
As someone who has been writing for over a decade and has watched myself or others lose jobs in this space because of the rhetoric spread or the use of AI, this was often challenging to watch. How people get the news is downright scary anymore because they read those headlines and run with it. It’s not about the quality of work anymore but rather about the quantity. Between that and the political attack on journalists is why things have shifted for the worse in society. Kudos to the writers for understanding this and capturing it in a way that can help explain why many are jobless or scared.
The Morning Show is filled with a star-studded ensemble that has garnered 15 Emmy acting nominations. I could discuss the many different performances that continued to work, like Billy Crudup, whose work as Cory Ellison continues to thrive as Cory claws his way back into the fold. Or Greta Lee, who is in charge with Stella Bak battling to stay as the boss, fending off others. And Karen Pittman as Mia Jordan, who has quite the pivotal arc and knocks it out of the ballpark. Also, Nicole Beharie’s mind-blowing scene in episode 5, which breaks you in half. Of course, Reese Witherspoon is no slouch in the lead, and her arc with Billy Crudup is top-tier TV.
I could go on and on, but it was Jennifer Aniston who gave her best work in the role of Alex Levy to date. Everything that Levy battles I mentioned above, and Aniston’s ability to capture that vulnerability devastates you (especially if you feel that empathy as a writer). As the main focal point of the merger, they continue to put Levy in the middle of all the high-pressure situations. Even in the moments where Levy thrusts herself in the middle of them, like the protests, Aniston thrives with this precision of capturing your attention and making it feel authentic as a journalist with boots on the ground. I was awed by Aniston’s work in the series.
Is The Morning Show Season 4 Worth Watching?
Over the last two seasons, people have found it easy to dunk on The Morning Show in how they handle specific topics, or they don’t like the “woke” approach to the script. Although this season might not be different for a specific crowd, for me, this is by far the best season of The Morning Show to date. The writers balanced the concerns and overarching battles that journalists are facing day to day in an impactful and powerful way. Accompanying that with an ensemble that can’t be beat, this was a remarkable season that should result in many Emmy nominations across the board.
Eight out of ten episodes were screened for this review. The Morning Show Season 4 debuts on Apple TV+ September 17th.