The Morning Show Recap: Sexy Enough For You?

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It was sad to see Mia Jordan’s hopes dashed. Everyone knew she likely wouldn’t get the Head of News position after it was delayed for so long, but it still felt unfair to see her career suffer because of Stella’s relationship with Miles. Mia might have been able to convince herself she was ready – her “Head of News, motherfuckers” pep talk was pretty strong! – but the power dynamics at UBN were stacked against her. She simply didn’t have a realistic chance.

Who’s in on this game with Stella? It’s Celine, naturally. Don’t let Celine’s stylish bob fool you; she’s a real instigator. As soon as Stella says she’s thinking about a deal with Cory Ellison, Celine figures Cory must have something over her. That’s the only reason Stella would even consider it. It’s not shocking that Celine understands Stella so well; she’s pretty perceptive about most things, except when it comes to her husband – she’s completely oblivious there. What is surprising, though, is what Cory points out later when he catches up with an old friend to discuss art and gauge Stella’s feelings about him returning to UBN: When Celine asks Cory what he knows about Stella, Cory notes she actually *wants* to find out some damaging information about her own CEO. Celine clearly has bigger plans that we don’t know about yet. Cory doesn’t give up on Stella right away, but you can tell it’s inevitable.

We aren’t sure what Celine is ultimately planning, but we see her manipulating Stella. Despite Stella assuring Mia that the Head of News position is hers – she’s definitely the most capable person for the job – things go terribly wrong for the TMS executive producer on the day of her interview. She struggles to prepare because she’s dealing with the fallout from Bradley’s disappointing return to the anchor desk. Plus, her biggest supporter, Alex, is caught up in her own problems and can’t be present at the interview to offer support. The interview is filled with tension, even though Mia is considered the favorite. Celine challenges her, pushing Mia to demonstrate a clear vision for the news department’s future. Or, more accurately, Celine wants Mia to adopt her vision, which she describes as “incendiary” and “sexy.” Those words feel more suited to a Victoria’s Secret fashion show with fireworks than to news broadcasts, but Celine delivers them with a French accent, so who knows? Maybe the news *should* be sexy.

Mia didn’t anticipate such strong opposition, but she managed it effectively. She pointed out to Celine that in today’s climate, even straightforward news reporting can be controversial. It doesn’t matter how skilled Mia is, or that she confidently ended an interview with a playful “is that sexy enough for you?” question. After she left, it became clear that Celine was leaning towards promoting Ben, the Sports Guy, to Head of News. He’s supposedly “reinvented the Olympics,” but considering all he’s delivered in terms of Olympic coverage is a single, unsuccessful interview with an athlete for UBN’s streaming platform, I’m left wondering: Is Celine actually familiar with the Olympics?

Despite everything, Celine cleverly sets a trap for Stella, and Stella falls for it. Celine is just offering advice – the actual hiring and firing decisions are Stella’s – but she points out that it might seem biased if Stella only hires people she already knows. If Stella wants to rehire Cory Ellison, shouldn’t she also bring in some fresh faces, like a new Head of News, to create balance? It works: Stella is desperate to keep Cory quiet about their affair with Miles, and Mia will suffer the consequences. And when Stella tells Mia the news, Mia is furious. She won’t listen to Stella’s excuses about how difficult this decision was, and she definitely doesn’t believe Stella is a friend. Stella gets defensive and changes her story, claiming she was trying to be gentle, but that Ben was simply more qualified. Nobody believes her. Mia immediately quits. Good for her! I hope she finds a way to really shake things up at UBN. Or, you know, just take a break. Life doesn’t have to be as dramatic as The Morning Show portrays it.

Alex finds herself in a difficult spot, needing to smooth things over. Her unplanned interview with Extinction Revolt during their protest at the major climate summit – the one where she understood that others could feel manipulated too – has upset Zeke Pemberton, an important figure in the oil and gas industry. He has a large advertising deal with the network and is threatening to withdraw all of his funding from UBN. Celine asks Alex to travel to the summit and offer a personal apology. Alex complies and unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Paul Marks.

It’s clear these two still have strong feelings for each other, even after two years since their difficult breakup. You can really see the longing and pain in their expressions! Yes, Paul is dating someone new – a woman dedicated to helping those displaced by climate change – but he’s clearly still hung up on Real Journalist Alex Levy. And while Alex insists she’s hurt that he moved on first and believes Paul only sees people as means to an end, when Paul manages to create a truce between her and Zeke Pemberton – allowing her to avoid negatively portraying Extinction Revolt in order to support Zeke – and asks for nothing in return? Well, you just *know* she’s desperately attracted to him and wants to be with him.

Sadly, this episode focuses solely on the developing relationship between Bradley Jackson and Cory Ellison. YOU READ THAT RIGHT. Cory asks Bradley to come over for a chat and some bomboloni, revealing he’s considering a job at UBN. He wants to gauge her reaction and prepare her for the potential gossip. He’s also concerned that her agreement with the Feds might involve sharing information about his obstruction of justice. After enjoying some wine and pastries, Bradley assures Cory he has nothing to worry about. She’s visibly happy to see him-she’d feared they might never meet again. She walks over and gives him a passionate kiss. Soon after, we see them naked in bed together, holding hands after intimacy. If you were wondering if these two would become intimate, here’s your answer.

If this is meant to be the start of a major romance for these two characters, it could create problems for a lot of reasons. Firstly, relationships rarely work out at UBN. That place is emotionally draining and unhealthy. Secondly, I seriously doubt there’s any romantic or sexual connection between them. It’s disappointing they chose to begin this storyline in the same episode as Alex and Paul’s reunion, because Jennifer Aniston and Jon Hamm have instant chemistry and a palpable attraction just by looking at each other. The contrast with Billy Crudup and Reese Witherspoon is really noticeable. However, you never know – maybe they’ll manage to change our minds. Or perhaps this relationship becoming romantic will lead to some exciting drama. At the very least, I’m hoping it will finally address the question everyone is thinking: Will Cory Ellison deliver one of his lengthy, rambling, and intense monologues before… you know? Let’s hope so. Fingers crossed.

In Other News

• Bradley and Chip eventually find Claire, who is hesitant to share information. However, she does give them a document that strongly suggests Bethanne Hines, the former Head of News, received a large payment to suppress the Wolf River story. When Chip talks to Bethanne, she’s afraid to say much, but she does confirm he’s investigating the right thing by leaving a message directing him to specific UBA documents. It looks like these two are making progress!

Before Paul offers assistance to Alex, Zeke asks her to investigate a rumor – which hasn’t been verified – that the man she interviewed regarding the Extinction Revolt was involved in an oil rig explosion that resulted in several deaths. Although she doesn’t end up needing the information her team finds, Alex will almost certainly cross paths with the investigation being conducted by Bradley and Chip.

I’m really frustrated that the show seems to be pushing me to dislike Aaron Pierre. Honestly, the entire conversation Miles had with Stella – especially when he called her “undeniable” and admitted he couldn’t stop thinking about her – was disgusting. If he’s so attracted to Stella, he should just leave Celine! I’m starting to think he’s a terrible person. It’s really annoying.

Okay, so Celine drops this bombshell – Miles is apparently chummy with Zeke Pemberton, and it all started because Miles helped Zeke’s wife with some art shopping. She mentions they really connected… and honestly, as a viewer, I’m immediately thinking, Miles definitely had an affair with her, didn’t he? It’s just heavily implied, and I’m pretty sure the filmmakers want us to reach that same conclusion.

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2025-10-01 11:56