
Though *The Morning Show* focuses on news and the people who deliver it, the show isn’t concerned with being realistic. Over its first three seasons, current events were consistently exaggerated for dramatic or comedic effect. Mitch Kessler, the disgraced former host, constantly plotted a comeback before his dramatic exit, while Bradley Jackson unexpectedly encountered her brother during the January 6th Capitol riot and then covered up his involvement. Even the show’s visual metaphors were heavy-handed – a spaceship belonging to the villainous Paul Marks was overtly phallic, mirroring his personality. It’s hard to take the show seriously, but even compared to its usual over-the-top approach, the fourth season’s storyline centered around Iran feels particularly problematic. It’s a xenophobic and tasteless plot that makes previous outlandish moments seem subtle by comparison.