The Morning Show hit its stride when it told an overlooked #MeToo story

Slate

Even though the Apple TV+ morning news drama was rebuilt “from scratch” after Matt Lauer’s sexual misconduct ouster from NBC, it was not until Episode 3 that the "show delivers anything resembling substantive commentary on sexual misconduct in the workplace and its aftereffects," says Inkoo Kang. "In that episode, ousted host Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) muses to a filmmaker friend (Martin Short), a fellow inmate in the “prison of public opinion,” that the “first wave” of exposed men—the Harvey Weinsteins (and presumably the Matt Lauers) of the world—really was bad. But the men accused during the grayer second wave—in whose ranks Mitch counts himself—well, their situation is 'just different.' It’s taken an awfully long while to get there, but The Morning Show’s first season finally hit its stride when it turned to illustrating how the men of the second wave can and have caused plenty of damage, even if they don’t break a single law. Add power to entitlement, and it’s easy to be a villain and never know it." She adds: "Unfortunately, that illustration is about the only thing The Morning Show does well. Glossy and expensive, the series is a giant, faultlessly tasteful gift box filled mostly with packing peanuts....The series is strewn with a tangle of storylines that don’t work, a clump of supporting characters who fail to leap off the page, and a series of thuds where the emotional beats are supposed to land. Several of the awards-baiting season’s most showy tableaux—like Aniston’s Alex Levy, Mitch’s former co-host, theatrically notifying the network execs that she’s taking command of the show—feel reverse-engineered for the stars’ Emmy reels. The umpteenth time that Witherspoon’s idealistic newbie Bradley Jackson protests that the news they peddle is too soft, Alex blows up at her, asking whether she’s going to have to hear this complaint forever. Viewers would be justified in sharing her reaction."

ALSO:

• Showrunner Kerry Ehrin addresses the Season 1 finale and previews Season 2
• Director Mimi Leder discusses the season finale and whether she still thinks The Morning Show got bad reviews because it's from Apple
• Leder on the closing moments of Season 1: "This felt powerful; this felt strong"
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw says she always saw her character as a "morality tale"
• Mark Duplass on being one of "better guys on the show and in that world"