Blog: ‘The Morning Show’
It’s nearly impossible for me to watch Steve Carell on TV and be convinced that his character is a predator.
In case you don’t know, I’m talking about The Morning Show. It’s a newer series that premiered in November on Apple TV+ that stars three acting legends: Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want to watch something with this trio in it? They’re bound to deliver greatness together, no matter what the story is. Although all three have denied assumptions that this show is based around the infamous downfall of television news anchor Matt Lauer, the resemblance in The Morning Show is uncanny.
For a little background, Matt Lauer was the co-host of NBC’s Today show for 20 years and was fired in 2017 for sexual misconduct. In The Morning Show, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) is a hit morning television news anchor who is also fired for sexual misconduct. Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) had been his co-host for 15 years and the audience is led to believe that she may have turned a blind eye to some of his inappropriate behavior. Enter Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) who replaces Kessler and turns the whole network on its head. She’s a strong, southern woman who, quite frankly, gives zero fucks- and it’s insanely entertaining to watch. She develops this unexpected friendship with the network president Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) and I have to tell you, nothing made me laugh harder than this guy’s facial expressions and reactions. Unfortunately, I didn’t know who Billy Crudup was before I watched this show but now I’m a big fan.
Though to be honest, I’m not in love with this show. You won’t see me blowing up your phone telling you that you HAVE to watch this show. We’re blessed with brilliant acting yes, but someone on Instagram told me to watch out for the one-too-many storylines- and she was right. Maybe they’re creating paths to go down once they develop more seasons but it’s been a little hard trying to keep track of all of these avenues. It’s a bit slow and boring at times and the character development is gradual but you finally get to a point where you end up liking some of these characters. It took me about four or five episodes to think, okay, now this is getting interesting.
As I said, I just can’t fully believe Steve Carell’s character. Maybe I’m biased because I’ve watched The Office a few thousand times but sometimes when Mitch Kessler is talking, I compare it to the way Michael Scott talks. I can catch similarities at times I swear. Or I’m thinking of Gru from Despicable Me. I’m not watching this show believing that this dude is some disgusting specimen of a man, it’s Steve for crying out loud! This is starting to sound like a me problem. Jennifer Aniston is just flawless per usual. I think about how she flourished in one of the most iconic sitcoms of our time and now she’s here playing this unfriendly ice queen. You have to give these actors credit for their broad skill range though, it can be hard to break away from type-casting.
This Golden Globe-nominated series has been greenlit for a second season but who knows when that will be released. The first season ended on a solid cliffhanger that sets The Morning Show up nicely for that next chapter and hopefully that includes a lot of Billy Crudup. I just hope they don’t ruin his character, I can do without Steve Carell though.
The Morning Show is available to stream on Apple TV+.
