"The Morning Show" Season 4 Review: Not Great, Not Terrible, Just Fine for Now

Alex Levy played by a steadfast Jennifer Aniston continues to thrive as the feminist face of the nowmerged UBN formerly rival networks UBA and NBN while juggling multiple hats in her more involved role at the legacy media company Reese Witherspoonamp8217s Bradley Jackson however has retreated to her hometown in West Virginia teaching journalism at a community college a very questionable choice given that last season she doctored footage and withheld evidence from the FBI to protect her insurrectionist brother If thereamp8217s one profession she should probably steer clear of itamp8217s teaching young minds about journalistic ethics and amp8220getting the storyamp8221Meanwhile the endlessly selfdestructive Cory Ellison played by consistent standout Billy Crudup is attempting to reinvent himself in Los Angeles as a film producer But in true Cory fashion his world is already unraveling as he scrambles to salvage a project all while Californiaamp8217s skies are literally scorched by wildfires a visual metaphor the show doesnamp8217t shy away from as the wildfires were also covered in season one They canamp8217t help but mention the 2023 Hollywood labor union strikes to remind us this is supposed to take place in our present worldSupporting Cast Shines New Faces and Fresh PotentialEven when the story falters the performances remain a consistent strength Karen Pittmanamp8217s Mia Jordan is once again the seriesamp8217 quiet but simmering powerhouse steady and sharp in equal measure Pittmanamp8217s monologue in late season one amp8220dicks bewareamp8221 remains my favorite moment for her character Nicole Beharie continues to impress as Christina Hunter the Olympianturnedanchor whose grounded presence and charm make her one of the showamp8217s most likable additions especially when she went toetotoe with Holland Tayloramp8217s Cybil Reynolds last season And Greta Lee continues to shine as Stella Bak whose icy calculation is tempered by occasional moments of vulnerability As always costume designer Sophie De Rakoff ensures Stella looks every bit as sharp as her instincts and witSeason 4 also welcomes several intriguing new players with Boyd Holbrook as a rightwing podcaster who constantly flirts with Alex Levy as well as Marion Cotillard commanding the screen as Celine Dumont a nononsense executive brought in from the merger whose arrival hints at the shakeups to come Aaron Pierre brings an edge of unpredictability as Miles a secretive old flame of Stellaamp8217s and the husband of Dumontamp8217s whose crosscharacter involvements are sure to get messy William Jackson Harper plays Ben UBNamp8217s new head of Sports and though underutilized so far I hope his role is fleshed out in the coming weeks as he was consistently captivating on NBCamp8217s The Good Place Academy Award winner Jeremy Ironsamp8217 role as Alexamp8217s father promises personal drama that could add depth to Anistonamp8217s storyline These additions feel purposeful and could give the season fresh momentum if woven in carefullyA Lack of FocusThe premiereamp8217s greatest weakness lies in its structure Instead of building toward a central storyline or even balancing a traditional A B and C plot the episode juggles half a dozen characters scattered across three states While an inevitable reunion at UBN is written on the wall the journey there already feels disjointed with scenes more focused on reestablishing the players and playing amp8216where are they nowamp8217 than driving the narrative forwardOf course earlyseason sprawl isnamp8217t unusual particularly with a twoyear time jump to bridge something thatamp8217s happened nearly every season as it takes 23 years for the show to return to the small screen But the lack of a clear throughline leaves the opener feeling more like a checklist than a compelling episode of televisionFinal ThoughtsThe first two episodes of The Morning Show season 4 are uneven weighed down by too many moving parts and too little focus Still the consistently strong performances and the introduction of new characters with genuine promise suggest the season could settle into a stronger rhythmThe trouble is the show has never quite recaptured the razorsharp writing and urgency of its first season In later years itamp8217s leaned heavily on amp8220ripped from the headlinesamp8221 storytelling everything from the pandemic to tech billionaires buying legacy media and news anchor being launched into space only to air its commentary a year or more after the fact leaving it feeling perpetually a step behind the conversations it wants to leadSo far Season 4 falls into that middle ground not great not terrible just fine for now Thereamp8217s enough talent on screen to keep audiences watching but whether The Morning Show can rise above its own habits and deliver something truly timely and resonant again remains to be seenNew episodes of The Morning Show stream Wednesdays on Apple TV until the season finale on November 12Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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"The Morning Show" Season 4 Review: Not Great, Not Terrible, Just Fine for Now

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"The Morning Show" Season 4 Review: Not Great, Not Terrible, Just Fine for Now

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