Apple TV+’s The Morning Show is back for its fourth season, picking up two years after the events of the Season 3 finale and setting the stage for another round of media melodrama. As past seasons have covered the #MeToo movement, cancel culture, COVID and the January 6th Insurrection, this season tackles the looming influence of AI in entertainment, climate change protests, and... The first two episodes quickly establish where the characters have landed after the time jump, but in doing so, it spreads itself thin across half a dozen storylines, leaving the episodes feeling more like a reset than a confident step forward
Alex Levy, played by a steadfast Jennifer Aniston, continues to thrive as the feminist face of the now-merged UBN, formerly rival networks UBA and NBN, while juggling multiple hats in her more involved role at the legacy media company. Reese Witherspoon’s 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 there’s one profession she should probably steer clear of, it’s teaching young minds about journalistic ethics and “getting the story”.
Meanwhile, the endlessly self-destructive 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 California’s skies are literally scorched by wildfires, a visual metaphor the show doesn’t shy away from as the wildfires were also covered in season one. They can’t help but mention the 2023 Hollywood labor union strikes to remind us this is supposed to take place in our present world.
Supporting Cast Shines, New Faces and Fresh Potential
Even when the story falters, the performances remain a consistent strength. Karen Pittman’s Mia Jordan is once again the series’ quiet but simmering powerhouse, steady and sharp in equal measure. Pittman’s monologue in late season one, “dicks beware!” remains my favorite moment for her character. Nicole Beharie continues to impress as Christina Hunter, the Olympian-turned-anchor whose grounded presence and charm make her one of the show’s most likable additions, especially when she went toe-to-toe with Holland Taylor’s 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 wit.
Season 4 also welcomes several intriguing new players with Boyd Holbrook as a right-wing podcaster who constantly flirts with Alex Levy, as well as Marion Cotillard commanding the screen as Celine Dumont, a no-nonsense 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 Stella’s and the husband of Dumont’s, whose cross-character involvements are sure to get messy. William Jackson Harper plays Ben, UBN’s 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 NBC’s The Good Place. Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons’ role as Alex’s father promises personal drama that could add depth to Aniston’s storyline. These additions feel purposeful and could give the season fresh momentum if woven in carefully.
A Lack of Focus
The premiere’s 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 ‘where are they now’ than driving the narrative forward.
Of course, early-season sprawl isn’t unusual, particularly with a two-year time jump to bridge, something that’s happened nearly every season as it takes 2-3 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 television.
Final Thoughts
The 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 rhythm.
The trouble is, the show has never quite recaptured the razor-sharp writing and urgency of its first season. In later years, it’s leaned heavily on “ripped from the headlines” 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 lead.
So far, Season 4 falls into that middle ground: not great, not terrible, just fine for now. There’s 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 seen.
New episodes of The Morning Show stream Wednesdays on Apple TV+ until the season finale on November 12.
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