The Morning Show (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - In the Dark Night of the Soul It's Always 3:30 in the Morning - full transcript
America's favorite morning news show is thrown into crisis when it becomes the news.
Oh, God. Fred, what happened?
So, that's it?
Motherfuck, we're destroyed.
No, I'll tell him.
Someone better be dead, buddy.
Shit.
Following that,
you'll interview Gerard Thompson,
Art Department at Vanderbilt,
to discuss a recently resurfaced Van Gogh.
I'm scheduling an hour to go over
your speech for Friday night.
I think it's gonna run over though. I'm
gonna push your drinks with Jane Fonda.
Next up, you'll interview the senator
to discuss her book on policy-making
and why it's broken.
And you need to do your final fitting
for your gown for Friday.
They're gonna bring it
to the studio today.
And if you ever want
the senator on the show again...
You have a parent-teacher night
at Lizzy's school next week.
Chip's trying to get ahold of you.
Something urgent.
Oh, my God.
Who died?
Oh, my God.
Jesus, would you turn this off?
He's been singing about the same fucking
plane crash the past 50 years.
Everybody's still dead. Time to move on.
- Am I right, Joe?
- Yep.
Hey, watch the bumps.
I'm doing my eyeliner.
I'm...
And, Alan, what is this anyway?
What is this bullshit?
What exactly is bullshit this time?
What is it?
This stupid idea that we're gonna convince
the world's coal-fired power plants
to invest in carbon capture
without linkage.
Oh, my God, Jesus. Can we please
not have this linkage debate again?
- What?
- It's not about linkage.
This is about a protest
and how the town is divided.
- That's what this is about.
- Yes, I know.
Who went through all the burgers?
- No.
- Here, Joe. Have my french fries.
- Thank you.
- They're cold, but don't complain.
How many burgers did you eat, Joe?
By the way, okay, so we're
gonna talk about how the town's divided.
But we're also gonna slip in
how safe carbon capture is.
What? You put it in the copy.
This is not my agenda, Bradley, okay?
I'm just a liberal Harvard longhair
who cut his hair short for this job.
This is a stepping-stone for me.
I play by the rules.
The truth is the truth, whether you're
writing for The Bumfuck Gazette
- or The New York Times.
- Shit.
- I hope we made the right turn back there.
- And by the way,
that was an award-worthy shoehorning of
the word "Harvard" into the conversation.
Okay, you guys, can we please...
I swear, Joe. Everybody who's ever been to
Harvard can make an entire conversation
out of the word "Harvard,"
like, "Harvard, Harvard, Harvard?"
Harvard, Harvard, Harvard.
Are we gonna keep doing this?
How long is this gonna go on for?
Holy shit. Mitch Kessler just
got fired off The Morning Show.
- What?
- Wait, what? What the hell happened?
Let me see.
One less idiot to peddle soft news
to the masses.
Prior to being named coanchor
of The Morning Show,
the fallen Kessler was a fixture
of UBA's news division,
serving as UBA's
White House correspondent,
a presidential debate moderator
and network field correspondent.
The recipient
of multiple broadcast awards,
including a Leadership in Journalism award
from the New York Media Foundation
he and the TMS team have won
12 Daytime Emmys in their 15-year tenure.
Late last night, The New York Times
was reportedly tipped off
to an internal investigation by UBA
into Kessler's sexual misconduct.
Up until today, The Morning Show
was the only morning news broadcast
to dodge the Me Too scandals that have
seemingly plagued its competitors.
- When?
- Just broke. Does she know yet?
She knows. We're reworking the whole show.
We are live in 90 minutes.
Buckle up. Layla's working on new copy.
Get it to Alex A.S.A.P.
Got it.
We had no choice. It was multiple
complaints of sexual misconduct.
How multiple? Who? When?
I don't know. It's confidential.
It leaked to the Times overnight.
How?
I have no clue who leaked it.
I fucking wish I knew.
I'm trying to deal with this quietly.
Shit. Okay. HR has been looking into it
for a few weeks. I didn't want...
I didn't wanna drag you in. I was trying
to protect you, Alex, okay? Before you...
You knew about this,
and you didn't tell me?
What am I? Some fucking PA from Idaho
who doesn't need to know what's going on?
Alex, I was trying
to respect your space...
- My space.
- ...like you asked me to,
so that you can go out there every morning
and do what you do,
what America needs you to do.
Oh, fuck you, Chip. Fuck you.
Don't drag America into this.
They've got enough shit to deal with.
This affects me, okay?
My on-air partner, my TV husband...
is a sexual predator now?
What part of you thought that I should not
have been involved in this conversation?
You think chemistry
just comes in a bottle,
and we go out and we buy another one
at Whole Foods?
Charlie Black's office.
Please hold one moment.
Charlie Black's office.
Please hold one moment.
Rena. Where is he? We need to discuss
how we're handling the show today.
He's in there with her.
And he said no interruptions.
Rena, we're live in less than two hours,
for Chrissake.
Charlie Black's office. Please hol...
Oh. Hi. Let me see if I can get him.
- Really? Wow.
- Really.
- Excuse me.
- Wow.
- My ass. You know that.
- True. But...
- What?
- It's the network... Cory and Fred.
- Fabulous. Put 'em through.
- Yeah.
I got it.
- Hi, it's Alex.
- And Chip.
- Alex? Alex, it's Cory here.
- And Fred.
I am just incredibly sorry about this.
I feel absolutely terrible.
I feel like Mitch died.
The Mitch that I knew.
And I've only been running
the news division for a month,
so I can't imagine
what you must be feeling.
My condolences, Alex.
This is so hard for all of us.
Look, we're all a family here,
and we've had a tragedy. So, we're...
Any kind of sexual misconduct
will not be tolerated by the network.
- Well, absolutely not.
- You think you know someone...
Okay, thank you, Fred and Cory.
But I can't really think about that
right now because I've got to focus
on what we're putting on the show
in less than two hours.
- More caffeine.
- Thank you.
Oh, thank you.
That's exactly why you're the pro
that you are.
We just have to take this
one step at a time, right?
Can't let the fact
that there's hundreds of millions
of advertising dollars at stake here...
We're not gonna let that...
- Fuck you.
- ...bother us, because change can be good.
And one man's tragedy,
it can be another man's opportunity.
So let's, fuck yeah, embrace it.
And use this to reinvent ourselves,
make things bigger and better.
Thank God we've got you, Alex.
You will carry us through this.
I guess that's why they've been dragging
their feet on closing my renegotiations.
Yeah. Hey, guys.
So listen,
my gut instinct is to bring the news
to America myself honestly.
Addressing the truth is the only way
to protect our integrity.
So, we will talk to them
as members of our family.
We will grieve with them.
We will go through this together.
She's a class act. All the way.
Shut up.
And if we use this right, this is
our chance to get our audience back.
I couldn't agree more, Alex.
I think you've got the right idea there.
Pull the family together. And we'll get a
surge in our ratings for a few days. And...
I was gonna say that.
May sweeps are imminent, let's not forget.
And yes. We can discuss who
we're gonna be putting in Mitch's chair...
today.
But I am addressing America
up top on my own.
Like we have a choice.
I don't want anyone
sitting in Mitch's chair.
Not during this. That's mine.
I can't feel anything.
Don't worry. I'll be with you.
You'll get out there, and you'll feel it.
You'll find it, like you always do.
- Bradley.
- What?
I'm telling you something.
It's for your own good.
What?
You're awful.
Blow me, Alan. Just because I push back?
You don't push back.
You incinerate. Everyone says it.
You fight everyone on everything.
Well, there's a lot of sloppy work done
around here, mainly by you.
You know that anchor opening
on the late hour?
They're giving it to Sarah.
Sarah?
The world's only conservative lesbian
who weirdly looks like Mary Hart
and has also been at the channel
three years less than me?
People like her.
It's not a crime, you know?
Gotcha.
Hey, just do yourself a favor.
Try to be more agreeable, for Chrissake!
I am fucking agreeable!
Coal creates jobs! Coal creates jobs!
No more coal! No more coal!
...is what used to be...
I gotta take this.
I got something going on at home.
Mom, hold on.
Hey, honey.
You sound like you don't want to talk.
Hold on, Mom. I'm doing my job
at a protest right now. What's going on?
A protest? Is everything safe?
I'm at a coal mine.
No, I'm safe. Is Hal okay?
He's doing just fine.
Mom, speak up. I can't hear you.
You sound really busy. I just wanna let
you know I brought your brother home.
You did not.
Don't take that tone.
You sound like a bitch, honey.
I'll talk to you later.
Joe! Jesus.
Fuck.
Joe. Hey.
- Over here.
- Okay. God.
- Yeah. Sorry about that.
- Okay, Bradley, this is Jenna Macantire,
- she's protesting mines.
- Hey.
This is Bob Stephens. His family's been
in the mining business for generations.
All right. I got it.
I'm gonna need a wide shot, okay?
- And then we'll go on three and two, one.
- Fuck you!
- Hey! You okay, Joe?
- Yeah.
Hey. What are you doing?
Let go of me, fake news bitch!
- What?
- Get off of me.
What did you fucking call me?
Called you a fake news bitch
is what I called you.
Oh, yeah? I'm fake news?
What's the real news then?
You tell me five facts about coal,
and I'll let you go.
I don't have to tell you shit, lady.
You knocked down my cameraman. Otherwise
I'm gonna have you arrested for assault.
I bet you don't know jack shit about coal.
You're just out here
trying to raise some hell.
Go! Tell me!
Coal is a cheap fuel.
Wrong! What else?
I don't know. It's easy to get for people.
Wrong! What else?
It makes jobs for everybody.
Everyone's happy.
Yeah, so does death, okay?
You think that's a good idea?
- No, I don't...
- If it's so positive,
why do you think all these people
are out here protesting?
I don't know. Because they think
it's dangerous or whatever...
Do you think it's dangerous?
Do you even know what's in coal ash?
Arsenic, copper, lead, mercury, uranium.
That is some toxic shit.
And what about jobs?
How many jobs have been lost
in the last ten years?
- I don't know.
- Huh?
Thousands! Thousands of fucking families
knocked on their asses.
And it's just a big wheel
that goes around.
Liberals add sanctions.
Conservatives remove those sanctions.
And they just keep fighting 'cause
all they wanna do is hear themselves talk.
And they all want to be right.
And they all wanna win.
And that's all they fucking care about.
And there's a human cost!
And it's exhausting!
I'm exhausted!
Okay, Jesus.
Get off me.
Don't knock over old men.
I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Okay.
- Okay, let's take it away.
- I'm ready. I'm ready.
Okay, are y'all ready?
In three, two, one.
Hi. I'm Bradley Jackson at
Lachlan Coal Mine, reporting to you today.
This coal mine is reopening
after closing four years ago
due to declining coal demands
and rising regulatory threats,
costing this area thousands of jobs.
It's time.
I'm ready.
I revised the copy myself.
I gave my copy. I know what I'm saying.
Yeah.
Okay. Last looks.
Thanks.
Okay. There. Thanks.
- Okay, clear.
- Check the time.
Stand by, A.
Roll A. Eight seconds to you.
Five...
Four, three.
Two. Start your move.
Cue her.
Good morning. I'm bringing you
some sad and upsetting news.
Mitch Kessler,
my cohost and partner of 15 years,
was fired today for sexual misconduct.
All right. Stay strong.
First and foremost, I want to offer
our sympathy and support to the women.
We are devastated that this happened
on our watch, and our hearts are with you.
And to you at home,
I understand how you must be feeling
because I and the whole team here at
The Morning Show are feeling the same way.
Shock, disappointment, disbelief.
She's throwing me under the bus.
And while I don't know the details
of the allegations,
I understand that they were serious and
that keeping Mitch on was not an option.
I don't think we need to watch any more
of this. Let's prep you for your...
Do not touch that remote.
We know he was part of our family,
of your families.
We will all miss that person.
But there are consequences in life.
As a woman, I can say
there often aren't enough of them.
And while I will miss the Mitch
I thought I knew with all of my heart...
I am proud to work on a network
and live in a country
that upholds consequences.
What a load.
So, please have patience with us as
we find our footing in the next few days.
She's on fire today.
We will bring you the news, as always.
Too bad we can't
always throw a crisis at her.
- It turns her lights on.
- We will share any information
we have with you.
You are part of this family.
And we will get through this together.
We'll be right back.
We're back in 30.
It's good. Good.
That was beautiful.
Roll A. Back in two minutes.
Drop down to 40%. Hold.
Yeah, that's perfect.
- Here are some tissues.
- No, I don't need it.
- I'm good.
- Okay.
I bet you don't know jack shit about coal.
You're just out here trying to
raise some hell. Go ahead. Tell me.
- I don't know, coal...
- What?
- Coal is a cheap fuel.
- Shit.
Bradley Jackson.
Stop your ass right there.
Why the hell am I hearing
that you hired Sarah Oppenheimer
for the anchor job on America On Point?
Don't even. You know what everybody's
talking about here today?
Two things. Mitch Kessler is fired
and Bradley Jackson lost her shit
at the protest.
Climb off me, Jones. How was I supposed
to know people were filming me?
What? Like it's not the 21st century?
I was talking to him about the truth.
You remember the truth? Journalism?
We're newspeople, Jones.
Listen to yourself.
I gave you a shot.
I know you did.
When nobody else would.
You've been bouncing around for years,
and we both know why.
- I don't wanna talk about that.
- "Two-Fucks Jackson."
I was very young. I got flustered.
And that was ten years ago.
You get too hot too fast, Bradley.
I accidentally said "fuck." Okay?
And then I got mad at myself and...
Said "fuck" again, on live TV.
I remember.
And there goes
the ballad of Bradley Jackson.
You know what? Find some other puppet.
Find some other person that
you can put slanted copy in front of them,
that'll go to the coal mine protests,
your school shootings,
the pregnant lady that got hit by a truck.
Find somebody else to be invisible for
you, to deal with the world's heartaches
and not have
any fucking feelings about it!
I quit!
Research shows that sexual harassment
in the early stages of one's career
can lead to long-term
psychological damage.
And specifically,
what type of behavior or harassment
would cause that kind of long-term damage?
Stand by camera three.
Jesus, Yanko. Could he be
more uncomfortable talking about this?
Don't let Yanko talk.
As you said, Dr. Marino, this affects
so many of us. What would you say...
You knocked down my cameraman. Otherwise
I'm gonna have you arrested for assault.
I bet you don't know jack shit about coal.
You're just out here trying to
raise some hell. Go ahead. Tell me.
- I don't know...
- What?
Coal is a cheap fuel.
Wrong! What else?
Hannah.
Wrong! What else?
You said you were looking for stories
about strong women tomorrow.
Check this out.
If it's so fucking great, why are
all these people are out here protesting?
- I don't know. They think it's dangerous.
- Do you even know what's in coal ash?
Who is this?
Bradley Jackson, some conservative
correspondent for SENN.
She's fucking funny,
but also resonates some truth.
And the weary voice of America speaks out.
It's like a little piece
of performance art.
Thousands.
Thousands of jobs have been lost.
They can't do this to me. It's illegal.
They can't just take my life away
based on hearsay.
They have documented complaints, Mitch.
We have to deal with the reality...
Documented complaints about what? That
I had affairs? Since when is that a crime?
No, no. No. I'm...
I'm not proud of it, but what the fuck?
I didn't invent extracurricular sex.
What is happening here?
The network that I gave 20 years
of my life plus is now locking me out.
Throwing me to the wolves.
They won't even
engage in a discussion with me?
Listen, take it easy.
Don't get all worked up...
"Don't get all worked up"?
Are you kidding me?
My life just ended for no good reason,
and I should stay calm?
You know what? I didn't rape anybody!
I didn't fire anybody. I didn't jizz
into a plant in front of somebody.
You know what I did?
I fucked a couple of PA's and assistants.
Big fuckin' deal. They liked it.
I mean, who are we kidding?
Everything's changed,
but they forgot to send me the memo.
Since the dawn of time, men have used
their power to attract women.
And now let's bust Mitch Kessler's head
over it.
Mitch, let me make you a drink.
I didn't hold a gun to anybody's head.
It was consensual.
Most of them came on to me.
One of them actually told me
that I taught her how to have good sex!
And now, that stupid, comedy weather fuck
is in my seat. No fucking way!
Come on. Fuck you! Fuck you!
God.
You little motherfucker!
God damn it!
Okay.
We're gonna fight this.
We're gonna come up with a plan,
and we're gonna fight this.
Okay. Okay.
I'm picking up the kids from school
and taking them to the Hamptons.
I'm divorcing you.
I haven't liked you for a while anyway.
Goodbye.
Come on, Paige.
Fuck!
- Who is it?
- It's me.
You did great. Yanko was a lot of work.
It was a bad call from Cory.
You think?
We better have our shit together when
the network jerk-offs get here today.
And I don't want that new guy
from the entertainment division
making the call about
who sits in that chair next to me.
Because I have to carry their ass!
The guy's a fucking moron.
They should never have made him
the head of the news division.
And I wanna know every idea
of who they're going after for that chair.
We're precarious enough in the ratings.
Okay. I understand.
Well, you better,
'cause this is all your fault.
You are the EP.
The show is slipping on your watch.
And now that shit.
You know I don't control everything, Alex.
Well, you're supposed to. That's your job.
All right, hot soup coming through.
Hot soup coming through.
I just wanna say this.
As long as I am the president
of the UBA news division,
behavior such as that exhibited
by Mitch Kessler will not be tolerated.
Out of respect
for those who have suffered,
I'll be making no further comment
at this time.
Let's get PR back on the phone. I need
to know how our response is landing.
I need writers and producers,
just all senior staff in my office
with ideas for how the fuck we're gonna
get through these next two days.
The bosses are saying...
Jesus, Joel. Pick a side.
I'm on your side.
Of the fucking hallway. Jesus.
Okay. They're saying they want this week
to land somewhere between repudiation
and navel-gazing, whatever the fuck that
means. I have no idea what they're...
I'll be back A.S.A.P.
Can you survive without me?
Yes. Text me as soon as you know.
- Where was I?
- Repudiation and navel-gazing.
Data and Research. What the fuck?
Why aren't they calling us back? Okay.
We need that huddle. We need it right now.
And lastly, just get the entire
talent team up here, okay?
We need to start preparing our long-term
strategy. You're getting all this, right?
Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't listening.
Oh, you know what?
That is not funny. Fuck you and f...
Cory. Hey.
Is now a good time?
I wasn't expecting you till... Yes. Yeah.
Well, you know.
When the Exxon Valdez hits the reef
and spills ten million gallons
of your oil into the water,
you kinda drop whatever you're doing
and fly to Alaska.
Of course you do. Yeah.
And if I might exhaust the metaphor,
you don't leave until you make sure
that every last salmon
and sea otter is scraped clean.
So, we're gonna clean
some fuckin' sea otters, Chip, right?
And we're not gonna like it,
and neither are the otters.
But I'm gonna be with you,
side by side, until we get it all done.
No matter how long
or how much soap it takes.
Well, I'm excited.
Makes two of us. Let's go.
Miles to go before we sleep.
I've already called marketing,
and they're on their way down right now.
We know you already discussed this
with the network PR team,
but they're worried about the network.
We wanna focus on you.
How will America see Alex Levy
deal with the fall of Mitch Kessler?
Oh, God.
People are gonna wanna know
what you did or did not know.
Okay, we're gonna work on
your follow-up statement in a minute.
Your first one was
a little too sympathetic towards Mitch.
- I'm so...
- I know you were close,
- but you need to be careful.
- Excuse me.
Excuse me.
All I said was that I will miss the person
that I sat side by side with.
That's just the truth.
I expressed sympathy for the women,
abhorrence for the predatory behavior.
I am a journalist.
You don't have to spoon-feed me this shit.
This isn't just about protection.
It's about opportunity. You know that.
Yes, I know that.
We're in the middle of a tough
renegotiation. This can be good for us.
I know, I know. I know that, okay. Okay.
So, we're gonna hand out
the decks we made,
and we will walk through
the five-tier response
we are going to accomplish
over the next few days.
In particular at the big event
in two nights.
This is the worst timing ever.
Alex.
Please excuse me.
Hi.
I'm so happy to see this face.
Oh, my God. What an awesome surprise.
Hi, honey.
Oh, you didn't have to leave school
to come and see me.
Actually, my class came into town
for the day to see a play.
Oh, that's okay.
But, Mom, I'm so sorry.
I can't believe it. I mean,
maybe I just don't want to, but, like...
- I know.
- I've known him since I was conscious.
I know. It's awful...
- Yeah.
- ...and I'm so sorry.
Oh, God. Honey, can't you skip the play
and just stay home with me
and we can cuddle and we can make snacks
and watch The British Cooking Show?
Oh, just...
anything to make me feel happy.
Hey.
- Oh, hi.
- Hey.
- Hi, Dad.
- Hey, honey. How are you?
This big news, I'm... I'm really sorry.
I was texting you all day.
I know. I'm sorry.
It's just the worst day of my entire life.
So exhausted,
and I still have these people in there.
Al, Al. Why don't I just... I can stay.
I could...
I mean, I was gonna take Lizzy and her
friends for dinner before the show, but...
No. You guys go.
I mean, I'm here all night,
and then I have to go to bed,
get up at 3:30 again and again.
It's good. Go, live your lives.
Looks good, you know?
Okay. But text me before you go to bed.
- I will.
- And I'll be back on Friday for the event.
Yes.
Yeah? It's all right.
We're gonna get through it.
- Yes.
- I love you.
I love you so much.
- Good night.
- Good night. Have fun.
Good night.
- Hey.
- Yeah. No, I can't.
Okay.
Go, Jase.
Bye, Al.
Thanks.
Hey, honey. What a nice surprise.
Just in time for dinner.
Mom, Hal is an addict.
He is bipolar, and he's an addict.
Jesus, Bradley.
Have to be so dramatic about everything?
Just come sit down. We're having dinner.
Hal, turn the music back on.
Hal.
You gotta listen to me this time, Mom.
Are you just upset about that viral video
of you yelling at that boy?
I don't care about the video.
And he wasn't a boy.
Do not derail the conversation.
Hal is an addict, and he needs help.
He's not an addict.
He just went through a rough spot.
Mom, he is an addict.
Hey, look, I'm... I am an addict, Mom.
- I liked your video.
- Thank you.
But he's better now.
He wasn't even there for two weeks.
You just had him come home
'cause you didn't wanna be alone.
- That is not true.
- It's a little true, Mom.
Do you know the mountains I had to move
to get him into that place?
Not to mention
the amount of money I spent.
- Can we just please have a...
- Hey, Brad, Brad.
I'm gonna pay you back.
- I'll pay you back.
- I don't need you to pay me back.
I need you to be better.
I need you to be safe.
Do you have any idea
how many decisions I have made in my life
- just because I had to take care of you?
- Bradley, stop it.
How many relationships I've lost?
How many jobs I've lost?
- I'm sorry...
- You are ruining dinner!
Jesus.
I'll get it.
Just... every time.
- Yeah?
- Bradley Jackson. I've found you.
What?
Can I help you?
Hannah Shoenfeld.
Head booker for The Morning Show.
You know you have over a million views
on your video?
What can I do for you?
We wanna interview you
about why the video is going viral.
It's clearly touched a nerve.
We'd like to book you for tomorrow.
I've got us on a plane 90 minutes
from now. We should get going.
Wait. The Morning Show?
The one with Alex Levy and Mitch Ke...
That show with Alex Levy?
The Morning Show?
Yeah. Alex will interview you.
What?
Just because I lost my shit at a protest?
Your words spoke to America.
Oh, no. I don't...
Bradley, some piece of you that is
really you came through in that video.
People are noticing. They want more.
How the hell did you find me
out here at my mom's house?
We're The Morning Show.
We can do anything.
I do everything right.
Everything they've asked me to do
in the last three years.
They just don't know what to do with me.
And they're making us see this popcorn
shit? Fucking Gilmore Girls, The Musical?
- Is the world so bereft of new ideas...
- Don't act like you didn't know
what The Twist was gonna be.
I was in that meeting too.
- You didn't have a gun to your head.
- Why did I get a Master's in Journalism?
What's the point of having a PhD
in Political Science?
Is this what Gabe
comes home to every night?
Why did they hire me if they're
not gonna give me a shot at the chair?
- Jesus. My feed is wall-to-wall Mitch.
- God forbid there's a serious black anchor
on The Morning Show. Not for the
Norman Rockwell family of morning news.
Tokenism at its finest.
You are closer now to the job
- than you were 24 hours ago.
- They're making me jump through hoops
watching the fucking Gilmore Girls sing
about how tough upper-middle class life
in Connecticut is while a bunch
of idiot white dudes eat expensive food
on the network's dime
to discuss how to overlook me.
And what the hell kinda name
is Lorelai anyway?
So this is sort of
getting you up to speed.
Now, obviously, the hunt for a replacement
for Alex is on the back burner,
given the circumstances.
Other fish to imminently fry.
Exactly. But I wanted you to have
the lay of the land here
- just so you know where we're at.
- Thank you.
Who knows, maybe this whole thing
will revitalize Alex.
- I mean, today... pretty fucking great.
- Yeah.
When she does that, you know, she,
like, reaches her arm down that camera
and, like, connects with America,
and that's when she's brilliant.
Agreed. It's just that she's been
"brilliant-light" the last five years.
And it's shown in the ratings.
And I don't know, man.
Maybe she's bored or complacent
with success.
Who cares, really. And now, two of them.
We get to find the new marriage
for America to fall in love with.
- It's kind of exciting.
- Glad you're excited.
We have to get well ahead of YDA.
We can't stand a blow
to the news division.
Broadcast networks can't stand a blow
to anything right now.
- Yeah.
- It's kinda funny
how the entire world of broadcast
could just fall off a cliff
in a few years.
Like, boom. Bang. Lights out.
Unless we reinvent it.
We're all gonna get bought out by tech
unless something changes.
I don't know.
Tech or not,
there will always be a need
for reliable, quality journalism.
People get their horrible news
delivered to the palm of their hand 24/7,
and they get it the way that they like it,
colored the way they want it.
And news is awful,
but humanity is addicted to it,
and the whole world is depressed by it.
That's why what we really need
on television right now,
it's not news or fucking journalism.
It's entertainment.
This is just like during the Depression,
when people wanted to watch
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance
on expensive sets
and live in a dream world.
Dream worlds are essential.
Depressed people, they need escape.
How long do you think the network rode the
sexual chemistry between Alex and Mitch?
I mean, sure, people wanted them
to be Mom and Dad,
but people also like to be titillated,
and there is some unspoken sexual fantasy
to cohosts, right?
I get it. I get it.
Alex is like Mitch's widow now.
She can't provide that, and I know
you love her and she is your gal,
but, you know,
nobody wants to watch a widow get fucked.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a cold world.
Well, it's just the world it is.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Good.
Okay.
Thanks.
Oh, my God.
Kessler and his partner, Alex Levy,
had cohosted the show for 15 years.
The two were such a celebrated institution
that journalists nationwide
are left clueless
as to who could replace the dad
of morning TV.
Fuck you, New York.
Come on.
Can you please bring the car around?
Yes, ma'am.
I'm gonna go in early.
Oh, God.
So, it's great to have you here.
Oh, and, by the way, I'm Mia Jordan,
I'm gonna be your segment producer.
Bradley. Nice to meet you.
Oh, you want a... You hungry? Did you eat?
No. I'm okay. I look forward to you
whispering in my ear to stop fucking up.
You're a pro. I have no worries.
By the way, have you been
to The Morning Show studio before?
No, but I've been in the business
about 15 years, so...
- Wow.
- It's kinda familiar.
- Anna, this is Bradley. Bradley, Anna.
- Hi there. Nice to meet you.
You know,
all studios are pretty much the same.
Huge adrenaline, incredible intelligence,
desperate ambition, huge egos.
...round and around,
'cause all they wanna do is hear...
Guys, please, stop it.
Give me a second, please, guys.
I just wanna watch this.
And there's a human cost!
And it's exhausting! I'm exhausted!
Yeah. There is no way that
she did not know she was being filmed.
- It's really hard to say.
- Is it?
It doesn't matter. That's not the story.
Two million likes and counting.
That's the story.
Real or not, it struck a nerve.
People wanna believe it's true.
Yeah. Well, people are idiots. Am I right?
That's all we've been proving lately.
Okay, Alex, I know this has all
been very hard for you.
What is that supposed to mean?
What? Do I look tired?
No. No. You look great.
I'm just saying you don't have to...
- Do I look tired?
- No. Promise.
No, you don't look tired.
Just get through today.
Just do a pleasant little interview
that will make America happy, okay?
I'm worried about you.
Just get through these next few days.
Can I have my celery juice, please?
Of course.
God, it pisses me off.
Fuck.
Okay.
I didn't buy a word of it.
Not one word of it.
Okay.
- Ready?
- Yeah. I'm ready.
Okay. Great.
We're gonna have you sit right here.
Okay. Thanks.
Back in 30, everybody.
Okay.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- I'm so sorry.
- Back in 20.
What about?
Just yesterday.
That must have been so difficult for you.
- 'Cause you worked together for so long.
- I'm fine.
Okay.
- In five, four, three...
- Over here?
Start your move. Cue her.
An unusual thing happened yesterday
at a coal mine protest
in Hanover, West Virginia,
when a local reporter's camera operator
was knocked over by an unruly protester.
Let's watch.
Thousands of families knocked on their
asses. It's a big wheel that goes around.
Liberals add sanctions.
Conservatives remove those sanctions.
And they just keep fighting. And they just
keep going around and around and around.
'Cause all they wanna do
is hear themselves talk.
And they all want to be right.
And they all wanna win.
And that's all they fucking care about.
And there's a human cost!
And it's exhausting! I'm exhausted!
Jesus. Okay, okay, okay.
I am here with Bradley Jackson
from SENN in Virginia.
Hello, Bradley Jackson. Welcome.
Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
You seem a lot more relaxed today.
Yeah, well, this is a whole lot nicer than
a coal mine protest. I'm not gonna lie.
Well, so, what did happen that day?
Why exactly were you so exhausted?
Well, you know, life in general
is just sort of exhausting.
But, as you know, we reporters,
we see the way the world works,
and sometimes you just want
to get in there and educate people
and stop them from constantly
going in circles with their ideas.
I mean, it's just so frustrating.
It's sad.
So true. So true.
As reporters, we are trained to never let
our personal emotions enter the story.
What happened yesterday
that made you cross that line?
Well, I wasn't even aware
that I was being filmed.
I was setting up for my story, and
my cameraman was knocked down by someone,
and something about seeing him
struggling on the ground
made me want to address
the person responsible, so I did.
You know a peculiar amount about coal.
Alex, be nice.
Well, yes, I do. I do.
I've actually covered
a lot of coal mine protests,
and I think it's important to know
as much about the subject as possible,
especially when people are literally
fighting each other over it.
Yes, well, America has clearly
connected to that message.
Why do you think that is?
You know, I think America is tired
of Twitter fighting.
It's ignorant, and it's contributing
to the dumbing down of our country.
Parties have created a good side
and a bad side for their own purposes.
And once you villainize someone, there is
nothing left but go to war with them.
I know that you work
at a conservative news outlet.
What side of that argument
do you personally fall on?
The human side.
What does that mean?
It means I see both sides.
But in leadership,
decisions have to be made.
You can't just have empathy for everybody
and do nothing.
Take it two.
Well, say you're president.
What do you do?
- Well...
- Open or close the coal mine?
I'm just here to deliver the news
to America.
That's all I ever wanted to do.
So you're a die-hard reporter.
I like to think that I am, yes.
The truth matters to me.
What would you say to the idea
that it's a reporter's sacred creed
to never let the story become about them?
Jesus. Alex. What are you doing? Stop it.
I would say I agree with that.
And yet this has become about you.
Ah, shit.
As I said before,
I didn't know I was being filmed.
This wasn't part of my live coverage.
Well, there could be some cynical people
who might think
that that was completely set up.
To what end?
You're here.
Well, there are some non-cynical people,
which I believe is most people,
that believe the news is changing.
And the news is changing because
the people who deliver the news,
who showed themselves
as honest and decent and trustworthy,
have in quite a few cases now
proved themselves to be untruthful.
And as a result, I think people are
wanting more transparency in journalism.
I think they want to know the person
behind the facade.
I think they want to trust that the person
telling them the truth about the world
is an honest person.
Like you.
Yes. Well,
the truth is what we are all striving for.
Yeah. It is.
Thank you, Bradley Jackson,
for being with us today.
- Thank you so much.
- Of course.
We will be right back
with a surprise secret about vitamin D.
- And we're out.
- Stand by to break.
We're clear. Back in two minutes.
- You're good.
- Thank you.
Good luck in Ham-Hock, Virginia.
Oh, there. Thank you. Okay.
- It was great.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- You were awesome.
- Thanks. All right. Thank you.
Nice work.
Bye.
Yeah? All right.
Fucking vultures.
Holy shit.
Whosever in here,
get out before I blow your head off.
Oh, fuck off, Mitch. It's me.
Shit.
Alex?
I can't be seen by anybody,
so I had my car drop me in the woods
behind your house.
- You came to see me.
- No.
I came to tell you
that I am so mad at you,
and I will never, ever get over it.
You left me.
Alone on the fucking Morning Show.
You left me alone.
Because you had to fuck around on Paige
because you didn't want to tarnish
your little image and just get a divorce.
Hello, pot.
I'd like to introduce you to kettle.
- How can you be mad at me about that?
- Are you kidding me? You're so stupid.
- You think I'm mad at you because...
- Jesus, beat me up. Beat me up.
You really think that
that's what I'm mad about? You idiot.
I'm mad at you because you're selfish.
You're a self-indulgent asshole.
And your philandering has fucked me.
And I'm gonna lose everything, Mitch.
There's no guarantees. Zero.
Our star was built on chemistry,
and you just blew it up.
And why? Why did you do that?
There had to have been a million
and one women out there
who would've gladly sucked your dick
who didn't work on The Morning Show.
- It's not my fault.
- Oh, please.
- They were consensual affairs, Alex.
- Mitch, you're such a fucking moron.
I think that you're jealous
because of our history.
- Your fucking ego. Oh, my God, Mitch.
- 'Cause we had a thing.
That fucking ego of yours.
You really think that because
of the two times you got on top of me
meant that much to me
that that's what I'm pissed about?
You're so stupid. God.
You stole my life with this.
You left me in the woods
with a... pack of wolves.
I live a really strange existence, Mitch,
and it's isolated as shit.
I gave up everything for this show.
Any chance of having a normal life.
And you just put me
in a position of losing it.
Everything. Of having nothing.
Of having no one.
You're my partner.
Fifteen years my partner.
And my only real companion,
who knew my life in such vivid detail.
Because you're... It's your life too.
I'm so sorry.
We lived a life
that we're never gonna get back.
And you're not my husband,
and you're not my lover,
and you're not my family,
and now you can't be my friend.
Why can't I be?
Because what you did was wrong!
Alex, you knew these people.
You know that I didn't coerce anybody.
This is Weinstein's fault.
Please don't say that. It's so ignorant.
Jesus, Alex.
I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't.
What happened to your TV?
We had a disagreement.
I'm sorry you're such an asshole.
Me too.
I wouldn't use those two words together
if I were you.
I have to go. I have to leave.
No, don't. I don't want you to go.
I have to go.
- No, don't go. I want you to stay, please.
- I have to go. No.
I don't wanna be alone.
Just stay for a little while. Alex,
please, come on. This could blow over.
- This is so never gonna blow over.
- Alex.
Alex, they were going to replace you!
What?
They came to me. They said YDA
was nipping at our heels in the ratings.
And they wanted to make a change.
I don't believe you.
You're just trying to fuck with my head
because you're destroyed
and you want me destroyed.
No, no. I wanna save you.
- Alex, don't go.
- I don't believe you!
Just stay! I've got a gun!
Great! Have fun with that!
Bradley Jackson here.
This is Cory Ellison.
I'm the president of the UBA network.
I saw you on The Morning Show.
How would you like
to come meet me for a drink
at the Archer Gray right now
and talk about your future?
"My future"?
What is this, my big break?
Well, I suppose that's up to you.
So, that's it?
Motherfuck, we're destroyed.
No, I'll tell him.
Someone better be dead, buddy.
Shit.
Following that,
you'll interview Gerard Thompson,
Art Department at Vanderbilt,
to discuss a recently resurfaced Van Gogh.
I'm scheduling an hour to go over
your speech for Friday night.
I think it's gonna run over though. I'm
gonna push your drinks with Jane Fonda.
Next up, you'll interview the senator
to discuss her book on policy-making
and why it's broken.
And you need to do your final fitting
for your gown for Friday.
They're gonna bring it
to the studio today.
And if you ever want
the senator on the show again...
You have a parent-teacher night
at Lizzy's school next week.
Chip's trying to get ahold of you.
Something urgent.
Oh, my God.
Who died?
Oh, my God.
Jesus, would you turn this off?
He's been singing about the same fucking
plane crash the past 50 years.
Everybody's still dead. Time to move on.
- Am I right, Joe?
- Yep.
Hey, watch the bumps.
I'm doing my eyeliner.
I'm...
And, Alan, what is this anyway?
What is this bullshit?
What exactly is bullshit this time?
What is it?
This stupid idea that we're gonna convince
the world's coal-fired power plants
to invest in carbon capture
without linkage.
Oh, my God, Jesus. Can we please
not have this linkage debate again?
- What?
- It's not about linkage.
This is about a protest
and how the town is divided.
- That's what this is about.
- Yes, I know.
Who went through all the burgers?
- No.
- Here, Joe. Have my french fries.
- Thank you.
- They're cold, but don't complain.
How many burgers did you eat, Joe?
By the way, okay, so we're
gonna talk about how the town's divided.
But we're also gonna slip in
how safe carbon capture is.
What? You put it in the copy.
This is not my agenda, Bradley, okay?
I'm just a liberal Harvard longhair
who cut his hair short for this job.
This is a stepping-stone for me.
I play by the rules.
The truth is the truth, whether you're
writing for The Bumfuck Gazette
- or The New York Times.
- Shit.
- I hope we made the right turn back there.
- And by the way,
that was an award-worthy shoehorning of
the word "Harvard" into the conversation.
Okay, you guys, can we please...
I swear, Joe. Everybody who's ever been to
Harvard can make an entire conversation
out of the word "Harvard,"
like, "Harvard, Harvard, Harvard?"
Harvard, Harvard, Harvard.
Are we gonna keep doing this?
How long is this gonna go on for?
Holy shit. Mitch Kessler just
got fired off The Morning Show.
- What?
- Wait, what? What the hell happened?
Let me see.
One less idiot to peddle soft news
to the masses.
Prior to being named coanchor
of The Morning Show,
the fallen Kessler was a fixture
of UBA's news division,
serving as UBA's
White House correspondent,
a presidential debate moderator
and network field correspondent.
The recipient
of multiple broadcast awards,
including a Leadership in Journalism award
from the New York Media Foundation
he and the TMS team have won
12 Daytime Emmys in their 15-year tenure.
Late last night, The New York Times
was reportedly tipped off
to an internal investigation by UBA
into Kessler's sexual misconduct.
Up until today, The Morning Show
was the only morning news broadcast
to dodge the Me Too scandals that have
seemingly plagued its competitors.
- When?
- Just broke. Does she know yet?
She knows. We're reworking the whole show.
We are live in 90 minutes.
Buckle up. Layla's working on new copy.
Get it to Alex A.S.A.P.
Got it.
We had no choice. It was multiple
complaints of sexual misconduct.
How multiple? Who? When?
I don't know. It's confidential.
It leaked to the Times overnight.
How?
I have no clue who leaked it.
I fucking wish I knew.
I'm trying to deal with this quietly.
Shit. Okay. HR has been looking into it
for a few weeks. I didn't want...
I didn't wanna drag you in. I was trying
to protect you, Alex, okay? Before you...
You knew about this,
and you didn't tell me?
What am I? Some fucking PA from Idaho
who doesn't need to know what's going on?
Alex, I was trying
to respect your space...
- My space.
- ...like you asked me to,
so that you can go out there every morning
and do what you do,
what America needs you to do.
Oh, fuck you, Chip. Fuck you.
Don't drag America into this.
They've got enough shit to deal with.
This affects me, okay?
My on-air partner, my TV husband...
is a sexual predator now?
What part of you thought that I should not
have been involved in this conversation?
You think chemistry
just comes in a bottle,
and we go out and we buy another one
at Whole Foods?
Charlie Black's office.
Please hold one moment.
Charlie Black's office.
Please hold one moment.
Rena. Where is he? We need to discuss
how we're handling the show today.
He's in there with her.
And he said no interruptions.
Rena, we're live in less than two hours,
for Chrissake.
Charlie Black's office. Please hol...
Oh. Hi. Let me see if I can get him.
- Really? Wow.
- Really.
- Excuse me.
- Wow.
- My ass. You know that.
- True. But...
- What?
- It's the network... Cory and Fred.
- Fabulous. Put 'em through.
- Yeah.
I got it.
- Hi, it's Alex.
- And Chip.
- Alex? Alex, it's Cory here.
- And Fred.
I am just incredibly sorry about this.
I feel absolutely terrible.
I feel like Mitch died.
The Mitch that I knew.
And I've only been running
the news division for a month,
so I can't imagine
what you must be feeling.
My condolences, Alex.
This is so hard for all of us.
Look, we're all a family here,
and we've had a tragedy. So, we're...
Any kind of sexual misconduct
will not be tolerated by the network.
- Well, absolutely not.
- You think you know someone...
Okay, thank you, Fred and Cory.
But I can't really think about that
right now because I've got to focus
on what we're putting on the show
in less than two hours.
- More caffeine.
- Thank you.
Oh, thank you.
That's exactly why you're the pro
that you are.
We just have to take this
one step at a time, right?
Can't let the fact
that there's hundreds of millions
of advertising dollars at stake here...
We're not gonna let that...
- Fuck you.
- ...bother us, because change can be good.
And one man's tragedy,
it can be another man's opportunity.
So let's, fuck yeah, embrace it.
And use this to reinvent ourselves,
make things bigger and better.
Thank God we've got you, Alex.
You will carry us through this.
I guess that's why they've been dragging
their feet on closing my renegotiations.
Yeah. Hey, guys.
So listen,
my gut instinct is to bring the news
to America myself honestly.
Addressing the truth is the only way
to protect our integrity.
So, we will talk to them
as members of our family.
We will grieve with them.
We will go through this together.
She's a class act. All the way.
Shut up.
And if we use this right, this is
our chance to get our audience back.
I couldn't agree more, Alex.
I think you've got the right idea there.
Pull the family together. And we'll get a
surge in our ratings for a few days. And...
I was gonna say that.
May sweeps are imminent, let's not forget.
And yes. We can discuss who
we're gonna be putting in Mitch's chair...
today.
But I am addressing America
up top on my own.
Like we have a choice.
I don't want anyone
sitting in Mitch's chair.
Not during this. That's mine.
I can't feel anything.
Don't worry. I'll be with you.
You'll get out there, and you'll feel it.
You'll find it, like you always do.
- Bradley.
- What?
I'm telling you something.
It's for your own good.
What?
You're awful.
Blow me, Alan. Just because I push back?
You don't push back.
You incinerate. Everyone says it.
You fight everyone on everything.
Well, there's a lot of sloppy work done
around here, mainly by you.
You know that anchor opening
on the late hour?
They're giving it to Sarah.
Sarah?
The world's only conservative lesbian
who weirdly looks like Mary Hart
and has also been at the channel
three years less than me?
People like her.
It's not a crime, you know?
Gotcha.
Hey, just do yourself a favor.
Try to be more agreeable, for Chrissake!
I am fucking agreeable!
Coal creates jobs! Coal creates jobs!
No more coal! No more coal!
...is what used to be...
I gotta take this.
I got something going on at home.
Mom, hold on.
Hey, honey.
You sound like you don't want to talk.
Hold on, Mom. I'm doing my job
at a protest right now. What's going on?
A protest? Is everything safe?
I'm at a coal mine.
No, I'm safe. Is Hal okay?
He's doing just fine.
Mom, speak up. I can't hear you.
You sound really busy. I just wanna let
you know I brought your brother home.
You did not.
Don't take that tone.
You sound like a bitch, honey.
I'll talk to you later.
Joe! Jesus.
Fuck.
Joe. Hey.
- Over here.
- Okay. God.
- Yeah. Sorry about that.
- Okay, Bradley, this is Jenna Macantire,
- she's protesting mines.
- Hey.
This is Bob Stephens. His family's been
in the mining business for generations.
All right. I got it.
I'm gonna need a wide shot, okay?
- And then we'll go on three and two, one.
- Fuck you!
- Hey! You okay, Joe?
- Yeah.
Hey. What are you doing?
Let go of me, fake news bitch!
- What?
- Get off of me.
What did you fucking call me?
Called you a fake news bitch
is what I called you.
Oh, yeah? I'm fake news?
What's the real news then?
You tell me five facts about coal,
and I'll let you go.
I don't have to tell you shit, lady.
You knocked down my cameraman. Otherwise
I'm gonna have you arrested for assault.
I bet you don't know jack shit about coal.
You're just out here
trying to raise some hell.
Go! Tell me!
Coal is a cheap fuel.
Wrong! What else?
I don't know. It's easy to get for people.
Wrong! What else?
It makes jobs for everybody.
Everyone's happy.
Yeah, so does death, okay?
You think that's a good idea?
- No, I don't...
- If it's so positive,
why do you think all these people
are out here protesting?
I don't know. Because they think
it's dangerous or whatever...
Do you think it's dangerous?
Do you even know what's in coal ash?
Arsenic, copper, lead, mercury, uranium.
That is some toxic shit.
And what about jobs?
How many jobs have been lost
in the last ten years?
- I don't know.
- Huh?
Thousands! Thousands of fucking families
knocked on their asses.
And it's just a big wheel
that goes around.
Liberals add sanctions.
Conservatives remove those sanctions.
And they just keep fighting 'cause
all they wanna do is hear themselves talk.
And they all want to be right.
And they all wanna win.
And that's all they fucking care about.
And there's a human cost!
And it's exhausting!
I'm exhausted!
Okay, Jesus.
Get off me.
Don't knock over old men.
I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Okay.
- Okay, let's take it away.
- I'm ready. I'm ready.
Okay, are y'all ready?
In three, two, one.
Hi. I'm Bradley Jackson at
Lachlan Coal Mine, reporting to you today.
This coal mine is reopening
after closing four years ago
due to declining coal demands
and rising regulatory threats,
costing this area thousands of jobs.
It's time.
I'm ready.
I revised the copy myself.
I gave my copy. I know what I'm saying.
Yeah.
Okay. Last looks.
Thanks.
Okay. There. Thanks.
- Okay, clear.
- Check the time.
Stand by, A.
Roll A. Eight seconds to you.
Five...
Four, three.
Two. Start your move.
Cue her.
Good morning. I'm bringing you
some sad and upsetting news.
Mitch Kessler,
my cohost and partner of 15 years,
was fired today for sexual misconduct.
All right. Stay strong.
First and foremost, I want to offer
our sympathy and support to the women.
We are devastated that this happened
on our watch, and our hearts are with you.
And to you at home,
I understand how you must be feeling
because I and the whole team here at
The Morning Show are feeling the same way.
Shock, disappointment, disbelief.
She's throwing me under the bus.
And while I don't know the details
of the allegations,
I understand that they were serious and
that keeping Mitch on was not an option.
I don't think we need to watch any more
of this. Let's prep you for your...
Do not touch that remote.
We know he was part of our family,
of your families.
We will all miss that person.
But there are consequences in life.
As a woman, I can say
there often aren't enough of them.
And while I will miss the Mitch
I thought I knew with all of my heart...
I am proud to work on a network
and live in a country
that upholds consequences.
What a load.
So, please have patience with us as
we find our footing in the next few days.
She's on fire today.
We will bring you the news, as always.
Too bad we can't
always throw a crisis at her.
- It turns her lights on.
- We will share any information
we have with you.
You are part of this family.
And we will get through this together.
We'll be right back.
We're back in 30.
It's good. Good.
That was beautiful.
Roll A. Back in two minutes.
Drop down to 40%. Hold.
Yeah, that's perfect.
- Here are some tissues.
- No, I don't need it.
- I'm good.
- Okay.
I bet you don't know jack shit about coal.
You're just out here trying to
raise some hell. Go ahead. Tell me.
- I don't know, coal...
- What?
- Coal is a cheap fuel.
- Shit.
Bradley Jackson.
Stop your ass right there.
Why the hell am I hearing
that you hired Sarah Oppenheimer
for the anchor job on America On Point?
Don't even. You know what everybody's
talking about here today?
Two things. Mitch Kessler is fired
and Bradley Jackson lost her shit
at the protest.
Climb off me, Jones. How was I supposed
to know people were filming me?
What? Like it's not the 21st century?
I was talking to him about the truth.
You remember the truth? Journalism?
We're newspeople, Jones.
Listen to yourself.
I gave you a shot.
I know you did.
When nobody else would.
You've been bouncing around for years,
and we both know why.
- I don't wanna talk about that.
- "Two-Fucks Jackson."
I was very young. I got flustered.
And that was ten years ago.
You get too hot too fast, Bradley.
I accidentally said "fuck." Okay?
And then I got mad at myself and...
Said "fuck" again, on live TV.
I remember.
And there goes
the ballad of Bradley Jackson.
You know what? Find some other puppet.
Find some other person that
you can put slanted copy in front of them,
that'll go to the coal mine protests,
your school shootings,
the pregnant lady that got hit by a truck.
Find somebody else to be invisible for
you, to deal with the world's heartaches
and not have
any fucking feelings about it!
I quit!
Research shows that sexual harassment
in the early stages of one's career
can lead to long-term
psychological damage.
And specifically,
what type of behavior or harassment
would cause that kind of long-term damage?
Stand by camera three.
Jesus, Yanko. Could he be
more uncomfortable talking about this?
Don't let Yanko talk.
As you said, Dr. Marino, this affects
so many of us. What would you say...
You knocked down my cameraman. Otherwise
I'm gonna have you arrested for assault.
I bet you don't know jack shit about coal.
You're just out here trying to
raise some hell. Go ahead. Tell me.
- I don't know...
- What?
Coal is a cheap fuel.
Wrong! What else?
Hannah.
Wrong! What else?
You said you were looking for stories
about strong women tomorrow.
Check this out.
If it's so fucking great, why are
all these people are out here protesting?
- I don't know. They think it's dangerous.
- Do you even know what's in coal ash?
Who is this?
Bradley Jackson, some conservative
correspondent for SENN.
She's fucking funny,
but also resonates some truth.
And the weary voice of America speaks out.
It's like a little piece
of performance art.
Thousands.
Thousands of jobs have been lost.
They can't do this to me. It's illegal.
They can't just take my life away
based on hearsay.
They have documented complaints, Mitch.
We have to deal with the reality...
Documented complaints about what? That
I had affairs? Since when is that a crime?
No, no. No. I'm...
I'm not proud of it, but what the fuck?
I didn't invent extracurricular sex.
What is happening here?
The network that I gave 20 years
of my life plus is now locking me out.
Throwing me to the wolves.
They won't even
engage in a discussion with me?
Listen, take it easy.
Don't get all worked up...
"Don't get all worked up"?
Are you kidding me?
My life just ended for no good reason,
and I should stay calm?
You know what? I didn't rape anybody!
I didn't fire anybody. I didn't jizz
into a plant in front of somebody.
You know what I did?
I fucked a couple of PA's and assistants.
Big fuckin' deal. They liked it.
I mean, who are we kidding?
Everything's changed,
but they forgot to send me the memo.
Since the dawn of time, men have used
their power to attract women.
And now let's bust Mitch Kessler's head
over it.
Mitch, let me make you a drink.
I didn't hold a gun to anybody's head.
It was consensual.
Most of them came on to me.
One of them actually told me
that I taught her how to have good sex!
And now, that stupid, comedy weather fuck
is in my seat. No fucking way!
Come on. Fuck you! Fuck you!
God.
You little motherfucker!
God damn it!
Okay.
We're gonna fight this.
We're gonna come up with a plan,
and we're gonna fight this.
Okay. Okay.
I'm picking up the kids from school
and taking them to the Hamptons.
I'm divorcing you.
I haven't liked you for a while anyway.
Goodbye.
Come on, Paige.
Fuck!
- Who is it?
- It's me.
You did great. Yanko was a lot of work.
It was a bad call from Cory.
You think?
We better have our shit together when
the network jerk-offs get here today.
And I don't want that new guy
from the entertainment division
making the call about
who sits in that chair next to me.
Because I have to carry their ass!
The guy's a fucking moron.
They should never have made him
the head of the news division.
And I wanna know every idea
of who they're going after for that chair.
We're precarious enough in the ratings.
Okay. I understand.
Well, you better,
'cause this is all your fault.
You are the EP.
The show is slipping on your watch.
And now that shit.
You know I don't control everything, Alex.
Well, you're supposed to. That's your job.
All right, hot soup coming through.
Hot soup coming through.
I just wanna say this.
As long as I am the president
of the UBA news division,
behavior such as that exhibited
by Mitch Kessler will not be tolerated.
Out of respect
for those who have suffered,
I'll be making no further comment
at this time.
Let's get PR back on the phone. I need
to know how our response is landing.
I need writers and producers,
just all senior staff in my office
with ideas for how the fuck we're gonna
get through these next two days.
The bosses are saying...
Jesus, Joel. Pick a side.
I'm on your side.
Of the fucking hallway. Jesus.
Okay. They're saying they want this week
to land somewhere between repudiation
and navel-gazing, whatever the fuck that
means. I have no idea what they're...
I'll be back A.S.A.P.
Can you survive without me?
Yes. Text me as soon as you know.
- Where was I?
- Repudiation and navel-gazing.
Data and Research. What the fuck?
Why aren't they calling us back? Okay.
We need that huddle. We need it right now.
And lastly, just get the entire
talent team up here, okay?
We need to start preparing our long-term
strategy. You're getting all this, right?
Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't listening.
Oh, you know what?
That is not funny. Fuck you and f...
Cory. Hey.
Is now a good time?
I wasn't expecting you till... Yes. Yeah.
Well, you know.
When the Exxon Valdez hits the reef
and spills ten million gallons
of your oil into the water,
you kinda drop whatever you're doing
and fly to Alaska.
Of course you do. Yeah.
And if I might exhaust the metaphor,
you don't leave until you make sure
that every last salmon
and sea otter is scraped clean.
So, we're gonna clean
some fuckin' sea otters, Chip, right?
And we're not gonna like it,
and neither are the otters.
But I'm gonna be with you,
side by side, until we get it all done.
No matter how long
or how much soap it takes.
Well, I'm excited.
Makes two of us. Let's go.
Miles to go before we sleep.
I've already called marketing,
and they're on their way down right now.
We know you already discussed this
with the network PR team,
but they're worried about the network.
We wanna focus on you.
How will America see Alex Levy
deal with the fall of Mitch Kessler?
Oh, God.
People are gonna wanna know
what you did or did not know.
Okay, we're gonna work on
your follow-up statement in a minute.
Your first one was
a little too sympathetic towards Mitch.
- I'm so...
- I know you were close,
- but you need to be careful.
- Excuse me.
Excuse me.
All I said was that I will miss the person
that I sat side by side with.
That's just the truth.
I expressed sympathy for the women,
abhorrence for the predatory behavior.
I am a journalist.
You don't have to spoon-feed me this shit.
This isn't just about protection.
It's about opportunity. You know that.
Yes, I know that.
We're in the middle of a tough
renegotiation. This can be good for us.
I know, I know. I know that, okay. Okay.
So, we're gonna hand out
the decks we made,
and we will walk through
the five-tier response
we are going to accomplish
over the next few days.
In particular at the big event
in two nights.
This is the worst timing ever.
Alex.
Please excuse me.
Hi.
I'm so happy to see this face.
Oh, my God. What an awesome surprise.
Hi, honey.
Oh, you didn't have to leave school
to come and see me.
Actually, my class came into town
for the day to see a play.
Oh, that's okay.
But, Mom, I'm so sorry.
I can't believe it. I mean,
maybe I just don't want to, but, like...
- I know.
- I've known him since I was conscious.
I know. It's awful...
- Yeah.
- ...and I'm so sorry.
Oh, God. Honey, can't you skip the play
and just stay home with me
and we can cuddle and we can make snacks
and watch The British Cooking Show?
Oh, just...
anything to make me feel happy.
Hey.
- Oh, hi.
- Hey.
- Hi, Dad.
- Hey, honey. How are you?
This big news, I'm... I'm really sorry.
I was texting you all day.
I know. I'm sorry.
It's just the worst day of my entire life.
So exhausted,
and I still have these people in there.
Al, Al. Why don't I just... I can stay.
I could...
I mean, I was gonna take Lizzy and her
friends for dinner before the show, but...
No. You guys go.
I mean, I'm here all night,
and then I have to go to bed,
get up at 3:30 again and again.
It's good. Go, live your lives.
Looks good, you know?
Okay. But text me before you go to bed.
- I will.
- And I'll be back on Friday for the event.
Yes.
Yeah? It's all right.
We're gonna get through it.
- Yes.
- I love you.
I love you so much.
- Good night.
- Good night. Have fun.
Good night.
- Hey.
- Yeah. No, I can't.
Okay.
Go, Jase.
Bye, Al.
Thanks.
Hey, honey. What a nice surprise.
Just in time for dinner.
Mom, Hal is an addict.
He is bipolar, and he's an addict.
Jesus, Bradley.
Have to be so dramatic about everything?
Just come sit down. We're having dinner.
Hal, turn the music back on.
Hal.
You gotta listen to me this time, Mom.
Are you just upset about that viral video
of you yelling at that boy?
I don't care about the video.
And he wasn't a boy.
Do not derail the conversation.
Hal is an addict, and he needs help.
He's not an addict.
He just went through a rough spot.
Mom, he is an addict.
Hey, look, I'm... I am an addict, Mom.
- I liked your video.
- Thank you.
But he's better now.
He wasn't even there for two weeks.
You just had him come home
'cause you didn't wanna be alone.
- That is not true.
- It's a little true, Mom.
Do you know the mountains I had to move
to get him into that place?
Not to mention
the amount of money I spent.
- Can we just please have a...
- Hey, Brad, Brad.
I'm gonna pay you back.
- I'll pay you back.
- I don't need you to pay me back.
I need you to be better.
I need you to be safe.
Do you have any idea
how many decisions I have made in my life
- just because I had to take care of you?
- Bradley, stop it.
How many relationships I've lost?
How many jobs I've lost?
- I'm sorry...
- You are ruining dinner!
Jesus.
I'll get it.
Just... every time.
- Yeah?
- Bradley Jackson. I've found you.
What?
Can I help you?
Hannah Shoenfeld.
Head booker for The Morning Show.
You know you have over a million views
on your video?
What can I do for you?
We wanna interview you
about why the video is going viral.
It's clearly touched a nerve.
We'd like to book you for tomorrow.
I've got us on a plane 90 minutes
from now. We should get going.
Wait. The Morning Show?
The one with Alex Levy and Mitch Ke...
That show with Alex Levy?
The Morning Show?
Yeah. Alex will interview you.
What?
Just because I lost my shit at a protest?
Your words spoke to America.
Oh, no. I don't...
Bradley, some piece of you that is
really you came through in that video.
People are noticing. They want more.
How the hell did you find me
out here at my mom's house?
We're The Morning Show.
We can do anything.
I do everything right.
Everything they've asked me to do
in the last three years.
They just don't know what to do with me.
And they're making us see this popcorn
shit? Fucking Gilmore Girls, The Musical?
- Is the world so bereft of new ideas...
- Don't act like you didn't know
what The Twist was gonna be.
I was in that meeting too.
- You didn't have a gun to your head.
- Why did I get a Master's in Journalism?
What's the point of having a PhD
in Political Science?
Is this what Gabe
comes home to every night?
Why did they hire me if they're
not gonna give me a shot at the chair?
- Jesus. My feed is wall-to-wall Mitch.
- God forbid there's a serious black anchor
on The Morning Show. Not for the
Norman Rockwell family of morning news.
Tokenism at its finest.
You are closer now to the job
- than you were 24 hours ago.
- They're making me jump through hoops
watching the fucking Gilmore Girls sing
about how tough upper-middle class life
in Connecticut is while a bunch
of idiot white dudes eat expensive food
on the network's dime
to discuss how to overlook me.
And what the hell kinda name
is Lorelai anyway?
So this is sort of
getting you up to speed.
Now, obviously, the hunt for a replacement
for Alex is on the back burner,
given the circumstances.
Other fish to imminently fry.
Exactly. But I wanted you to have
the lay of the land here
- just so you know where we're at.
- Thank you.
Who knows, maybe this whole thing
will revitalize Alex.
- I mean, today... pretty fucking great.
- Yeah.
When she does that, you know, she,
like, reaches her arm down that camera
and, like, connects with America,
and that's when she's brilliant.
Agreed. It's just that she's been
"brilliant-light" the last five years.
And it's shown in the ratings.
And I don't know, man.
Maybe she's bored or complacent
with success.
Who cares, really. And now, two of them.
We get to find the new marriage
for America to fall in love with.
- It's kind of exciting.
- Glad you're excited.
We have to get well ahead of YDA.
We can't stand a blow
to the news division.
Broadcast networks can't stand a blow
to anything right now.
- Yeah.
- It's kinda funny
how the entire world of broadcast
could just fall off a cliff
in a few years.
Like, boom. Bang. Lights out.
Unless we reinvent it.
We're all gonna get bought out by tech
unless something changes.
I don't know.
Tech or not,
there will always be a need
for reliable, quality journalism.
People get their horrible news
delivered to the palm of their hand 24/7,
and they get it the way that they like it,
colored the way they want it.
And news is awful,
but humanity is addicted to it,
and the whole world is depressed by it.
That's why what we really need
on television right now,
it's not news or fucking journalism.
It's entertainment.
This is just like during the Depression,
when people wanted to watch
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance
on expensive sets
and live in a dream world.
Dream worlds are essential.
Depressed people, they need escape.
How long do you think the network rode the
sexual chemistry between Alex and Mitch?
I mean, sure, people wanted them
to be Mom and Dad,
but people also like to be titillated,
and there is some unspoken sexual fantasy
to cohosts, right?
I get it. I get it.
Alex is like Mitch's widow now.
She can't provide that, and I know
you love her and she is your gal,
but, you know,
nobody wants to watch a widow get fucked.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a cold world.
Well, it's just the world it is.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Good.
Okay.
Thanks.
Oh, my God.
Kessler and his partner, Alex Levy,
had cohosted the show for 15 years.
The two were such a celebrated institution
that journalists nationwide
are left clueless
as to who could replace the dad
of morning TV.
Fuck you, New York.
Come on.
Can you please bring the car around?
Yes, ma'am.
I'm gonna go in early.
Oh, God.
So, it's great to have you here.
Oh, and, by the way, I'm Mia Jordan,
I'm gonna be your segment producer.
Bradley. Nice to meet you.
Oh, you want a... You hungry? Did you eat?
No. I'm okay. I look forward to you
whispering in my ear to stop fucking up.
You're a pro. I have no worries.
By the way, have you been
to The Morning Show studio before?
No, but I've been in the business
about 15 years, so...
- Wow.
- It's kinda familiar.
- Anna, this is Bradley. Bradley, Anna.
- Hi there. Nice to meet you.
You know,
all studios are pretty much the same.
Huge adrenaline, incredible intelligence,
desperate ambition, huge egos.
...round and around,
'cause all they wanna do is hear...
Guys, please, stop it.
Give me a second, please, guys.
I just wanna watch this.
And there's a human cost!
And it's exhausting! I'm exhausted!
Yeah. There is no way that
she did not know she was being filmed.
- It's really hard to say.
- Is it?
It doesn't matter. That's not the story.
Two million likes and counting.
That's the story.
Real or not, it struck a nerve.
People wanna believe it's true.
Yeah. Well, people are idiots. Am I right?
That's all we've been proving lately.
Okay, Alex, I know this has all
been very hard for you.
What is that supposed to mean?
What? Do I look tired?
No. No. You look great.
I'm just saying you don't have to...
- Do I look tired?
- No. Promise.
No, you don't look tired.
Just get through today.
Just do a pleasant little interview
that will make America happy, okay?
I'm worried about you.
Just get through these next few days.
Can I have my celery juice, please?
Of course.
God, it pisses me off.
Fuck.
Okay.
I didn't buy a word of it.
Not one word of it.
Okay.
- Ready?
- Yeah. I'm ready.
Okay. Great.
We're gonna have you sit right here.
Okay. Thanks.
Back in 30, everybody.
Okay.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- I'm so sorry.
- Back in 20.
What about?
Just yesterday.
That must have been so difficult for you.
- 'Cause you worked together for so long.
- I'm fine.
Okay.
- In five, four, three...
- Over here?
Start your move. Cue her.
An unusual thing happened yesterday
at a coal mine protest
in Hanover, West Virginia,
when a local reporter's camera operator
was knocked over by an unruly protester.
Let's watch.
Thousands of families knocked on their
asses. It's a big wheel that goes around.
Liberals add sanctions.
Conservatives remove those sanctions.
And they just keep fighting. And they just
keep going around and around and around.
'Cause all they wanna do
is hear themselves talk.
And they all want to be right.
And they all wanna win.
And that's all they fucking care about.
And there's a human cost!
And it's exhausting! I'm exhausted!
Jesus. Okay, okay, okay.
I am here with Bradley Jackson
from SENN in Virginia.
Hello, Bradley Jackson. Welcome.
Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
You seem a lot more relaxed today.
Yeah, well, this is a whole lot nicer than
a coal mine protest. I'm not gonna lie.
Well, so, what did happen that day?
Why exactly were you so exhausted?
Well, you know, life in general
is just sort of exhausting.
But, as you know, we reporters,
we see the way the world works,
and sometimes you just want
to get in there and educate people
and stop them from constantly
going in circles with their ideas.
I mean, it's just so frustrating.
It's sad.
So true. So true.
As reporters, we are trained to never let
our personal emotions enter the story.
What happened yesterday
that made you cross that line?
Well, I wasn't even aware
that I was being filmed.
I was setting up for my story, and
my cameraman was knocked down by someone,
and something about seeing him
struggling on the ground
made me want to address
the person responsible, so I did.
You know a peculiar amount about coal.
Alex, be nice.
Well, yes, I do. I do.
I've actually covered
a lot of coal mine protests,
and I think it's important to know
as much about the subject as possible,
especially when people are literally
fighting each other over it.
Yes, well, America has clearly
connected to that message.
Why do you think that is?
You know, I think America is tired
of Twitter fighting.
It's ignorant, and it's contributing
to the dumbing down of our country.
Parties have created a good side
and a bad side for their own purposes.
And once you villainize someone, there is
nothing left but go to war with them.
I know that you work
at a conservative news outlet.
What side of that argument
do you personally fall on?
The human side.
What does that mean?
It means I see both sides.
But in leadership,
decisions have to be made.
You can't just have empathy for everybody
and do nothing.
Take it two.
Well, say you're president.
What do you do?
- Well...
- Open or close the coal mine?
I'm just here to deliver the news
to America.
That's all I ever wanted to do.
So you're a die-hard reporter.
I like to think that I am, yes.
The truth matters to me.
What would you say to the idea
that it's a reporter's sacred creed
to never let the story become about them?
Jesus. Alex. What are you doing? Stop it.
I would say I agree with that.
And yet this has become about you.
Ah, shit.
As I said before,
I didn't know I was being filmed.
This wasn't part of my live coverage.
Well, there could be some cynical people
who might think
that that was completely set up.
To what end?
You're here.
Well, there are some non-cynical people,
which I believe is most people,
that believe the news is changing.
And the news is changing because
the people who deliver the news,
who showed themselves
as honest and decent and trustworthy,
have in quite a few cases now
proved themselves to be untruthful.
And as a result, I think people are
wanting more transparency in journalism.
I think they want to know the person
behind the facade.
I think they want to trust that the person
telling them the truth about the world
is an honest person.
Like you.
Yes. Well,
the truth is what we are all striving for.
Yeah. It is.
Thank you, Bradley Jackson,
for being with us today.
- Thank you so much.
- Of course.
We will be right back
with a surprise secret about vitamin D.
- And we're out.
- Stand by to break.
We're clear. Back in two minutes.
- You're good.
- Thank you.
Good luck in Ham-Hock, Virginia.
Oh, there. Thank you. Okay.
- It was great.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- You were awesome.
- Thanks. All right. Thank you.
Nice work.
Bye.
Yeah? All right.
Fucking vultures.
Holy shit.
Whosever in here,
get out before I blow your head off.
Oh, fuck off, Mitch. It's me.
Shit.
Alex?
I can't be seen by anybody,
so I had my car drop me in the woods
behind your house.
- You came to see me.
- No.
I came to tell you
that I am so mad at you,
and I will never, ever get over it.
You left me.
Alone on the fucking Morning Show.
You left me alone.
Because you had to fuck around on Paige
because you didn't want to tarnish
your little image and just get a divorce.
Hello, pot.
I'd like to introduce you to kettle.
- How can you be mad at me about that?
- Are you kidding me? You're so stupid.
- You think I'm mad at you because...
- Jesus, beat me up. Beat me up.
You really think that
that's what I'm mad about? You idiot.
I'm mad at you because you're selfish.
You're a self-indulgent asshole.
And your philandering has fucked me.
And I'm gonna lose everything, Mitch.
There's no guarantees. Zero.
Our star was built on chemistry,
and you just blew it up.
And why? Why did you do that?
There had to have been a million
and one women out there
who would've gladly sucked your dick
who didn't work on The Morning Show.
- It's not my fault.
- Oh, please.
- They were consensual affairs, Alex.
- Mitch, you're such a fucking moron.
I think that you're jealous
because of our history.
- Your fucking ego. Oh, my God, Mitch.
- 'Cause we had a thing.
That fucking ego of yours.
You really think that because
of the two times you got on top of me
meant that much to me
that that's what I'm pissed about?
You're so stupid. God.
You stole my life with this.
You left me in the woods
with a... pack of wolves.
I live a really strange existence, Mitch,
and it's isolated as shit.
I gave up everything for this show.
Any chance of having a normal life.
And you just put me
in a position of losing it.
Everything. Of having nothing.
Of having no one.
You're my partner.
Fifteen years my partner.
And my only real companion,
who knew my life in such vivid detail.
Because you're... It's your life too.
I'm so sorry.
We lived a life
that we're never gonna get back.
And you're not my husband,
and you're not my lover,
and you're not my family,
and now you can't be my friend.
Why can't I be?
Because what you did was wrong!
Alex, you knew these people.
You know that I didn't coerce anybody.
This is Weinstein's fault.
Please don't say that. It's so ignorant.
Jesus, Alex.
I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't.
What happened to your TV?
We had a disagreement.
I'm sorry you're such an asshole.
Me too.
I wouldn't use those two words together
if I were you.
I have to go. I have to leave.
No, don't. I don't want you to go.
I have to go.
- No, don't go. I want you to stay, please.
- I have to go. No.
I don't wanna be alone.
Just stay for a little while. Alex,
please, come on. This could blow over.
- This is so never gonna blow over.
- Alex.
Alex, they were going to replace you!
What?
They came to me. They said YDA
was nipping at our heels in the ratings.
And they wanted to make a change.
I don't believe you.
You're just trying to fuck with my head
because you're destroyed
and you want me destroyed.
No, no. I wanna save you.
- Alex, don't go.
- I don't believe you!
Just stay! I've got a gun!
Great! Have fun with that!
Bradley Jackson here.
This is Cory Ellison.
I'm the president of the UBA network.
I saw you on The Morning Show.
How would you like
to come meet me for a drink
at the Archer Gray right now
and talk about your future?
"My future"?
What is this, my big break?
Well, I suppose that's up to you.