I’ve been with AppleTV+’s flagship drama series “The Morning Show” from the beginning. Watched the first three episodes in Fall 2019. Reconnected with the rest of Season 1 at the start of the COVID pandemic. And then close to two years later came Season 2. Another two years later was Season 3. And now two more years later: Season 4 has arrived. I’ve screened the first nine episodes (No. 10 has not yet been made available to critics).
Apple has already announced Season 5, which makes the S4 finale slightly less climactic (though there are still a bunch of unanswered questions and some inevitable resolutions). This season is, without question, the most soap opera-like to date. UBN getting the TV rights to the Olympics and investing in new A.I. technology are the launching pads. Scandal after scandal emerge, with struggles often shown in sloppy fashion.
80% of this season is the ins and outs of interpersonal relationships. The other 20% is a riveting and fun focus on TV news — with the highlight being Episode 4. From then on the storylines of characters we’ve come to know very well (Alex, Bradley, Cory, Chip, Mia, Yanko, Stella and Chris) and new ones (played by Boyd Holbrook, Aaron Pierre, William Jackson Harper and Oscar winners Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons) spiral out of control. Jon Hamm is back. There are other surprise appearances I won’t give away.
“The Morning Show” has always been a guilty pleasure. Sometimes it’s spot-on when it comes to the TV news business and its commentary on real-world events. But more often than not, it’s a heightened, overdramatic, but still juicy and entertaining enough portrayal. Unfortunately, so often while watching Season 4, I just kept shaking my head at how sappy, schmaltzy and ridiculous it all goes down. Even some of Cory’s storyline this season is pretty weak (though Billy Crudup, who has won two Emmys for the standout role of his career, is still the main reason to watch).
The experience is too frustrating, especially if you’ve been on this journey since 2019. The Season 3 ender felt like a series finale, and it shows that the writers went a little desperate with ways to keep these characters alive. Now they’ve gotta do it again. And the results will likely appear another two years from now.