The Morning Show’s third season ends with F-bombs, 10 million offers, and “Three Little Birds.” Its biggest achievement? Calling (some) attention to the state of the news media industry. Its biggest flaw? Ignoring that to focus on a January 6 telenovela. 

“The Overview Effect” starts with a flashback: kid Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) watches her dad get arrested for hitting someone with his truck. The reason why is unclear and will not be addressed again in the next hour. In the #Paulex love bubble, Paul (Jon Hamm) tells a shocked Alex (Jennifer Aniston) the truth about Bradley’s January 6 criminal shenanigans. She also realizes Paul is the one who planted the harassment story in the gossip outlet. 

Picking up where we left off with Cory (Billy Crudup), he’s wondering about the harassment allegations, and begs Leonard (Stephen Fry) to not let Paul buy UBA in the meantime. When Fry, with his usual Fry nonchalance, says no, Cory attempts a Hail Mary and calls Cybil (Holland Taylor). 

Alex visits Bradley after failing to reach her through text. Certain Paul is surveilling her, she makes Alex leave her phone outside the door. “You have to stop this sale,” Bradley tells Alex, before announcing she’s going to West Virginia. Then, after leaving, Alex texts Bradley to tell her she’s right about going to WV. But she types “Hanover” instead. Upon returning to her apartment, Paul lets it slip that Bradley will do better in Hanover. That’s it. He took the bait. Alex cries in her closet. 

Meanwhile, Stella (Greta Lee) – or, should I say, CodeQueen (her gaming avatar) – asks another user about the whereabouts of Kate (Natalie Morales), the former Hyperion employee and Bradley’s source. Alongside Mia (Karen Pittman), they announce Paul’s intended dismantling of UBA to the assembled crew, generating uproar and inspiring a bold broadcasting move: Calling in a guest who has nothing to lose. 

That’s right: it’s the very personification of chaos, Chip Black (Mark Duplass). Who could hate Paul more? And Chip spills the tea while dropping one f-bomb after another, teaching a lesson on how fact-checked journalism works before heading off on a rant that ends with him telling Mark to – ahem – go to a particular place. An entertainment delight. 

Oh – and a corporate win to boot. Chip’s f-bombs convince some voters, which leads Cory to celebrate: “Cybil, this is fun, we’re gonna kill a billionaire.” 

But it turns out Cory celebrated a little too soon. Overconfident in his Corytude, he sets up a meeting with another potential buyer – but it’s Paul who shows up. Turns out he’s been blackmailing Cory’s team and stayed one step ahead the whole time. Cory’s Corytude goes into Coroverdrive: “Alex really does have the worst taste in men.” I’ll miss these Crudup deliveries. 

Paul offers him $10 million in exchange for an NDA on January 6. Cory’s response? “I would rather do time with the Oath Keepers than take a penny from you.”

Alex arrives at Laura’s (Julianna Margulies) apartment, but Laura is fed up from talking about Bradley. No problem. Alex has an ace under her sleeve to discuss. 

And just like that, it’s voting day! The soundtrack is still undeniably Nicholas Britell-inspired. It smells of Succession. It ain’t Succession. But it’s fun. Paul gets the votes. Soon it’ll be made official. But then Alex swoops in and offers an alternative to Hyperion’s offer: a merger between Laura’s network, NBN, and UBA. 

Then former Hyperion employee Kate returns to reveal that Paul cut the transmission in the rocket from the Season 3 premiere and covered it up by hacking UBA. Alex threatens him: Walk away or they’ll run the Hyperion story. Paul obeys, telling Alex, “You’ll hear from my lawyers.” Taylor Swift could write a bop about their breakup, I suspect. 

Two weeks later, Yanko (Néstor Carbonell) and Chris (Nicole Beharie) dance on air, reminding us all that their on-screen chemistry is one of The Morning Show‘s newest highlights. In the production room, Lee and Pittman follow suit. Elsewhere in New York, Cory and Bradley meet during their harassment investigation. “I’ll miss you,” Bradley tells him, in a obviously rom-com-esque goodbye scene. A moment later, we see Cory standing alone in the middle of a crowded city. Is this goodbye to Cory and his Cory-ness? 

At Alex’s apartment, Paul picks up his bags and the two of them consider what remains of their relationship. #Paulex has come full circle without ever moving me. 

And then, in Season 3’s final sequence, Alex and Bradley walk arm-in-arm to the FBI building. “You got this,” Alex tells her, as if she’s going to a job interview instead of confessing to federal crimes. “Three Little Birds” plays in the background as Bradley and Hal (Joe Tippett) do a slow-mo walk into the building. It is undoubtedly the most fitting, most laughable end for The Morning Show Season 3. 

I’ve laughed my way through each recap this year, but the daunting realization of how this show squandered its timely potential finally caught up to me. “Media is just another word for politics” is the line I’ll take with me from this season. As news outlets like Jezebel close, as Musk ruins Twitter, and as New York Times‘ sports section turns off its lights, The Morning Show had an opportunity. It could have been the show that hit a home run addressing contemporary politics and mass media and the intersections that make them so frightening and central in our lives.

Except it didn’t. Instead, it chose to do a January 6 soap opera and inadvertently honored my nickname for it: “The Disharmonic Show.” Shame. 

In any event, Apple has already greenlit The Morning Show Season 4. But I’m turning off the lights on my coverage. Until Season 4 actually airs, hopefully the news industry’s lights stay on.

Is Julianna Margulies in these episodes? Yes (but briefly).

Margulies Timestamps: 30:04-31:48.

Email Draft: Thank you to my editor, who had to read my silly jokes before they were published, to the Screen Speck team, and to you who’ve been reading this. This was my first recap assignment. I’ll remember it fondly. See you around.