This week on The Morning Show some things happened. Did they feel like they happened? No.
“DNF” stands for “Did Not Finish,” as it’s revealed later in the episode. The point? Unfinished. Episode 8 goes from Chip (Mark Duplass) being fired to Laura (Julianna Margulies) reading Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) and Cory’s (Billy Crudup) emails to the enormous hardships a billionaire faces in contemporary times. It’s a boring watch, but thankfully, it’s messy.
Unsurprisingly, Chip isn’t happy about Alex (Jennifer Aniston) and Paul’s (Jon Hamm) romance. He makes sure to display his discontent at the PR crisis it has caused. However, when I’m about to grab my metaphorical popcorn to watch this mess, Alex puts an end to the discussion. “You’re fired,” she says to him. I can’t believe it. Neither can Chip.
Alex continues sacrificing several aspects of her career for this newly founded billionaire romance, which is particularly cringy considering I still can’t buy it. Sparks don’t fly, and nothing is enchanting about their meetings. If there was a blank space for romance in this show, “tech billionaire falls in love with a popular reporter” isn’t in anyone’s wildest dreams.
Significantly since trust in Paul’s moral character diminishes with each episode. Stella (Greta Lee) approaches Bradley to get her to talk to her now-distanced friend from Hyperion about her recent dismissal from Paul’s tech company. Bradley agrees, but only after some insistence, as she purposefully remembers that interview from season one, before Hannah Shoenfeld (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) killed herself.
Bradley enters her Bob Woodward era after agreeing to meet with Stella’s friend in an empty parking lot, All The President’s Men-style. But a-ha! In spy negotiations, there’s always a secondary location. This is just the pre-meeting. From behind, she tells Bradley to meet her in a theater. When Bradley gets there, she’s nowhere to be found. Are we supposed to read that she has disappeared? Has been silenced? “Tech billionaire murders ex-employee”? Who knows!
At home, Laura is doing some investigation herself. When did this become The Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Morning Show, by the way? That’s a memo I didn’t get. In any case, she’s yet again proving that if you’re part of a woman-who-likes-woman relationship in media, your narrative must revolve around a man. Bonus point if one of the women is bisexual!
After her co-host Audra (Mindy Kaling) implies Bradley and Cory had an affair because Bradley visited Cory’s mother, Laura stalks the leaked UBA emails, finding random emails between them. Still, even worse: She goes on a rabbit hole tracing the Jan 6 shenanigans and realizes what Bradley has done to hide evidence from the FBI. Enabling an insurrection against the democratic values of your country is quite a relationship dealbreaker. We shall see if it is.
But enough about democracy. We must call attention to a pressing matter: The heartbreaking hardships of tech billionaire Paul Marks. Caught in the gossip frenzy about his romantic life and having to deal with experiments that haven’t gone how he wished, Paul barely slept, as he tells Alex over the phone. He has also, admittedly, lost his temper with the tech crew, but I suppose that’s not important. Again, I can hear the sound of rusty engines in each of their scenes. Paul’s chief-of-staff Amanda (Tig Notaro) isn’t a fan either, as she reminds him over the phone, implying he has lost purpose.
Sure sounds like a great guy to ruin your career for! But that’s not all. In their love bubble, Paul shares his plans for UBA with Alex: He wants to rip it into pieces and sell it for its business value. The end of UBA as a media platform, with Fred Micklen (Tom Irwin) mischievously (and so far, secretly) involved in this enterprise. Alex listens. In theory, she could use this as part of her move against Paul in the future. Too much Succession? Sorry, I really miss it.
If this episode feels like a collage of scenes, you’re onto something. Andre (Clive Standen) returns and, after an argument, shares a passionate kiss with Mia (Karen Pittman). Amid the closing deal and gossip, Cory and Paul share a photoshoot, firing bitter remarks at each other as they smile at the camera. It reminds me of their initial scene, that hilarious introduction shot I highlighted in my debut scene, but it isn’t very meaningful, really.
Meanwhile, Chris (Nicole Beharie), facing a PR crisis of hers, decides to run again. This serves no purpose besides Chris getting injured when she runs in the tracks again after being inactive. This is definitely the most relatable moment in the episode since I, too, have been too eager to return to exercise after an inactive period only to hurt my hip because I was walking too hard to Thunder Road on the treadmill. I established a rule forbidding me to run while listening to Springsteen ever since. She doesn’t finish, hence the title, and reveals what “DNF” means to Yanko (Néstor Carbonell).
They meet the rest of the crew, including Bradley and Chip, as Rena (Victoria Tate) makes them all raise a glass in honor of Hannah’s anniversary.
Yeah, that’s it. These things happened. I watched them. As usual, I want more drama between Alex and Chip, but things look dire now.
Email Draft: If you suddenly find yourself eager to work out again, please stretch properly. Please open your joints. I have zero authority to speak about these technical things apart from personal experience. Don’t vibe too hard on your first go on the treadmill. Or wherever you run. Vibe gradually. Best regards, Ana.
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