01x03 - Chaos Is the New Cocaine

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Morning Show". Aired: November 1, 2019 - present.*
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Inside look at the modern workplace through the lens of the people who help America wake up, pulling back the curtain on early morning television.
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01x03 - Chaos Is the New Cocaine

Post by bunniefuu »

And the most important
thing is cohost approval.

[ALARM BEEPING]

Start putting together a list of names,

men who can sit next to Alex for now

and also work with someone
younger once she's gone.

- r*pist!
- Sexual misconduct is what I'm being accused of.

Don't you wave your
f*cking hand at me!

- Your show sucks.
- Please.

You really think this is
gonna help you get a job?

People like you are the reason
broadcast news is what it is.

Do not show your face tonight.
Do not do that to Alex.

My tux is pressed.

I can't unpress my tux.

Cory would like for you to be at the

Leadership in Journalism event tonight.

I'm confused. I had a
meeting with Chip Charlie Black,

and it did not go well.

You remember Bradley Jackson?

Oh, my God.

But why is she sitting at that
table over there with our people?

He sat you at my table to f*ck with me.

Me f*ck with you?

I'm not closing
without cohost approval.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that,
because you're not getting it.

Then I'll walk.

Then walk.

I have some exciting news to
share with all of you tonight.

I would like to announce my new
Morning Show cohost...

Bradley Jackson.

["NEMESIS" PLAYING]

[MUSIC ENDS]

[ALEX] I would like to take this moment

to announce my new
Morning Show cohost,

Bradley Jackson.

[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]

[LIGHT MUSIC STARTS]

[SOUND FADES]

[WOMAN SINGING]

- [INAUDIBLE]
- [SINGING CONTINUES]

- [SOUND RESUMES]
- Don't look too surprised.

- All right, stand up. Up.
- Okay.

- [MAN] Bradley!
- [FEMALE REPORTER] Bradley!

- [MAN] Miss Jackson!
- [MAN ] Bradley, how are you feeling?

Smile. Smile.

[FEMALE REPORTER] How do
you feel, Miss Jackson?

Is she drunk?

That would make sense.

Get her to the studio. Don't let
either of them make statements.

She is the perfect person for the job,

and you will see what I'm talking about.

Yeah.

[CORY] Hope you had fun up there.

Oh, I'm really excited too.

- [MAN] Are you both gonna be lead anchors?
- [WOMAN] Bradley.

Let's go. Let's go.

[MAGGIE] Bradley, Bradley,

- Maggie Brener, New York Magazine.
- Oh, hi.

- Congratulations on...
- Maggie, my love. Tonight is a tease.

But, Cory, how'd you manage to
keep such a delightful secret?

Well, you guys are only
interested in the obvious choices.

Bradley Jackson isn't obvious.

After Mitch, we felt we needed
a big change and quickly.

One that makes a statement
about where we intend to go.

Where is that?

If you guys wanna know more...

tune in on Monday for Alex
and Bradley's first show.

[MAN] Bradley. Miss
Jackson, over here, please.

[WOMAN] How long are you
gonna be with this network?

What are you f*cking doing?

Um, congratulations, Bradley Jackson.

Your life just took off.

Don't say anything to anyone
and meet me at the studio.

[MAN] You're changing the
game. How does it feel?

Bradley! Bradley.

[MAN] Are you excited
to work with Miss Levy?

[WOMAN] What is the statement that
you would like to make to young women?

- I don't...
- Hey, let's get you outta here.

They're looking at you
like you're raw meat.

- Okay.
- Okay. We're going this way.

- [WOMAN] Bradley!
- Excuse me.

This way.

Oh, my God. What the hell just happened?

They'll have answers for us at the
studio. Chip knows we're on our way.

Oh, no, no. I'm going to
LaGuardia. LaGuardia, please.

- Uh, we're not going to LaGuardia...
- Yes.

And with all due respect, who the
hell are you to tell me what to do?

Do you have a cigarette?

Twenty bucks.

Bravo, buddy. Way to take
advantage of a woman in need.

Do you have $ ?

[STAMMERS]

Yeah. Cory put it on public record

that the show is launching on Monday.

Yeah, well, he's insane too.

Agreed. But let's for one moment
assume you are the coanchor.

You can assume that. I
don't want to assume that.

I'm going to LaGuardia. I
don't wanna be the coanchor.

Why the hell not?

Because they're gonna use me to
try and get an Eagle News audience

that I won't attract because
I'm not that kinda conservative.

But you don't know that,

because there's no way in
hell that I have been vetted.

And I am being set up here
to be some sort of fall guy,

and I am not interested in that.

Not interested.

Do you have a light?

No smoking, ma'am.

You've gotta be kidding me.

What the hell were you thinking?

Why would you back that unhinged
woman to a room full of reporters?

You were given clear instructions.

Why would you box us in to a
Monday launch with that nobody?

I feel it's a bit dismissive to refer

to them as "unhinged woman" and "nobody."

Don't f*ck with me. I need to
understand how you plan to fix this.

Or explain to me why I shouldn't
fire you along with Levy?

Well, because that "unhinged
woman" did us a serious favor.

Look, this show slipped in the ratings,

Fred, because the show is stale.

Alex Levy, her sell-by
date, it expired years ago.

She needed to go. Everybody
knew we were gonna fire her,

but Mitch f*cked that
up by f*cking everything.

So, now, everybody's
curious. What are we gonna do?

So what we're gonna do is, we're
gonna give her this victory.

A Pyrrhic victory. Make
her think that she's won.

But really, we're gonna let this
"nobody" in to freshen the show.

Juice the ratings for sweeps and finally

push Alex Levy off the shelf for good

when it is convenient for us

and when we don't have
to look like the bad guys.

That doesn't explain why we
have to rush them out for Monday.

Well, the streak.

If we don't do something
next week, the streak is over.

YDA is not sneaking up on us, they're
breathing down our f*cking necks,

in spite of our "Mitch is a
predator" boost. It feels old.

People are getting too used to their

favorite cuddly men
turning into monsters,

but watching a beloved woman's breakdown

is timeless American entertainment.

The Morning Show
audience values stability.

[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]

When has it been the case that
a morning audience prefers

fighting over family?

I don't know. Families fight, Fred.

Look, all right, hey, give me a
month of "The Alex and Bradley Show."

Either they work well together,
or it's horrible. [CHUCKLES]

Regardless, putting Bradley in
lets us get back to replacing Alex.

And it'll be interesting
and fun, fresh, you know,

which is imperative
right now. [CHUCKLES]

I'm gonna make something clear.

I have an easy fall guy
when all this goes to sh*t.

Oh, we're talking about me, right?

Chaos, it's the new cocaine, Fred.

You screwed yourself.

Committed a fireable offense,
overtly in breach of contract.

We'll be lucky if the network
even continues negotiations.

You need to go in and find
Fred and apologize tonight.

Right, right. Is there
an alternative option?

[SARAH] Not unless you
wanna pull the rehab card.

We could say you were
emotional about Mitch.

But I'm not emotional about Mitch.

I was emotional because no
one's f*cking listening to me!

Mom! What's going on?
Are you? Are you...

- Yes, I'm fine. Sorry.
- Let's just take a b*at here, please.

- Sarah, listen. I'm going to handle this.
- [SOFTLY] It's okay. It's okay.

[SARAH] Then put on your
apology face and f*cking mean it.

- Absolutely. I completely understand.
- You understand?

[TONE BEEPS]

Guys. Guys, guys, guys.

Listen, don't... Honey, oh,
baby. Honey, listen to me.

- [SIGHS]
- Sometimes women can't ask for control.

So, they have to take it, okay?

Okay.

I want you to remember that. Okay, baby?

- Okay.
- Okay.

[EXHALES]

Okay. Everybody knows you're here.

They want you to sit
tight for minutes.

I will not sit tight.

There are some snacks. Some TV.

There's definitely some
booze around here somewhere.

[BRADLEY] They're
deciding my life out there.

Yes, and I know that's insane,
but Alex is meeting with the CEO.

Chip is gathering the staff,

and if you're even remotely
considering doing this...

I don't know what this is.

You need to let them come to you.

You need to let yourself take
a breath. Have a f*cking drink.

Think about what you want.

Consider this the start of
me being a great producer.

- You're not my producer.
- Yet.

[BRADLEY SIGHS]

- Oh, my God.
- [PHONE BUZZES]

Hal, where have you been?

You cannot seriously be
making this about me right now.

Okay? Can we please talk about
you? You're all over the news.

This is so weird.

Yeah, no kidding. Is Mom okay? [SIGHS]

[HAL] Uhh... [LAUGHS]

She's pissed at me.

She said you embarrassed her with her

friends because you didn't tell her.

I didn't know.

Is this even real?

f*ck, Hal. I hope not.

[TYPING ON PHONE]

- Oh, hey. She's waiting in the green room.
- You're a god.

- Is this for real? Or are...
- f*cking hope not.

What the hell was
she thinking? It's a room

full of press, and she just...

I think she was thinking
it would be effective.

- Yeah, well...
- So?

Wait till she finds out Bradley Jackson

is a f*cking raving lunatic. Jesus.

- Chip.
- What?

I wanna produce her.

Why?

Because I've been in purgatory.
I'm too good for that.

If this is real, you should
put your best person on it,

and you know that's f*cking
me, and, honestly, I like her,

which could go a long
way to making this work.

If this works, it's gonna
be a f*cking disaster,

and you're gonna be tied to it.

Yeah, I've been tied
to disasters before.

I want this, Chip.

[ALL SHOUTING]

Hold on. Let's just get some quiet.

Can I get quiet for two seconds, please?

I refuse to accept any of
this as reality. f*ck. Jesus.

Who d*ed?

- Ideally, not my show.
- [CORY LAUGHS]

Come on, Chip. Cheer the f*ck up.

We're in the middle of an epic rebirth.

So, this is happening?

Look, I do know that this
comes as a bit of a surprise.

Alex jumped the g*n a little
bit on the announcement,

but we've been quietly vetting
Bradley for a while now,

looking for someone with that
kind of unpredictable energy.

And I know Monday feels fast.
That's why we hired a veteran.

Not an anchor veteran. Zero
anchor experience, in fact.

But she has got raw talent
coming out of her pores.

- And you know it.
- [SCOFFS]

So, let's get moving, people.

We've got hours to define
the character of Bradley Jackson.

I want wardrobe tests,
screen tests, makeup tests.

I wanna have those tests focus-grouped.

We need a contract. Where's legal?

I'm telling you, it's not a
given she'll go on air Monday.

Huh. Are you legal?

I'm Mia Jordan, Bradley's producer.

Well, that happened fast.

Uh... Yeah, I felt I
was a few steps behind,

so I wanted one of my best
people to manage the circus.

Well, just make sure that
she can read a teleprompter.

I don't want to rain on the parade,

but I snaked a Mitch accuser from YDA.

- You got a Mitch accuser?
- Yeah.

Not great optics to launch a new anchor

next to a sexual as*ault
victim's brave return.

Are you kidding me? That's perfect.

What is your name?

- Hannah. I'm head booker.
- Hannah.

Hannah nailed it, 'cause we're
creating a safe space here.

It's a feminine space.

This is an era for The Morning Show

where women make the rules
and give voice to the silenced.

Speaking of which, nobody says
a f*cking word to the press.

They're gonna be
circling us like vultures.

So, anyone who leaks will be m*rder*d...

career-wise.

Okay. I'm gonna run upstairs to
the public spanking of Alex Levy.

[CHUCKLES]

[BURPS]

Neal, I have an idea.

I know it's only been a few days,

and I know that you're
gonna tell me it's too soon,

but let's just for a second, look
at the larger context of #MeToo.

It's been, what? Two years?

We're two years in.

I feel that people are screaming
for an honest conversation.

And what do I do?

What do I do best?

I am a journalist.

I can feel when the world needs me
to articulate something for them.

To help them understand.

And believe me, I know this is gonna

require a high degree of sensitivity.

But I f*cking love a tightrope.
I love it. It makes me feel alive.

You know what? Maybe all of
this happened for a reason.

Because I think that if I can get
in there, and I can show my face,

and I can look and
address the darkness...

- [PHONE CHIMES]
- ...that exists within...

- You're gonna answer...
- [PHONE BUZZES]

f*ck.

Who is Bradley Jackson?

Mitch, I love you.

I mean, you know that's true.

You're a fantastic talent.

But the fact of the matter is that a

working relationship is based on work,

and that's not gonna be
happening for a while.

Are you dropping me, Neal?

[SIGHS]

We have a lot of female clients that
are journalists that we represent.

You understand?

There are certain pressures
brought to bear on us.

Believe me, I wish it was
different than the way it is,

but this is the reality now.

Maybe you should sign Bradley Jackson,

whoever the f*ck that is.

Would you like me to leave?

Yes.

[SCREAMS]

[FRED] I don't feel I need to remind you

that this network has been
very good to you over the years.

We have always shown you
personal and professional respect.

I never anticipated we would be
met with such utter disrespect

and insubordination in return.

This network has every right
to terminate you immediately.

You have placed us in
an impossible situation.

- You have embarrassed yourself.
- [SOUND FADING]

You have done something
unforgivably selfish.

And for what? To what end?

I find myself wondering if we can
even trust you with the privilege

of being on air for The Morning Show.

[SOUND RESUMES]

Are you done?

I'm sorry?

The part you guys never seem to realize

is that you don't have the power anymore.

The news division is held up by my show.

And the only thing
keeping us afloat is me.

Because guess what?

America loves me.

And therefore, I own America.

It seems pretty f*cking simple,
but so easy for you guys to forget.

Are you actually trying
to justify your action...

- [SLAMS DESK]
- You're not listening!

I don't need to justify anything.

You all are so convinced that you are

the rightful owner of all of the power

that it doesn't even occur to you

that someone else could
be in the driver's seat.

And so, we have to just gingerly
step around your male egos

in order to not burst this
precious little bubble.

- Well, surprise!
- [SLAMS DESK]

I'm bursting it.

We are doing this my way.

Because, frankly, I've let you
bozos handle this long enough.

Not the apology you were expecting?

[ALEX] Wanna take a seat?

Is that an invitation or a command?

You sound a little pissed off.

I don't like surprises.

Oh, come on. That was
a pretty good surprise.

No. You don't get to make this about me.

You dropped a b*mb, and I don't know why.

Maybe you're trying to blow up your life.

Maybe you were angry, which I get,

but you don't have the
right to f*ck with me.

f*ck with you? How?

By offering you the most
coveted anchor job in the world?

I don't want your job.

Oh, honey, bullshit.

You are so cocky. You just
think I'm gonna do this?

I know you're going to do this.

I don't have a contract.

Well, great. I just put you
in a great spot to negotiate.

This job is yours.

I'm welcoming you with open arms.

I'm giving you the biggest news
platform you could ever have.

If you're a true journalist,
you don't say no to this.

I'm not sure this is
considered true journalism.

And how many current or former
presidents have you interviewed?

[SIGHS] This job requires a
certain kind of positivity.

I'm not a perky person.

I don't care. I don't
want us to be the same.

I'm not looking to groom my replacement.

I want a partner.

Do you?

Or do you want somebody
who's beholden to you?

Somebody who's grateful that
you plucked them from obscurity?

Because if that's what you're hoping for,

I will give you serious buyer's remorse.

You are convinced that you know me.

I can guarantee that you
are underestimating me.

And I am really f*cking
over people doing that.

I want you here at : a.m. tomorrow.

I suggest that you get up
at : . : on Sunday.

Start getting yourself conditioned.

- Alex...
- Mm-hmm?

I don't like being used.

Oh, my God.

Could you just try, like, taking
advantage of the situation presented?

That sounds like
something you might enjoy.

Come on. See you tomorrow.

[MIA] We're gonna hit up a
lot of the nitty-gritty today,

because being a morning show anchor is the

hardest job on television bar none.

So, we're gonna meet with makeup,

wardrobe, we'll do some screen tests.

- [BRADLEY] Okay.
- Meet with marketing, publicity, research,

uh, we're gonna drill transitions.

Look, the other thing is that,
and don't sh**t the messenger,

the show will be heavily scripted.

What do you mean by "heavily"?

Completely. It's gonna
be completely scripted.

Okay, no, I'm not a novice. I don't
like things to be overtly scripted.

It sort of eliminates any possibility
of something truthful happening.

Plus, I have a habit of
going off-script sometimes.

Two-Fucks Jackson.

Well, I see the research
has finally begun.

I can relate to a good self-sabotage,

but it cannot happen
on The Morning Show.

Okay, Mia, listen. I get that you're

excited and y'all want this to work out.

I just don't know how I feel

about being forced
onto national television

just to make an ass of myself.

I wanna be clear, by showing up
today, I'm not agreeing to this,

and I'm not signing a contract, okay?

Baby steps, okay?

[SIGHS]

You know who's the most excited?

- Who?
- Alex.

Seriously.

She's gonna be shepherding you
through this entire weekend,

along with me, of course.

Okay? She really wants to
take a firm hand in this.

- She really cares.
- She does?

Absolutely. This whole
weekend is about you.

Getting to know Bradley Jackson,
who you are, what's important to you.

Really? You think I can define myself?

Absolutely.

This is gonna be fun. Watch.

Can't wait.

You guys, thank you. Thank you, but no.

f*cking no. I'm sorry.
I know you're tired,

and I know you hate me right now,
but I really don't give a sh*t.

All we have to do is figure out who

Bradley Jackson is next to Alex Levy.

Who do you partner
with a -karat bitch?

[LAUGHTER]

That's actually really funny. Don't...

Good morning.

Oh, good to see you're all
in such good spirits today.

Milk Bar for the writers.

Yes, I'm shamelessly bribing you
with sugar for working overtime.

So, you're joining us?

Absolutely.

We were just discussing the enigma
that is Bradley Jackson, so...

Fabulous.

So, if you'd give us a few minutes...

No, I'd actually like to get in on that.

- It's actually why I'm here.
- To discuss Bradley?

Among other things.

Look, guys, this is a
pressure-cooker moment, all right?

This is a massive transition.

We are redefining ourselves,

and I need to make sure that
we are all on the same page.

So I'm gonna be here all weekend.

- All weekend?
- Yeah, all weekend.

Sean typed up a schedule. Sean.

So, I spoke to wardrobe,

and they're going to screen test some

looks that will appeal
to her demographic.

And then I want us to bang out some copy

so that we can talk about what segments

that we will be giving to Bradley.

What time does Ashley Brown get here?

- Around : .
- : . Okay, great.

I'll do her pre-interview then.

Sorry, should I know
who Ashley Brown is?

Mitch's victim.

[ALEX] No, let's not call her a victim.

Okay, what should we call her then?

I think "accuser"
feels more appropriate.

Look, if she wants to
call herself a victim,

we can take our lead from her.

But I think it's important
that she feels in control of it.

In control of the language used.

So, just to be clear, and I
appreciate the typed-up schedule,

you're doing the Ashley Brown interview?

Yes, I am, Chip.

What?

Okay. All right, team.

I will address the elephant in the room.

Yes, yes. I worked side by
side with Mitch for years.

God knows he was not perfect.

I felt it daily.

But I didn't know he was that guy.

And that's a problem.

I fell asleep at the wheel.

But I want you to know
that I am here now.

And I'm here for Ashley,

and I'm here for you.

I'm available, I'm
accessible, and I'm awake.

So, shall we?

Stay on two. As we said, go
with Yanko. Go with Yanko.

[YANKO] If you live in
New England, not so fast.

- [DIRECTOR] All right. Good, good, good.
- You'll be seeing one last snowfall

of the season.

We do have some exciting wind blowing

- our way down here in New York City too
- [DIRECTOR] Okay, good, guys.

and she goes by the
name of Bradley Jackson.

- See what I did there?
- Very smooth.

Welcome to command center.

[DANIEL] Now, I may
be stating the obvious,

but it's a pretty exciting
weekend here at TMS.

We have our new Morning Show
cohost, Bradley, in the halls,

and she and Alex are prepping a really,

really amazing show for this Monday.

That's right, Daniel.

And that includes an interview with our

very own former colleague Ashley Brown,

who has bravely agreed to return and talk

about her experience with Mitch Kessler.

[DANIEL] That's going to be something.

- [YANKO] Yeah. It's very, very brave.
- [ALISON] Yeah. Big stuff.

We hope you spend your Monday
morning with our new family.

I'm Daniel Henderson.

I'm Alison Namazi.

I'm Yanko Flores.

And this was the weekend
edition of The Morning Show.

- [DIRECTOR] Ready, four?
- Until next time.

Take four. Insert. Roll credits.

'Cause America loves
a good Cinderella story,

just as long as she's a white girl.

[ALISON] Please. Disney got you a
black princess, like, what, ?

He's not wrong.

- [DANIEL] I don't recall that.
- [ALISON] You didn't see it.

There was a frog.

Bradley. Hi. Claire.
We met the other day.

- Yeah, yeah. I remember.
- I'm with the digital team today.

If it's cool, I'm gonna shadow you while

we do your screen tests this morning.

Give people a front-row
look on how we make a star.

Oh.

Sorry, they told me to say
that. Stupid. Let's go. [LAUGHS]

Okay.

[CHIP] f*ck me.

Tell me why I shouldn't
hand in my resignation now.

- Daniel, I could write you a f*cking book.
- [PHONE BUZZES]

Yesterday, you said it
was my chair to lose.

And I don't recall f*cking up the pass.

So why am I out there previewing
a conservative beauty queen, huh?

You know, she's not a beauty queen, and

she's actually more of a libertarian,

so I don't know.

- Chip, I'm out.
- Daniel, come on.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

Take a breath, take a
breath, take a breath.

I have been told to take
deep breaths my whole life.

I can't do it anymore.

Daniel, I'm telling you,

you walk out that door, you're
never gonna get back in

when the chair opens up.

And when will that be?

Because women live longer than men,

and those two look like
they do a lot of Pilates.

Read the tea leaves!
Bradley Jackson is a nobody.

Alex is... clearly struggling, you know?

It was a desperate move from

someone who had their
f*cking ego bruised, okay?

This will fail.

And, when it does, maybe
two chairs are gonna open up.

Okay? So, please, I'm begging you,

ride with me through this shitstorm,

and I promise you the show
will be yours in the end.

[LAUGHS]

[CHUCKLES]

Here we go.

Yeah!

- [d*ck] Aha!
- [MITCH LAUGHS]

[d*ck] Here's the thing.

Everything can be recontextualized.

They take my movies that I directed,

and they pervert them to
fit a convenient narrative.

Hugging and Loving, right?

That's a veiled portrait

of my grandmother's assimilation
story, for God's sake.

That is a terrific film.
That's my mom's favorite film.

So, now, it's about what I apparently
did to all my leading ladies.

- [SIGHS]
- Well, when did hugging become a sin?

f*ck it. I love to hug.

Huggings are nice.

Yeah. Jeez. That is crazy.

No, no, no. Crazy is how they
loved the title Jessica Over Easy

and then, of course, now they
just rip me to shreds over it.

God damn it. You know what?
They just twist everything.

I don't even understand what their
message is they're sending out.

That women are not allowed to be in
possession of their sexual choices?

When they fixate on us, they
lose sight of the issues.

I actually feel bad for the kids.

'Cause there's nothing
sexy about consent. [LAUGHS]

Well...

That came out wrong,
and that was creepy.

I guess what I'm saying is...

humanity happens in
the unspoken moments,

and I just feel badly for a
generation that loses that.

Wow. That's really well said.

f*ck it.

f*ck it.

We're not in prison.

- Prison of public opinion.
- Mm-hmm.

That's exactly what I wanna talk about.

The discussion, this whole Me Too thing,

it is so f*cking puritanical and myopic.

No one is addressing it.

A woman can say one thing about you.

It doesn't matter
what her motivation is.

And everything you've
done in your life... gone.

Your career erased.

You deserve better, buddy.

You deserve better.

I have an idea.

We do a documentary. You
direct it. I do the interviews.

We make them look at it.
We make them look at us.

We ask to be a part of the conversation.

I mean...

we did something wrong, okay.

What?

If that's the way you feel, fine,

but explain it to me, 'cause
I don't f*cking get it.

A conversation with the victims.

Yes. And I think we can do
it in a really smart way.

I don't think we refer
to them as victims.

I think...

that's a concess... I don't think
it's something we want to concede.

No, no, we do call them victims,

and then we prove why they're not.

I'm not sure that we should use gotcha

journalism with the
women who accused us.

Oh, f*ck that! Jesus.
They did it with us.

"Gotcha!

I'll f*ck you for the role,
and then I'll win an Oscar."

And then, "Oh, now
I'm and irrelevant,

so I'll scream 'r*pe' and
then I'll force a settlement."

You know, as if that
lazy lay deserves a cent.

No, no, you're wrong.

Wow. Is that real?

"Gotcha!

I said I was . Oh, I was only ."

Bullshit. "Then why do you
look like a tired old bag?"

And yeah, I'd love... I'd k*ll
to see her birth certificate.

How come I never heard about that one?

'Cause she's going the legal route.


Big f*cking chance.

Statute of limitations, babe.

You know, sometimes you gotta
say, "God bless America."

Finally protected.

Yeah, well,

maybe we should just interview the men,

because it might be naive to think that

the women would want to participate.

Do you think we could get Cosby?

No, let's... No.

No. I think another smart idea would be

to talk about the specificity
of the Me Too movements.

There was the first wave
of guys who were accused,

and then there was a second wave,

and we could talk about
the nuance between the two.

I don't think I follow.

Well, the first wave was... really bad.

And then the guys accused in the
second wave was just different,

and I don't think we should
be scared to talk about it.

Spell it out for me, won't you, Mitch?

Well, you are actually a predator.

And people are gonna
want you to own that.

As opposed to...

What are you exactly, Mitch?

Not you.

The organization has
now raised over $ ,

to help end sexual as*ault
on college campuses.

[MIA] Pace it down. You have time.

Okay.

And educate students on consent.

Really inspiring to
see these young women

working together to effect
change, isn't it, Alex?

Fast learner, our Bradley.

Well, it's Saturday night, and
she has the stage to herself.

Let's not do the hora just yet.

Coming up after the break, we
have one of my personal favorites,

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.

Alex, growing up on the
farm, my mama made

the best grits in all of West Virginia.

Let's see how Ree compares.

Seriously, you guys? This is garbage.

I don't call my mother "Mama,"
and she's also a terrible cook.

[LAUGHTER]

I hear you, Bradley.

Do you?

[MIA] Yeah. We're taking
notes. We're making changes.

How about I do it for you?

Please welcome The Pioneer Woman,

who somehow manages to idealize an era

when women birthed
babies in covered wagons

and d*ed from cholera before they
even had a chance to nurse 'em.

Something like that?

[LAUGHTER]

Yo, Jackson. God here.
Let's fix that wardrobe.

Whoever's picking these
outfits should be fired.

Alex picked 'em.

All right, next up,

Lizzy has her mock
trial semifinal on May .

Yeah, it's an all-day
thing. I'll cover it.

No. I wanna go to that.

Yeah, it's at Wolcott's.

I refuse to have boarding school mean

that I don't get to see my f*cking kid.

I'm gonna get more wine.
Would you like some?

Uh, sure. Why don't you switch to white?

Isn't that stuff giving you headaches?

If I don't take an Advil, okay, Jason?

- Jesus.
- Okay. Jesus Christ.

God.

- Al, Al, Al.
- What?

Oh, God. What is going on?

I just think it's weird that we have to

make a fake family calendar. That's all.

We've always done it.

No, but now it just
is... feels like a game.

Lizzy's stuff is real,

but coordinating my
events and you having

to pretend. Come on. It feels weird.

Yes, obviously. It's f*cking bizarre.

But, you know, we'll figure it out.

Lizzy's at boarding school now.
She'll be at college in a minute.

Yes, I know. I know.
And I'm thrilled for her.

We raised a beautiful, independent kid,

but would it k*ll her to
need us a little bit more?

Oh, come on.

Is that really what's bothering you?

Come on.

Page Six thinks I'm crazy.

Page Six thought you were pregnant
ten times last year. Who cares?

Well, I very well might be.

- Excuse me?
- Crazy, not pregnant.

Crazy. I'm... This article
came up the other day.

I googled "Alex and Bradley" 'cause...
I'm f*cking human and curious,

and this article popped up

that said I was "wandering the halls
of TMS in the middle of the night."

Were you?

Yes.

But that means that my coworkers
are leaking stories about me.

Mitch is going down,

and somehow stories about me
being crazy are popping up.

How the f*ck does that track?

- All right, it's a big change.
- Yes.

You're allowed to feel it.

I know, but I'm the one
who made this big, stupid

Bradley-Jackson,
whoever-the-f*ck-that-is move.

I mean, it is crazy.
It's absolutely crazy.

But at first it felt like "I'm
in control. This is a power move."

But I just... This stupid
shitshow, I'm just... I'm exhausted.

I'm just so exhausted. Ohh.

Would it really be so
bad if it all went away?

What?

Oh, come on. A part of you is
trying to blow it all up. Admit it.

Now, come on. I know you.

I get it.

But you've had this
unbelievable run, Alex.

You've earned your freedom.

You've earned your family their freedom.

So, I don't know, maybe this is the
moment you get to choose to stop.

We'll be fine.

Wait. Are you saying that
if I quit, we would be...

f*ck, no, no, I'm... No, I was
not making this about me. Sorry.

Okay.

[JASON SIGHS]

Thank you for that.

- Thank you.
- Sure.

Am I supposed to be impressed
you can open Barneys?

You're supposed to be
impressed that I've got $ ,

for you to spend on whatever you want.

Do you have a favorite silhouette?

Pants.

Pencil, cigarette, flared,
high-waisted, gaucho, drop-crotch...

You know what? Just bring
us a variety. We trust you.

And throw in some dresses too, please.

I get you're not a typical woman,

but try to see the joy
in a wardrobe upgrade.

What is a typical woman?

You know, not everything is a challenge.

Mm, people usually say that when
they don't wanna be challenged.

Wow. You're fun.

I'm tired.

And I don't feel like pretending
Pretty Woman is my favorite movie.

What is your favorite movie?

What do you want my
favorite movie to be?

I'm beginning to sense
that you're very frustrated.

Look, I don't wanna sound ungrateful.

New clothes are fun. They're...

You know what's even more fun?

Having your image
workshopped by a focus group.

I can't wait to hear how
I'm gonna alienate Americans.

I've been contending
with the misogynistic

world of journalism for years.

I've only been told about
a thousand different ways

I'm too liberal, too
conservative, too in-between.

"You've too much chin.
You're not smiling enough.

You're too brunette.
Do you wanna go blonde?

Where are your boobs?

Quick, put your boobs out.
Wait, put your boobs away.

You're attracting men.
You're scaring women.

Try not to be so confrontational.
Men don't wanna f*ck you.

Don't be so angry.
Women feel criticized."

But here, no, no,

here I'm gonna transform into the
aspirational, inoffensive dream girl.

Here I'm gonna become the Mother
Teresa of the morning news.

Though I'm pretty sure that Mother Teresa

had too many f*cking wrinkles for HD.

All right, are we doing this? Let's go.

Mm-hmm.

I'm trying on a lot of clothes for
someone without a signed contract.

It'll be ready tomorrow.
You need a better agent.

My agent is fine.

He's an idiot if he closes at $ , .

I thought you were trying
to get me on the cheap.

I don't mind paying someone
what I think they're worth.

You're single, right?

Huh?

Single.

What's that got to do with my contract?

So, you are? That's great.

Good. Keep it that way.

American women, they're getting
married later, often not at all.

Eggs frozen to be used
another day, if at all.

Men to be f*cked but not
needed for fulfillment.

That's exciting, that's reality, and
that is not on morning television.

Okay. What do you think of this?

Oh, yeah. Right.

Very Pantsuit Nation.

f*ck off.

No, I love it.

I'm serious. It just, it...
It reminds me of my mom.

Seriously?

My mom is awesome,

and she is gonna love you.

Martha has never seen herself
reflected on The Morning Show.

Is this the mom you took
care of after Daddy left?

Oh, I see. You think of her as,
like, a sad, weak, abandoned woman?

- Hey, I didn't say that.
- [LAUGHS]

I took care of my mom, in the

cooking her dinner and
giving her hugs sense.

Telling her to put her
work away and go to bed.

And I was, you know, a terrific
-year-old mom to my mom.

What does she do?

Uh, retired now.

She was a campaign organizer for
progressive women who usually lost.

Martha loved an easy sell. [CHUCKLES]

Like mother, like son.

How so?

Peddling out to America a
-year-old, single, childless woman

who's a political independent?

I don't think you're a tough sell.

We already have the
housewives watching TMS.

If we want to win the ratings w*r,
we need the women who aren't watching,

the ones that don't see themselves
reflected in Ice Queen Alex.

So... be messy.

Let's do segments on the ways
that you haven't "lived up."

Be the narrative real women are living.

[SIGHS]

[DOOR LOCKS]

There is no way that Ashley
is only one f*cking segment.

That's plenty of time
for a good interview.

It is completely disrespectful
to the seriousness of the subject.

I get it. But Ashley is not good.

Oh, my Go... Okay, hold on a second.

Did you seriously just call
her "not a good victim"?

Look, I read the transcript.

She's superficial, she's inconsistent
in her recounting of the story...

She's completely preoccupied by
Mitch, how he might feel about it.

Okay, so did you bring
her in for backup?

- Is that what Mia's doing here?
- I am nobody's backup.

I read the transcript
from your pre-interview.

- I came to my own conclusions.
- Why are you reading my transcripts?

Hey, hey, hey.

Mia's in charge of our Me Too
coverage. She gets what works.

This is not about Me Too, Chip.

This is about us.
This is about our show,

how we will be judged by the public.

And if you cut that down,

it's gonna look like a dodge.
It just f*cking is.

So get this into your
little f*cking brains, okay?

I'm doing the interview my way,
and if you have a problem with it,

and if you have a problem
with it, then f*cking quit.

[DOOR SLAMS]

Just let her deal with
it. f*ck it. f*ck it.

[SIGHS]

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

I'll be on stage in a minute!

You shouldn't do the
interview with Ashley.

Why wouldn't I?

I don't know.

Seems like you wanna create this

narrative about how
you're taking control,

how you've been powerless, but, um...

that's pretty convenient.

What's convenient about it?

You've always had power,

and you know exactly what it
looks like when a woman doesn't.

Mia, I don't think we've ever
known each other that well.

Maybe not,

but it hasn't stopped you from
making assumptions about me.

Yeah. I've made assumptions
about you and Mitch.

I did not approve of that relationship.

Not one bit.

Completely inappropriate.

And I think the world is making
that pretty clear right now.

But what I don't understand
is why is this my fault?

It's not.

But you're not impartial on this subject.

You knew what Mitch was doing.

And you're impartial?

You're producing the person
who'll be doing the interview.

That's pretty f*ckin' transparent

- if you ask me.
- This isn't about that.

Well, then what is it about, Mia?
'Cause I'm getting really confused.

I don't ever remember you
confiding in me about Mitch,

asking me for help.

I remember you being pretty capable
of taking good care of yourself.

You know what? Do whatever
you wanna do with Ashley,

but I'm telling you,
she's enamored of you.

You'll never get to something honest.

And then you're gonna
get crucified for it.

[DOOR SHUTS]

God.

So, one big happy family.

Yeah. With an absent mother.

I, honestly, was shocked that
she agreed to a run-through.

Not exactly a team player?

Alex requires a fair
amount of personal space.

It's just who she is.

Okay, so, Alex is in a meeting.

We're gonna mark some
transitions without her.

Daniel, do you mind
playing Alex for a bit?

- Don't mind at all.
- Okay.

Um...

[DANIEL] This way.

Okay.

Speaking of family,

we know how hard it is to make
your kid's lunch quick and healthy,

but luckily, multitasking
mom Margaret M...

Multitasking mom Margaret Mapel...

Okay. Can we run that back?
That's a lot of alliteration.

[DANIEL SIGHS]

- I'm not looking for sympathy.
- I'm not offering any.

[DIRECTOR] All right. Going
again, let's take it from the top.

Here we go. Starting
with Bradley's line.

Everyone quiet, please.

[MIA] Hey, you're doing
great. Just take a deep breath.

Mia, thanks for showing up.

Sorry. Dealing with some changes. Um...

You are doing the interview with Ashley.

We've pushed it to the end
of the week so we can prepare.

Wait, what?

Yeah. Alex just told me on her way out.

On her way out?

What, she's leaving?

Yeah.

Wait, when is she gonna
rehearse with me? On air?

Bradley, this run-through is going
well. Let's just push through.

Oh, hell no! No, no, no.

I'm not going on tomorrow
if we don't rehearse.

Bra... Hey! Don't let
her walk out of this...

Great.

Great.

Hey! Alex!

Hey! Alex. Alex.

Why are you not going
through the run-through?

We moved the Ashley interview
to the end of the week,

so I gotta go home and prep a new story.

Why are you giving me the interview?

Because it's better for the show.

Why are you doing this to me?

Doing what? Handing you
an amazing opportunity?

No. You're making no sense.

Y-Y-You're not being present.

What the f*ck?

I don't have all the answers.

And why does this have to be about you?

'Cause I'm a woman who has
a life. You realize that?

I have people I'm responsible for,

and I have career aspirations that
don't involve being your sidekick.

You are not my sidekick.
You're my cohost.

Well, you have barely
acknowledged me all weekend.

I... I didn't know that you
needed me to hold your hand.

I need a partner.

Sometimes partners hold hands.

Oh.

Oh, Jesus.

Okay.

Uh, Bradley...

I don't have a f*cking
clue what I'm doing.

- You don't?
- Nope. Not a clue.

Running on instinct.

But I know that I need a second

so I can get my sh*t together
to go on air tomorrow.

And I know I have to not be in that
building with those f*cking people

who are constantly judging my choices.

[SIGHS] I honestly don't
know why I picked you.

Okay? That's the truth.

Just an impulse, and I went with it.

But I do know that I think I like you.

[SIGHS]

Just go sign your contract.

All right.

Okay.

[LIGHT MUSIC STARTING]

Watch your step.

[SIGHS]

[WOMAN SINGING]

[BEEPING]

[SINGING CONTINUES]

[MUSIC FADES]

[MUFFLED SOUND, SLOWED]

[BEEPING, SLOWED]

[FOOTSTEPS]

Don't f*ck it up.
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