01x09 - Play the Queen

[bunniefuu]

["NEMESIS" PLAYING]

[MUSIC ENDS]

[SIRENS IN DISTANCE]

[MITCH] Wow. It's been a while
since we talked outside of work.

How are you?

I'm fine. [STAMMERS] What...

How did you find my apartment?

Oh. Well, they couldn't
take everything from me.

Still have my contact list.

Hey, um, could I come up
for a couple of minutes?

There's something I'd
like to talk to you about.

Uh, I'm... having people over.

[PEOPLE CHUCKLING]

Let's just talk here.

[SIGHS]

What's going on?

[MITCH CHUCKLES]

Okay, well, do you remember
a couple of years ago,

to the point,

you slept with me and then leveraged it

to get the head booker job?

[CHUCKLES] And I'm not...
I'm not judging you.

Really. I would have done
exactly the same thing.

I salute you for it,

and it might have even hurt
my feelings a little bit.

But I got over it.

Anyway... You remember that, right?

I don't... I'm not...

Okay. Well, you played
the game. I get it.

But if you wanna dance,
you gotta pay the fiddler.

And... I need your help.

I need proof that Fred swept my
so-called "behavior" under the rug.

And you are the living, breathing
emblem of Fred's complicity.

And that's why I need you to go
on the record with a reporter.

You want me to go against Fred?

I know. It's not a small ask.

How could I? This is my job
we're talking about. My career.

I know. As far as I'm
concerned, you've earned it.

And you're really f*cking good at it.

It can be anonymous if
you don't wanna be ID'd.

I just need someone to corroborate this.

I don't... [STAMMERS] I'm not sure.

You know what? When I first met
you, you know what I thought?

I was touched by your
ambition and your idealism.

And what you did...

What you did sort of took me off guard.

I bet that making a choice
like that cost you something.

And I bet you still
think about that choice.

I will admit, I am being
forced to examine my behavior.

So, why is Fred the only one

who doesn't have to
look at his behavior?

I know the world has changed,

but shouldn't we all be living
by the same set of rules?

I suppose.

Well, I have already
started talking to reporters.

Your story's coming out either way.

Controlling narrative is more
powerful than you can imagine.

Okay. I'll think about it.

It's all I ask.

Thank you.

Thank you, Hannah.
You're truly one of a kind.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

Oh, sh*t.

Hello.

[MAN] Good evening, Ms. Levy.
I have Bradley Jackson here.

- Oh, f*ck, um...
- Do you want me to let her in?

Yeah, um... [STAMMERING]
Just... Give me a few minutes.

- And then send her up, okay?
- Sure.

Okay. [QUIETLY] f*ck.

[QUIETLY] Oh, my God. [EXHALES]

Don't jump. Just drink instead.

This view. It...

Oh, yeah.

Your whole place is... Wow.

- Oh, thank you.
- Wow.

Thank you. Thanks. Yeah,
I got this... year five.

That must've felt really good.

Yeah, it-it felt like a fortress.

So, that did feel good
for a while at least.

- [SIGHS] Cheers.
- Cheers.

[CLINKS]

[BRADLEY] I know this is hard.

[WINE POURING]

Yes. It is.

But I think that it's fair
to just tell us how you feel.

Okay. I'm just feeling that, um...

I just hope, by sharing
my divorce with America,

that they realize that...

my sex life is about to
get a whole lot better...

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Finally.

- I think you have to say that.
- Mm-hmm.

Honesty is the best. And it's
fine, and people like that.

My God. You wanna join Tinder with me?

I mean, you're single.
We could do it together.

- Please tell me you're joking.
- Of course I'm kidding.

'Course I'm kidding.

[ALEX CHUCKLES]

Yeah.

Um, have you ever been
interested in marriage?

No.

- Wow. That's... "No", very definitive "no".
- Mm-hmm.

I've... I mean, I've seen marriage.

I'm not suited for it. I'm not...
I'm not sure I believe in love.

Marriage is a way too
big of a leap for me.

That's a shame.

You think so? You're still a fan?

Yeah. I am. I think it's... I
think it's conceptually lovely.

I think partnership is beautiful,

you know, in whatever form it comes

or even, you know,
however long it... it lasts.

I have, um, something that
I wanna talk to you about.

- Mm-hmm.
- But I don't really know where to start.

Oh, my God. I just vomited
my entire insides to you.

You can start anywhere.

Okay. Um...

There's an interview
that I would like to do.

And I think it would
be really good for us,

really good for the show.

But I want to acknowledge
up front that it is...

a sensitive subject.

Take the kid gloves off. What is it?

All right.

Mitch contacted me, and he wants
me to interview him on the show.

- What?
- [BRADLEY EXHALES]

Look, he obviously has an agenda.

He wants to out Fred Micklen

for promoting a culture
that silenced women.

And he's obviously out for revenge,
in the most base and obvious way.

But in order to accuse Fred,

he has to admit he was
part of the problem,

and that's a pretty stunning
place to start an interview from.

I know I can hold his feet to the
fire, p-particularly with your help.

And if we can nail
Fred at the same time?

I mean, sh*t.

What would you... What
would you like me to say?

I wanna hear your honest opinion.

When you said that, um... When
you said that he contacted you,

did you mean in, like, in an
e-mail or was it a phone call, or...

Um...

We met in person.

All right.

And you didn't think that
you should talk to me first?

No, I... [STAMMERS] I should have.

But you didn't.

Probably because I thought that
you would say, "Don't do it".

And I wanted to hear him out.

I felt like it would
be irresponsible not to.

Oh, irresponsible.

- Yes. Irresponsible.
- [ALEX] Mmm.

Alex, I would never bring this to you

if I didn't think this was
an opportunity for both of us.

Oh, stop saying "us". There's no us.

There is you interviewing
him and me getting f*cked.

- Please hear me out just a minute.
- Oh, God.

I really do not think
it would go that way.

You know he doesn't want just
Fred Micklen, right? You know that.

He wants everybody. He wants
company in his cesspool of misery.

And guess what? That includes me.

Well, I would never let that happen.

- How? Exactly how?
- I would protect you. I...

Oh, please! I don't need protection.

I did nothing wrong.
Mitch did something wrong.

And if Fred enabled that,
then f*cking who cares?

- It's business. God...
- I didn't...

He protected him because Mitch
was financially beneficial,

and it was a boys' club and whatever
else you're trying to point out.

Everybody knows that this
silencing culture exists!

We don't need you telling
us all how the world works.

We need you to sit down
and do your f*cking job,

which includes just one
little shred of loyalty to me.

- Loyalty?
- Yes!

- I think I should go.
- Yeah. You'd better go.

You know why he went after you,
right? 'Cause you're an easy mark.

He's gonna get what he wants, and
he's gonna make himself look good

at the expense of your
career and my f*cking show.

And given how easily you
fell for it, he wasn't wrong.

- I'll show myself out.
- Mm-hmm.

- [FOOTSTEPS RECEDING]
- Show yourself out.

[SIGHS]

[EXHALES]

[LINE RINGS]

- [HAL] Holy sh*t, Bradley Jackson.
- [SCOFFS]

Not The Morning Show's
Bradley Jackson? Oh, my God.

- [BRADLEY] Shut up. Are you busy?
- [CAT MEOWS]

Yeah, I'm just, uh...
just taking meetings

- and, uh, weighing my options.
- Mm-hmm. Yeah.

- Why? You miss me or something?
- Something like that.

Hey, what's up?

[EXHALES]

I don't know. I...

Did I ruin our lives?

[CHUCKLES] Jesus.

What, do I have to come up there
and give you a f*cking hug?

I'm serious, Hal, I...

We were doing fine as a family.

I mean, we weren't awesome,

but we were... we were functioning.

And...

Dad could've gotten away with it.

Nobody saw. Nobody knew
anything but you and me.

And I... For some reason
it got stuck in my mind

that I could fix something if I...

if I told on him.

How f*cking arrogant is that?

And what did it fix?

Dad went to jail, and Mom lost her sh*t,

I became an angry assh*le.

Well, you were an angry assh*le
before, but... [CHUCKLES]

I keep living this pattern
over and over again.

I'm just... sick of myself. I...

- You finished?
- Yes.

Dad was a drunk. He k*lled a kid.

And if you hadn't reported him,
it... it might have happened again.

How many times did he drive
loaded with us in the back?

You didn't make me an addict.
I'm an addict because...

I'm wired wrong.

You wanna know why I'm gonna get better?

'Cause dr*gs are bad for you?

No, uh, because...

you seem to think the
world is worth saving,

and I find it really f*cking
entertaining to watch.

I had a front row seat my whole life.

I'm just happy everyone
else gets to watch now too.

I'm gonna get better so I
don't miss the f*cking show.

[SNIFFS]

If you're having trouble making
friends up there, f*ck 'em.

You don't need 'em.

They don't know which way is up,
and they need you to tell 'em.

I miss you.

Love you, brother.

I love you too.

- Hey, Mitch.
- Hey, Billy boy.

- Welcome home.
- Thanks.

- Good to have you back.
- Good to see you.

Hey, you know, I was
hoping you'd come by

'cause I wanted to let you know that

a lot of us think you got a raw deal.

It's a messed up world
we live in right now.

- Thanks, buddy.
- You hang in there, huh?

I really appreciate that.

["NEW YORK, NEW YORK" PLAYING]

[GROANS]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

Hmm.

[GROANS SOFTLY]

[SIGHS]

- [SIGHS]
- [PHONE CLICKING]

[EXHALES SHARPLY]

[MUSIC FADES]

Hi. It's Alex. I'm so
sorry to call you so late.

Um...

Yeah, I know. I'm... I'm sure you're
pretty surprised to hear from me,

but I just think that we're
really long overdue for a talk.

Would you meet me for lunch tomorrow?
It would mean the world to me.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

[MUSIC ENDS]

- [SCOFFS]
- [CREW CHATTERING]

[FLOOR DIRECTOR] Got it.

Oh, God. Okay.

Oh, God.

[FLOOR DIRECTOR] Back in , everybody.

Wow, I just gotta say,
I love you guys together.

It's like watching a great tennis match.

- Oh, thank you.
- Oh, thank you.

[ALEX] I think Maria just
gave us a great segue.

Make sure you catch
her guest-starring...

[CORY] Maggie.

Well, hey, take a seat. Join me.

Look. Our shining stars. They're
pretty special, aren't they?

You have managed to keep
the train on its track.

Congratulations.

Um, I feel so important.

If you wanted a quote
for the Bradley article,

- you could've just called me.
- [CHUCKLES]

I'm not here to talk about Bradley,
and I'm not here to have a drink.

Uh, don't tempt me, Maggie.
I love a guessing game.

- Oh, great. I'm gonna tell you then.
- Mmm.

I'm here to find out if you're
plotting a corporate takeover.

Always.

To which one are you referring?

I spoke to somebody on the inside.

They want me to investigate a claim

that would incriminate
Fred and the entire network.

[EXHALES]

So much plot and intrigue.

I think I'm gonna need something

more specific than an anonymous source.

I don't give up my sources.

Okay then.

But this person,

they wouldn't step outside the
line if they didn't have a cover.

I'm assuming that cover is you.

If I wasn't a better journalist,
I'd say, "I know the cover's you".

Okay. I can understand
why you'd make a move.

You're new.

You think you're
impenetrable, but you're not,

and you're just starting to realize it.

Everybody knows Fred
didn't want to hire you.

The board forced his
hand. Even you know that.

I didn't know that.
I'm gonna start crying.

He's gonna keep you around
for as long as he needs to,

which is about two years tops.

So, I imagine that if somebody
comes to you with a story

about the complicity of your boss

that nicely places you in a
position of power, you'd say yes.

What you're misunderstanding, Maggie,

is how little I care about
losing this f*cking job.

I'll get another one.

I have to tell you, you're kinda
right. I don't really care for Fred.

But I'm not afraid of him either.

He's just the Wizard of Oz. He's
a weak man hiding behind a curtain.

If he wants to fire me, he'll f*cking
fire me. I don't need this job.

The only reason I'm doing
it is because it's fun.

I'm very, very good at it,

and it's easier to get
laid when you're employed.

[CHUCKLES]

What you don't know is
that when I first started,

Fred gave me the UPLA merger story.

Oh.

That launched my career
as a media reporter.

You have a certain amount of
loyalty for someone like that.

Not undying loyalty.

Just enough that when you're
investigating their mutiny,

you do everything you can

to make sure you have the story
perfectly f*cking straight.

I'm looking forward to talking to him.

Well, good luck with that.

It's humbling to admit
when you were wrong,

but, um, I care about this show...

just too much to let my
bruised ego get in the way.

I mean, that's what led me to
choose Bradley in the first place,

and obviously that has put us in a very

dangerous situation. All of us.

She actually thought you would
agree to an interview with Mitch?

Yes, I know. She did.

And she thinks that Mitch
has something that could

credibly take you down.

Unbelievable. I'm astounded.
I know Mitch is desperate,

- but this is beyond the pale.
- I know, I know.

We should have gotten rid of her

when she spoke about her abortion
on air, just like you said.

And I... I don't know.
I don't know, Fred. I...

I think I kinda... I
think I kinda lost my mind.

I really do. And it's... it's
embarra... I'm embarrassed.

I would've had this
conversation with you at work,

but it's a little bit sensitive.

And I hope it's not weird
that I asked you to come here.

But we're friends, right?

And I just... I want you
to hear me out as a friend.

Exactly. Yes. I'm all ears, friend.

Okay. And I also wanna prepare you
that what I'm about to say to you

could be really, potentially
very dangerous to the well-being

of the news division of
which you are in charge.

[CHUCKLES]

What an opening. Please, go on.

[SIGHS]

Mitch Kessler asked me to
interview him on the show.

Really?

Yeah. And he's a real
charming piece of sh*t.

Uh, but he somehow has managed
to make himself the victim

in the grand scheme of things.

That sounds like boring TV to me.

I agree. But he also
claims to have evidence

that Fred Micklen silenced
women that he slept with.

He wants to topple the king.

And if that is of interest to you,

that is definitely of interest to me.

Maybe you'll perceive this as
convenient. I wouldn't blame you.

There was something about
Mitch that always bothered me.

Hmm.

I would have dinner with him,
play golf, visit the show.

I would... leave his
presence and go home

and be so deeply relieved to see Geneva.

I had this fear that I had somehow,

you know, sullied myself just
by being brought into his orbit.

Now, if I had one regret, it
wasn't following that gut instinct

that something about him was off.

And letting myself believe,

even for a second, you
were part of the problem.

And that's why I was so
angry when you turned on me.

It was partially anger at myself.

[SIGHS]

- Can you tell me what...
- I'm processing.

Okay. Can you do it out loud,
or... You're making me nervous.

After I process.

Okay. All right, well, just
so you have all the facts,

I might've made a big f*cking mistake

and told Alex Levy before I told you.

Oh, no. And that go well?

Um, no, it did not go great.

She is terrified mainly
because she's guilty.

She said, "But everybody
knows there's a boys' club,

and that there's this silencing,
sexist culture. It just exists".

That's what she said.

I'm guessing that didn't
sit very well with you.

No. She doesn't care, Cory,
because it works for her.

She's the only woman in the boys' club

and now she gets to pretend she's
the only survivor of the boys' club.

But it's bullshit. And I just
wanna have the conversation.

And whether you meant to or not,
you gave me the power to have it.

[CHUCKLES]

Wow. Okay.

And I know what this means for you,

and I... know what
I'm asking you. And...

And I really do not enjoy
being the harbinger of doom

for people that I care about.

People that I like in my life.

[ALEX] Well...

We seem to be the only two
people that care about this show.

And I think that we can right this
ship. And I'm really ready to try.

Our viewers deserve to
have some order restored.

I could not agree with you more.

- And that doesn't include Bradley Jackson.
- No.

No. She has got to go.

- Can I ask you something?
- Yeah.

Uh, longevity at The Morning Show,

it might actually get you
something called, like, a nice life.

Have you thought about that
before you blow it all up?

Honestly, Cory, I have.

Well, then, I think I've processed.

And?

Man, you had me at "Fred Micklen".

Okay.

- In an effort to be honest...
- Okay.

there need to be other changes.

Now, you know that we've been
conducting an internal investigation.

Mm-hmm.

Some information has come to light

about a colleague I know you care about,

but there will be consequences.

Who?

Charlie Black.

It has become clear that he
knew about Mitch's behavior,

and he chose to protect Mitch.

I'm sure he thought he was doing

what was right for the show, but still.

Okay.

Chip...

his were sins of omission,
as all of ours were.

Come on, Fred. This guy that
you're describing right now.

That's... That's just...
He's not that guy.

Alex, he was running the show.

We need this.

We need this.

Oh, God. Okay, I'll just...
Let me just, let me just...

Taking all of this in. Hold on.

Now, it's important to me that
you feel safe moving forward.

I want you to meet with my
lead candidate, Marlon Tate.

I want you to feel like it's a
relationship that works for you.

Now, will you do that for me?

[SIGHS]

Yes, I will do that. I'll meet with him.

- Hey. How are you?
- Fine.

I called you last night.

Yeah, I was up watching a
documentary. Research. Got sucked in.

You don't have to lie. I
know you're avoiding me.

I'm not upset, okay?

Look, can we talk about
this somewhere else?

Yeah.

I'm sorry, but there's a
difference between going to HR

- and telling all of our coworkers.
- No, no, I... No, I get it.

And that's okay.

And I'm aware that going to HR wasn't
a comfortable experience for you.

What are you talking about?
No, being interrogated

by a woman named Sheila
about my sex life was delightful.

I highly recommend it if you
never wanna feel horny ever again.

Okay, I wish that hadn't happened.

But, at the end of the
day, we did the right thing.

And declaring ourselves to Sheila and HR

doesn't mean that we have to go on air

and scream it to the masses.

I mean, we can just take our
time and just ease into it.

How exactly? I mean, it feels
like an either-or scenario.

Look, let me take you out to
dinner. Come on. We can celebrate.

Outside the confines of my apartment,

but not where we have to explain
ourselves to our colleagues.

And it'll be a real date.

Wouldn't that be, like, our first date?

I think, technically, yeah, it would be.

Are you the kind of
guy who would judge me

for sleeping with you on the first date?

No, but "Daddy" will.

- Not here.
- I accept.

Okay, go. Go.

Then a short time after that,

Bradley will be given a
very compelling news story

that she'll cover on remote.

And we all know how
Bradley loves a remote.

Then you and I will have
to hold down the home front.

And it will go so well,

we will tell the press that we
are just trying out a new format.

Then she'll spend more time away,

and the audience will
get used to our faces

waking them up every morning,

and then, eventually, an
announcement will be made.

"While Bradley has enjoyed
her tenure at The Morning Show,

she's realized that her true
passion lies in field reporting".

The network saves face. We usher
in a new team: Alex and Daniel.

I'm trusting you with very,
very delicate information,

because I believe... that you and
I would make a great partnership.

- Alex.
- Yes?

I'm incredibly flattered.

You have no idea how much I've
waited to hear these words,

but this is a big change.

So, let's just keep this
between us for right now. Okay?

Hey. Yeah. Yeah, we
gotta call it off at YDA.

I know, but I can smooth
things over with Audra.

There's been a development here.

Look, I may be a fool, but I
gotta go with the devil I know.

Yeah.

- [HEAVY SIGH]
- What are you...

Are you okay?

Yeah. I'm fine.

You don't look fine.

You're all shaky and...

I just had coffee with my
friend Simon Reichl in corporate.

I don't know Simon
Reichl. Is he okay? What...

Simon's sleeping with Fred
Micklen's assistant, James.

You're k*lling me here with
this sh*t, Rena. I don't know

- what the f*ck you're talking about.
- Okay, okay.

Fred had a meeting with
Marlon Tate two days ago,

and now Marlon Tate is having a
meeting with Cory Ellison tomorrow.

Okay.

Is it okay?

Yeah, it's fi... Look, it's
just a f*cking meeting, okay?

They vet people for my
job every year, honestly.

It's a part of the
corporate cycle of abuse.

They think it adrenalizes you,
you know? Think it motivates you.

It's some bullshit they learn in some

f*cking corporate retreat in Aspen.

They're a bunch of f*cking morons.

I got... I got nine lives. Okay?
I've only used, like, seven of them.

I haven't even had my, you know,
stress-induced heart att*ck yet,

and... and... and I'm... I'm...

My time's not up.

Hey, Rena.

Um, you know, whatever
happens, you're gonna be fine.

I'm gonna make sure of it. Okay?

[SIGHS]

[HANNAH] Wow. How long has it been?

[CLAIRE] Nine beautiful, sneaky months.

- [BARTENDER] Here you are, ladies.
- Thank you.

I just wish we could go public
on our own terms. HR's awful.

They managed to make me feel
like both a victim and a criminal.

Well, I understand they need to
be careful in the wake of Mitch.

Yeah. No, I know. I agree. I'm
just saying that Yanko's not Mitch.

But you don't feel comfortable
going public with him?

No. No, but not because he's predatory.

Because he's best known for
his passionate stance on hail.

Look, no one else gets him like
I do. No one would understand.

I feel... embarrassed.

Oh, Jesus. I think I'm
embarrassed about dating him.

Well, great. Then you have
your answer, don't you?

It's not that easy, Hannah. I
love him... a whole f*cking lot.

Except you're embarrassed.

Yeah, because I'm worried
about being judged.

Kinda like how I feel you're
judging me right now. What the f*ck?

Look. I know you think you love
him, but, at the end of the day,

it's a transitory chemical feeling

that's not worth losing
your career over.

Are you serious?

Look.

I saw you guys together
in LA, sneaking around.

I'm the one who reported
you for exactly this reason.

It's hurting you. It will keep
hurting you. It's just not good.

- You reported us?
- I had to.

Well, you didn't think
to ask me about it first?

I did, but I was afraid of you

feeding me some line about love
that would make me feel empathetic.

And it needed to be done.

I have a higher-up position at
work. I have a responsibility.

But we're friends. We're friends, right?

I don't know. Do you have any
idea how human interaction works?

I did this because
we're friends, Claire.

I don't want you to become...

You're so young. You
have so much potential.

People take advantage of that.

There're a lot of men who care
more about their own power

than they do about you.

Okay. How dare you judge
me and my relationship.

And how dare you
f*cking report me to HR.

Listen, feel as self-righteous
and mad as you want. I get it.

But things like this, they
aren't just what they seem.

I'm just saying there are consequences.

And you can't see what
you're doing right now.

I was trying to do you a favor.

I don't care if you hate me. I don't.

I don't hate you.

And I don't know what your experience
was, but it's clearly not mine.

You know what? Thank you.
No, you actually did me a huge,

huge f*cking favor.

You made me realize why I love Yanko.

Because he's probably the
only person in this world

who actually understands me,

who doesn't f*cking judge me.

So, I'm gonna go and have dinner

with my boyfriend right now, who I love,

who'd never blow up
my life behind my back.

Cory, what the f*ck, man? Am
I just a... Am I a joke to you?

You just playing some f*cking mind
games with my fate and my feelings?

Yes. Surprise, dude.
I got feelings, okay?

I got a heart. I got a brain,

and I got some f*cking
lion-sized courage,

and you threw it in the garbage can.

Why? 'Cause of Marlon
"Spits-a-Lot" Tate?

Oh, he's gonna right the ship for you?

Good luck with that one, m*therf*cker.

'Cause that guy is a humorless
piece of f*cking sh*t. Okay?

And he's gonna bore the sh*t out
of you and our entire audience,

so f*ck you, Cory.

I have two words for
you, Chip: Maggie Brener.

Wh... She's a great
journalist. What about her?

You moved a little fast with her.
You didn't think things through.

You stuck your neck out.

If you wanna save your head,

you'll meet me at your
office in two hours.

God, you're so beautiful.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

- Thank you. Oh, cool.
- For you. Yeah.

- You don't look so bad yourself.
- Oh, no, I don't.

Come on. What do you
think? Isn't it romantic?

It's nice.

Nice? I've wanted to
take you here for months.

Do they have burgers? I really
feel like a burger with cheese.

- No, they don't have cheeseburgers.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]

But their charcoal-grilled
filet mignon is pretty exquisite.

That sounds acceptable.

- All right.
- [PEOPLE CHUCKLING]

No, they're just tourists.
Don't worry about it.

Okay, and I know the owner,

and he assured me they
won't let anybody bother us.

- Great.
- Okay. All right, shall we? Okay.

Sorry, I... Oh, God, this
place is f*cking intimate.

Can we just take a
second? My heart is racing.

Yeah, sure. There's no rush.

No, they'll hold our
table. It's fine. You okay?

- Sorry.
- It's okay. Stop apologizing.

- It's all right.
- Okay.

Sorry. Oh, f*ck.

All right, what's going on?

I'm just having a minor heart att*ck.

Okay. Just breathe.

Okay, will you tell me
what's actually happening?

I thought this would be fine.
It would be a good first step.

But it... All of a sudden,
it feels like a lot.

You know what? Let's ditch
this. Let's go get you a burger.

- Yanko.
- No, I know an amazing place uptown.

Okay. The best burger...
[STAMMERS] in the city, okay?

And it's much louder than
this and way less romantic.

It smells like someone spilled
beer all over the floor.

Perfect first date.
Come on. Let's just go.

I want to feel relieved and
excited like you, but I just don't.

Okay, all right, but
we can work through it.

Okay, 'cause everything
you're feeling right now,

I know is gonna go away in time.

Maybe it will, but

the idea of waiting for some
imaginary day in the future,

it's too much. I...

I'm not ready.

I can't live knowing that
our coworkers know about us.

It makes me feel outside of myself.

No one will understand why we're
together, and I have to justify it...

- You're embarrassed of me.
- No.

- You are.
- No, I'm not. I'm not embarrassed of you.

That's not it. I'm just starting out.

I don't want to be
defined by who I'm dating.

But you will always define
yourself, Claire. You know that.

It's a beautiful, optimistic
and very naive statement, Yanko.

But what if we just
said f*ck those people?

I mean, seriously, just f*ck
everybody who doesn't understand us.

It's just you and me. I
mean, that's what matters.

I can't. I can't do that.

You know, I was in this
beautiful dark room with you,

and... I loved every minute of it.

Then the lights came on,

and it's like I don't feel
the same way anymore.

I'm sorry.

I really don't wanna do this. I...

It really hurts, but...

I can't lie to you.

It's okay. I understand.

[YANKO SIGHS]

[EXHALES]

[MITCH] No, Nate, I'm not
worried about my exposure.

I'm worried about this custody thing.

Well, just give her the
f*ckin' house. I don't care.

Yeah, I just want something
in writing that says that

I have access to my boys.

That's it. Bottom
line. That's all I want.

[KNOCKING]

Okay, you know what? I gotta
go. I'll call you later.

Just please make this happen.

[KNOCKING]

Well, hello.

Come on in.

[ALEX EXHALES]

I am gonna guess that you are
not in the mood for some takeout.

A chat? Catch me up on things?

That's not gonna happen.
Bradley's not gonna interview you.

Okay. Well, I haven't
heard that from her. So...

Your credibility's gone.
You have no allies left.

You're not going after
Fred and the network.

It's time for you to go home.

It's time for you to
leave me and my show alone.

Your show?

Well, this isn't really about you, Alex.

- How's that?
- I am fighting for my life.

Your life's gonna be
fine, your career too.

You can... You cannot guarantee that.

Actually, I can.

The world is not ready to hold women
accountable for their complicity.

Even the ones in power.

My complicity?

Oh, God. Really?

Are you really gonna keep pretending

- that you didn't know what was going on?
- Oh, my God.

- Oh, man!
- My God.

Could we just act like f*cking grown-ups

and just level with each other for once?

- Let's just be honest for once.
- Honest about what?

Are you... [CHUCKLES]

You actually gonna look me in the eye

and say that you didn't participate?

Participate how?

Okay, I guess we're still
pretending. Or I'm misremembering it.

You didn't roll your
eyes at these women?

You didn't make jokes at their expense?

You didn't mock their sometimes
desperate behavior when I moved on?

Oh, I may have f*cked 'em,
but you were very cruel.

And words matter.

Look, I'm not coming for you.

At the end of the day, I will
always have your back. I always will.

[SIGHS] But this could be
advantageous to both of us,

if you just remove the emotion from it.

[EXHALES]

Very few men in my situation
have been willing to talk.

People are gonna watch. It
could be an iconic moment.

It could elevate you and
the show. Bradley sees that.

You cannot compartmentalize me.

You can't separate my
pain from what you want.

You need to understand that
what you're trying to do

is breaking my heart.

It's my whole life. My legacy.

You can't ask me to not fight for that.

I can, and I am. I'm asking. I'm asking.

Well...

no.

Well, it's not happening on my show.

Okay. Well...

I can go somewhere else. Any
program would jump at this.

And if that happens, it'll be
hard to keep out of the narrative

the fact that my own home

wasn't willing to take a
deep look at themselves.

And given the opportunity,
they opted for silence.

[GROANS]

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

I'm going to be doing, um, a
lot of press about my divorce,

why it happened so quickly on
the heels of you being exposed.

You see, the truth is...

it wasn't easy sitting next to you.

You were powerful and intimidating.

[SIGHS]

There were times that I've spent
years just trying to forget.

I actually remember
one time in particular.

We were in Chile on a remote,

and, um, oh, you were so
mad about how the show went.

And you accused me of
eating into your segment.

And I felt terrible. I felt horrible.

So, I wanted to make it up to you.

So, we went out for drinks,
and then more drinks.

And I just remember trying
to get back to my hotel room.

And then I woke up in a
bed that wasn't my own.

And I was in your bed.

And I don't... fully
remember how I got there.

You wouldn't dare.

Try me.

This is pathetic, Alex.

I don't care.

Goodbye, Mitch.

There are a lot of moral
lines in this business,

and I'll admit I've crossed
most of them. But this is...

Dramatic? Thrilling?

You wanna turn The Morning Show
into a f*cking nuclear w*apon

and drop it on the
network. This is insane.

Weren't you the one that lured
me all the way to Brooklyn

to have some surreptitious conversation

about how you wanted to
take down Fred Micklen?

Yeah, I didn't want to
use our show as a w*apon.

This is a kamikaze mission.

You're using a lot of
World w*r II metaphors...

Yeah, well, I'm upset.

Okay, I understand, but I'm
not trying to blow up TMS here.

I'm just trying to explore
Mitch's claims about Fred.

On Fred's airwaves?

Yes, but if I do my job correctly,

I think I can avoid
network nuclear holocaust.

Yeah, I mean, "think'',
that's the operative word here.

- You know this is...
- Hey, Chip.

The train is moving, buddy.

It's really only a question
of whether you're on it

or being obliterated by it.

Your replacement is being vetted.

Mitch is in the city,

and he's ready to spew his
truth to whoever will listen.

And if it's not us,

YDA will snatch him up.
They'll overtake us in the ratings

and Audra will win a f*cking
Daytime Emmy, God help us.

And let's not forget about your
dear confidant, Maggie Brener.

Thanks to you, Maggie is smelling
a Pulitzer Prize-winning article

about the many skeletons at UBA.

Which means she's talking
to everybody, including Fred.

So, he knows mutiny is at hand.

Yeah, we have to move fast here.
We have to control what we can.

Bring Mitch to our house
and do it on our terms.

We just need one glorious segment.

Where is that courage, Chip?

[SIGHS]

What about Alex? I... What, we just
gonna do all this behind her back?

I mean, do you feel good about that?

No, I mean, for me, I
mean, it feels awful.

She brought me this opportunity,
for whatever her motives were,

and I should be grateful.

I should be kinder.

But what's that gonna get me?
What's that gonna get any of us?

We have an opportunity here to
do something truly meaningful.

And none of us should be arrogant enough

to think we get all the chances.

We're all collectively
too f*cking old for that.

No. For the record,
I might be arrogant enough

to think I have a lot of chances.

- Uh-huh.
- Listen, I just, I mean, you...

Alex and I, we came up together.
You know, I mean, I'm her guy.

I was her personal producer.
That has to mean something.

You know, maybe I can talk to her,
or try and convince her. I just...

Okay, but just so you
have all the facts,

I'm not the only one who has a
meeting on the books with Marlon Tate.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

[PHONE VIBRATING]

- Yeah?
- Hey, kiddo. Our timeline has moved up.

And I don't want to pressure you,

but I'm gonna need you
to go on the record

and back me up.

Sooner rather than later.

Meet me outside your apartment.

Text me your address.

Hey.

Thank you so much for
coming. Appreciate it.

This feels a little
like Deep Throat though.

You wanna come in? It's warm.
I got a bar full of booze.

If you need me to corroborate the story,

fine, I'll do it, as long
as my name isn't on it.

But I don't remember
things the way you do.

Okay. Well, just come
on in. Have a drink.

We could talk it through.

Make sure that you're
happy with the statement.

But what you want me to say,
that's not what it was for me.

Not what what was for you?

I didn't use you for a promotion.

You used me.

I thought you really believed in me.

That-That you were mentoring
me. I-I looked up to you.

Okay, okay. Okay, I see.

[CLEARS THROAT] Are you drunk?

I'm fine.

Okay. I'm...

I'm sorry if I hurt your
feelings, Hannah. I really am.

And I'm sorry that you feel

that I didn't value getting
to know you in that way.

No, no. That's not what I'm...

I tried to leave.

Oh... Don't.

- I was young and ambitious,
- No, no, no, no, no.

and I admired you as a
journalist, as a boss.

And then suddenly one day you decided
to start paying attention to me,

which made me feel like maybe
I was really good at my job.

I... I didn't go to your
room because I wanted...

That didn't even cross
my mind as a possibility.

But once we were there I...

It happened so fast, I-I froze.

Did you freeze or did you try
to leave? Which one was that?

- I didn't know...
- No, no, no, no, no!

You can't blame me for things
that you regret in your past.

You're a strong woman.
You are empowered.

When Mitch Kessler decides
he's having sex with you,

- you feel pretty f*cking powerless.
- Jesus Christ! Stop it, stop!

All right, you know what? If
you don't want to help me, fine.

I'm a big boy, I can handle it.

But don't act like a f*cking victim

because it's advantageous
in this exact second!

That tactic seems to be spreadin'
like f*cking wildfire tonight!

I'm not looking for anything.
I don't want anything.

No, you just want me to
feel like a piece of sh*t.

No, I just want you to understand
how it might have felt for me.

We were getting to know each other,

Hannah. I didn't lure you up there.

I didn't coerce you. I didn't trick you.

We went up there, and
it f*ckin' happened.

You're an adult. You
could have said something.

Hey, you're a smart woman, aren't you?

From what I can tell you're...
you're pretty intelligent.

And a smart woman knows what
it means when the lead anchor,

who makes f*ckin'
million dollars a year,

is hanging out with
the assistant booker.

A smart woman doesn't think,

''Oh, he's invited me
up to his hotel room

because he wants a new best friend".

You're a booker.

You charm people into being on the show.

You seduce them.

You know what? You can't be
mad because you got seduced.

I don't know why I came here.

You know what? I'll-I'll
corroborate your story.

I... I just wanna remain anonymous.

And I want you to leave me alone.

Yeah, I'm fine with that.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

[VIBRATING CONTINUES]

[SIGHS]

Hey, Chip. What's up?

Uh, how's it going?

Um...

I was...

I was just calling to, uh, check in.

And, you know, when
we talked earlier, um,

it seemed like something was
weighing on you a little bit,

so, you know.

Maybe it's a producer's sixth sense
or I don't know, might be bullshit.

But, um... are you good?

Are we good?

Yes, we're good. We're...

Yes. I was...

Just been... I was in a
weird mood this morning.

I didn't sleep well at all.

All right, yeah. If
that's all it is, yeah.

Yeah, no, no, that's all it is.

Are we good?

Come on, Alex. You
know we're always good.

Okay, good night.

Good night.

[SIGHS]