01x01 - In the Dark Night of the Soul It's Always 3:30 in the Morning

[bunniefuu]

[VIBRATING]

Oh, God. Fred, what happened?

So, that's it?

Motherfuck, we're destroyed. [PANTING]

No, I'll tell him.

[VIBRATING]

[VIBRATING]

[VIBRATING]

[SIGHS]

Someone better be dead, buddy.

- [BEEPING]
- [GROANS]

Mm-mmm.

[YAWNS]

[SIGHS]

[PHONE VIBRATING]

[VOCALIZING]

sh*t.

[SIGHS]

[MAN ] Following that, you'll
interview Gerard Thompson,

Art Department at Vanderbilt, to discuss

a recently resurfaced Van Gogh.

[MAN ] I'm scheduling an hour to
go over your speech for Friday night.

I think it's gonna run over though.

I'm gonna push your
drinks with Jane Fonda.

[MAN ] Next up, you'll interview

the senator to discuss
her book on policy-making

and why it's broken.

[MAN ] You need to do your final
fitting for your gown for Friday.

They're gonna bring
it to the studio today.

[MAN ] And if you ever want
the senator on the show again...

[MAN ] You have a parent-teacher
night at Lizzy's school next week.

[MAN ] Chip's trying to get
ahold of you. Something urgent.

[MAN FAINT, INDISTINCT]

Oh, my God.

Who d*ed?

["AMERICAN PIE" PLAYS ON RADIO]

Oh, my God. Jesus,
would you turn this off?

[MUSIC STOPS]

He's been singing about the same
f*cking plane crash the past years.

Everybody's still dead. Time to move on.

- Am I right, Joe?
- Yep.

Hey, watch the bumps.
I'm doing my eyeliner.

I'm...

And, Alan, what is this
anyway? What is this bullshit?

What exactly is bullshit
this time? What is it?

This stupid idea that
we're gonna convince

the world's coal-fired power plants

to invest in carbon
capture without linkage.

Oh, my God, Jesus. Can we please
not have this linkage debate again?

- What?
- It's not about linkage.

This is about a protest
and how the town is divided.

- That's what this is about.
- Yes, I know.

Who went through all the burgers?

- No.
- Here, Joe. Have my french fries.

- Thank you.
- They're cold, but don't complain.

How many burgers did you eat, Joe?

By the way, okay, so we're gonna
talk about how the town's divided.

But we're also gonna slip in
how safe carbon capture is.

Mm-hmm.

What? You put it in the copy.

This is not my agenda, Bradley, okay?

I'm just a liberal Harvard longhair
who cut his hair short for this job.

This is a stepping-stone
for me. I play by the rules.

The truth is the truth, whether you're
writing for The Bumfuck Gazette

- or The New York Times.
- sh*t.

- I hope we made the right turn.
- By the way,

that was an award-worthy shoehorning

of the word "Harvard"
into the conversation.

[ALAN] Okay, you guys, can we please...

I swear, Joe. Everybody who's ever been

to Harvard can make an
entire conversation

out of the word "Harvard," like,
"Harvard, Harvard, Harvard?"

- Harvard, Harvard, Harvard.
- [LAUGHS]

Are we gonna keep doing this?
How long is this gonna go on for?

Holy sh*t. Mitch Kessler just got
fired off The Morning Show.

- What?
- Wait, what? What the hell happened?

[JOE] Let me see.

One less idiot to peddle
soft news to the masses.

[WOMAN] Prior to being named
coanchor of The Morning Show,

the fallen Kessler was a
fixture of UBA's news division,

serving as UBA's White
House correspondent,

a presidential debate moderator
and network field correspondent.

The recipient of multiple
broadcast awards,

including a Leadership in Journalism

award from the New York Media Foundation

he and the TMS team have won
Daytime Emmys in their -year tenure.

Late last night, The New York
Times was reportedly tipped off

to an internal investigation by UBA
into Kessler's sexual misconduct.

Up until today, The Morning Show
was the only morning news broadcast

to dodge the Me Too scandals that have

seemingly plagued its competitors.

- When?
- Just broke. Does she know yet?

She knows. We're reworking the whole
show. We are live in minutes.

Buckle up. Layla's working on
new copy. Get it to Alex A.S.A.P.

Got it.

We had no choice. It was multiple
complaints of sexual misconduct.

How multiple? Who? When?

I don't know. It's confidential. It
leaked to the Times overnight.

How?

I have no clue who leaked
it. I f*cking wish I knew.

I'm trying to deal with this quietly.

sh*t. Okay.

HR has been looking into it for
a few weeks. I didn't want...

I didn't wanna drag you in.

I was trying to protect you,
Alex, okay? Before you...

[DOOR CLOSES]

You knew about this,
and you didn't tell me?

What am I? Some f*cking PA from Idaho

who doesn't need to
know what's going on?

Alex, I was trying to
respect your space...

- My space.
- ...like you asked me to,

so that you can go out there
every morning and do what you do,

what America needs you to do.

Oh, f*ck you, Chip. f*ck you.
Don't drag America into this.

They've got enough sh*t to deal with.

This affects me, okay? My
on-air partner, my TV husband...

[SIGHS]

is a sexual predator now?

What part of you thought
that I should not

have been involved in this conversation?

You think chemistry
just comes in a bottle,

and we go out and we buy
another one at Whole Foods?

Charlie Black's office.
Please hold one moment.

Charlie Black's office.
Please hold one moment.

Rena. Where is he?

We need to discuss how
we're handling the show today.

He's in there with her. And
he said no interruptions.

Rena, we're live in less
than two hours, for Chrissake.

Charlie Black's office. Please hol...

Oh. Hi. Let me see if I can get him.

- Really? Wow.
- Really.

- Excuse me.
- Wow.

- [ALEX] My ass. You know that.
- [CHIP] True. But...

- [ALEX] What?
- It's the network... Cory and Fred.

- Fabulous. Put 'em through.
- Yeah.

- [PHONE RINGS]
- I got it.

- Hi, it's Alex.
- And Chip.

- Alex? Alex, it's Cory here.
- And Fred.

I am just incredibly sorry about
this. I feel absolutely terrible.

I feel like Mitch d*ed.
The Mitch that I knew.

And I've only been running
the news division for a month,

so I can't imagine what
you must be feeling.

[FRED] My condolences, Alex.

This is so hard for all of us.

Look, we're all a family here, and
we've had a tragedy. So, we're...

[FRED] Any kind of sexual misconduct

will not be tolerated by the network.

- [CORY] Well, absolutely not.
- [FRED] You think you know someone...

Okay, thank you, Fred and Cory.

But I can't really think about that
right now because I've got to focus

on what we're putting on the
show in less than two hours.

- More caffeine.
- Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

That's exactly why you're
the pro that you are.

We just have to take this
one step at a time, right?

Can't let the fact that
there's hundreds of millions

of advertising dollars at stake
here... We're not gonna let that...

- f*ck you.
- ...bother us, because change can be good.

And one man's tragedy, it can
be another man's opportunity.

So let's, f*ck yeah, embrace it.

And use this to reinvent ourselves,

make things bigger and better. Well...

Thank God we've got you, Alex.
You will carry us through this.

I guess that's why they've been dragging

their feet on closing my renegotiations.

Yeah. Hey, guys.

So listen,

my gut instinct is to bring the
news to America myself honestly.

Addressing the truth is the only
way to protect our integrity.

So, we will talk to them
as members of our family.

We will grieve with them. We
will go through this together.

She's a class act. All the way.

Shut up.

And if we use this right, this is
our chance to get our audience back.

I couldn't agree more, Alex. I think
you've got the right idea there.

[ALEX] Pull the family together.

And we'll get a surge in our
ratings for a few days. And...

I was gonna say that.

May sweeps are imminent,
let's not forget.

And yes, yes. We can discuss

who we're gonna be
putting in Mitch's chair...

today.

But I am addressing
America up top on my own.

- Like we have a choice.
- [PUSHES BUTTON]

[ALEX] I don't want anyone
sitting in Mitch's chair.

Not during this. That's mine.

[SIGHS]

I can't feel anything.

Don't worry. I'll be with you.

You'll get out there, and you'll feel it.

You'll find it, like you always do.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

[VIBRATING CONTINUES]

[CLICK]

[EXHALES]

[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC FADES OUT]

- Bradley.
- What?

I'm telling you something.
It's for your own good.

What?

You're awful.

Blow me, Alan. Just because I push back?

You don't push back. You
incinerate. Everyone says it.

You fight everyone on everything.

Well, there's a lot of sloppy work
done around here, mainly by you.

You know that anchor
opening on the late hour?

They're giving it to Sarah.

Sarah?

The world's only conservative lesbian
who weirdly looks like Mary Hart

and has also been at the
channel three years less than me?

People like her. It's
not a crime, you know?

Gotcha.

Hey, just do yourself a favor. Try
to be more agreeable, for Chrissake!

I am f*cking agreeable!

Coal creates jobs! Coal creates jobs!

Coal creates jobs! Coal creates jobs!

Coal creates jobs! Coal creates jobs!

No more coal! No more coal!

- ...is what used to be...
- No more coal! No more coal!

- No more coal! No more coal!
- [PHONE VIBRATING]

No more coal! No more
coal! No more coal!

Hey, I gotta take this. I got
something going on at home.

- No more coal! No more coal!
- Mom, hold on.

Hey, honey. You sound like
you don't want to talk.

Hold on, Mom. I'm doing my job at a
protest right now. What's going on?

A protest? Is everything safe?

I'm at a coal mine. No,
I'm safe. Is Hal okay?

He's doing just fine.

Mom, speak up. I can't hear you.

You sound really busy.

I just wanna let you know
I brought your brother home.

You did not.

Don't take that tone. You
sound like a bitch, honey.

- I'll talk to you later.
- No more coal! No more coal!

- Joe! Jesus. f*ck.
- No more coal! No more coal!

Joe. Hey.

- Over here.
- Okay. God.

- Yeah. Sorry about that.
- Okay, Bradley, this is Jenna Macantire,

- she's protesting mines.
- Hey.

This is Bob Stephens. His family's been

in the mining business for generations.

All right. I got it.

I'm gonna need a wide sh*t, okay?

And then we'll go on three and two, one.

[GRUNTING]

- Hey! You okay, Joe?
- [JOE] Yeah.

Hey. What are you doing?

Let go of me, fake news bitch!

- What?
- Get off of me.

What did you f*cking call me?

Called you a fake news
bitch is what I called you.

Oh, yeah? I'm fake news?
What's the real news then?

You tell me five facts about
coal, and I'll let you go.

I don't have to tell you sh*t, lady.

You knocked down my cameraman.

Otherwise I'm gonna have
you arrested for as*ault.

I bet you don't know
jack sh*t about coal.

You're just out here
trying to raise some hell.

Go! Tell me!

Coal is a cheap fuel.

[IMITATES BUZZER] Wrong! What else?

I don't know. It's
easy to get for people.

Wrong! What else?

It makes jobs for
everybody. Everyone's happy.

Yeah, so does death, okay?
You think that's a good idea?

- No, I don't...
- If it's so positive,

why do you think all these
people are out here protesting?

I don't know. Because they
think it's dangerous or...

Do you think it's dangerous?

Do you even know what's in coal ash?

Arsenic, copper, lead, mercury, uranium.

That is some toxic sh*t.
And what about jobs?

How many jobs have been
lost in the last ten years?

- I don't know.
- Huh?

Thousands! Thousands of f*cking
families knocked on their asses.

And it's just a big
wheel that goes around.

Liberals add sanctions.
Conservatives remove those sanctions.

And they just keep fighting 'cause all

they wanna do is hear themselves talk.

And they all want to be
right. And they all wanna win.

And that's all they f*cking care
about. And there's a human cost!

And it's exhausting!

I'm exhausted!

- Okay. Okay. Okay, Jesus.
- [PANTING]

Get off me.

[PANTING]

Don't knock over old men.

I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Okay.

- Okay, let's take it away.
- I'm ready. I'm ready.

Okay, are y'all ready?

In three, two, one.

Hi. I'm Bradley Jackson at Lachlan
Coal Mine, reporting to you today.

This coal mine is reopening
after closing four years ago

due to declining coal demands
and rising regulatory threats,

costing this area thousands of jobs.

It's time.

[ALEX] I'm ready.

[EXHALES]

[SIGHS]

I revised the copy myself.

I gave my copy. I know what I'm saying.

[SIGHS] Yeah.

- Mm.
- Okay. Last looks.

Thanks. [CLEARS THROAT]

Okay. There. Thanks.

- Okay, clear.
- [ASSISTANT] Check the time.

[DIRECTOR] Stand by, A.

Roll A. Eight seconds to you.

Five...

[WOMAN] Four, three.

- [THEME SONG PLAYS]
- [DIRECTOR] Two. Start your move.

Cue her.

Good morning. I'm bringing you
some sad and upsetting news.

Mitch Kessler, my cohost
and partner of years,

was fired today for sexual misconduct.

All right. Stay strong.

First and foremost, I want to offer

our sympathy and support to the women.

We are devastated that
this happened on our watch,

and our hearts are with you.

And to you at home, I understand
how you must be feeling

because I and the whole team here at

The Morning Show are
feeling the same way.

Shock, disappointment, disbelief.

She's throwing me under the bus.

And while I don't know the
details of the allegations,

I understand that they were serious

and that keeping Mitch
on was not an option.

I don't think we need to watch any
more of this. Let's prep you for your...

Do not touch that remote.

[ALEX] We know he was part of
our family, of your families.

We will all miss that person.

But there are consequences in life.

As a woman, I can say there
often aren't enough of them.

And while I will miss the Mitch I
thought I knew with all of my heart...

I am proud to work on a network

and live in a country
that upholds consequences.

What a load.

So, please have patience with us

as we find our footing
in the next few days.

[CORY] She's on fire today.

We will bring you the news, as always.

Too bad we can't always
throw a crisis at her.

- It turns her lights on.
- We will share any information

we have with you.

You are part of this family. And
we will get through this together.

We'll be right back.

[DIRECTOR] We're back in .

It's good. Good.

That was beautiful.

[WOMAN] Roll A. Back in two minutes.

- [MAN] Drop down to %. Hold.
- [SIGHS]

- [MAN] Yeah, that's perfect.
- [CLEARS THROAT]

- Here are some tissues.
- No, I don't need it.

- I'm good.
- Okay.

[CLEARS THROAT]

[CHATTERING]

[SIGHS]

- [CHATTERING]
- [PHONE CHIMES]

I bet you don't know
jack sh*t about coal.

You're just out here trying to
raise some hell. Go ahead. Tell me.

- [MAN] I don't know, coal...
- [BRADLEY] What?

- [MAN] Coal is a cheap fuel.
- sh*t.

Bradley Jackson. Stop
your ass right there.

Why the hell am I hearing that
you hired Sarah Oppenheimer

for the anchor job on America On Point?

Don't even. You know what
everybody's talking about here today?

Two things. Mitch Kessler is fired

and Bradley Jackson lost
her sh*t at the protest.

Climb off me, Jones. How was I
supposed to know people were filming me?

What? Like it's not the st century?

I was talking to him about the truth.

You remember the truth? Journalism?

We're newspeople, Jones.
Listen to yourself.

I gave you a sh*t.

I know you did.

When nobody else would.

You've been bouncing around
for years, and we both know why.

- I don't wanna talk about that.
- "Two-Fucks Jackson."

I was very young. I got flustered.
And that was ten years ago.

You get too hot too fast, Bradley.

I accidentally said "f*ck." Okay?
And then I got mad at myself and...

Said "f*ck" again, on live TV.

[SIGHS]

I remember.

And there goes the
ballad of Bradley Jackson.

You know what? Find some other puppet.

Find some other person that you can
put slanted copy in front of them,

that'll go to the coal mine
protests, your school sh**t,

the pregnant lady that
got hit by a truck.

Find somebody else
to be invisible for you,

to deal with the world's heartaches

and not have any f*cking
feelings about it!

I quit!

Research shows that sexual harassment

in the early stages of one's career

can lead to long-term
psychological damage.

And specifically, what type of
behavior or... or, uh, uh, harassment

would cause that kind
of long-term damage?

[DIRECTOR] Stand by camera three.

Jesus, Yanko. Could he be more
uncomfortable talking about this?

[SIGHS] Don't let Yanko talk.

As you said, Dr. Marino,

this affects so many of us.
What would you say...

You knocked down my cameraman.

Otherwise I'm gonna have
you arrested for as*ault.

I bet you don't know
jack sh*t about coal.

You're just out here trying to
raise some hell. Go ahead. Tell me.

- I don't know...
- What?

Coal is a cheap fuel.

[IMITATES BUZZER] Wrong! What else?

Hannah.

Wrong! What else?

You said you were looking for
stories about strong women tomorrow.

Check this out.

[BRADLEY] If it's so f*cking great,

why are these people are
out here protesting?

- I don't know. They think it's dangerous.
- Do you even know what's in coal ash?

- Who is this?
- Let me help you out.

Bradley Jackson, some conservative
correspondent for SENN.

She's f*cking funny, but
also resonates some truth.

And the weary voice
of America speaks out.

It's like a little
piece of performance art.

[BRADLEY] Thousands. Thousands
of jobs have been lost.

They can't do this to me. It's illegal.

They can't just take my
life away based on hearsay.

They have documented complaints, Mitch.

We have to deal with the reality...

Documented complaints about what?

That I had affairs? Since
when is that a crime?

No, no, no, no. No. I'm... I'm
not proud of it, but what the f*ck?

I didn't invent extracurricular sex.

What is happening here?

The network that I gave years of
my life plus is now locking me out.

Throwing me to the wolves.

They won't even engage
in a discussion with me?

Listen, take it easy.
Don't get all worked up...

"Don't get all worked
up"? Are you kidding me?

My life just ended for no good
reason, and I should stay calm?

You know what? I didn't r*pe anybody!

I didn't fire anybody. I didn't jizz
into a plant in front of somebody.

You know what I did? I f*cked
a couple of PA's and assistants.

Big f*ckin' deal. They liked
it. I mean, who are we kidding?

Everything's changed, but they
forgot to send me the memo.

Since the dawn of time, men have
used their power to attract women.

And now let's bust Mitch
Kessler's head over it.

Mitch, let me make you a drink.

I didn't hold a g*n to anybody's
head. It was consensual.

Most of them came on to me.

One of them actually told me that
I taught her how to have good sex!

And now, that stupid, comedy
weather f*ck is in my seat.

No f*cking way!

Come on. f*ck you! f*ck you!

God.

You little m*therf*cker!

God damn it!

[GRUNTING, SCREAMING]

[GRUNTING]

[GRUNTS]

- [CLATTERS ON FLOOR]
- [PANTING]

Okay.

We're gonna fight this. [PANTING]

We're gonna come up with a plan,
and we're gonna fight this. [SIGHS]

- [FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
- Okay. Okay.

[CLEARS THROAT]

I'm picking up the kids from school
and taking them to the Hamptons.

I'm divorcing you.

I haven't liked you for a while anyway.

Goodbye.

Come on, Paige.

[SIGHS] f*ck!

[KNOCKING]

- Who is it?
- [CHIP] It's me.

You did great. Yanko was a lot of
work. It was a bad call from Cory.

You think?

We better have our sh*t together

when the network
jerk-offs get here today.

And I don't want that new guy
from the entertainment division

making the call about who
sits in that chair next to me.

Because I have to carry their ass!

The guy's a f*cking moron.

They should never have made him
the head of the news division.

[SIGHS]

And I wanna know every idea of
who they're going after for that chair.

We're precarious enough in the ratings.

Okay. I understand.

Well, you better, 'cause
this is all your fault.

You are the EP. The show
is slipping on your watch.

And now that sh*t.

You know I don't
control everything, Alex.

Well, you're supposed
to. That's your job.

[REPORTERS SHOUTING]

All right, hot soup coming
through. Hot soup coming through.

[ALL SHOUTING]

I just wanna say this.

As long as I am the president
of the UBA news division,

behavior such as that exhibited by
Mitch Kessler will not be tolerated.

Out of respect for
those who have suffered,

I'll be making no further
comment at this time.

Let's get PR back on the phone.

I need to know how
our response is landing.

I need writers and producers,
just all senior staff in my office

with ideas for how the f*ck we're
gonna get through these next two days.

The bosses are saying...

Jesus, Joel. Pick a side.

I'm on your side.

Of the f*cking hallway. Jesus.

Okay. They're saying they want this week

to land somewhere between repudiation

and navel-gazing,
whatever the f*ck that means.

I have no idea what they're...

I'll be back A.S.A.P. Can
you survive without me?

Yes. Text me as soon as you know.

- Where was I?
- Repudiation and navel-gazing.

Data and Research. What the f*ck?

Why aren't they calling us back? Okay.

We need that huddle.
We need it right now.

And lastly, just get the entire
talent team up here, okay?

We need to start preparing
our long-term strategy.

You're getting all this, right?

Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't listening.

Oh, you know what? That is
not funny. f*ck you and f...

Cory. Uh, hey.

Is, uh, now a good time?

I wasn't expecting
you till... Yes. Yeah.

Well, you know. When the
Exxon Valdez hits the reef

and spills ten million gallons
of your oil into the water,

you kinda drop whatever
you're doing and fly to Alaska.

Of course you do. Yeah.

And if I might exhaust the metaphor,

you don't leave until you make sure

that every last salmon and
sea otter is scraped clean.

So, we're gonna clean some
f*ckin' sea otters, Chip, right?

And we're not gonna like it,
and neither are the otters.

But I'm gonna be with you, side
by side, until we get it all done.

No matter how long or
how much soap it takes.

- Well, I'm excited.
- [CHUCKLES] Makes two of us. Let's go.

Miles to go before we sleep.

I've already called marketing, and
they're on their way down right now.

[WOMAN] We know you already discussed
this with the network PR team,

but they're worried about the network.

- [ALEX SIGHS]
- We wanna focus on you.

How will America see Alex Levy
deal with the fall of Mitch Kessler?

Oh, God.

People are gonna wanna know
what you did or did not know.

Okay, we're gonna work on your
follow-up statement in a minute.

Your first one was a little
too sympathetic towards Mitch.

- I'm so...
- I know you were close,

- but you need to be careful.
- Excuse me.

Excuse me.

All I said was that I will miss the
person that I sat side by side with.

That's just the truth.

I expressed sympathy for the women,

abhorrence for the predatory behavior.

I am a journalist. You don't
have to spoon-feed me this sh*t.

This isn't just about protection.

It's about opportunity. You know that.

Yes, I know that.

We're in the middle of a tough
renegotiation. This can be good for us.

I know, I know. I know that, okay. Okay.

So, we're gonna hand
out the decks we made,

and we will walk through
the five-tier response

we are going to accomplish
over the next few days.

In particular at the
big event in two nights.

This is the worst timing ever.

Alex.

Please excuse me.

- [CHATTERING]
- [ALEX SIGHS]

Oh.

Hi.

Oh.

I'm so happy to see this face.

Oh, my God. What an
awesome surprise. Hi, honey.

Oh, you didn't have to leave
school to come and see me.

Oh, actually, my class came into
town for the day to see a play.

Oh, that's okay.

But, Mom, I'm so sorry.

I can't believe it. I mean, maybe
I just don't want to, but, like...

- I know.
- I've known him since I was conscious.

I know. It's awful...

- Yeah.
- ...and I'm so sorry.

Oh, God. Honey, can't you skip
the play and just stay home with me

and we can cuddle and we can make snacks

and watch The British Cooking Show?

Oh, just... anything
to make me feel happy.

[MAN] Hey.

- Oh, hi.
- Hey.

- Hi, Dad.
- Hey, honey. How are you?

This big news, I'm... I'm really sorry.

I was texting you all day.

I know. I'm sorry. It's just
the worst day of my entire life.

So exhausted, and I still
have these people in there.

Al, Al. Why don't I just...
I can stay. I could...

I mean, I was gonna take

Lizzy and her friends for
dinner before the show, but...

No. No, no, no. You guys go.
I mean, I'm here all night,

and then I have to go to bed,

get up at : again and again.

It's good. Go, live your
lives. Looks good, you know?

Okay. But text me before you go to bed.

- I will.
- And I'll be back on Friday for the event.

Yes. Ugh!

Yeah? It's all right.
We're gonna get through it.

- Yes.
- I love you.

[ALEX] I love you so much.

- Good night.
- Good night. Have fun.

Good night.

[SIGHS]

- Hey.
- Yeah. No, I can't.

Okay.

Go, Jase.

Bye, Al.

Thanks.

[EXHALES]

[GRUNTS, SNIFFLES]

[SOBS]

[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

Hey, honey. What a nice
surprise. Just in time for dinner.

- [SWITCH CLICKS]
- [MUSIC STOPS]

Mom, Hal is an addict. He is
bipolar, and he's an addict.

Jesus, Bradley. Have to be
so dramatic about everything?

Just come sit down. We're having
dinner. Hal, turn the music back on.

Hal.

You gotta listen to me this time, Mom.

Are you just upset about that viral
video of you yelling at that boy?

I don't care about the
video. And he wasn't a boy.

Do not derail the conversation.
Hal is an addict, and he needs help.

He's not an addict. He just
went through a rough spot.

Mom, he is an addict.

Hey, look, I'm... I am an addict, Mom.

- I liked your video.
- Thank you.

But he's better now.

He wasn't even there for two weeks.

You just had him come home
'cause you didn't wanna be alone.

- That is not true.
- It's a little true, Mom.

Do you know the mountains I had
to move to get him into that place?

Not to mention the
amount of money I spent.

- Can we just please have a...
- Hey, Brad, Brad.

I'm gonna pay you back.

- I'll pay you back.
- I don't need you to pay me back.

I need you to be better.
I need you to be safe.

Do you have any idea how many
decisions I have made in my life

- just because I had to take care of you?
- [MOM] Bradley, stop it.

How many relationships I've
lost? How many jobs I've lost?

- I'm sorry...
- You are ruining dinner!

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Jesus.

I'll get it.

Just... every time.

- Yeah?
- Bradley Jackson. I've found you.

What?

Can I help you?

Hannah Shoenfeld. Head booker
for The Morning Show.

You know you have over a
million views on your video?

What can I do for you?

We wanna interview you about
why the video is going viral.

It's clearly touched a nerve.
We'd like to book you for tomorrow.

I've got us on a plane minutes
from now. We should get going.

Wait. The Morning Show?

The one with Alex Levy and Mitch
Ke... That show with Alex Levy?

The Morning Show?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Alex will interview you.

What? Just because I
lost my sh*t at a protest?

Your words spoke to America.

Oh, no. I don't...

Bradley, some piece of you that is

really you came through in that video.

People are noticing. They want more.

How the hell did you find me
out here at my mom's house?

We're The Morning
Show. We can do anything.

[MAN] I do everything right.

Everything they've asked me
to do in the last three years.

They just don't know what to do with me.

And they're making us see this popcorn sh*t?

f*cking Gilmore Girls, The Musical?

- Is the world so bereft of new ideas...
- Don't act like you didn't know

what The Twist was gonna
be. I was in that meeting too.

- You didn't have a g*n to your head.
- Why did I get a Master's in Journalism?

What's the point of having
a PhD in Political Science?

Is this what Gabe comes
home to every night?

Why did they hire me if they're not
gonna give me a sh*t at the chair?

- Jesus. My feed is wall-to-wall Mitch.
- God forbid there's a serious black anchor

on The Morning Show.

Not for the Norman Rockwell
family of morning news.

Tokenism at its finest.

You are closer now to the job

- than you were hours ago.
- They're making me jump through hoops

watching the f*cking Gilmore Girls

sing about how tough
upper-middle class life

in Connecticut is while a bunch of
idiot white dudes eat expensive food

on the network's dime to
discuss how to overlook me.

Yeah.

And what the hell kinda
name is Lorelai anyway?

So this is sort of
getting you up to speed.

Now, obviously, the
hunt for a replacement

for Alex is on the back
burner, given the circumstances.

Other fish to imminently fry.

Exactly. But I wanted you to
have the lay of the land here

- just so you know where we're at.
- Thank you.

Who knows, maybe this whole
thing will revitalize Alex.

- I mean, today... pretty f*cking great.
- Yeah.

When she does that, you know, she,

like, reaches her arm down that camera

and, like, connects with America,
and that's when she's brilliant.

Agreed. It's just that she's been
"brilliant-light" the last five years.

And it's shown in the
ratings. And I don't know, man.

Maybe she's bored or
complacent with success.

Who cares, really. And now, two of them.

We get to find the new marriage
for America to fall in love with.

- It's kind of exciting.
- Glad you're excited.

We have to get well ahead of YDA.

We can't stand a blow
to the news division.

Broadcast networks can't stand a
blow to anything right now. [CHUCKLES]

- Yeah.
- It's kinda funny

how the entire world of broadcast

could just fall off a
cliff in a few years.

Like, boom. Bang. Lights out.

Unless we reinvent it.

We're all gonna get bought out
by tech unless something changes.

I don't know.

Tech or not,

there will always be a need for
reliable, quality journalism.

People get their horrible news

delivered to the palm of their hand / ,

and they get it the way that they
like it, colored the way they want it.

And news is awful,

but humanity is addicted to it, and
the whole world is depressed by it.

That's why what we really
need on television right now,

it's not news or f*cking journalism.

It's entertainment. This is
just like during the Depression,

when people wanted to watch Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance

on expensive sets and
live in a dream world.

Dream worlds are essential.

Depressed people, they
need escape, you know?

How long do you think the
network rode the sexual chemistry

between Alex and Mitch?

I mean, sure, people wanted
them to be Mom and Dad,

but people also like to be titillated,

and there is some unspoken
sexual fantasy to cohosts, right?

I get it. I get it.

Alex is like Mitch's widow now.

She can't provide that, and I know
you love her and she is your gal,

but, you know, nobody wants
to watch a widow get f*cked.

[LAUGHS] Yeah. Um...

Yeah, it's a cold world.

- Well, it's just the world it is.
- Mm.

[CLICKS TONGUE]

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Good.

Okay.

Thanks.

Oh, my God.

[MALE ANCHOR] Kessler and
his partner, Alex Levy,

had cohosted the show for years.

The two were such a
celebrated institution

that journalists nationwide
are left clueless

as to who could replace
the dad of morning TV.

[SIGHS]

["YOUNG AT HEART" PLAYING]

f*ck you, New York.

[SIGHS]

Come on.

[NO AUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

[CLATTERS ON NIGHTSTAND]

Ohh.

[NO AUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

[SIGHS]

Can you please bring the car around?

[MAN] Yes, ma'am.

I'm gonna go in early.

- [SONG FADES OUT]
- [CHATTERING]

[SOBS]

[SNIFFLING]

[EXHALES]

Oh. [PANTING]

[SIGHS]

[SNIFFLES, WHIMPERS]

[SIGHS, SOBS]

[SIGHS, SOBS]

[SOBBING]

Oh, God.

[SNIFFLES] Oh. [PANTING]

[WOMAN] So, it's great to have you here.

Oh, and, by the way, I'm Mia Jordan,
I'm gonna be your segment producer.

Bradley. Nice to meet you.

Oh, you want a... You
hungry? Did you eat?

No. I'm okay.

I look forward to you whispering
in my ear to stop f*cking up.

[LAUGHS]

You're a pro. I have no worries.

Uh, by the way, have you been to
The Morning Show studio before?

No, but I've been in the
business about years, so...

- Oh, wow.
- It's kinda familiar.

- Anna, this is Bradley. Bradley, Anna.
- Hi there. Nice to meet you.

You know, all studios
are pretty much the same.

Huge adrenaline, incredible intelligence,

desperate ambition, huge egos.

[BRADLEY] ...round and around,
'cause all they wanna do is hear...

Guys, please, stop it. Give
me a second, please, guys.

I just wanna watch this.

And there's a human cost! And
it's exhausting! I'm exhausted!

Yeah. Uh, there is no way that she
did not know she was being filmed.

- It's really hard to say.
- Is it?

It doesn't matter. That's not the story.

Two million likes and
counting. That's the story.

Real or not, it struck a nerve.
People wanna believe it's true.

Yeah. Well, people are idiots.

Am I right? That's all we've
been proving lately.

Okay, Alex, I know this has
all been very hard for you.

What is that supposed to
mean? What? Do I look tired?

No. No. You look great. I'm
just saying you don't have to...

- Do I look tired?
- No. Promise.

No, you don't look tired.
Just get through today.

Just do a pleasant little interview
that will make America happy, okay?

I'm worried about you. Just
get through these next few days.

[PATS LEG]

Can I have my celery juice, please?

Of course.

- [DOOR OPENS]
- [SIGHS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Oh! God, it pisses me off.

Oh, f*ck.

[SCREAMS]

Okay.

Oh.

I didn't buy a word of
it. Not one word of it.

[SIGHS]

[EXHALES]

Okay.

Oh.

[CHATTERING]

- Ready?
- Yeah. I'm ready.

Okay. Great.

We're gonna have you sit right here.

Okay. Thanks.

[WOMAN] Back in , everybody.

Okay.

- Hey.
- Hi.

- I'm so sorry.
- [WOMAN] Back in .

What about?

Just yesterday. That must
have been so difficult for you.

- 'Cause you worked together for so long.
- I'm fine.

[WOMAN] Okay.

- In five, four, three...
- Over here?

[DIRECTOR] Start your move. Cue her.

An unusual thing happened yesterday

at a coal mine protest
in Hanover, West Virginia,

when a local reporter's camera operator

was knocked over by an unruly protester.

Let's watch.

Thousands of families
knocked on their asses.

It's a big wheel that goes around.

Liberals add sanctions.
Conservatives remove those sanctions.

And they just keep fighting.

And they just keep going
around and around and around.

'Cause all they wanna do
is hear themselves talk.

And they all want to be
right. And they all wanna win.

And that's all they **** care
about. And there's a human cost!

And it's exhausting! I'm exhausted!

[MAN] Jesus. Okay, okay, okay.

[CHUCKLES]

I am here with Bradley
Jackson from SENN in Virginia.

Hello, Bradley Jackson. Welcome.

Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

You seem a lot more relaxed today.

Yeah, well, this is a whole lot nicer than

a coal mine protest. I'm not gonna lie.

Well, so, what did happen that day?
Why exactly were you so exhausted?

Well, you know, life in general
is just sort of exhausting.

Mm.

Um...

but, as you know, we reporters,
we see the way the world works,

and sometimes you just want to
get in there and educate people

and stop them from constantly
going in circles with their ideas.

I mean, it's just so
frustrating. It's sad.

So true. So true.

As reporters, we are trained to never

let our personal emotions
enter the story.

What happened yesterday that
made you cross that line?

Well, I wasn't even aware
that I was being filmed.

I was setting up for my story,

and my cameraman was
knocked down by someone,

and something about seeing
him struggling on the ground

made me want to address the
person responsible, so I did.

Mm.

You know a peculiar amount about coal.

Alex, be nice.

Well, yes, I do. I do.

I've actually covered a
lot of coal mine protests,

and I think it's important to know

as much about the subject as possible,

especially when people are literally
fighting each other over it.

Yes, well, America has clearly
connected to that message.

Why do you think that is?

You know, I think America
is tired of Twitter fighting.

It's ignorant, and it's contributing

to the dumbing down of our country.

Parties have created a good side

and a bad side for their own purposes.

And once you villainize someone,

there is nothing left but
go to w*r with them.

I know that you work at a
conservative news outlet.

What side of that argument
do you personally fall on?

Um, the human side.

What does that mean?

It means I see both sides.

But in leadership,
decisions have to be made.

You can't just have empathy
for everybody and do nothing.

[DIRECTOR] Take it two.

Well, say you're
president. What do you do?

- Well...
- Open or close the coal mine?

I'm just here to deliver
the news to America.

That's all I ever wanted to do.

So you're a die-hard reporter.

I like to think that I am,
yes. The truth matters to me.

What would you say to the idea
that it's a reporter's sacred creed

to never let the story
become about them?

Jesus. Alex. What are
you doing? Stop it.

I would say I agree with that.

And yet this has become about you.

Ah, sh*t.

As I said before, I didn't
know I was being filmed.

This wasn't part of my live coverage.

Well, there could be some cynical people

who might think that that
was completely set up.

To what end?

You're here.

Well, there are some non-cynical people,

which I believe is most people,

that believe the news is changing.

And the news is changing because
the people who deliver the news,

who showed themselves as honest
and decent and trustworthy,

have in quite a few cases now
proved themselves to be untruthful.

And as a result, I think
people are wanting more

transparency in journalism.

I think they want to know
the person behind the facade.

I think they want to
trust that the person

telling them the truth about the world

is an honest person.

Like you.

Yes. Well, the truth is
what we are all striving for.

Yeah. It is.

Thank you, Bradley Jackson,
for being with us today.

- Thank you so much.
- Of course.

We will be right back with a
surprise secret about vitamin D.

- [WOMAN] And we're out.
- [DIRECTOR] Stand by to break.

[WOMAN] We're clear.
Back in two minutes.

- [SIGHS]
- [BRADLEY CHUCKLES]

- You're good.
- Thank you.

Good luck in Ham-Hock, Virginia.

Oh, there. Thank you. Okay.

- It was great.
- Yeah?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

- You were awesome.
- Thanks. All right. Thank you.

[MAN] Nice work.

Bye.

Yeah? All right.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

f*cking vultures.

[SIGHS]

[DOG BARKING]

[BARKS]

[BARKING]

[BARKING]

- [THUDDING]
- Holy sh*t.

[CLANGING]

Whosever in here, get out
before I blow your head off.

[ALEX] Oh, f*ck off, Mitch. It's me.

- Oh.
- [DOG WHIMPERING]

- [ALEX] sh*t. [SIGHS]
- [DOG WHIMPERS]

Alex?

I can't be seen by anybody, so
I had my car drop me in the woods

behind your house.

- You came to see me.
- No.

I came to tell you
that I am so mad at you,

and I will never, ever get over it.

You left me.

Alone on the f*cking Morning
Show. You left me alone.

[MITCH SIGHS]

Because you had to f*ck around on Paige

because you didn't want to tarnish your

little image and just get a divorce.

Hello, pot. I'd like to
introduce you to kettle.

How can you be mad at me about that?

Are you kidding me? You're so stupid.

- You think I'm mad at you because...
- Oh, Jesus, b*at me up. b*at me up.

You really think that that's
what I'm mad about? You idiot.

I'm mad at you because you're selfish.

You're a self-indulgent assh*le.

And your philandering has f*cked me.

And I'm gonna lose everything,
Mitch. There's no guarantees. Zero.

Our star was built on chemistry,
and you just blew it up.

And why? Why did you do that?

There had to have been a
million and one women out there

who would've gladly sucked your d*ck

who didn't work on The Morning Show.

- It's not my fault.
- Oh, please.

- They were consensual affairs, Alex.
- Mitch, you're such a f*cking moron.

I think that you're jealous
because of our history.

- Your f*cking ego. Oh, my God, Mitch.
- 'Cause we had a thing.

That f*cking ego of yours.

You really think that because of
the two times you got on top of me

meant that much to me that
that's what I'm pissed about?

You're so stupid. God. Oh.

[SIGHS]

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[SIGHS]

You stole my life with this.

You left me in the woods
with a... pack of wolves.

I live a really strange existence,
Mitch, and it's isolated as sh*t.

I gave up everything for this show.
Any chance of having a normal life.

And you just put me in
a position of losing it.

Everything. Of having
nothing. Of having no one.

You're my partner.
Fifteen years my partner.

And my only real companion, who
knew my life in such vivid detail.

Because you're... It's your life too.

I'm so sorry.

We lived a life that
we're never gonna get back.

And you're not my husband,

and you're not my lover,
and you're not my family,

and now you can't be my friend.

Why can't I be?

Because what you did was wrong!

Alex, you knew these people. You
know that I didn't coerce anybody.

This is Weinstein's fault.

Please don't say that. It's so ignorant.

Jesus, Alex. I didn't do
anything wrong. I didn't.

What happened to your TV?

We had a disagreement.

I'm sorry you're such an assh*le.

Me too.

I wouldn't use those two
words together if I were you.

[CHUCKLES]

I have to go. I have to leave.

No, don't. I don't want you to go.

I have to go.

- No, don't go. I want you to stay, please.
- I have to go. No.

I don't wanna be alone.

Just stay for a little while.

Alex, please, come on.
This could blow over.

- Oh, this is so never gonna blow over.
- Alex.

Alex, they were going to replace you!

- What?
- [SIGHS]

[SIGHS] They came to me.

They said YDA was nipping
at our heels in the ratings.

And they wanted to make a change.

I don't believe you.

You're just trying to f*ck with my head

because you're destroyed
and you want me destroyed.

- No, no. I wanna save you.
- Oh.

- Alex, don't go.
- I don't believe you!

Just stay! I've got a g*n!

Great! Have fun with that!

[PHONE VIBRATING]

Bradley Jackson here.

This is Cory Ellison. I'm the
president of the UBA network.

I saw you on The Morning Show.

How would you like to
come meet me for a drink

at the Archer Gray right now
and talk about your future?

"My future"?

[CHUCKLES] What is this, my big break?

Well, I suppose, that's up to you.