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The Morning Show Season 2 Episode 6 review: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon are wasted in a sloppy, directionless show

The Morning Show Season 2 is big and campy. But it is too sluggish in pace and too clueless about its own story arcs.

The Morning Show Season 2 Episode 6 review: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon are wasted in a sloppy, directionless show

Last Updated: 11.28 PM, Oct 22, 2021

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Story: Alex is still missing from action after ditching her presidential debate in Los Angeles. Both Bradley and Alex try hard to protect their private lives from the prying eyes of the people. Mitch is still quarantining with Paola (Valeria Golino).

The sixth episode of The Morning Show will remind you of Chinua Achebe’s magnum opus, Things Fall Apart. Rather, its title. The sophomore season kicked off on a somewhat chaotic note, with key players unsurprising returning to the UBA fold once again to resume their ideological battles. The messy and long-drawn exposition felt orchestrated for a while. But by the time you get to the sixth episode, it’s evident that The Morning Show is doomed to crash-land. If you are wondering if the Mitch Kessler (played by Steve Carrell) narrative thread has still intersected with the primary drama in the newsroom, let me clarify, it still has not.

Titled A Private Person, the sixth episode sees its protagonists — Alex (played by Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley (played by Reese Witherspoon) wrestle to protect their private lives from being blown open in public. Alex, who has earlier chosen flight over fight, is still off the grid after suddenly fleeing from Los Angeles and abandoning the presidential debate. Chip (Mark Duplass), who is also clueless about Alex’s whereabouts, lies that she is suffering from back pain. Of course, the viewers are aware that Alex is petrified of Maggie Brener’s ( played by Marcia Gay Harden) unreleased book outing her for being an enabler in fostering a toxic work culture.

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Throughout the show’s first instalment, Alex’s complicity has frequently been hinted at in different ways. This season offers no new revelations related to Alex that resists viewer exhaustion. For the first five episodes, she is seen pursing lips, fake smiling or being wary of ruthless competition. But by the sixth episode, even the most curious viewers are bound to feel exhausted by the lack of answers being provided. Perhaps the makers intend on inundating viewers with revelations once Alex makes a comeback, for a second time no less, in the ongoing season. The strategy might not quite work, because Alex is no longer conspicuous in her absence.

It is no wonder that Alex’s newest rival, Laura (played by Julianna Margulies) swoops in to save the day. Only, Cory (played by Billy Crudup) has other plans up his sleeve. In order to contain the Hannah Shoenfeld (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) backlash, Cory finds the perfect distraction — Bradley and Laura’s relationship. Indeed, the trauma of being outed in public without consent is severe, but there is something uncomfortably campy about Cory consoling Bradley in the episode. Cory has been one of the most dynamic forces of the sinking series. Yet, even his eye-rolling and smirks get too soapy to remotely sustain the gravitas of the first season.

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There is an awkward aside sort of rant about privileged white men who are awarded too many chances in life. It is delivered by Alex’s assistant Isabella and directed towards Chip. This particular scene, among too many others to keep count of, is reflective of The Morning Show’s directionlessness. This monologue has no bearing whatsoever on the plot of the show, neither does it provide any insights into Alex, Chip, Alex and Chip’s relationship, or Isabella’s contribution to the grander scheme of things.

The only organic development is seen in Stella’s (played by Greta Lee) subplot. She is increasingly frustrated with Cory’s moves, and feels her authority is being undermined. There is enough simmering anger in Stella for viewers to expect at least a high-octane confrontation between Stella and Cory by the end of the show.

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The subplots don’t go anywhere. Let me rephrase. The subplots come across as lazy afterthoughts. So Yanko (played by Néstor Carbonell) is suspended, and Daniel (played by Desean Terry), well, he is just hanging there somewhere.

Verdict: It is curious how the makers make nearly hourlong episodes without managing to propel the story even an inch forward. It is only worth your time if you are too deep into The Morning Show now to withdraw. Else, you can always rewatch the brilliant first season.

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