A season of television is like a race. You need to have a strong start, maintain pace, and finish strongly.
The Morning Show Season 4 had a great start but lost momentum in the middle of the season, only picking up pace in the final two episodes.
But sometimes it doesn’t matter how you start; if you finish strong, it doesn’t matter. The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 10, “Knowing Violation,” is a strong finish.
It threads together all the scattered arcs from throughout the season, delivering a season finale that viewers want and have come to expect.
It’s been a journey full of ups and downs for the past ten weeks, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the season. For the most part, it has frustrated me, but all that might be forgiven after the events of this season finale.
It’s The Morning Show at its best. Relationships, villains, backstabbing, mutiny, bombshells, and score one for the truth. The finale delivers on every promise as the characters rally to bring Bradley home.
The Price Paid for Truth Is Always Worth It
A month has passed since she was arrested in Belarus, and with the State Department dragging its feet, those who know her decide to risk everything to bring her home.
She has lost a sense of time in Belarus, being kept in a small cell with bright lights, loud music, uncomfortable lodgings, and horrible food — if that can be called food.
The Belarusian’s dedication to torture might be admirable if it weren’t so evil. Kudos to Bradley for braving it all because if I were in her shoes, I’d be singing like a bird by the third day.
I love sleep. Denying it to me would be like killing me. Sleep deprivation is my personal breaking point. What Bradley endures would unravel me in hours.
The upside is that her suffering is not in vain. It exposes a cover-up and rids UBN of a sinister player.
It requires everyone to risk their careers and freedoms because going against Celine is not easy. She always has plan A, B, and C. The problem with having too many plans? By the time you’re on Plan C, desperation starts to show — and that’s what exposes Celine.
The Morning Show has always been about the fragile relationships between the people who bring us the news. These relationships are often used and abused for the sake of the truth, even when it would be easier to conceal everything.
The Network Weathers Yet Another Storm
UBN is confronted with a situation that is becoming increasingly common in legacy media nowadays. Every day, a new scandal is being exposed involving a major media house.
However, in the real world, this is often revealed by other people in the business, likely for their own selfish reasons. I’ve long admired UBN and its predecessor’s dedication to the truth, even when it threatens to wreck everything.
From Mitch Kessler, to January 6, and Wolf River, it can’t be an easy decision to throw stones at your own house.
But what other option exists when lives are in danger, the truth is under attack, and integrity is at risk?
UBN has always been fighting its own demons, and the latest is Celine. We all clocked her the moment she strutted into the network with her perfect accent, clothes, and husband.
But even that perfect facade could not hide her ambition and weaknesses.
Celine and the Dumont family are what The Morning Show Season 3 failed to achieve with Paul Marks — absolutely evil people, loyal only to money.
Speaking of Paul Marks, I’ve grown to like him now, especially with Alex. After what he just risked for her, there’s zero doubt in my mind that he’s in love with her. He could have recused himself from everything, and his life would not have missed a beat.
TMS Relationships: Fragile — Handle with Care
That’s the beauty of The Morning Show’s relationships. Even when they’re flawed, a common good can unite the worst of enemies or mend the most broken of hearts, if only for a moment.
Cory’s heart was broken by the thought that Bradley was just using him. He has been ready to move on from her, but it’s hard for people who see each other to forget one another.
It’s rare for people to accept each other’s flaws and imperfections, expose those ugly sides to the other person, and then forget them as if they never existed.
Cory has done plenty for Bradley, and vice versa is also true. When he decides to help, he does it because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s for Bradley.
That’s why, while I dislike characters like Cory, I understand their place in the narrative, especially in a complicated environment like this one.
You don’t go to a gunfight with a knife, and you don’t go to fight Celine without a Cory. He knows just how to push her over the edge, and the world has a front-row seat. It’s glorious.
This is what I wanted from a Morning Show finale. Stakes, revolt, and an on-air showdown. It didn’t happen exactly like I wanted it to, but my god, it’s cathartic.
Props to Marion Cotillard for elevating Celine’s crash-out. She finally gets to let the crazy out after her character’s very subdued presentation throughout the season.
At the end of the day, the truth comes out, and Bradley is freed. The outcome couldn’t have been more perfect. Sure, Celine emerges from it nearly unscathed, but rich people have a way of getting away with things.
Gut Check
I am willing to cut a show some slack, as everything may not have had time to gel together properly. However, a series in its fourth season has no need for this, which is why The Morning Show has me very frustrated.
Sure, the finale delivers, but when half the season doesn’t move the needle, it leaves a lot to be desired. The Morning Show Season 5 will most probably deal with the fiasco that was the 2024 election, but there’s a strong chance it will focus on the Olympics.
Will I tune in? I’m not sure. But if I do, that might be my final season, depending on how everything goes.
Stray Observations
- It’s been rumored for a long time that Apple does not allow villains to use their products on TV shows. Are the rules different for their own creations? Celine’s brother should not have been using that MacBook.
- Was that me pitying Cory when he realized that he had been propped up by his mother his entire life? Wonders never cease.
Over to you, The Morning Show fanatics. What did you think of the season finale? Will you watch Season 5? It’s always fun to hear from you, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
With The Morning Show wrapped, we’re pivoting to another high-stakes drama, Hijack Season 2. If you missed Season 1, now’s the time to catch up.
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