The Morning Show

The Morning Show sprinkles wit amid overheated cascades of high melodrama. [27 Sep - 10 Oct 2021, p.6]

While the first two episodes of season two are too enamored with getting players in place (particularly since season one ended with a house cleaning), “The Morning Show” does pick up steam and gets everything from the Iowa Caucuses to a visit to Wuhan in the picture. ... Crudup, though, is the heart of this world. As corrupt as he may be, he’s worth following.

Far from suffering difficult-second-series syndrome, the new run of this massively fun takedown of seething rivalries in the American TV business is even more ambitious and edgy than the first.

About four episodes into the new season of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, I stopped expecting it to have the qualities of a prestige television series—narrative complexity, emotional resonance, logic—and began simply appreciating it for what it is: one of the most batshit-expensive soap operas ever made. ... If you can meet The Morning Show on those terms, its second season is quite a ride. ... The Morning Show is camp: earnest, schlocky, nonsensical drama that’s not ruined by its excess and ridiculousness, but redeemed by it.

It's fun, all this chaos — but it also takes time away from one intriguing, ultimately underdeveloped subplot. Daniel, the only Black anchor on TMS, feels sidelined by the network. ... Still, if The Morning Show is going to pick a lane, perhaps "freeway to Crazy Town" is the best choice — because that's the show Billy Crudup has been starring in since season 1.

It takes some soapy turns in season two, and Carell’s character can seem stranded in limbo, but this is big starry television about big starry television that dares you to look away. Tune in.

The writers also seem unsure about what to do with the massive, glamor-crammed world they created. Not terminally so; the show remains highly watchable — as much for its good performances (including Billy Crudup) as for its amped-up absurdities.

The Morning Show Season 2 is a thrilling melange of ridiculous drama. There are hookups that had me gasping, plot developments that gave me whiplash, and a few moments where I had second-hand embarrassment for all involved. ... The Morning Show will never be a perfect show. It’s too boldly outspoken, too shockingly self-indulgent, and too obsessed with speaking first about a moment in time instead of speaking wisely. Still, I can’t help but find its brand of backstabbing elites terribly fun to watch.

Season 2 again enters territory that is frequently too fraught to dissect in public without triggering knee-jerk responses — with all the risks that entails. And whether it holds together as the world falls apart is an open question. But “The Morning Show” most definitely succeeds at striking the balance between advancing its own personality-driven narrative and tackling topical issues in one entertaining drama.