The Morning Show Review: The Interview (Season 1 Episode 10)

Content warning: drug use and possible suicide. 

The Morning Show Season 1 Episode 10, “The Interview,” teaches us all an important lesson, this reviewer included — nothing about the #MeToo movement, sexual assault, or rape, is a game.

To be fair, the show focuses overwhelmingly more on how Mitch’s behavior affects the politics and culture at The Morning Show than how it affects his victims.

After the penultimate episode of the season, I was more concerned with my team “winning” than how interviewing Mitch on the show would affect Hannah.

Before we begin our discussion on Hannah’s death, please note that you can get help if you are feeling suicidal by calling The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are a victim of sexual assault and need help you can call RAINN. Both services provide free, confidential support 24/7. You are not alone. 

The rest of this review will discuss the fictional narrative of The Morning Show. If a discussion of rape or possible suicide is triggering to you, read no further. 

The evidence the show presents suggests that Hannah’s death is an accidental overdose. While there is no way to know that for sure right now, she decides to move forward with the interview process at YDA in L.A. the night of her death. She also doesn’t leave a suicide note. 

There are remnants of vomit on her body suggesting she choked on vomit. YDA would be a new start, but depression doesn’t go away. She was probably self-medicating the night she died and went too far. 

Whether her death was accidental or not, she needed help that no one was focused on giving her. 

Chip is right when he tells Bradley that everyone is doing “the interview” for their own selfish reason.

Every viewer would probably agree that Bradley has the purest intentions of any character on the show when it comes to uncovering everyone who needs to be held accountable for enabling Mitch, whether they knew what he was doing or not. 

But this pursuit of the “truth” doesn’t help Mitch’s victims — especially not Hannah. 

Exposing and preventing sexual predators is important. But if The Morning Show Season 1 finale teaches one lesson it’s that victims’ health comes first and the stories we read about incidents are just one piece of healing a toxic culture. 

It’s ironic and powerful to learn that from a show. I hope we don’t hear from any victims about their healing process until they’re ready.

But without transferring blame to Hannah, either no one is to blame for her death or everyone is. Not even Mitch is completely culpable for her state because her past could’ve informed some of her habits. 

I don’t think that Bradley is at fault for coming to Hannah’s apartment and interviewing her at all. 

Hannah consents to the interview. While on the record, Bradley asks Hannah to recount the incident. Then, she asks a natural (though loaded and very obtuse) follow-up question about how the rape affected Hannah’s job, self-image, and life. 

Bradley’s only job is technically only to corroborate Mitch’s claims that Fred knew about his behavior. But as a journalist going into an interview as serious as that one, she is also focused on getting as much information as the subject is willing to give, even if it’s just for background. 

When it’s clear Hannah isn’t ready to answer that, Bradley asks if she’s gotten help. Hannah resists and insists the incident is over. 

Bradley pushing about if it really is doesn’t necessarily feel insincere. The problem is that her original instinct is right: there isn’t enough time to build trust with Hannah to make her believe that the story is separate from Bradley’s personal investment in Hannah’s well being. 

It’s a mistake. Like Chip made when he fired the senior booker without asking Fred why. Like Alex made every time she turned a blind eye to Mitch’s behavior. Like many people on The Morning Show set made. So, everyone or no one. 

That’s what makes the final scene of the episode so powerful. Bradley and Alex expose Fred and Mitch — the last two people to take accountability for their actions — on air. But they also chastize themselves and even anyone in their audience contributing to a culture of silence. 

As powerful as that message is, and as good as Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are in heir roles — we need to talk about Gugu Mbatha-raw.

She shouldn’t automatically be rewarded because she plays the rape victim the show focuses on most. Her performance should earn her recognition. 

For the sake of the story, Hannah has to be a quiet presence for most of The Morning Show. When Hannah can come into focus, Mbatha-raw has shined. 

On Episode 9, Hannah’s eyes have to be dead. On this episode, they have to be erratic. It could be argued that they are the complete opposite emotions. To see both on back-to-back episodes is jarring and impressive.

I have never felt more worried for a character than when Hannah asks Bradley, “What do I have to say to get you to leave?” as if she’s being attacked. 

An interview isn’t a therapy session. It often isn’t a safe space. I have no right to say Hannah should feel safe, and she has every right to kick Bradley out of her apartment. But she’s absolutely having a breakdown that she should seek therapy for.

As a viewer, it’s physically uncomfortable to watch. One of my measures of powerful acting is if it elicits a physical response.

I have nothing but respect for Witherspoon and Aniston in their respective roles. They are impressive for their own reasons. But neither of them has made me feel throughout the whole season like Mbatha-raw has on about three episodes. 

Hopefully, if Aniston or Witherspoon win awards, they say her name in their speeches.

Of course, one performance doesn’t make a show. After a slow start, The Morning Show has proven that they’re not telling stories of sexual abuse to check off a relevancy box. 

It’s been difficult to review this show because while we all think we know what’s right and wrong as easily as we identify black and white, a closer look at any issue reveals many shades of gray that everyone describes differently. 

One element that is pretty concrete is that a preditor should never be given a platform to manipulate. So, at least the interview doesn’t happen. 

Plus, it’s this writer’s opinion that the characters that are more “good” than “bad” are in a better spot to succeed next season than Fred or Mitch. They’ve all gotten there by being relatively decent people, at least confessing their sins to most of their victims. 

Chip sets this all in motion to save Alex’s job. His intentions aren’t noble or exactly honest. He roles dice to save a friend’s job and a woman dies when the dice hits the ground. 

That brings us back to our original point. None of this is a game, even if the stakes are high. 

Chip seems like a guy who knows that now, and hopefully he talks it through on a therapist’s couch while between jobs. Hopefully, the entire staff does.

In fact, they should all boycott work in the name of self-care and leave pompous new executive producer guy with dead air. 

Speaking of dead air, that’s how the finale should’ve ended. 

We all understand the significance of Mitch alone in his apartment. Must it end there? Why does the show give Mitch the final platform that his former colleagues at The Morning Show eventually refuse him?

Dead air or any other character’s face would’ve been a more successful end. For the most artistic symmetry they could’ve ended with Chip falling to the ground, exactly opposite of what he does in the first scene of the first episode of the series when he’s lying on the floor and the phone rings. 

Production Notes 

• The music has been spot on the entire season. It’s particularly great in the scene where Chip and Alex pass each other on the escalator.
• Claire running to Yanko’s arms is so sad and pure. I support them, with all of the correct disclosures in place. 
• Just because monsters like Mitch and Fred exist, that doesn’t mean every workplace romance/relationship between people with different levels of power is abuse.
• The humor and levity of the last few minutes of the episode between Mitch and Chip fighting, Alex throwing water in the new EP’s face, and even Mia locking Fred out of the offices is needed, appreciated, and quite impressive. 
• I really hope Alex and Bradley are true partners for more than half of an episode at a time next season. 
• Cory is confusing. I love him and still mistrust him. His protectiveness of Bradley is sweet.
• Chip is going to have a lot to deal with next season, but his core is good. Surprisingly, that’s most obvious watching scenes between him and Rena — especially their last one. 
• The suicide story is done very respectfully for viewers — that’s so important. 

What did you think of this episode of The Morning Show? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Morning Show airs Fridays on Apple TV+.

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