The Morning Show Review: Kill the Fatted Calf (Season 2 Episode 4)

The Morning Show Season 2 Episode 4, “Kill the Fatted Calf,” sees Alex Levy’s official return to the morning program that made her famous and it’s as over the top and awkward as you’d expect, with special guests and lots of over the top fawning.

(Strangely, we barely see Alex interact with Bradley in this installment, but because this show is often very weird, I’m not sure if that’s on purpose or merely an accident of timing.)

And, naturally, her return is as successful as anyone could have hoped for, driving increased advertising buys and huge ratings for her blockbuster interview with Laura Peters. Everything old really is new again, I guess.

Cory, naturally, is thrilled, and more determined than ever to quietly settle any Hannah-related business that might upset his newfound success, be it the lawsuit from her family or the salacious news items that disgusting former network head Fred keeps seedin gin the paper.

The most interesting scenes of the week go to Stella, who finally gets the chance to be as interesting as we all assumed she was when she first arrived at UBA.

Her confrontation with Alex — a last-ditch attempt to get her to accept the Democratic debate moderator position that turns into a heartfelt plea for her to also accept the responsibility that comes with being crowned a feminist icon — is riveting television and our clearest look yet into both who Stella is and how Alex still sees herself in the wake of what happened with Mitch.

For many women, a lot of whom comprise The Morning Show’s core viewing demographic, Alex is a hero for finally calling out the system she herself was at least vaguely complicit in upholding. Alex, fairly, has some complicated feelings about that, but Stella does make a really valid point.

No matter how she feels about Alex personally, the older woman is the reason that Stella is even in a position to make the changes that UBA clearly needs so badly. No matter what she did before what she did on that Morning Show stage mattered, and changed the game for a lot of women. 

Don’t get me wrong, I truly do enjoy The Morning Show. But I also truly do believe that this series — and its viewers — would be so much better off if they simply stopped acting like the show is A Very Serious Prestige Drama.

I mean, this is an episode that both features a Foo Fighters performance and Reese Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson running off to have an afternoon hotel hook-up with Julianna Marguiles’ Laura. A couple who then has a long post-coital discussion about the behind-the-scenes staffing drama at UBA! It’s truly amazing. Half the time this show feels like what might happen if Melrose Place went to journalism school.

And honestly, it’s so much more fun to watch when it’s not taking itself so darn seriously all the time. I’d way rather watch an episode where Bradley struggles to figure out her sexuality and how she feels about her own identity than the one I suspect we’ll soon be getting, where she and Alex fight over the chance to moderate a debate for Donald Trump. (Barf.)

Part of the reason that The Morning Show’s soapiest bits soar while its more serious scenes struggle is that even well into its second season, this show still kind of wants to have it both ways, and give us drama without really committing to a specific narrative perspective. Yes, it pulled off a groundbreaking Me Too story in Season 1, and Season 2 has initially seemed more willing than most shows to discuss topics like systemic racism, institutional biases, and cancel culture. 

But “Kill the Fatted Calf” is a perfect example of how, when The Morning Show is unwilling to really pick a side when it counts. It’s why Mitch is, inexplicably, still part of this show. It’s why the show talks out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to subplots like Yanko’s use of “spirit animal” on-air. And it’s why the show can simultaneously preach about the challenges that people of color like Daniel and Mia face in the media industry while giving both of those characters absolutely nothing of import to do.

(Don’t believe me? What was the narrative purpose of Daniel’s trip to Wuhan, again?)

Stray Thoughts and Observations:

• Trying to remember the last time I felt as uncomfortable watching a television show as I did during Daniel’s impromptu “Coming to America” performance but whew no. Maybe the problem isn’t that he doesn’t have the “It Factor” is that he doesn’t actually know what charisma even is.
• Is there anyone watching The Morning Show that actually finds this whole Mitch’s Italian Rehabilitation Tour thing appealing? Everything about it is so uncomfortable. I know I just keep saying some variation of this every week, but can’t we just let this character go?
• I wish I didn’t feel so smug about calling the fact that Mitch is clearly just in Italy so he can get COVID in the first wave, but it sure does look like that’s where they’re headed.
• We’re all assuming Bradley hooked up with Cory when they were both fired, right?

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

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New episodes of The Morning Show stream Fridays on AppleTV+.

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