The Morning Show Review: Fever (Season 2 Episode 10)

The Morning Show Season 2 Episode 10, “Fever,” is a messy end to a wildly uneven season, but at this point, I can’t imagine that anyone is terribly surprised. It feels like this show consistently made the weirdest, most indefensible choices all season long, from dedicating so much screen time to Mitch Kessler — whether alive or dead! — to its bizarre handling of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, so it’s not a shock that it keeps right on doing that here.

Because, yes, of course, Alex Levy has caught COVID-19, and the show has fudged the timeline just enough to make it murky whether she brought it home with her from her ill-fated Italy trip (terrible decision making) or if she just caught it by accident in the pandemic’s earliest days in New York (bad luck). 

I’m not sure why The Morning Show is so resistant to picking a lane when it comes to literally anything this season, but it’s just another in a long list of examples of how it wants to have things both ways. Alex is simultaneously a bad person and a victim, kind of a monster, but one we can’t really blame too much. 

Truly, however, I’m not sure who in the world thought we all wanted to watch an extended sequence of Alex Levy suffering through COVID symptoms, but I would like to ask that person some questions. First of all, this pandemic is still happening, I’m not sure who out there is eager to see drawn out moments of characters sweating and struggling through full body chills while other characters panic that they shared an elevator with them.

Plus, Alex’s case apparently isn’t bad enough for her to be in the hospital, and she’s not on a ventilator, so although she clearly feels awful, all things considered at this particular moment in our nation’s history she’s doing better than most. It honestly feels like we’re meant to see Alex’s illness as some form of penance, that by struggling through a COVID infection she’s somehow atoning for all the things she’s been “canceled” for, and wow, I’m tired for so many reasons.

And again, as I’ve said all season long, I truly don’t think we have enough distance from the coronavirus pandemic for a story like this to really land. Because The Morning Show isn’t exactly respectfully retelling the story of the awful early days of COVID-19 in New York City. It’s using COVID-19 to try and rehabilitate Alex and I just don’t think any of us were particularly interested in seeing that kind of story just yet.

Cory and Chip deciding to essentially live stream Alex’s illness also probably shouldn’t surprise me, because it’s exactly the kind of craven, manipulative thing that both of them would be more than okay with doing, particularly if it means a woman has to put herself out there and bear the brunt of any potential criticism as they reap the subscriber benefits. 

(The fact that Chip lies to Alex and tells her he has COVID and then knowingly exposes himself to COVID to get her to do this is really the icing on the cake. I hate it here!)

The event itself is sort of hilariously unhinged, as Alex rants against cancel culture and essentially has a mid-life crisis via livestream, all while essentially looking like death warmed over. She complains about how hard it is to be famous, wonders what happens to us after death, and declares that the world needs to “either get on the Alex Levy train or just stay at the station.”How is this even real?? 

In the end, Alex acknowledges that everything — COVID, Mitch, getting canceled — has made her more “introspective,” but what that actually means for her character going forward, I have no idea.

I know that there is probably a behind the scenes reason for this, and it probably has to do with COVID protocols on The Morning Show set, but wow, the sheer lack of scenes between the two ostensible stars of the show this season is just so jarring. At points, it didn’t even feel like Bradley and Alex were characters on the same show, let alone part of the same storylines. 

On paper, I suppose I am pleased that Bradley found her missing brother and he was just in a bar fight rather than the COVID ward. But, for real, there’s only so much suspension of disbelief I can hand in one hour, because despite this sweet reunion, Hal would have immediately been forced to isolate — as would Bradley — simply for being in the hospital with all the COVID patients!! 

And how does Bradley Jackson — host of a megapopular daily morning news program who has hosted a presidential debate — keep wondering around NYC and no one noticing her or who she is anyway? There’s a lot of ridiculousness about that scene in the hospital (no one notices she’s not wearing a mask or PPE either), but come on.

Stray Thoughts and Observations

• At this point, do I even want to watch a The Morning Show Season 3? I honestly don’t know.
• I can’t decide whether to cheer or laugh that Yanko is the one who gets stuck holding down the TMS desk. 
• Relatedly, I wish I believed that Daniel won’t come back to the show that has taken him for granted and treated him poorly, but I suspect he will. 
• Gold star of the year award to (always prepared and iconic) Holland Taylor for her crisp, classic delivery of this line: ““I’m not going to risk getting sick because our prized feminist morning anchor was horny for Chester the Molester.”  
• I feel like I should be smug that Cory finally told Bradley he’s in love with her, but it’s not even fun anymore at this point.

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 Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+.

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