By JASON CHOI
“The Morning Show” starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell helped launch Apple’s new subscription-based streaming service, Apple TV+. The show has an unconventional view of the pressing issue of sexual misconduct in the work place, and has provided much worthy praise for Apple’s newest service.
The story of “The Morning Show” is centered around a sexual harassment scandal involving hit news anchor Mitch Kessler, who struggles to deal with his fall from grace. Alex Levy, “The Morning Show’s” other half, is left to deal with the aftermath; she struggles from anxiety and disbelief. The show’s other main character is Bradley Jackson, who becomes famous from a viral video of her ranting at a coal mine protest. She comes to “The Morning Show” for an interview, and at the request of network head Cory Ellison, continues to stay in New York. Eventually, Alex Levy announces at an award ceremony that Bradley will be her new co-anchor. The third episode focuses on her preparation for the new position, with further episodes being released every Friday.
Like many of the leaders of the #MeToo Movement, the female lead actors provide a sense of being capable and independent.
One of the main concepts deeply touched upon in the show is the empowerment of women. Junior Julia P. said, “I think the underlying story about the uplifting of women makes the show different from others, because not many shows show women in the same context as this show. I feel like the series made me understand more about how news stations run, and how conflict really affects them.”
The lesson behind the story line added so much depth to the show, and the busy and hectic news scenes helped the plot to keep rolling along. I liked how it was fast-paced, transitioning from event to event, with a few slow scenes in between to allow the audience to process the events that had just occurred.
On the other hand, there were a few things that I didn’t like about the storyline. I think it seemed a bit too spontaneous at times. For example, some interactions between characters came off as forced to me. Also, Steve Carell, being such a well known actor, didn’t have as much screen time in the first three episodes as I think he should have.
From what I’ve seen, I think the show has a fascinating story that deserves all the credit it has received. The show makes a point that it is important for people to feel comfortable when speaking up about injustice. So far, I feel that the show has been a beneficial learning experience, allowing me to become more conscious of the impact of sexual misconduct.
Images courtesy of Apple. Inc.
Very eye opening!
I look forward to seeing what else Apple TV+ will feature.
This is such a great show that uncovers the secrets behind sexual misconduct in the workplace. Well written article which will definitely get viewers to want to watch the show.
So cool! I had no clue of what the Morning Show was prior to reading this article!