Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for ‘The Morning Show’ Season 4 finale.The Morning Show‘s exciting fourth season has come to an end, bringing an explosive conclusion to the main storyline. The drama proves that even four seasons in, there’s still a lot of story to tell and social and political topics to touch on. This season dove into everything from AI in the media to corruption, work-life balance, and power.
Already renewed for a fifth season, while a lot of stories wrapped up in the Season 4 finale, there are still a few loose ends left to consider. UBN is in a state of flux once again. Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) has gotten out of a terrifying situation and Alex’s (Jennifer Aniston) future is up in the air, both professionally and personally.
1
Who Will Be the New CEO of UBN?
Celine (Marion Cotillard), being exposed as the liar that she is, is heading back to France where she will undoubtedly face the wrath of her family; and, as she mentions to her brother and Miles (Aaron Pierre), Celine will likely be made the fall guy for the entire situation. This means UBN is without leadership. Mia (Karen Pittman) tells Ben (William Jackson Harper) that it’s up to them to run things together again until a new CEO is hired. But their exchange suggests another rivalry between the two.
As Mia walks into the sprawling CEO office and looks around at all the boxes, it’s clear she’s yearning to take on this position. She already felt slighted after not being given the promotion she rightfully deserved. Now in her “boss” mode, Mia likely has aspirations that are even bigger.
2
Is Stella Ever Coming Back?
In one of the most shocking and best episodes of the season, Episode 6, “If Then,” Stella (Greta Lee) finds herself in a precarious position. She is confident their AI chatbot is ready to be revealed at the unveiling event, even though it isn’t finished. But as she converses with the AI version of herself on the big screen in front of everyone, it begins to repeat private thoughts Stella shared with it one night while confiding at home. She’s mortified not only because of the intrusion, but also because her AI chatbot reveals her affair with Miles in front of Celine, and everyone watching.
Upset and disgraced, she resigns, but not before leaving Mia leverage she can use to get back in and regain power. She hopes to leave for Naples with Miles, but when he doesn’t show up at the airport, she decides to go on her own. Fans wonder if she will return in Season 5 or if that was the end of the story for the character.
3
What Happens to Claire?
Claire (Bel Powley) was a surprise returning character this season. She anonymously sent Bradley information suggesting a massive cover-up about a story involving a chemical plant that poisoned animals and people, and UBN was involved in burying the story. She eventually reveals herself to Bradley, and together with the help of Chip (Mark Duplass) and eventually Yanko (Néstor Carbonell), they investigate deeper to see what they can uncover. The story is likely true, but it’s unclear who at UPN was involved in the cover-up, including Cory (Billy Crudup).
Bradley helps Claire by promising an interview on TMS where she can prove that she’s innocent. But Bradley gets cold feet at the last minute, knowing helping Claire evade capture will get her in trouble with the FBI. So, Bradley turns Claire in, and she’s seemingly sent to jail. It’s unclear what happens to Claire and if, after the scandal has been revealed, she is released or not.
4
Will Alex Ever Talk to Her Father More About Her Mother?
It was nice to see Alex and her father Martin (Jeremy Irons) come together by the end of the season, her father supporting her in a truly authentic way for arguably the first time ever. It’s evident that with the truth having been revealed about the history between Alex and her dad, they now have an opportunity to repair their relationship. But there’s a lot that was said in their massive blow-up in Episode 8, “The Parent Trap” that needs to be addressed further.
Will Alex talk more to her father about her mother’s postpartum depression? What’s more, Martin reveals that her mother ran away after her struggles, and he always resented Alex’s existence for breaking up his marriage. But he doesn’t confirm that her mother is dead. Could she still be alive? It would be fantastic to see an actor cast to play her.
5
Will Paul Realize Amanda’s Betrayal?
In the finale, Episode 10, “Knowing Violation,” Alex learns that Celine knows of her attempts to bribe a Russian oligarch to help get Bradley out of custody in Belarus. But she has no idea why. It’s revealed in Episode 9’s “Un Bel Di” that Paul’s (Jon Hamm) chief of staff, Amanda (Tig Notaro), is the one who tipped Celine off about what was going on. It’s unclear why, but it’s implied that it’s to protect Paul as Amanda believes that Alex is trouble.
She might have had good intentions, but it also seems as though Amanda and Celine have colluded in the past, so the extent of her betrayal is unclear. Fans want to see the moment Paul figures out who was the mole on his team and confronts her.
6
Will Alex and Paul Get Back Together?
There’s still clearly feelings between Alex and Paul. Now that he’s confirmed as single, and they have buried the hatchet, him declaring that they’re even, fans wonder if romance will resume. They seemed good together, and while he’s a ruthless and arrogant businessman, he appears to have a soft spot for Alex.
There are hints that something could start up again with them. It’s obvious both still care deeply about one another and the romantic feelings never truly subsided after what happened. Fans fully expect Paul to be a part of Season 5 when the show returns.
7
Will Cory Ever Catch a Break?
Cory’s story is one of the most heartbreaking on the show. He always seems to be wandering around trying desperately to earn respect he likely feels as though he doesn’t even deserve. His conversation with Miles in the season finale cut deep as Miles reveals to Cory that his mother Martha (Lindsay Duncan) paid off the EPA to fudge the numbers on the report in exchange for Celine helping Cory get a cushy job in a newsroom that he thought he earned. She did it for her son and clearly felt guilty about it, which is why she left him the evidence.
Cory now feels guilty for his mother’s death, even telling Alex he believes that he killed her because of what she did for his sake. She was unable to continue living with the guilt and couldn’t bring herself to confess to him. It was a massive hit on his confidence, along with the already deep cut of knowing that Bradley didn’t trust him and tried to find information on his phone to implicate him in the cover-up. Fans are happy Cory was a big part in taking down Celine and helping get Bradley released. He really needs a win both personally and professionally. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between him and Bradley upon her return, given that he clearly still loves her despite what she did.
8
How Will Bradley Recover From What She Went Through?
Bradley went through agonizing torture, forced to live in a cell where they pumped loud heavy metal music into the room for hours. They refused to turn down the lights so she could sleep. When she wouldn’t cooperate, they even at one point took the hard, metal bed they provided so she could only sleep on the floor. Nonetheless, she held her ground, refusing to give up her source so she didn’t put the innocent woman in danger or under suspicion for being involved in spy activity, which is presumably what the Belarus officials believed she was there for.
It took 35 days, more than a month, before she was released. That will do a number on anyone. As strong and resilient as Bradley is, we wonder how her journey to recovery goes after experiencing such a harrowing ordeal. It’s something that needs to be addressed in the show, one of the best shows on Apple TV, not glossed over. She’s likely to suffer from some form of PTSD and might need therapy to help her deal with what she went through.
