«The Morning Show» - Series Review by Kinoafisha

Television is an incredibly entertaining and ruthless phenomenon in its own absurdity, and the most absurd of all that exists on American television is the religiously revered "The Morning Show." It's not just an Apple TV series but a format with annoyingly cheerful hosts, their faces frozen in insincere grins, and guests to match, exuding rosy optimism. Although it must be said that the new season of staged "The Morning Show" comes close to its original absurdity.

The first season seemed, if not captivating, at least socially relevant, managing to climb to the top of the television series ladder, fueled by the residual energy of #MeToo (a hashtag, not banned anywhere yet). At that time, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) - America's sweetheart, inspiring blue and white-collar workers from Los Angeles to New York to wake up and sing an ode to a new day - found himself entangled in a sex scandal. The reputation of his longtime co-host, Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), was also hit by the ricochet, as ambitious TV executive Corey Ellison (Billy Crudup), eager to lead the UBA network and displace the outdated pantheon, introduced a new partner - a sharp truth-seeker from Texas named Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon).

For two seasons, this cauldron of ingredients simmered, emitting a pleasant, unobtrusive aroma. Alongside the main dramatic collision - Mitch's realization of his own depravity and his colleagues' complicity - elements of corporate infighting (Alex against Bradley, Alex against Mitch, Bradley against Corey, etc.) and melodrama revealing the past of Alex and Bradley unfolded.

However, in the second half of the second season, Mitch derailed, mistaking a turn for a straight path, and with his demise, the main dramatic storyline came to an end, leaving behind the necessary temperature to stir the viewers' emotions.

I'm afraid that the first two episodes of the third season don't showcase her replacement. The showrunner of the series, Jay Carson, who once worked at the Clinton Foundation and played a role as a political consultant in "House of Cards," seems to have overlooked the loss of the fighter, continuing to tell the tales of media corporations' everyday hypocrisy and the looming (if not largest) capital with the naivety of a freshman. Corey, finally hatching her first egg - her own streaming service UBA - sets off to hatch the second - a deal to sell the company to the mega-magnate (with a rather non-capitalist surname) Paul Marx, played by John Hamm. The latter is clearly written with reference to our Elon Musk and hasn't made much of an impression in the first two episodes (we only find out that he enjoys off-roading and is trying to launch his own space program).

The rest remains unchanged. Corey weaves intrigues, someone from the board of directors unravels them, Bradley fights for the truth, Alex strives for a higher position, the entire vast supporting cast fights to keep their jobs by any means necessary. Overall, the plot emotionally and conceptually stagnates, moving almost mechanically. The horrors of media empires (among other things) were recently splendidly portrayed in "Succession." As a melodrama, "The Morning Show" also doesn't excel - the main characters' personalities still seem quite formulaic. The plot of the second episode, dedicated solely to a cyber attack on UBA, conceived by either the "Russians," or supporters of the Proud Boys and the Capitol March, or Marx (or Engels), doesn't shake things up. Some personal videos surface, causing great concern, yet the ship is still not sailing.

In essence, the third season feels and appears rather dull, and watching it seems to be done purely out of inertia, just as it was written.