This post contains details for the Season 3 finale ofThe Morning Show.
UBA may never be the same after Season 3 ofThe Morning Show.
You might be thinking, Alex?
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But hasnt she been Team Paul for a majority of the season?
Didnt she just take offense when Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) told her she thought Paul was shady?
She now realizes she needs to take Paul down.
But really, shes there to present a counteroffer.
Instead of selling to Paul, UBA should merge with another media company, NBN.
That would help them reduce costs and use the best from both networks to regroup.
Paul is very angry, but the board is enticed by the new offer.
Elsewhere, Bradley and Cory have a moment toward the end of the episode.
She says Cory once told her that he loved her, and she left.
As shes leaving, she runs into Cory.
Its sort of a goodbye, as they both know theyve got a lot to work through separately.
Bradley tells Cory she misses him, and hes nearly brought to tears.
CHARLOTTE STOUDT:I wanted to see a different side of Alex this year.
She had gone through essentially a near death experience at the end of Season 2.
I wanted to just turn that prism of Alex [to] see different sides of her.
I think she had a sense of, I actually know how to make this place better.
And I know that I know, and I should actually have some agency and authority in this.
As you say, she has no partner.
She has no allies.
Cory is still like No, youre just talent.
Bradley is very worried about an entirely different storyline that Alex knows nothing about.
I do think Paul is someone who is her match, but also sees her.
I think its kind of exciting for him.
He teaches her in a certain way how to destroy him.
STOUDT:I think its a great question and, probably, it will be difficult.
So I think its a dual thing.
Its both a loss and a gain for her just as a person.
So it isnt all loss.
[Shed] make a bargain with herself.
So I always knew I wanted her to cross a line.
The truth teller should tell a lie.
That felt like an important step in her UBA journey.
What are the potential consequences of that?
Will she protect Cory?
STOUDT:I think certainly were gonna see the consequences of walking into the FBI, for sure.
Therell be a very long break between seasons, so other adventures will have happened.
I dont know if well do a flashback episode again.
But you know, people will be in different places.
DEADLINE: What do you make of that moment between Bradley and Cory after her deposition?
His reaction to her saying I miss you was pretty intense.
STOUDT:I always say, to me, theyre Heathcliff and Cathy.
I think she really did want to be with Laura.
I think she wanted Laura to work out.
I think she is really drawn to Laura its not like that is a temporary stop in any way.
I think it was just who Laura is now and who Bradley is now cant happen.
But I never wanted to diminish that relationship.
I think theres some acknowledgement that theyve been through a lot together.
He did some bad things this year, and he needs to go on his own journey.
So there is something here, but its not maybe what the conventional expectation of their connection is.
I think that they both have to go on these separate journeys to become more whole people.
The separation is painful, but she hasnt forgotten what he did.
DEADLINE: Bradley doesnt seem to know whats next for her.
She seems very lost.
STOUDT:I think [shes grappling with], Can I forgive myself?
Is there a way to redeem myself?
How do I feel about what I did and why I did it?
She has to really go in deep and question herself.
I think its gonna be a long road back to feeling herself.
DEADLINE: Stella also stepped into her own this season.
Is she going to end up on top?
STOUDT:I think she certainly wants to be.
So thats kind of the story we wanted to tell there.
So what is she going to do [after] shedding that baggage?
Can she really fly now?
DEADLINE: Well, and who knows whats going to be happening with UBA.
STOUDT:I think mergers are always messy, whether theyre personal or corporate.
So, its always fun to play with that.
Whether that story isthestory is a question were wrestling with right now.
There are all sorts of things to talk about.
Were also trying to reflect the world…how many streamers can there be?
People getting laid off, that sort of stuff.
So we also just want to reflect whats actually happening in the media world.
Some people are doing very well, some people are doing less well.
Its like the Wild West.
DEADLINE: A corporate media merger might sound boring on the surface but it could be fascinating.
STOUDT:I think everybody loves inside baseball.
We all love to go into a world we dont know and find out the skinny.
Thats always really fun.
DEADLINE: What kind of research do you incorporate when youre trying to portray that kind of minutia accurately?
STOUDT:We just talk to a lot of different people.
We have a great mergers and acquisitions consultant, whos hilarious.
He had a small cameo on the golf course [in Season 3].
His name is Josh Cascade.
Obviously, we also talked with Brian Stelter, who wrote the book that inspired the show.
We talked a lot of people like, What are you hearing?
What does it feel like to be there?
STOUDT:I really take it off of what the show did their first two seasons.
I think it is fundamentally a show about womens agency and autonomy, really their bodily autonomy.
So it was a great thing to talk about this season.
We just look for what real life things can help us tell that emotional story of these specific characters.
How can it shed light on these particular people?
