‘The Morning Show’ Recap: ‘No One’s Gonna Harm You, Not While I’m Around’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

If there is one universal truth about truth, it would have to be that it will always come out in the end. Because no matter how hard someone works to cover up the facts or keep the truth in the dark, once a sliver of it finds the light, it slowly seeps out and makes itself apparent and it is quickly becoming clear that this particular fact is going to play a part in The Morning Show as season one continues along. For the Mitch Kessler investigation has already started to expose that his transgressions were grounded in a toxic culture that encouraged and nurtured this kind of inappropriate behavior and it just so happens that the next episode in this powerful series, saw more truth begin to seep out, despite UBA’s best efforts to keep it in the shadows. 
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Something that came about in ‘No One’s Gonna Harm You, Not While I’m Around’ by way of the fact that The New York Times was preparing an exposé piece on the whole Kessler mess. Something that Mitch himself got wind of, which motivated him to drop by UBA and the TMS studios in the hopes of buttering up his old team in person so that someone would stand up for him in the article, giving him some sense of vindication since his plans heretofore to clear his name had gone down in flames. But instead his plea fell upon deaf ears, simply because everyone at the studio knew such a move would be a poor choice on their part, since Mitch was outright radioactive thanks to his transgressions and standing up for a guilty party is always a bad idea, and he left the network with his tail between his legs and little to say to Bradley when she pressed him on who else knew about his actions. 

But while Mitch’s desperate visit went nowhere and fast, there was mention of the fact that UBA was all about keeping the truth hidden from the masses and Mitch’s surprise appearance put the network into overdrive on making that happen. Because Fred and Cory and everyone in legal were on the phone with the Times almost immediately after he left, in the hopes of coming to understand just how damning this report was going to be, and whether or not they could potentially minimize the damage and well, this was just stunning to watch. Because Fred was pushing for a little quid pro quo, the kind where the network would provide the Times a juicy nugget in exchange for keeping the most damning truth out of the article. Something that the paper wasn’t inclined to go with and what made this so powerful, is the sheer fact that it really hammers home how corporate interests will take priority over morality and the gravity of this moment was extended far beyond this conference call.

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Because someone was left out in regard to this call and that someone was Chip. Something that made him realize that he was likely going to take the fall in this particular instance so the network could come out smelling like a rose after offering up a sacrificial lamb and he was having none of that, and he quickly reached out to some old friends at the Times so he too understand exactly how devastating this report was going to be. And his meeting with the editor confirmed his worst fears and brought about a measure of begging from Chip, all in the hopes of keeping the job he loves and to make sure that the finger was pointed at the proper culprits, and that move, along with a salty conversation with Fred over his lack of inclusion upon the call and the obvious plan to make Chip the patsy, did wonders for Mister Black’s career. For Fred finally called the Times and offered up Mitch’s little visit on a silver platter, deflecting the story back upon Mister Kessler.
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Which made it seem as though this whole matter was going to be buried in sweet and simple fashion, meaning that life would soon return to normal at the network. But that simply isn’t going to be the case at all. Because as mentioned before, the truth always finds a way to the surface, and when one considers that Bradley’s night out with the girls revealed some serious tensions over this whole mess, the kind that prompted Mia to back away from commenting on it further in a moment that made it seem as though she had a lot more to say about her time with Mitch, and that Mister Kessler is furious over what the Times printed; it’s only going to be a matter of time before confessions and admissions pour out for the public eye to see. And hopefully UBA and the executives who let this happen, pay the piper at last when that happens.

If anything, all of these elements made for one supremely unique episode. Because you just don’t see shows in this vein, taking the time to show the cutthroat nature of network T.V. or how far corrupt executives are willing to go to cover their butts when the going gets tough. But this story did not shy away from that in the slightest, and it also found a way to add a little character development into the mix as well by allowing for us to spend time with Bradley and Alex after hours, and see a little more of what makes them tick in a looser setting and it should be interesting to see where their relationship goes now that Alex feels attacked by Bradley’s questioning of her involvement in this mess, and also how Ms. Jackson handles the return of her father into life. In the end, it’s just inherently clear that this episode was designed to set the stage for some seriously big moments down the line and it will be amazing to see all of this come together as we enter the second half of this show’s inaugural season. Until next time.

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