‘The Morning Show’ Recap: ‘Open Waters’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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The truth is something that each and every one of us seek out often in our lives. Simply because the old saying about how it sets us free, rings true. For when we uncover the facts about something that is supremely important to us, we are able to see the world in a whole new light, which can motivate us to make some healthy changes to our lives. But while we celebrate the quest for the truth and what it does for our future, we often forget that its outright pursuit can be quite messy for certain. Because when someone is hiding a truth that is important and potentially devastating, uncovering it can cause a lot of collateral damage. And all of this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because the difficulties that people face in regard to revealing the truth, served as the focal point of the next episode of The Morning Show.
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For ‘Open Waters’ took the time to expand upon two key plot points that popped up in the previous tale. Specifically, the fact that Chip was ready to go the extra mile and put Fred’s involvement in the Mitch Kessler mess on display, and of course Bradley received that cryptic message from Mister Kessler himself at the end of that tale. Prompting the both of them to dive into those matters further in this episode, with fascinating results. For dear Chip was more or less advised to exercise caution in going after Fred. Simply because Fred has been in the game for a very, very long time, and likely knows how to cover his behind. Which is why Cory instead pushed for patience and investigation, so that Chip could quietly collect solid evidence, the kind that ties Fred to the Kessler incident without any doubt. Something that doesn’t sit right with Chip at first, but he does of course go along with the suggestion because what other choice does, he have? 

As for Bradley, well her search for the truth brought her face to face with Mitch and he had quite the proposition for her. Specifically, that he was ready to offer her the biggest interview of her young career, with him, wherein he would offer up an incredible exposé of the dirty deeds going on behind the scenes at UBA. A proposition that was quite temping up front because Bradley was fully aware of what this would do for TMS and her rising star. But at the same time, the offer felt hollow. As though Mitch was doing this only for Mitch, so he could exonerate himself by playing the victim and deflecting the blame and that gave Bradley pause. To the point where she felt she needed to ponder upon whether or not this was actually worth her while, or if it would cause more harm than good. Because such a move could send the network into a tailspin, costing her peers their jobs while also ruining the bond she just created with Alex.

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But while Chip and Bradley quickly came to understand how rushing toward the truth could cause all kinds of harm and chaos, an incident at work prompted them to reconsider their respectively conservative stances. Because Mia was unfortunately taking a lot of heat at UBA for her relationship with Mitch and her supposed responsibility for his termination. To the point where Chip had to fire someone on the spot for creating an unhealthy work environment. But that bold move didn’t teach everyone the lesson that was intended, which prompted Mia to just get on the microphone and tell the entire newsroom the truth about her relationship with Mitch, and what was on her mind in general in regard to the staff's garbage views of her. A move that spoke to the fact that sometimes, you have to be bold with the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it can be and no matter what kind of trouble it can cause, and that’s when Chip and Bradley changed course. 

For when Chip sat down with Maggie from The New York Times to talk about Bradley and her role on The Morning Show, he dropped a little nugget in regard to the whole mess, in the hopes of getting an intrepid reporter interested in the story. And while Maggie didn’t necessarily bite, the fact that it is out there now, in the NYT newsroom, could allow for this story to grow and grow quickly. But what matters the most, is that Bradley decided that the time had come to back up her talk about using the show as a force for good, one that can actually generate stories that engage and move an audience to action. Which meant the time had come to give Mitch an answer in regard to his offer, and her answer was yes. Provided of course that Mitch could back up his claims with a verifiable source, which motivated him to approach Hannah. Whom he believed used an intimate moment between the two of them as a way to get ahead at UBA.

Which is quite the surprise to end this particular tale with, since Hannah has always kept her nose to the grindstone in this particular story. But this revelation does fill in some gaps as to why she was rattled by seeing Yanko and Claire together, and how HR found out about their relationship. But while any questions we have about Mitch and Hannah will likely be answered down the line, what matters more is that this particular tale did a fine job of exploring how tough it is to dig for the truth sometimes. Especially when futures are on the line, and the subtle fashion in how this was explored, allowed for some fascinating and powerful moments to take place. Either way, it’s clear that now that the endgame is in sight for season one. For this particular tale set the stage for a grand showdown between Mitch and the network and it should be quite interesting to see how that particular battle is going to go and what other revelations will come to light as we barrel toward the season one finale. Until next time.    

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