The third season of The Morning Show has been following the characters trying to secure the future of UBA. Cory tries to ensure a deal with Paul Marks’s Hyperion, which initially fails for a number of reasons. But then Alex arrives to save the company by bringing Paul back to the deal. The previous episode showed Alex interviewing Paul at his home. She questions him about using someone else’s (Stella’s) idea for his benefit. By the end of that day, he and Alex end up in a bed together. On the other hand, because of the interview, he decides to make up for his mistake. That’s why he offers Stella the CEO position after the deal is done. The Morning Show (Season 3) Episode 7 follows Cory bringing Bradley to meet a person crucial to making UBA’s potential sale happen. On the other hand, Paul and Alex have to face harsh reality on a glamorous night celebrating fashion.
Spoilers ahead.
The Morning Show (Season 3) Episode 7 “Strict Scrutiny” Recap:
Alex & Paul
After their eventful night post-interview, Alex (Jennifer Aniston) and Paul (Jon Hamm) keep getting increasingly closer to each other. They keep spending more time at his place and grow fond of him. To her surprise, he also cooks breakfast for her. She mentions that he has a habit of talking while asleep. That’s when he mentions someone named ‘Dana’. She thinks it is the woman who got away. He reveals it was the pet dog he had as a child. Then, he opens up about his feelings. He says he does not date as often, which surprises her.
Paul mentions how being divorced, a workaholic, and a control freak does not allow him to get close to people. Alex reminds him how she is the same and how her daughter left her to live with her father because she couldn’t stand her. Paul still admires that Alex stayed in the same marriage for about 20 years. Eventually, they start getting ready for their event at night, celebrating fashion. They both agree not to disclose their relationship and be friendly without going overboard.
Cory’s Connecticut Meeting
Cory (Billy Crudup) pushes his team to fast-forward their work on the UBA deal. Leonard (Stephen Fry) interrupts that meeting to bring Cory’s attention to another topic. He expects Cory to speak with a woman who may cause an issue in UBA’s potential sale. Cory says he will talk to her. He walks back to his office to learn that Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) is there. So, he walks inside and asks her to join him for his meeting in Connecticut. He stresses its importance for UBA’s future. Since Bradley has to take care of the evening news, Cory mentions they will return before then. So, she agrees to tag along.
Cory drives Bradley to a suburban house and waits for a few moments to muster up some courage. Then, he walks up to the door and knocks on the door. Bradley is surprised after realizing that it is Cory’s mother. Eventually, they start discussing the details of his SEC filings. She mentions how undervalued their content library is, and he notes its intent for the shareholders. Eventually, he starts praising her, which seems like his attempt to butter her up. Upon his request, she brings Bradley to her office and speaks as if they are going to stay there for a few more hours.
Bradley’s Apprehension
Bradley says she needs to leave soon to do her evening news. It upsets her that Cory came for just a short visit. Cory blames Bradley for saying they will leave soon, which baffles her even more. He walks out to speak with his mother. She reminds him how he hasn’t met her in a long time. He gives in to her wishes and decides to stay for the dinner. But it does not sit well with Bradley, who thought they would leave quickly after. He reveals that he has already created arrangements for someone else to host the evening news. But she eventually accepts it as a part of her job.
Cory’s mother speaks with Bradley about her relationship with Laura. Bradley talks about how they drifted apart during the pandemic but have decided to give it another shot. It surprises Cory’s mother a bit because she believes Bradley and Cory have been together since he brought her along.
Stella’s Job Prospects
Despite a while after the coverage in Mariupol, Mia (Karen Pittman) does not receive any news about Andre. She starts getting worried for his safety and whether he could escape that time. But her point-of-contact, Pavlo refuses to provide any response. Meanwhile, Amanda (Tig Notaro) meets Stella (Greta Lee) to hand over a document with details about her job offer. Stella discusses with her team whether the offer is good for her career. They mention how this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is adequate, considering she has no quotes.
Jon Hamm in “The Morning Show,” now streaming on Apple TV+.However, the team mentions the risky factors to consider. If Stella accepts this proposal and the deal goes out, no one will hear about it. But there is a possibility that Cory might learn about it from somewhere else. So, signing the deal would mean either she or Cory will stay in UBA. At the latter event, Stella tells Mia about the possibility of her replacing Cory as UBA’s CEO. A part of her also feels like she is betraying Cory, who has also been good to her. But Mia makes her realize that she needs to seize the opportunity since white men often do not leave their positions of power on their own.
The Fashion Event
A journalist asks Christina (Nicole Beharie) about the inclusion-based developments in UBA post her interview in Cybil. Chris mentions that they are in progress and is hopeful that they will come into practice. When Paul arrives, he and Alex continue to pretend as if they do not know each other besides their professional relationship. Eventually, she invites Chris to tag along in the photo – maybe just to showcase their support for diversity. After some time, she hears shocking news – a news outlet is threatening to share a photo of her and Paul kissing at his house. Paul says he will kill the story.
On the other hand, Stella cannot stop thinking about her job offer. While speaking about it on her phone, she sees her old friend Kate at the front counter – the same one she met shortly before. Kate mentions that she lost her job at the Hyperion. During their conversation, she realizes that the UBA-Hyperion deal is going to be fruitful for Stella. She mentions how Paul will keep making Stella do things the way he wants. That’s why she does not want Stella to accept his schemes and be more perceptive. But instead of taking Kate’s doubts seriously, Stella dismisses her.
The Morning Show (Season 3) Episode 7 “Strict Scrutiny” Ending Explained:
During the dinner, Cory’s mother talks about Cory’s past and how she expected him to have bigger ambitions. Bradley brings up the subject of her calls with the DOJ – which is primarily why they had come to meet her. Cory’s mother does not think that Paul is a great choice to run a media company, considering his several political associations. Cory tries to defend the deal, saying his attorneys have gone through it all. It upsets his mother. Soon after, one thing leads to another, and he starts playing the piano. They both start singing along, which makes Bradley emotional.
It reminds her of her mother, whom she lost during the pandemic. She could not even see her during that time. After hearing that, Cory’s mother senses how Cory has been trying to manipulate Bradley all night. So, she asks him to keep her distance from Cory. She also mentions that Cory should be alone and deserves to be alone. On their way back, Bradley asks him to speak to her if he wants to, as a friend. He cynically says that they are not friends but just people who keep using each other for their benefit. The news states that the Supreme Court is overturning Roe v Wade and ending abortion rights.
Does Paul manage to kill the news about him and Alex?
Paul asks Amanda to stop the leak of his private photo with Alex. But Amanda makes him realize how no threats worked on the news outlet. Besides, buying the company just to bury the photo will eventually come back to bite him in the future. So, she tells him the facts straight and clearly, as he expected her to while hiring her. Meanwhile, Chris gets furious about the court verdict and shares a provocative post on her social media, speaking against it. While Bradley speaks about this issue, the UBA has to decide how to tackle Chris’s post.
Does Stella accept her CEO position?
After much thought and consideration, Stella decides to come clean to Cory. She talks about Paul’s offer, by which she will replace Cory after the deal. Cory says she should sign the proposal and build some trust with Paul. He thinks it is Paul’s way of playing with his mind. However, he gets so upset by this issue that he takes out his anger on someone else. When Leonard asks him whether he took care of the problem regarding the DOJ fiasco, Cory tells him to get the board in line right behind him. It seems like Cory has lost patience and isn’t going to hear anyone’s grievances anymore.
On the other hand, Alex returns to her office after the party to speak with Chip (Mark Duplass) about their next piece. He has all the work ready before she can even begin to speak about it. Eventually, he leaves her office. Then, Paul walks up there to speak about the verdict and their photo. He mentions he has to get on a plane soon. By then, Chip gets a call from Mia. She asks him to check whether Alex can anchor the next day. He walks back to Alex’s office to see her and Paul kissing each other. It pains him to see them together.
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