I’m a self-proclaimed cynic who’s gasping for air under the weight of now countless streaming services. And, I honestly saw no point in subscribing to yet another one — Apple TV. Until I came across what could perhaps be the best series of 2019 — The Morning Show.
Agreed, a tall claim to make. But what initially looks like subscriber bait with its idiot-proof A-list cast (Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell, and so on) immediately takes you by surprise and hooks you in.
While a show about a TV show may sound like just another run-of-the-mill cookie-cutter story, The Morning Show is so much more. Set against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, the show delves deep into the aspects that are often omitted in our inherent herd mentality.
A popular morning news show is hit by a meteor in the form of a MeToo allegation against one of its most beloved presenters. What follows is a struggle to rebrand, rebuild, and still emerge unscathed in what could be the most captivating 8+ hours of TV streaming of 2019.
The show gives you a masterfully crafted tight story. However, it is the smaller yet nuanced conversations, debates, and silent powerful performances that really make the show a brilliant watch.
Set in its own little flashy fictional world, one would assume the show would be yet another glossy representation of TV through a TV gaze. But it surprises you at every turn. At one point just a 2-minute conversation subtly takes you into a complex political debate without even making a grand statement.
Watching Jennifer Aniston give you a masterclass in acting genuinely makes one feel as though FRIENDS did a disservice to the actors’ tremendous range. What’s even better than Aniston’s stand-out performance is the stunning chemistry she shares with Reese Witherspoon. Each time the two are on screen together, they are somehow able to blow your mind every single time. While the show may loosely be about the man in question, in essence, it without a doubt belongs to Aniston and Witherspoon.
Not only is the main cast fabulous, even the minor characters are built with finesse bringing out each of their different shades in a visibly grey spectrum.
In just 8 episodes, the show has become a frontrunner in the best of 2019 list across platforms. The Morning Show mixes the right amount of drama, nuance, and dark humour to make one of the most engaging shows of the year. With stellar performances and a well-told story, this is a show one most definitely must not miss.
All images are screenshots from the show.
