the following contains some spoilers for season four of the unhinged and delightful television program The Morning Show

1. Is this even a show about the making of a morning show anymore? This thought actually comes by way of my wife, who asked this rather leading question. My wife does not watch The Morning Show herself so much as absorb it through osmosis by being in my general vicinity whilst I watch. From what I can tell, this is actually a pretty good way to experience this show. The answer, of course, is no. It is not really about the making of a morning show or television at all. It is about power, and the television industry is just sort of there as a lens through which to tell its story. My wife accurately observed it’s basically a soap opera at this point, and I agree, but also would argue…it’s basically Shakespeare.

2. This show’s ability to burn through a story that would take another show a full season to get through in just ONE episode? Admirable

3. You know, I support the removal of Julianna Margulies from this program after the heinous things she said and I do respect when a show refuses to perform blatant fanservice, but really, NO major lesbian storylines this season?! When like 65% of the viewership of this program are Lesbians Still On Twitter? There’s that one moment at the staff karaoke pizza party between minor characters, but that’s…it?!

4. I used to think Reese Witherspoon was bad at playing queer, but I think the problem is actually that she doesn’t really have sexual chemistry with any of her romantic interests on the show…Cory/Bradley felt so lazy from a plotting perspective, but maybe it would have worked better with better chemistry, and I don’t think Crudup was the issue! I say this as a lesbian: That man could have sexual chemistry with a paper plate!

5. We’re really gonna give Claire Conway a mullet and make her an environmental activist who spends her parents’ blood money on climate justice battles and NOT give her a GIRLFRIEND?

6. Alex Levy’s father explains sooooooo much about Alex Levy.

7. Cory Ellison’s mother explains sooooooo much about Cory Ellison.

8. Should I chop my hair into a bob? This thought actually recurred several times throughout the season but most potently when Marion Cotillard’s Celine Dumont (evil Frenchwoman?! yes, please!) first appeared and then again when Mia got bobbed.

9. BILLY CRUDUP AWARDS CAMPAIGN STARTS NOW! Okay, specifically, I texted a group chat that includes my dear friend and The Morning Show scholar Christina Tucker the words: Billy Crudup deserves awards he’ll never get. Christina then informed me he does in fact have two Emmys so what more could I possibly want for him? To which I replied okay, but no, I mean for THIS show. Christina, again, a scholar in her field (Alex Levy Studies), informed me those two Emmys are for this show. Billy Crudup has won two Emmys playing Cory Ellison?! I’m sure I was gagged at the time of both wins, and I am gagged again. He’s the only actor with Emmys for this show! Unfortunately, I think he deserves another after this season…

10. Okay, well then upon that revelation, KAREN PITTMAN AWARDS CAMPAIGN STARTS NOW!

11. My cat, the esteemed Timmy Tomato, is largely uninterested in watching television. The only exception is when Jon Hamm is on-screen. When I was re-watching Mad Men with my wife, this led to a lot of screen-time for our son. I wondered if he might react to Paul Marks’ appearance midseason, and sure enough, Timmy Tomato was at least mildly intrigued and agrees with me that, ethical quandaries about Hamm playing a Morning Show-ified version of Musk aside, the Paul/Alex dynamic is indeed simmering.

12. On that note though, I know The Morning Show is borderline science-fiction in the ways it eschews realism, but I do find it troubling that they cast such a handsome man as the series’ tech multibillionaire when like the whole thing about billionaires is THEY’RE UGLY.

13. On the rare TMS realism front, I do love that this season portrayed the VERY REAL situation of a company over-investing in AI tech only for that AI tech to fail. Stella’s big ol’ AI demo flop was a season highlight for me. And I do believe Stella would be someone to go all in on AI!

14. I do find it interesting that Apple TV is home to several projects that range from skeptical of AI (The Morning Show) to fearful of AI (Sunny) to damning of AI (Pluribus). Meanwhile, Apple keeps rolling out AI products (though not as aggressively as other tech companies). I don’t know quite what to make of it yet…but sounds like a potential future essay.

15. Why did it take so long for us to get Cory/Celine?! This is actually the only pairing I’m invested in this season!

16. Oh no…do I need someone to find Cory/Celine fic for me?

17. Did Reese and Jen’s schedules simply not align for shooting this season? Why are they barely on screen together?

18. Tig Notaro’s character’s main personality trait being Hates Alex Levy is so funny.

19. I do think this show often tries to have it both ways in terms of acknowledging real-life events, like the genocide in Gaza and Covid and Trump’s general reign of terror etc. but also doesn’t want to actually meaningfully engage with those things and just sort of throws around buzzwords to feel timely without being particularly incisive. It mostly gets away with it? But there are times this season when it distracts more than anything.

20. Also distracting? Trying to shoehorn Yanko into the narrative!

21. The press conference scene in the finale is top-tier television.

22. This show always makes me yearn for the heyday of tumblr. The way I would be LIVING in the _Celine/Cory tag……….scary.

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!