‘The Morning Show’: Who’s Returning For Season 2
The 2019 newsroom drama The Morning Show is returning this Fall. The first season of the show took the audience through the workings of a newsroom impacted by events as if almost in real-time. The show garnered many praises and gained many fans, who have been eagerly waiting for the second season. After the break of two years, the show is finally returning on Apple TV+. Here’s a look at who will be returning and who has joined the cast this season.
Who will be returning?
The 10-episode season was headlined by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Aniston played Alex Levy, the co-host of a morning show navigating her career in a rapidly changing newsroom environment and Witherspoon played the role of Bradley Jackson, an intuitive reporter whose actions had lasting impacts on the newsroom. With the two Friends alums, the show got a massive reception among their fans and it is no surprise that both of them will be returning for season 2.
The ensemble of the show also boasts the likes of Steve Carell and Billy Crudup, along with Mark Duplass, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean Terry, Tom Irwin, and Janina Gavankar. All of whom, with the exception of Mbatha-Raw, will be returning for season two as well.
Carell, who played the role of Mitch Kessler, the ex-co-host of The Morning Show who got fired amidst sexual misconduct allegations will also resume his role in the second season. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter after season one, the show’s co-creator Kerry Ehrin had attributed Kessler’s return in season two to further explore his character.
“He is kind of a monster. What I did not want to portray him as was an obvious monster. And I guess it gets into semantics of, what is a monster?” Ehrin said. She questioned which degree of monster Kessler was.
“I think he is a damaged person who is narcissistic, who has not thought of people around him as human beings. He’s thought of them as people who, in a variety of ways, served his purposes. Is that a monster? That depends on your definition of a monster — but it’s definitely a shitty human being!”
Who will be joining?
Along with the old cast members, the second season will also include some new faces. The Good Wife actor Julianna Margulies will be joining the cast as Laura Peterson, an acclaimed journalist, and mentor to Bradley.
The show will add another Emmy Award-winning actor to the cast in the form of Holland Taylor. Apart from her, the show will also welcome a host of talented actors. Hasan Minhaj, the comedian known for his Netflix show Patriot Act, Tara Kersian who previously has appeared on American Horror Story are joining the show.
Russian Doll actor Greta Lee, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It actor Ruairi O’Connor and Valeria Golino, an Italian actor and director will also add to the talented roaster of actors on the show.
Where did season 1 end?
In a classic fashion, season one ended on a cliffhanger. Alex and Bradley, with the help of their newly appointed boss Cory Ellison, played by Billy Crudup, do rogue on-air, to tell the truth about the corrupt practices prevalent in their broadcast network. They address the abuse of power in the network, their ex-colleague Kessler’s sexual misconduct allegations and Alex even admits to her own complicity. Their takedown, however, is cut short when they’re taken off-air.
The second season will explore the situation in the aftermath of the aired segment. While Alex seems to have chosen to leave the show, Bradley is wading the waters after standing up for the truth.
While the teaser gave a glimpse of what can be expected from the show, the full picture will only be clear once the show returns on Sep. 17 on Apple TV+.
