The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 9 Review: ‘Un Bel Di’

The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 9 is an entertaining, tense, and — dare I say — smart use of the series’ unfinished business. Bradley Jackson’s trip to Belarus takes a dramatic turn when she’s arrested at the airport and may face serious charges. So, when Alex Levy gets told to wait for the State Department to negotiate, she does exactly the opposite of waiting and takes matters into her own hands. Unlike the season premiere, which remains one of the most nonsensical hours this series has done, the way the story unfolds here makes sense. You need to appeal to oligarchs? Well, it’s a good thing that Alex has a billionaire who still cares about her (in spite of Season 3’s mess) and might be able to make some kind of deal. And Alex doesn’t magically save the day either. She does, however, make a great effort.

In an outcome that’s frustrating in all the right ways, she gets ever so close. When Dmitri Ivanov initially turns down an offered deal that centers on him making a phone call in exchange for saving his mistress’ acting career, things look realistically bleak. But Mia (a very smart choice to bring her along, given her language skills!) overhears a conversation that seems to indicate Ivanov’s holding out for more. So, Alex uses that connection with Paul Marks one more time, proposes a flagrantly illegal plan that’s just insane enough to work…and then…it doesn’t. Not for lack of trying, or because the bribe isn’t strong enough, but because all the money and power Alex needed to get Bradley back was right there at UBN to begin with — working against her every step of the way.

What might just make all of this absurdity some of the smartest storytelling The Morning Show has done in Season 4 is simply this: Put aside the brilliant acting (that scene at the coat check! Mia and Alex’s moment at Alex’s place!), and you have a story that, at every opportunity, warns viewers about what’s coming. The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 9 never once insults anyone’s intelligence by making them believe this battle is going to end up anything other than lost. We know Celine says to defer to the always-slow government negotiators because she’s buying herself time. Additionally, we know her visit to Cory, whether there are true friendly elements to it or not (I’d say there are), is somehow a chess move on her part.

But wait! There’s more! When Alex first approaches Paul for the world’s biggest favor, he tells her, “or better yet. Call your friend Celine Dumont. Her whole family owns half of France. She must know someone.” Yes, in fact, she knows plenty of people — and we know this! In the previous episode, she even made a deal with Bro to help him with a Senate run in exchange for helping her (actual) bro. Even the aria this episode draws its title from, which we hear throughout the whole doomed affair, is a message. We can dream of a reunion all we want, but it’s not coming. Not now, maybe not by the end of this story at all.

If you’re Alex Levy, that probably applies in more ways than one. See also: Paul.

None of this is to say that this penultimate episode spoon-feeds us its ending. Instead, it foreshadows the inevitable while daring us to hope for a miracle. Whether or not a viewer picks up on all of the red flags, though, it’s kind of a blast to get dragged along for the ride. The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 9 ‘Un Bel Di’ is proof that you can embrace the more unhinged aspects of this series and still manage to keep it all grounded in a way that stays entertaining, that makes a viewer actually root for the flawed characters on the screen. If only it hadn’t taken so many missteps — many of which still haven’t been dealt with despite only the finale being left.

MORE: Beginning with Episode 2, Alex Levy has actually been a believable hero for most of the season. Much, much more believable than in Season 3.

More The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 9 reactions

Arguably, the success of this episode rests on the chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and Jon Hamm, paired with the extra level of confidence and composure (and no Fs given) Karen Pittman has brought to Mia ever since she didn’t get that Head of News gig. But Marion Cotillard is not to be overlooked. When Celine hears Bradley was in Europe “chasing a story,” that slight narrowing of the eyes before turning away so nobody could see her flinch was a whole episode’s worth of information in and of itself.
The camera work in that moment was brilliant, too. Alex, a blur in the background while we hear the rest of the conversation but only fully get to focus on Celine, calculating…wow.
Ok but Chimney from 9-1-1 is always a welcome sight here. (But also a confusing one.)
“Oh, God. She asked for institutional support and cover for her travel. And I said no.” Aniston’s delivery on that last part is so painfully emotional.
“I want to see any Bradley Jackson package before it runs. Nothing goes out until we’re ready.” Both the right move to avoid conspiracies and gossip…and good for her to be able to be in complete control. Best written character this season? Or at least the most consistently well written…
“You should’ve stayed gone…you were free.” Poor Mia. That little hurt reaction, right before Layla continues with the “you were free” part, is everything.
“You have an idea.” The little pause from Aniston before the “uh…no I don’t” is a great choice here. Also a big fan of that eyeroll and “F— me” after Chip presses her because he knows her and can see those wheels turning in her head, obviously. (TL;DR Aniston and Duplass are great together, as always.)
This woman looks like she’s going to her own execution.
And the rocking back and forth while she waits for Paul. Ouch.
“Bradley’s being detained in Belarus.” And then, Paul Marks became a better Blinking Guy gif than the original one.
“Every time I see your highlights, I know the sky’s about to fall.”
“Trust me, Paul, I hate this. I hate that I have to come here and ask for your help. I really do. I’m very sorry. But all they keep telling me is that I have to sit tight and be patient and let the professionals handle it. But they’re not handling it. And if she gets thrown in prison and stuck there, it’s my fault.” The longer this goes on, the more desperate she sounds. That “it’s my fault” piece is…a lot.
Can we talk about Tig Notaro for a second? Because check out the many times Amanda looks about ready to take Paul aside for a secretive little warning, or cut in during the conversation to cut it down, only to do none of that. But there’s a real sense that this is more than just business, that Amanda knows things. Super well done — clear, without being so clear as to ruin the reveal of Amanda and Celine’s call at the end.
You know, I think another thing that works here is how well Hamm uses those over-the-top facial expressions to react to the news. Paul is a great stand-in for the viewer when he hears about this strange situation (except, you know, for the whole being a billionaire thing). The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 9 kind of…telling viewers “hey, we get it. This is nuts. Roll with it” through his reactions actually makes it easy to do exactly that — roll with it.
“You cannot get involved with her.” “I know, I know.” Narrator: And he didn’t care.
Nicole Beharie.
No, really. That’s the comment. Nicole Beharie.
Well. Beharie and Denise Milfort, both showcasing two very different flavors of “overcome with emotion” when Chris gives her medals to Elaine. And poor Chris has to do this on live TV, where she can’t fully break down — but Beharie makes the right choices on when and where to let more of that hurt show through the control.
Oh. Celine trying to sow doubt with Chip backfires a bit, I think. He clearly picks up on what she’s trying to do, and there’s only one logical reason why she would.
The scene where Mia catches Chip in Bradley’s dressing room is another interesting one, with fascinating acting choices. Just two people, trying so very hard to feel each other out for information and try to decide if they can trust one another after all these years. Mia being the first one to show her cards — since she knows something but doesn’t know what because she’s too smart (and Chip’s a bad liar/sneak) — isn’t a sign of giving in either. It’s a sign of her winning. (Which is confirmed when she shows up at Alex’s.)
“I just leveraged the Head of News for a pod deal. My villain era is in full swing. Soo?”
“Well, I felt winter coming, so I thought I’d try hibernating. It didn’t work. I don’t know how the bears do it.” He gets me.
The way Cotillard tilts that head back and lets out that sigh of relief after Cory both says nobody’s visited him and doesn’t pick up on Celine’s too-casual question about his “…friends” coming by, though.
Also: This is messed up. Dude just lost his mom. He’s obviously still wrecked. Celine, girl, you’re the bad guy here.
She looks almost sick at the end of that call, making it seem like maybe she knows this is wrong and hates doing it, though? Hm.
The way this conversation between Alex and Mia is acted, filmed, and edited is top notch. From a character standpoint, it’s good that even though Alex is sincere in her apology and honest about why she wasn’t there for Mia, she doesn’t get off too easy. Yes, Mia forgives her and helps with Operation Oligarch (as I’m going to stupidly go ahead and call it), but she doesn’t make that conversation easy. Because it shouldn’t be.
“I’m just so sorry.” “Well, you should be.” Exactly.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how good Mia and Alex look?
“Well, when you say it like that…” “No big deal!” Another good place where The Morning Show doesn’t treat the audience like we’re stupid: Alex joking about how she can’t say why she’s nervous, then laying out all the insanity before she and Mia have a laugh over it. Probably goes without saying that Aniston and Pittman do a really strong job of bringing that humor to such a dramatic scenario, but I’ll go ahead and say it just in case.
This is flagrantly effing ridiculous, but it’s fun.
I hate myself for it, especially considering how things turn out in the end, but I maybe have to ship Cory and Celine. They are awful people. She has a disgusting, inhuman amount of money and power with which to do awfulness. And yet. These quiet scenes they have together while all the intensity is building up elsewhere are so full of longing and vulnerability. And chemistry.
Stunning work from Billy Crudup as he plays Cory in that grieving, lost state.
“Sometimes, I feel like she cares more for her work than she does for me.” “I know the feeling.” Hm. Yeah, I bet Paul does.
…but what is it with literally every man on this show having this beef with literally every woman he dates?
One thing Alex Levy is going to do is slip into being whatever she needs to be to get the job done. Rich dude needs an unassuming, non-threatening, “aw, shucks” type of approach to telling him about Bradley being “stuck at an airport” because of a “slight understanding”? Done.
“What do you think’s going to happen? They’re gonna grant your wish and she’s gonna come home? No, that…that’s not how it works.”
“I know, I know, I know. But we just…can we please try? We’re so close.” Aniston has always been great at the big, romantic “heart on her sleeve” type of moment, and well. Here it is again.
“So, you wanna launder a tech deal through your ex-girlfriend? Wow. I did not have that on my bingo card.” Same.
But like. Why would anyone want the AI slop ~~at all~~ after that very public meltdown?
“Look, I am trying to put my life back together here, ok? There is a karmic debt that needs to be repaid, and it is collecting interest.” Not me rooting for these two and for this man, specifically, when I spent all of last season pi**ed off that this was a character I was being asked to see as anything other than a societal evil that shouldn’t exist.
“Let’s not waste it.” The way he whips his head around at that…
Can’t believe she’s going through Cory’s mom’s box…but also very much can. And it makes what she’s doing so much worse to fully believe there’s something genuine between the two characters.
That shot of Alex looking up at Paul. Whew.
But the image of Alex alone in front of that opera house, with the red carpet giving the impression of blood almost, is a favorite. The visuals in this hour are just top tier across the board. But something about that isolated moment heightens that tension, that waiting, and eventually the devastation.
Same goes for Alex leaving as Paul just gets swallowed up by the crowd and has to watch.
The simple details of the way Aniston braces herself against the couch, and Duplass looks totally not even present in the room, really give away how much each of their characters feels the weight of their failure here.
“The truth is dangerous, and what we do here matters. And no amount of artificial intelligence or social media can replace that. When a journalist is imprisoned, it’s because someone wants them silenced. We will not let that happen to Bradley. We will keep this story on the air for as long as it takes. This is day one. We don’t stop reporting until she comes home.” Nice sentiment. Too bad the person who wants Bradley silenced, and the reason Operation Oligarch failed, is running the show.
“They’ll keep trying to get her back.” “They can try.” I…would not want to try against someone capable of that level of determination. What a moment for Cotillard.
I have so many questions about that last look at Cory. Like, is he going to be the one to save the day? Or something more on brand?
Too bad Celine didn’t get what she came over and played with his feelings for, huh.
…I’m still very WTAF and “what even was the point” with Alex’s heroics in the premiere, though. Also still not the biggest fan of a couple of other plot points, but let’s see how it all comes together in the finale.