Meanwhile,Morning Wars continues its survey of personal politics. Alex,now applauded as a #MeToo champion,is endeavouring to keep details of her history with Mitch secret and,when she returns to work,busies herself apologising to people she hurt or betrayed. Mitch is in self-imposed exile in a waterside villa in Italy and seems reflective and remorseful. Yet,on this show,apologies don’t necessarily mean much. They might be sincere,but they could also be attempts to disarm the opposition so that the apologist can move on.
In that way,and several others,the drama resembles the equally addictiveSuccession,whose eagerly anticipated third season is due to land on 18 October (Foxtel,Binge). Both series feature groups of avidly ambitious people fighting for prime position in high-stakes environments.
A staff dinner party in Cory’s hotel reveals a fractious assortment of mistrustful guests harbouring deeply felt resentments in an early episode of Morning Wars’ second season.Credit:Apple TV+
“They all want to win,” sayMorning Wars′ director and executive producer Mimi Leder of her show’s characters,and the dynamics of their interactions are gripping. Bradley’s tough but not always pragmatic. She thinks she’s battle-hardened,having fought her way up from a local-news beat in West Virginia,but she’s a newbie in the Manhattan big league. The relationship between her and her sometime-ally,network CEO Cory Ellison (a perfectly cast Billy Crudup),is continually shifting. He’s a smooth operator,a wily silver-tongued manager who massages egos and manipulates people.
Returning network heroine Alex outwardly remains a consummate pro:impeccably dressed,immaculately groomed,poised and polished to perfection,although her glossy veneer comes across like protective body armour. This season,through a storyline involving a colleague she’d previously played for her own advantage,African-American weekend anchorman Daniel Henderson (Desean K. Terry),the question of racial discrimination becomes more prominent.
The second season is also notable for its addition of strong,shrewd female characters. Among the newcomers are Stella (Greta Lee),the recently appointed young Asian-American network news president;Paola (Valeria Golino),a feisty Italian documentary maker;and Laura Peterson (Julianna Margulies),a network star who specialises in prime-time interviews.
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As inSuccession,the plush,oh-so-civilised environments frequented by the characters – luxury homes and hotel rooms,swank restaurants – are at odds with the brutal behaviour inside them. A dinner party in Cory’s hotel suite for his staff reveals a fractious assortment of mistrustful guests harbouring deeply felt resentments. And again,as inSuccession,their words can cut like daggers.
As it addresses the contentious subject of sexual harassment,the series also continues to probe related matters in this media hot-house,including the gap between public faces and private lives,and the compromises that characters are prepared to make to get ahead. It’s a fascinating study of power games.
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