‘The Morning Show’ Season 3: Aniston, Witherspoon and Hamm Deliver Powerhouse Performances from the Get-Go

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

The Morning Show on AppleTV+ is finally back and, from the looks of things, we’re in for a great season.

“Fast forward” to 2022 and our favorite cast is now living and semi-thriving in a semi-post-Covid world. Not that we didn’t love seeing Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) livestream her horrific Covid symptoms on UBA, but we’re more than happy to leave that storyline in the past.

Season three starts with some major changes. Alex is going into space and now has her own interview show at UBA (in addition to her job on The Morning Show). Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) is on the evening news and receiving journalism awards. And Bradley’s former lover (sorry, Bradley-Laura shippers) Laura Peterson (Julianna Margulies) is on a rival network with Audra Khatri (Mindy Kaling).

Changes aside, the drama is…pretty subdued to start with. UBA is having money troubles, Alex wants more equity in the network and Bradley is unhappy with what she’s allowed to report on. So, business as usual.

But the premiere seems to be setting us up for a great season, mainly thanks to two important changes: 1. Alex and Bradley’s relationship. 2. The arrival of Jon Hamm.

In one of the biggest surprises of the premiere episode, the fighting between Alex and Bradley has dissipated. The first episode shows them friendly, bonding, having each other’s backs—things we definitely couldn’t rely on in the early seasons. Something tells us this calm won’t last, but we’re thrilled to see them fully on the same team. (And we’re thrilled to enjoy the masterclass in acting that we get every time Aniston and Witherspoon appear on screen together.)

In a clear shift in their relationship, Alex and Bradley are almost besties. Alex introduces Bradley for a prestigious award. Alex chases after Bradley to offer friendly advice when she storms off. And Bradley’s passion for a specific news story moves Alex so deeply that Alex ditches her own on-air plans to give the story its due.

Unlike in previous seasons, which often set Alex and Bradley against one another with screaming matchings aplenty, any potential conflict between the pair is quickly alleviated in episode one. When Bradley ditches Alex in the latter half of the episode and Alex appears to be stealing Bradley’s story, neither is mad at all. They simply wish the other the best. Changes indeed.

We love seeing this positive relationship between the two UBA anchors. It not only avoids falling into the trap of regurgitating previous season storylines (Alex and Bradley piss each other off, fight, apologize, make-up, repeat), but it sets us up for a season where the duo could be genuine allies in their effort to affect change (at the network and in the world).

The second delightful surprise of the season is the addition of Jon Hamm playing Paul Marks. Paul is the billionaire behind Hyperion One, the spaceship Alex is supposed to take a ride on. In their first one-on-one, Paul takes Alex off-roading (much to Alex’s chagrin). Are those sparks we sense? Aniston previously told Variety, “I think it’s time to see Alex find some love and some passion,” she said. “She could put the controls down and go into the vulnerability of opening up her heart, which I don’t think she’s ever really quite done.” *Fingers crossed*

While it’s possible Paul will become a love interest for Alex, it’s also likely that he’ll be the source of drama to come. He doesn’t seem to be a fan of Bradley in the later moments of the episode and he’s clearly making Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) work hard to seal a deal with UBA.

But more than that, Hamm is another powerhouse actor, adding to a show that is now led by a group of incredible performers. And as if seeing Aniston, Witherspoon and Hamm together weren’t enough, the supporting cast continues to be one of the best on television: Crudup, Margulies, Greta Lee, Holland Taylor, Karen Pittman (finally with a character worthy of her talents, unlike in season two of And Just Like That).

Episode one ends with a gasp-worthy moment of Wait…what just happened? But even beyond what is sure to be a quickly resolved cliffhanger, season three has us very excited for what’s to come. And the fact that the show has already been renewed for season four means this one is going to be a doozy.

PureWow Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Aniston, Witherspoon and Hamm are the best in the biz. And they’re delivering top-notch performances from the start. Season three promises both change (in the best way) and drama, and we’ll be diving into episode two immediately.

Episodes one and two are currently available on AppleTV+, with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.

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