Summary
While this brings a dramatic story, episode 7 highlights how the scope of the series is getting a little stagnated.
This recap of Apple TV+s The Morning Show season 2, episode 7, “La Amara Vita,” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the last episode.
Episode 7 brings an Italy-centric, pandemic-themed Mitch/Alex chapter. There’s been a lot of criticism aimed at the second season of The Morning Show, and while I enjoyed this episode, the scope is beginning to look stagnated.
The Morning Show season 2, episode 7 recap
Episode 7 begins with Paola watching footage of her practice interview with Mitch as the pair spend time together in quarantine. In the interview, Mitch talks about the world of being “replaceable.” Anyway, covid-19 is spreading wildly in Italy, and Mitch is thinking of going back home to his children. He asks Paola to delete the practice interview he did. He trusts her, but not the world. Paola initially protests but agrees to delete it.
Suddenly, Alex turns up to Mitch’s residence; he lets out a similar sigh from when Fred appeared. Alex is furious, and she asks Mitch why he told Maggie to “fuck off.” She wanted him to deny things. Mitch tells Alex that he’s done lying, but Alex becomes vicious with her words and explains that no one will respect her if they know she had sex with him. Mitch agrees to release a statement, but he’s dumbfounded that consensual sex with him could be the catapult of her career — it’s something he is struggling with.
Paola appears but quickly leaves the room as she can feel the tension. Alex is skeptical about why Paola is living with Mitch, but he tells her that she is a lovely woman and that he’s helping her with the documentary that she’s creating — he’s truthfully informing Alex that he isn’t sleeping with her. But Alex gets impatient and wants a real statement from Mitch, so asks for his new number and walks out. Paola tells Mitch not to leave it like that with her.
So Mitch chases after Alex and asks her to catch up with him. He admits to Alex that he was two-faced and lost track of what was important. Alex is unsure of how to respond. Mitch is desperate to convince her that he isn’t evil. There’s a lot of desperation between these characters.
Alex tries to book a private plane, but she learns they are all booked up, so she insists that she go to the airport and pay more for a seat. As she drives, she nearly falls asleep on the wheel and shocks herself, so she sleeps at the side of the road. Alex is found by a police officer the following day, and because it is a lockdown, he wants to see Alex make arrangements. With her phone dead, she has no choice but to give the officer Mitch’s number. Meanwhile, Paola gets her laptop and wants Mitch to watch her delete the interview video. She then tells Mitch that she is leaving. Mitch doesn’t want her to go, but she does anyway.
And then, as if by fate, Alex has to return to Mitch’s residence. When she gets inside, he’s left her breakfast and coffee, accompanied by a note saying that he cannot talk to her anymore so that he will live on one side of the house. He’s also left her with an official statement stating that they didn’t have sex. Alex breaks down in tears and breaks some glass, so Mitch appears to help her. Alex sobs and tells Mitch that she has missed him, so they hug it out.
And so, the pair do spend time together. Mitch helps arrange a private flight for Alex, but they still have hours remaining before she has to leave. They drink and play trivia. The subject of Paola comes up, and Alex wonders if she left because of her — Mitch doubts that and invites Paola back by text. Mitch asks Alex if she will help Paola out in the industry in the future, and she agrees.
Alex and Mitch intimately dance and laugh together. Mitch tells her that getting canceled means knowing who’s there in your life — he apologizes for what happened between them. Alex reminisces about their time in Chile and reveals that she thought she was pregnant — she didn’t feel it was a bad thing because she loved him as a partner. However, it was a late period. They embrace each other, but it all feels like “lovers who cannot be together.” They enjoy each other’s company for the rest of the night until they fall asleep.
Mitch and Alex wake up, and they briefly watch the news — there’s a report that Maggie claims in her book that Mitch targeted black women. Mitch is furious, but suddenly Alex is aware of where she is and wants to go. Mitch wonders if Alex believes the report and wants her to teach him to be a good person. He begs her. Alex does not give any definitive answers, but Mitch is distraught that Alex does not want to be canceled and refuses to tell the world her true thoughts on him.
When tensions calm down, Mitch asks for a hug. He reassures her that he’ll release a statement, but it’s a strange moment where Mitch is not looking right — it’s almost like the reminder that he’s a bad person has bubbled back up by Alex’s return. It’s also made worse that Alex reminded Mitch of their intimate friendship. Alex leaves, and Mitch tells Paola that he will go to her place instead.
The ending
When he gets to Paola’s, Mitch asks her if she believes what she saw on the news. She kisses him passionately, but Mitch insists he cannot be intimate with her. Paola slaps him and says with jest, “show me your big fucking balls,” and they sleep together.
During pillow talk, Paola tells Mitch that she did not delete the interview video because she thought she might never see him again and wanted something to remind her of him. Strangely enough, Mitch does not react angrily, and he’s understanding and tells her he’s heading out to get her cigarettes.
Episode 7 ends showing both Alex and Mitch driving in their cars. Alex is heading to the airport, and she’s telling herself that she’s a good person. She clearly feels she isn’t — her feelings for Mitch are conflicting in her mind. As Mitch drives, all the demons in his head go round in circles, reminding him that he’s an evil person. It’s torturing him. Suddenly, a truck nearby sounds its horn at him, so he moves out of the way, but in a moment of wanting it all to end, Mitch lets go of the steering wheel and allows his car to go over the cliff edge.
Time will tell if Mitch killed himself, but what an intense end to the chapter.
What did you think of The Morning Show season 2, episode 7? Comment below.
