Summary
The Morning Show returns with more topical, timely issues and plenty of drama. It is great to be back with this stellar cast and this fast-paced script. The space storyline may be utterly bonkers, but it is still highly entertaining nonetheless. It will be interesting to see how loyal fans take to this new angle.
We recap the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show Season 3 Episode 1, “The Karman Line,” which contains spoilers.
The Morning Show and For All Mankind are now the two longest-running original series from Apple TV+. But you may be surprised to hear that these two very distinct shows share something more in common than just that one fact, as The Morning Show kicks off its third season run with a short trip into space.
The Morning Show Season 3 Episode 1 Recap
The third season begins on March 10, 2022. Alex Levy is preparing for the maiden voyage of the Hyperion One suborbital rocket, which will soon be launching into space. The UBA host is nervous about this risky venture and has even had to prepare her own obituary in the event of her death.
READ: The Morning Show Season 2 Episode 1 Recap
Alex has been training for the voyage for some time now, and this preparation is being closely followed on the UBA news shows. The voyage will be streamed live on the Morning Show and coincides with Alex’s twentieth year working for UBA.
What are Alex’s demands?
This celebration has gotten Alex thinking, though she wants to be more involved in the company. She asks UBA’s CEO, Cory Ellison, for a seat on the board. Cory isn’t best pleased with Alex’s negotiation tactics and calls her demands unprecedented. Alex states that she may be forced to leave if they cannot comply with her wishes.
Meanwhile, UBA’s evening news host, Bradley Jackson, is hard at work on an abortion news story. She has been speaking with Luna Garcia, a young woman who bravely crosses the border from Texas into Mexico every month to get women’s abortion pills.
Bradley’s story is abruptly axed by Stella, though. The company doesn’t want to disrupt the status quo or receive any lawsuits due to this tricky subject matter. Bradley is furious with the network’s decision; she gets rather drunk at her own awards show later that day.
READ: The Morning Show Season 2 Episode 6 Recap
When it comes to making a speech at the American Alliance of Journalists awards ceremony, Bradley slurs her words, stating that people have tried to silence her in the past. Cory is frustrated with Bradley’s drunken speech.
What is Alex’s advice for Bradley?
After this awkward announcement, Alex speaks with Bradley in private. Bradley updates her friend on the Texas abortion piece. Alex suggests that Bradley let this one story slide. She has finally reached the height of her career; Bradley must learn to enjoy success before challenging the higher-ups.
Bradley phones Luna and apologizes; she won’t be running the story after all. She feels like a fraud. Bradley has just won a journalist award, but she is still unable to make any real difference as a famous host.
The conversation spurs on Alex, though, who researches the dire state of the abortion clinics in Texas for herself.
Who is Paul Marks?
The day before the launch, the UBA team traveled to the Hyperion One launch center. Alex meets with the Hyperion One founder Paul Marks (Jon Hamm). This billionaire wants to buy UBA, although Cory hasn’t told anyone about this pending deal just yet.
Paul takes Alex on a tour of the facility. He then reveals the truth about this deal. Alex heads straight on over to Cory’s place to confront the CEO about the merger.
Cory states that it is just a conversation at this point; nothing has happened yet. He worries that the company won’t be able to stay relevant in this ever-changing industry; he needs Paul’s money to keep UBA afloat.
Alex realizes that she is just a pawn in this entire deal, and her role in the rocket launch is also just a part of this setup. Cory urges Alex to trust him; she will be well taken care of if the deal goes through. Alex vents to Chip afterward about the deal and Bradley’s story. She is then informed that Luna has been arrested.
The Morning Show Season 3 Episode 1 Ending Explained
Now both hosts have been played, Alex decides to ditch the rocket launch altogether. She will not be a part of Cory’s games anymore. Alex drives to Texas with Chip to report on Luna’s unjust arrest instead. On her way there, Alex messages Mia with her apologies.
The team frantically attempted to replace Alex at the last minute. In the end, Cory manages to convince Bradley to take Alex’s place. He tells Bradley that his legal team will help Luna.
Bradley decides to change her mind completely; she ditches Luna and takes Alex’s seat on the voyage.
Chip and Alex watch from a diner as the rocket launches into space. Paul, Bradley, and Cory survive the launch and float about in space, having reached the Karman line, a boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
As Bradley makes her speech to the Morning Show viewers, they suddenly lose communication, and the live feed cuts out.
What did you think of Apple TV’s The Morning Show Season 3 Episode 1? Comment below.
