Summary
The Morning Show tackles some pretty dark issues in “The Green Light,” offering up surprising subplots involving male misogyny and the ongoing war in Ukraine. This darker side to the series is then evened out with more tongue-in-cheek fun. The series manages to balance these two extremes efficiently and respectably.
The Morning Show has a serious knack for tackling the most topical news stories, and that trend continues in Season 3 Episode 4, “The Green Light.” The Apple original series tackles the war in Ukraine, addressing the darker side of journalism and the industry.
Episode 4 opens with a long, continuous shot of Cory striding through the backstage area. He may have completely messed up his deal with Paul, but Cory has other options. Today, he needs to get a loan to keep UBA afloat. To get that loan, he needs to first acquire $300 million in ad sales.
Cory is throwing a lavish party at his home to win over potential investors and ad executives. He asks Alex and Bradley to help with the schmoozing. Cory blames Alex for ruining the merger deal with Paul. He dangles the possibility of a board role in front of Alex to convince her to help, but she has her own plans.
Alex decides to track down Paul herself. She stalks him in the streets and confronts the billionaire, offering to discuss things. Paul quickly relents and takes a car ride with her. They discuss the deal, and Alex apologizes for bailing on him. She admits that she didn’t like being used.
Next, Alex takes Paul to the fun fair, where they get to know each other better. Alex tries her best to be open and honest but always brings things back to the deal. Paul asks why she is so desperate to help UBA out. Alex confesses she feels like she owes them something, but she also wants to make a difference at the company.
Meanwhile, Bradley and Laura’s secret romance goes viral, although the leaked video hasn’t yet surfaced in the media. They are relieved to have escaped this media attack for now. Bradley invites Laura to Cory’s party for a catch-up.
The Morning Show season 3, episode 4 (Credit – Apple TV+)
Mia’s mystery man
Mia then updates Bradley on the latest news from Ukraine. There has been a bombing in a hospital in Mariupol. This will be a huge news story, and Mia wants to be the first to break it. She even has a journalist in place to photograph the incident. We later discover that Mia’s mystery man from previous episodes is Andre Ford, a man renowned in his field.
And in the final subplot, Stella is tasked with winning over the main ad execs. She takes them out for dinner. They are obnoxious and arrogant, but Stella does her best to keep them interested in her pitch.
One of the ad execs forces a waitress to degrade herself in front of them for money, and Stella watches, eager to get the deal at any cost. Here, Stella sees the industry’s darker side. She may achieve her goals and gain the deal, but she is broken by the whole incident. Stella messages Cory that they have the ad revenue they require. The loan can now go ahead.
Who is Leonard Cromwell?
During the party, Christina confronts the new board chairman, Leonard Cromwell (Stephen Fry), about pay issues. Leonard says that the issue will be raised at the next board meeting. Bradley and Laura explore Cory’s home, and it is revealed that Cory paid off the hackers to keep the video out of the news.
Mia calls Andre about the bombing. Andre has taken the photographs and is now attempting to escape safely. Mia promises to publish the photographs only once Andre is safe. She is clearly in love with the man and fears for his safety.
Stella arrives a little later, broken after the negotiations. Cory tries to comfort her, but she still feels terrible. Next, Cory bumps into Fred, his nemesis. Fred ruins Cory’s high, announcing that he is a consultant working with the same loan company with which Cory has just made a deal. In effect, Cory now works for Fred again.
The Morning Show season 3, episode 4 (Credit – Apple TV+)
Elsewhere, Mia is forced to release the bombing photos even before she knows whether Andre made it out safely. If he is captured and the photographs are released, Andre could be in serious trouble. Mia worries about her lover but publishes his photographs regardless.
The Morning Show Season 3 Episode 4 Ending Explained
After Fred’s horrifying news, Cory updates Stella. He says that if they accept the loan, Fred will practically own them. Stella is furious, having sold her soul for this deal to go through. She refuses to help Cory out anymore. He will have to find the funding on his own.
The episode ends with a possible upshot to all of this chaos. Paul and Alex arrive at the party via helicopter. Alex has worked her magic and convinced Paul to restart negotiations, hopefully. UBA may still be saved after all.
