The trailer for the upcoming fourth season shows the major players at UBA (now called UBN after the merger in the Season 3 finale) competing and backstabbing each other as the network tries to rebrand — again.
At first, things seem optimistic. “I’m a firm believer in second chances. Maybe this is an opportunity to make it right,” Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) says in voiceover as the trailer begins, followed by Alex (Jennifer Aniston) saying, “This is so recent: the different company, the different culture,” as she is revealed to be speaking at a press conference. Stella adds, “We promised real change, to push the stories we cared about.” Last, Mia (Karen Pittman) says, “People need to feel that UBN is gonna have it first, and they’re gonna have it right.”
But the illusion of a more functional, honest news network then “The Morning Show” has ever seen is immediately shattered: “It’s a nice idea. But it’s not sexy,” says Celine, an exec played by Marion Cotillard, who is new to the cast this season.
“Oh, it’s ‘Lady Guillotine!’ How many heads roll today?” asks podcaster Brodie (new cast member Boyd Holbrook) while walking down a hallway towards Alex, who replies, “Do you know how badly I wish I could fire you?”
Next, it’s revealed that Bradley is once again working on a story that will expose wrongdoing at UBA. This time, it appears to be a cover-up of environmental violations that majorly harmed people, based on shots of Bradley’s computer screen of different news stories and messages from sources. “People died. Work with me,” Bradley says to Chip (Mark Duplass).
Later in the trailer, Alex says, “I’m shutting the story down,” and Bradley replies, “I have to do this, whether you like it or not, followed by a shot of Alex having black paint thrown on her at a protest. (Last year, photos of Aniston filming this scene circulated the internet, with people mistakenly believing it was a real protest. It was later clarified to be a “Morning Show” shoot.) She also runs into her ex, Paul (Jon Hamm), whose plans to overtake the network she thwarted last season, and seems shocked to see him. In another shot, Paul tells someone to “find out where the bodies are buried,” and later he and Alex are shown in an elevator together, slightly smiling at each other.
“It sounds like the drama at the network is juicier than the drama on the network,” Cory (Billy Crudup) is heard saying over a shot of Stella in bed with Miles (new cast member Aaron Pierre), before Celine tells Cory, “I need what you have on Stella.” Then, in a meeting that also includes Alex, Stella says to Cory, “We’ve got rats in the basement. That should be more comfortable for you.”
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Then, Mia and Alex are shown in a heated argument on set. “I know what I deserve, and it’s my time now,” Mia says. “So what, is that some kind of a threat?” Alex asks, as Mia walks away in anger.
Among the other final shots in the trailer are Bradley and Cory holding each other and smiling on a rooftop, FBI agents walking Bradley out of the network building, and lights flickering and alarms beeping as someone sprints through the building and Alex asks, “What’s going on?”
“Isn’t that why you did all of this — this cleaning of house? To make this place better?” Bradley asks as the trailer ends. “You can’t clean a house if you’re about to blow it up,” Alex replies.
Season 4 of “The Morning Show” premieres on Sept. 17. See the trailer below.
From Variety US