Look, when a show leans into soap opera territory but does it well, I may grumble (melodrama isn’t really my thing), yet I respect The Morning Show. The series has become less about the news program that gives it its title and more about everything happening in today’s America. We’ve already had cancel culture, sexual harassment, mergers, AI, environmental crimes, politics, fake news, romance, betrayal, revenge, and downfall — all neatly tied together.

Of the many storylines unfolding at once, we follow Cory’s attempt at redemption, Stella’s downfall, and the rise of a new villain inside UBN — Celine. It’s hard to root for anyone in this series, but I find myself drawn to the chaotic and morally flexible Cory Ellison, played by a phenomenal Billy Crudup who once again steals every scene (and yes, Greta Lee shines just as brightly here).

Before the recap, a few notes: once again, this season seems more interested in finding Alex Levy a boyfriend than in exploring anything truly compelling about one of the supposed top journalists in America. Bradley, meanwhile, has practically disappeared — not even addressing the FBI call she got at the end of the last episode. As for Stella narrating her inner thoughts, it’s borderline corny — but the drama is solid enough to overlook it.

Recap – “If Then”

At the halfway point of the season, two major figures have already left UBN — and Stella’s departure seems final. Her ill-conceived AI project and her affair with Miles converge in a public catastrophe that ends her career. Cory, on the other hand, continues to dig into the Wolf River scandal, while Alex flirts with Bro, the stand-up comic whose sharp charisma could become her next on-air — or off-air — partner.

This episode revolves around Stella’s collapse. Under pressure from Celine — who knows about the affair — and struggling to fix the AI before the Olympic coverage, Stella tries to stay composed. When Bro pulls out of his deal with UBN, she makes a desperate choice: she presents the AI version of herself live on stage. It starts impressively, until the program goes rogue, repeating her private confessions — doubts about her job, her relationship, and even her feelings for Miles — in front of the entire audience.

The humiliation is public and final. Celine, cold and calculating, takes control — and then the CEO seat. Miles vanishes, and Stella, shattered, boards a plane to Naples alone, leaving behind a farewell letter to Mia — her last human gesture.

Meanwhile, Cory and Bradley’s investigation into Wolf River continues: she tries to contact Sophia Volk, a former chemist tied to the case, while Cory discovers that Celine and his own mother may have orchestrated his rise at UBN. For once, Cory appears more like a pawn than a villain — and the true enemy might be the invisible power he’s been trying to control all along.

Greta Lee delivers a devastating performance, balancing vulnerability and fury in a character who finally steps into the spotlight — only to lose it completely. And while The Morning Show sometimes stumbles in tone, this episode proves that when melodrama has purpose, it works.

The chaos at UBN rages on — and amid ambition, scandal, and AI versions of themselves, no one seems truly in control anymore.