Cancel culture dominates season 2 of ‘The Morning Show’
Season two of “The Morning Show, “starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, had filmed just 13 days when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down production in March 2020.
The writers for the show about the behind-the-scenes drama of a morning news program soon decided that the scripts should reflect what was happening in the world. Instead of diving right into the chaos of the early days — lockdowns and quarantines — the new season, on Apple TV+, unfolds in the first months of 2020 leading up to the declaration of a pandemic. Before that, the coronavirus had been looming but seemed like a problem far removed.
“Everything that you’re doing while you don’t know what’s about to hit you is exactly what we were trying to capture,” said Witherspoon.
These script changes were a sense of deja vu for the writers. The planned plot of season one had also changed course. That revision incorporated the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements that exposed misconduct by men in media and entertainment, most notably disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
The first season saw Aniston and Witherspoon’s characters often pitted against one another. In season two, there’s less time to spar because everybody’s got their own problems. Each character confronts questions of identity, in both how they’re seen by the world at large and how they view themselves.
Aniston’s portrayal of Alex Levy, a beloved, trusted TV personality who runs hot and cold off screen, earned her an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination and a SAG award win.
“She’s a labyrinth of a human being,” said Aniston of her character, adding that she’s met people like Alex “along the way.”
Billy Crudup, who plays enigmatic TV executive Cory Ellison, says his Emmywinning role on “The Morning Show” has afforded him a delicious opportunity he thought was long gone.
Season two adds Hasan Minaj and Julianna Margulies to the cast.
“We had the best time,” said Witherspoon of Margulies. “I’ve always been a fan of hers. I’ve known her a little bit socially, but just getting to spend that time with her is so meaningful to me. And can I say I loved working with Hassan because he made me laugh so hard.”