The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Amari

Critic’s Rating: 4.7 / 5.0

4.7

Everybody, give a round of applause to Karen Pittman, please!

The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 5 “Amari” shows why UBA and this show need Mia Jordan. She carries the episode, making unexpected moves and finally chooses herself over the ladder.

This episode focuses on the characters we haven’t seen much of this season, namely Mia and Chris.

Although they have been part of the story, they have remained in the background. The spotlight shines on them as one finally takes what she deserves, and the other confronts a painful past.

This is the episode that I’ve been waiting for, and I’m glad that it happened sooner rather than later.

Mia

What happened to Mia after her dramatic exit from UBA in The Morning Show Season 4 Episode 3? We get the answer to this question.

Mia’s greatest strength is that she cares a lot. It can also become her biggest weakness. She sees the vision so clearly and stops at nothing to make sure it’s executed to the best possible outcome.

When we find her interviewing for a new job at Defy, that spark is visible. The UBA pain is still present, but she is focused on the future. She wants to make Defy Media the next UBA.

But back at her old network, she is missed. Her coworkers are lost without her, and Ben’s best is barely making a difference.

They start creating posters that want her back, and stuff like this is what People Magazine dies for. Many people adopt the “clock in and clock out” mentality in the workplace, so when someone leaves, it’s barely noticeable.

To see coworkers rally for someone like they are for Mia is honestly heartwarming.

But there are always other factors at play, and in this case, Alex. She knows it was a mistake letting Mia go, but she’s also not in control. So she makes the only play she can to keep her, and that sends Mia over the edge.

Mia wrestles with a real conundrum here. Should she move on with Defy or return to her old stomping grounds? Both have something different to offer, but they may not be providing her with what she needs.

She needs to be different. She had lost herself at UBA, even changing her wardrobe to blend in with everyone else. She needs to change her life.

This turn of events I did not expect. I predicted that she would return to UBA and everything would be like before. However, she learns her own power and decides to forge ahead with the might of UBA behind her.

Now, that is real courage. Nothing is more laudable than being unsure and scared but working through these feelings to do something anyway.

The Morning Show has consistently delivered engaging twists, and this one stands out as one of the best of the season.

Chris

Since we learned that Chris would be hosting the Olympics, we have only seen her in passing. However, this episode, titled after a son she lost, dives into her present and past.

It all starts with accusations of doping, which can end a sports career faster than the speed of light.

A figure from her past comes armed with pretty damning receipts, accusing Chris of having cheated to get where she is. And that’s where the alternative facts crowd comes in handy.

Look, anyone with half a brain knows that these uber-popular podcasts are a sham. They have no ethics and will do anything to increase viewership and scale up revenue.

They peddle half-truths, sensationalize lies, and platform depravity. Still, people can’t stop flocking to them because they do what traditional media will never do: give anyone a platform.

No self-respecting person thinks going to Joe Rogan is the first thing they should do. But when everyone else doesn’t want to listen to what you have to say, whether right or wrong, Rogan suddenly becomes attractive.

These podcasts also don’t exercise too much control over their guests, which can backfire easily. However, it allows for honest conversation, and guests appear more human than anywhere else.

Such qualities enable Chris to express herself after UBA denies her a mainstream platform.

Issues like doping are a hot button, and I don’t care what explanation someone has. Cheating is cheating. If everyone were allowed to explain their way out of it, I’m sure all could find an excuse.

However, audiences for these podcasts are driven by emotion and are reactionary, so it was no surprise that they fell for Chris’ story. And I’m not discounting her painful experience of losing her baby. But she was wrong to use PEDs.

The question becomes: how much longer will they buy the story? Will they turn on her once the emotions wear off? We haven’t seen the last of this.

Bradley and Cory

Things come to a head between the two love birds, and honestly, it took just as long as I thought they would last.

I fail to see what Cory and Bradley see in each other because they couldn’t be much different.

Cory is slimy and calculating, while Bradley likes to keep things in the open. They were bound to collide at some point.

I had a feeling that Cory was not aware of how deep the Wolf River story goes because while he likes to think of himself as the top predator, he is part of a bigger machine – the corporate machine.

No one person in the corporate machine is bigger than the entire thing.

Maybe he told Earl to intimidate the lawyer with a legal threat and a bit of roughhousing, but Earl channeled his inner Ray Donovan and killed the lawyer.

However, when someone dies, things become quite serious. And there is no way Bradley is letting this go. Not by a long shot.

Halfway through the season, The Morning Show has made some big moves that promise to set up an even more exciting second half. We are yet to explore the fallout of Celine’s discovery, Cory’s return to UBA, Mia’s departure from the newsroom, and, of course, Wolf River.

Stray Thoughts

• There is definitely some attraction between Alex and Bro. Will she ever have a normal relationship?

• It was not his position, but that white man was right about Mia’s hair. She looked much better with a bob. Her entrance with some song about being a bad bitch playing was iconic!

• This unholy union between Bradley and the FBI won’t end well. What do they want?

Over to you, The Morning Show fanatics. I always love hearing your thoughts about the episode, so please do not hesitate to chime in.

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