The Morning Show Season 2: Unpacking the Drama, Release Date, Star-Studded Cast, and Evolving Plotlines
After a gripping first season that left audiences on the edge of their seats, *The Morning Show* is poised for its highly anticipated return on September 17. The Apple TV+ drama, which captivated viewers with its unflinching look at power dynamics, workplace culture, and the #MeToo movement, is gearing up for an even more intense second season. The official trailer, released on August 23, offered a tantalizing glimpse into the challenges ahead for fan-favorite anchors Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson, as well as the entire UBA team.
Starring the formidable duo of Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, the series boasts an exceptional ensemble cast, many of whom are reprising their roles for season 2. The first season garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning a remarkable 8 Emmy nominations. Among these accolades, Billy Crudup notably clinched the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, a testament to the show’s powerful performances and compelling storytelling.
Despite a nearly two-year hiatus since its explosive premiere, the countdown to *The Morning Show* season 2 is officially underway, with new episodes just weeks away. From the revealing first trailer to exciting new additions to the cast, here’s a comprehensive breakdown of everything we know so far about the forthcoming season, promising a blend of high-stakes drama, relevant social commentary, and deeply personal narratives.
‘The Morning Show’ Season 2 Trailer: A Glimpse into the Storm Ahead
The highly anticipated first official trailer for *The Morning Show* season 2 dropped on August 23, immediately setting a tone of intense drama and uncertainty. The trailer reveals the UBA team grappling with the fallout from Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson’s live on-air expose, which concluded the first season. They emerge into a vastly altered landscape, both within the UBA network and in a world increasingly preoccupied with identity, where the lines between public persona and private truth are constantly blurred and scrutinized.
A pivotal moment in the trailer features Cory Ellison, portrayed by Billy Crudup, desperately pleading with Alex to return to *The Morning Show*. With a mix of earnestness and dark humor, he states, “You are the only thing that can save us,” before adding with a chuckle, “I don’t think I’ve ever said that before.” Alex does indeed return, but her reunion with Bradley is far from smooth. Bradley expresses her anxiety about being “edged out,” highlighting the inherent competitive nature of their profession and the fragile alliance forged in the previous season’s finale.
Adding to the growing tension, Will Arnett makes his debut as Doug, a new character who appears to be working closely with Alex. As Alex re-enters the high-pressure world of morning television, the looming shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic begins to spread across the globe and, consequently, into the show’s narrative. Alex suggests Bradley cover the unfolding health crisis, yet a producer’s reminder to Bradley, “Don’t forget this is your show,” underscores the ongoing power struggles and the network’s shifting priorities.
Further complicating matters, Maggie is reportedly poised to release an exposé that threatens to unravel Alex’s career and cast a damaging light on UBA. Simultaneously, Daniel voices concerns to Mia, stating, “There is a pattern of behavior around here that disadvantages the people of color,” signaling deeper systemic issues that the show will explore in its new season. These multiple layers of conflict suggest a season packed with both personal and institutional challenges.
The trailer culminates in a charged exchange between Alex and Bradley. Alex, attempting to regain control amidst the chaos, asserts, “We need to get our facts straight. We need to decide what the truth is.” Bradley’s sharp retort, “Did you hear what you just said?”, highlights Alex’s potential hypocrisy and the difficulty of defining objective truth in a post-truth media landscape. While Alex battles to manage her turbulent world, Julianna Marguiles’ character, Laura Peterson, begins to mentor Bradley, a development Alex views with palpable distrust, suggesting a new dynamic rivalry on the horizon.
Release Date: The Long-Awaited Return
The anticipation for *The Morning Show* season 2 finally culminated with Apple TV+ confirming the official release date on June 14. Fans can mark their calendars for September 17, when the acclaimed drama will make its grand return to the streaming platform. The second season will consist of 10 episodes, promising another season of compelling storytelling and character development. Production for the second season commenced in October 2020, following significant delays. Showrunner Kerry Ehrin had originally revealed to Variety in 2019 that the intention was to film in the summer of 2020 for a November release. However, the unforeseen global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an industry-wide shutdown, making a 2020 premiere impossible. Despite these setbacks and the extended wait, the new episodes are now just around the corner, ready to deliver on their promise of intense drama and timely narratives.
Filming Amidst a Pandemic: The Production Journey of Season 2
The production journey for *The Morning Show* season 2 was anything but conventional, severely impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming was abruptly halted on March 12, 2020, as lockdown measures swept across the entertainment industry. Reese Witherspoon disclosed to Regina King during Variety’s Actors on Actors series that the show had only been in production for “four weeks” before the shutdown. This sudden pause meant a complete re-evaluation of scripts and production schedules. Luckily, filming resumed in October 2020, with cast members expressing their excitement about returning to set. Reese Witherspoon herself shared the positive news with fans, tweeting, “And We are Bacccckkkkk!” In December 2020, she further delighted followers by posting a video from *The Morning Show* set, exclaiming, “Guess who’s back!!!!” These updates highlighted the resilience and dedication of the cast and crew to bring the highly anticipated season to life despite unprecedented challenges.
And We are Bacccckkkkk! 🤗@TheMorningShow @AppleTV https://t.co/dXkqz4f7Zn
— Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) October 7, 2020
Jennifer Aniston also provided a glimpse into the ongoing production, sharing a photo in January 2021. Her caption, “Aaand, we’re back…”, accompanied images of her with her hairstylist Chris McMillan, giving fans an intimate look behind the scenes. The SAG Award-winning actress continued to document her time on set in February 2021, posting an Instagram video of herself making her morning coffee, a ritual that many fans could relate to. These social media updates from the lead actors not only kept the show in the public eye but also underscored the immense effort and adaptation required to continue filming a high-profile series during a global health crisis. The dedication of the entire team ensured that despite the setbacks, *The Morning Show* season 2 would eventually arrive.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston)
New & Returning Cast: Familiar Faces and Exciting Additions
The highly anticipated second season of *The Morning Show* brings back its core talent, with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon reprising their roles as the dynamic and often tumultuous duo, Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson. They are joined by a host of returning season 1 cast members, including the Emmy-winning Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Bel Powley, Karen Pittman, and Desean Terry, ensuring continuity for beloved characters. However, Gugu Mbatha-Raw will not be returning, as her character met a tragic end in the emotional first season finale.
Despite initial reports of a one-year deal, Steve Carell is indeed expected to return as the controversial Mitch Kessler. According to Deadline, *The Morning Show* producers were keen on bringing him back and pursued a new deal, recognizing the significant impact his character had on the narrative. His brief but impactful appearance in the season 2 trailer, released on June 14, confirmed his involvement, leaving viewers to speculate how his storyline will intertwine with the ongoing drama at UBA.
*The Morning Show* season 2 is also set to introduce a stellar lineup of new cast members, promising fresh dynamics and expanded storylines. Hasan Minhaj, widely recognized for his insightful hosting on the Netflix series *The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj*, joins the cast as Eric. *Deadline* reports that Eric is a “charismatic, rising star who joins The Morning Show team.” Minhaj expressed his excitement about this new chapter on his Instagram page in November 2020, writing, “A new chapter. Can’t wait for y’all to see the new season of @themorningshow!” This role marks Minhaj’s first major acting venture in a drama series, an exciting development for fans of his work.
Further bolstering the cast is the esteemed Julianna Marguiles, celebrated for her iconic roles in *The Good Wife* and *ER*. As reported by Variety, Marguiles will portray Laura Peterson, a highly respected anchor at UBA News. Her character is prominently featured in the season 2 trailer, engaging in a tense interview with Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy. Showrunner Kerry Ehrin elaborated on Laura’s character, describing her as a “UBA star and an icon at a Diane Sawyer level.” Ehrin explained, “We wanted to create a mentor figure for Bradley that was somebody who does things differently. The idea really stemmed from having a character who had done the work and what it looked like in this industry and in the UBA environment. She’s at the top of her game.” This dynamic of mentorship, particularly for Bradley, coupled with Alex’s inherent distrust of Laura, promises to add intricate layers to the already complex relationships within the show.
The cast additions continue with Greta Lee and Ruairi O’Connor joining as series regulars. Greta Lee will play Stella Bak, characterized as an “ambitious leader of an online media company that caters to a millennial and Gen Z audience,” according to *Deadline*. This role suggests an exploration of the evolving media landscape and the clash between traditional broadcast news and new digital platforms. Ruairi O’Connor, recently lauded for his portrayal of King Henry VIII in *The Spanish Princess*, takes on the role of Ty Fitzgerald, a “charismatic and savvy YouTube star.” His character is likely to bring a modern, internet-driven perspective into the UBA ecosystem, reflecting the current cultural shift towards influencer-led journalism and content creation.
What Will Season 2 Be About? Navigating a New World Order
The first season of *The Morning Show* concluded with an unforgettable series of bombshells that reverberated through the UBA network, sparked by Hannah’s tragic death. In a climactic live broadcast, Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson bravely exposed the pervasive toxic workplace culture and allegations of sexual misconduct within UBA, sending shockwaves through the industry. This momentous event also saw Chip lose his job after he confessed to leaking the initial story about Mitch Kessler to *The New York Times*, a move intended to protect Alex. These dramatic resolutions set the stage for a season of profound transitions and continued reckoning.
Following the explosive season finale, showrunner Kerry Ehrin offered insights into the thematic direction of season 2, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it would be “a lot about transition.” Ehrin elaborated on the challenges of implementing real change: “And still, at the same time, a lot of the same sh*t goes on! You set new rules, but then it falls back. This is true in the real world. Where it becomes: are we paying lip service to women’s rights? So it’s really just examining the transition period more but with the same themes of: What is real? And people having this desire to have control over their own lives, which they perceive as being through power.” This indicates that season 2 will delve deeper into the complexities of cultural shifts, questioning whether superficial changes truly address systemic issues.
Reese Witherspoon further teased a “new world order” for season 2 back in 2020. Speaking at the TCA press tour in January 2020, she stated, “I feel like at the end of this 10 episodes, there’s a whole new world order. It’s chaos. No one knows who is in charge and what leadership means at this point. I think that’s what we’re exploring in the culture right now as it goes topsy turvy, what is the new normal? I’m excited that we’ve got a lot more to explore.” This sentiment reinforces the idea that the show will reflect contemporary societal upheavals, examining how established institutions and individuals adapt—or fail to adapt—to rapidly changing moral and professional landscapes.
A significant and timely addition to the season 2 narrative will be the inclusion of the global coronavirus pandemic. Mark Duplass revealed that the writers undertook substantial “rewriting” of some season 2 scripts after production was initially shut down. He told Deadline, “We shot two episodes before we shut down due to the pandemic, but I know that they’re also rewriting, which is crazy because that’s what happened in the first season. They had a whole set of scripts [then] and they rewrote everything to include the #MeToo movement, and now we’ve got other, larger, global phenomenon to deal with. I don’t know what they’re doing but I know they’re rewriting.” This adaptation demonstrates the show’s commitment to staying current and reflecting real-world events that profoundly impact its characters and setting.
*The Morning Show* director Mimi Leder elaborated on this integration, noting that the second season would mirror the real-life experiences of morning news programs during the pandemic. In an August 2020 interview with Gold Derby, Leder stated, “We’re a morning show that deals with the ills of the world, racism, injustice, and all that morning show light stuff. And then you incorporate COVID, just like the morning shows did.” This approach ensures that the series maintains its signature blend of high-drama and topical relevance, exploring how a major news organization copes with unprecedented challenges while grappling with internal conflicts and personal struggles.
The season two trailer vividly depicts UBA’s strenuous efforts to entice Alex back on air following her dramatic exit at the close of season one. Her return is crucial for the network, which is still reeling from the fallout of the on-air exposé she shared with Bradley. However, their professional reunion is fraught with personal tension. The trailer hints at an incredibly strained moment between Alex and Bradley, as they navigate the complexities of their working relationship and a friendship forever altered by their shared experience. This dynamic, set against the backdrop of an evolving media landscape and global health crisis, promises to be a central emotional anchor for the upcoming season, as they both try to redefine their roles and rebuild trust.
How To Watch ‘The Morning Show’: Your Guide to Streaming Season 2
For viewers eager to catch up or dive into the drama for the first time, the critically acclaimed first season of *The Morning Show* is exclusively available on Apple TV+. Accessing the series requires an Apple TV+ subscription, which is priced at an affordable $4.99 per month. The eagerly awaited season 2 will also premiere exclusively on this streaming service. Following the release pattern of its predecessor, season 1 debuted with three episodes simultaneously, then transitioned to a weekly release schedule for subsequent episodes. It is highly anticipated that season 2 will adopt a similar format, offering viewers an initial binge followed by a sustained weekly dose of the unfolding drama. It’s important to note that *The Morning Show* remains an Apple TV+ exclusive and is not available on other major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video.