The Morning Show (2019) s01e07 Episode Script

I have an easy fall guy when all this goes to shit.
Oh, we're talking about me, right? [BEEPING.]
- Chip.
Mitch is here.
- [MUTTERS.]
[MITCH.]
This is scary.
I get it.
Saying things that are unpopular about people that are unpopular in the moment.
But this is my fucking life! [BRADLEY.]
Who else knew what was going on? Who do you think? I want a divorce.
Well, no.
Jason, I'm sorry I did that.
I'm sorry I left you at the party alo Breathe.
Just breathe.
[BRADLEY.]
Look, life is messy.
Everybody's life is messy.
And I want you to know that you can trust me.
You can tell me things, you can be vulnerable.
It's okay.
Okay.
I am sure it has crossed your mind.
Fred's left holding the bag and you're kicking ass, then you could quickly find yourself in Fred's seat.
I don't see Fred getting taken out unless something specific comes out on him.
- Like what? - I don't know, Chip.
Like what? You're not impartial on this subject.
You knew what Mitch was doing.
I don't ever remember you confiding in me about Mitch.
Asking me for help.
I remember you being pretty capable of taking good care of yourself.
["NEMESIS" PLAYING.]
[MUSIC ENDS.]
[CHATTERING.]
Well, didn't I tell you? Best falafel in all five boroughs.
I read about it on Eater.
You know about Eater, right? - Yeah.
Eater's a great website.
- Love it.
Fuck, I love Eater too.
Can we get back to what we were talking about, please? Oh, yeah, please continue.
It was titillating.
You were saying you got your hands on some e-mails.
Yes.
Evidence of transfers.
Payoffs.
Shuttled complaints.
And I know people who can back all this up.
- There's a former VP in HR.
- Yeah.
A producer in evening news.
Unfortunately, nobody can tie this directly to Fred.
- 'Cause, you know, he's too fucking smart.
- [SIGHS.]
But of course he's at the center of all this.
You know.
I mean, nobody's doing this shit in a vacuum.
Everybody's too busy just trying to fucking survive.
Including you.
Hey, look.
Just hear me out.
Let's say that I background some of this evidence to a reporter, you know.
I know somebody at the Times or it could be somebody else, or somebody young and hungry.
I don't know, but I could allude to a larger story about network complicity, okay.
I wouldn't give them any details, but I'd kind of usher them towards it and then just fucking let 'em run with it.
Let it build and build, and it turns into a fucking runaway train.
- And then we just sit back and - Let that train crash into Fred.
Yes.
[CAR HORN HONKS.]
- Are you gonna - You've seen Planet Earth, right? The The nature documentary? Documentary series, but, yeah.
It's really moving, and it's educational.
You should fucking watch it.
It's David Attenborough.
Anyway, there's this category of animals, they're called ambush predators.
And they run the gamut between starfish, cephalopods, crustaceans, spiders, snakes, cats even.
And ambush predators, they wait for the prey to come within ambush distance before striking.
They're deliberate.
They usually remain hidden, in camouflage right up until the moment they strike.
But when they do strike, it's over before it began.
And then there is pursuit predation.
It's a different strategy.
Direct.
Aggressive.
But it only tends to work when the predator is faster than the prey.
Look, I'm not an amateur, all right.
I'm faster than you think.
You're not as fast as Fred.
This is his wilderness, and he's been running for a long time.
He is fucking fast.
You do not chase Fred Micklen out in the open unless you know you can take him down.
Otherwise, he's gonna turn around, attack you, gut you and eat your innards in the middle of the fucking savanna.
And that's gonna hurt.
A lot.
I mean, what the fuck am I supposed to do? You wait, man.
Were you listening to me? Until the timing is right and we have enough ammunition.
Actual airtight evidence that links Fred to a cover-up.
Yeah.
That's easy for you to say.
Fred has me fucking trained in his rifle sights, okay? Hey, man.
I just gotta point out right now you seem really desperate, and desperation is not a strong position to make a big move.
Is that something else you learned from your nature documentary? No.
That's Sun Tzu.
Art of War.
Jesus.
Somebody fucking kill me right now.
I just Look.
Chippy.
Come on.
You're tired.
You just got back from LA.
Focus on the show.
And be patient.
Wait.
Night, Chip.
Yeah.
Fuck you.
Good night.
[MITCH.]
And, finally, new details have emerged illuminating Weinstein's mind-set in the final hours before his firing.
In an e-mail that leaked to the press, he wrote to his friends and colleagues, "I'm desperate for your help.
Just give me the time to have therapy.
Do not let me be fired.
If the industry supports me, that's all I need.
" Wow.
So interesting.
Yeah, it's a real window into how he operated and how he was able to manipulate the people around him.
Yeah, I know.
It's how the culture of silence lasted so long.
[SIGHS.]
What the fuck am I doing? [MITCH.]
About a week ago, you jumped into an elevator to ask me who else knew about what was going on.
Yes, I did that.
Well, if you really wanna know, I can give you the whole story.
And I assure you that it is Shakespearean in scope.
The things that went down.
Who knew.
Who covered.
Well, that's a bit general.
I'm gonna need some detail.
Actually, there's something that I want from you, so I'm not gonna give up the goods just yet.
What could you possibly want from me? I want my old platform back.
To tell my story.
I want you to interview me on the show.
Look, an interview is not gonna happen.
I will tell you that right now.
No? Why not? The ratings would go insane.
Yeah, so would the critics.
And social media.
And And public opinion would not be in the favor of the show.
Hmm.
You don't strike me as the type of person who gives a shit about public opinion.
Meeting me for 30 seconds in an elevator qualifies you to know me somehow? No.
But am I wrong? Look, you're a journalist.
I am bringing you a story.
Disgraced predator going home, talking about his reprehensible behavior.
And also, he lifts the veil that protects the corporate puppet masters.
Who, quite frankly, run the whole fucking country.
I mean come on.
You know Alex will never go for this.
Not in a million years.
Or Chip, for that matter.
No, you're right.
Alex would not wanna do it, for a myriad of reasons.
The main one being, she is hardly innocent herself.
What are you saying? Hmm, she She wasn't blind.
And as for Chip, he's a dead man.
There is no way he survives this.
It's in the tea leaves.
Can't fuck with the tea leaves.
I know what you're doing.
[CHUCKLES.]
Oh, really? Please.
Please tell me my motivation here.
Because everybody else is having such a good time doing that.
You're not doing this to be altruistic, to take down the big, bad executives at UBA.
You're doing this 'cause you're hoping to get exonerated.
And I don't want any part of that.
Hmm.
Hey, Bradley.
I have proof.
And I can dig up some witnesses.
What kinda witnesses? Off the top of my head, I can think of one.
A woman I had relations with.
She basically used me to get a career bump.
She doesn't hate me.
And I think I can get her to back me up.
- [SCOFFS.]
- I am offering you news.
This is an important story.
It matters.
It could change things.
You know that.
What if that important story takes down the network, but at the same time, it takes down the show and everybody on it? Yeah, that could happen.
That's a risk.
But you have to ask yourself, is that a risk worth taking? Anyway, let me know.
Soon.
Because I'm going out with this, with or without you.
Oh, my God.
Just tell me what is going on.
I know it's something horrible.
Is someone sick? - No.
No.
No one is sick.
- No, no.
No.
No one is sick.
Okay, Lizzy.
We love you so much.
And nothing's gonna change.
We're a family, and we will always Okay.
What are you saying? Just say it.
Your father and I are getting a divorce.
What? No, no, no.
No, you told me you were separating so you could work things out.
How did this happen so quickly? That was the reason.
It was.
Honey, and and it was.
So you lied to me? - No.
- [JASON.]
No.
No, we did not lie to you, honey.
And we did.
We tried.
We did try.
- Did you, Mom? - Um, yes.
How? When? How did you try? - How did you ever try, Mom? - No.
Come on.
Come on, Lizzy.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Um I I tried for years, honey.
I don't think you tried.
I think you pretended to try.
Our lives have always been about your job.
And you act like that's a hardship, but you love your job.
You need it.
- You need it more than you need us.
- No, no.
That is not fair.
That is so untrue.
Lizzy, I love you more than I love anything in the world.
You say you love us, but we are never the priority.
No, Lizzy.
Lizzy.
Your mother loves you very much.
Honey, I am doing the best that I can.
- I I did what I had to do.
- Yeah, for you.
And we have enabled it.
Okay.
So I see the therapy's kicking in.
Don't make me feel bad about therapy.
I have never had a normal family or a normal life.
You have never been really present for me or for Dad.
And we have been your cheerleaders and your favorite assistants.
We have not been your priorities.
Okay.
Lizzy, Lizzy.
I was the one who asked for a divorce.
Okay? If that's true, it's only because she gave you no other choice.
Oh, God.
Um [CLEARS THROAT.]
Would you go after her? She's very upset.
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, come on.
She had to She had to blame someone, you know? Yeah, all right.
Lizzy.
- Jesus.
God.
- Lizzy.
[WHIRRING.]
[FOOTSTEPS POUNDING.]
[PANTING.]
[BEEPS.]
[BEEPS.]
- [GROANS.]
- [BUTTON BEEPS.]
[PANTING.]
[CRIES.]
Oh, shit! Okay.
[PANTING.]
[CRIES.]
[PHONE BUZZES.]
[EXHALES.]
Shit.
[MAN.]
"I did abuse the power I had as president.
Or, not fulfill the totality of the oath of office.
" That's the second thing.
And thirdly, "I put the American people through two years of needless agony, and I apologize for that.
" And I say that you explained your motives You don't think I still look puffy? [WOMAN.]
You think I would let you go out there looking puffy? Okay, easy.
I guess I just feel it.
- Thank you.
- [WOMAN.]
You got it.
- [ALEX SIGHS.]
- Hey.
- Yeah? - Hey there.
I was Good morning.
Just wanted to say hello.
Oh.
Yeah, um so glad we're out of those fires.
Oh.
Yeah.
Sure.
I mean, if I had to spend another night at the Safari Inn, I think I might've I might've just died.
So how are you doing? Oh.
[SIGHS.]
Well, I had to tell Lizzy last night.
Actually Jason and I.
- We told her.
- Oh, oh.
I'm so sorry.
Yeah.
But hopefully it was like ripping off a Band-Aid? Oof.
Ripped.
Quick and painful.
[SIGHS.]
Uh! Do you ever just not know who you are or what you want? All of a sudden you just don't feel anything? Um, some of that.
Yeah.
I don't like it.
Is there anything I can do to be helpful? Yes.
Could you please get the team photo shoot taken off the schedule? - [CHUCKLES.]
- For later today? I beg of you.
The idea of fake smiling right now I know what you mean.
Why do I feel like I'm having yearbook anxiety? Oh, because you're about to have your face plastered all over New York City.
- Oh, God.
- On buses, on buildings.
I've never seen myself on a building.
- Yeah.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Why is that necessary? Well, because they have to erase Mitch Kessler from everyone's memory.
Like he was never here.
Do you miss him? Mm-hmm.
I do.
Have you tried to talk to him since he was fired? I've reached out to him once or twice.
He thought hiring you was batshit crazy.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, he's not wrong about that.
Mm.
Yeah.
Mitch has a way of not being wrong a lot.
The fucker.
- Well, I guess the show has to go on.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes, it does.
- I will see you in the big teacup.
- I'll see you there.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Hey, thanks for checking in on me.
Yeah.
[BRADLEY.]
Now, folks, if you're like me, you used to dream of a day when robots are part of our everyday lives.
So, we are pushing the bird flu scare to the D block.
CDC hasn't even officially responded, so I don't know, fuck them and fuck the birds.
But now we have a gap in the C block.
Gotta fill it quickly.
I'm open to ideas.
Go.
Bradley's pre-tape with the high school lacrosse coach who doped up his players is in the can for tomorrow.
It's a really strong interview.
She holds his feet to the fire.
It's juicy, but does it really have the impact of the bird flu? It's provocative.
It's about power, manipulation.
It has national resonance.
What about the EPA's new report on climate change? We already cut that segment.
- Are we reconsidering? - The report's dry.
- There's nothing revelatory in it.
- Fact that the human race is going to burst into flames in 20 years feels like a pretty big story.
Really? Twenty years? I guess I missed that section.
- Maybe you read between the lines.
- It's not there.
All right.
Enough.
Enough.
Let's pull up Bradley's interview.
Mia's right.
It's strong.
The story's blowing up.
Just one last thing, the climate change report is actual news.
- [SCOFFS.]
- Whoa.
Let it go, Nicky.
It's connected to the fires we just spent half of the week covering.
Stop pushing.
Chip is your boss.
Well, he's yours too, so pull your lips off his ass.
Everybody already knows that's your specialty.
[BRADLEY.]
Yes.
Well, I will be sending well-wishes to the whole family.
[ALEX.]
Yes, we are.
We are.
And also, we have exciting news in the world Sorry, that was, uh I'm sorry, Mia.
It's okay.
Let's move on.
[ALEX.]
Frank Marklan's explosive new book, Five Days in October, was released today.
We're not moving on.
Pack up your stuff.
You're done.
- What? - Chip.
Get the fuck out of my control room.
[BRADLEY.]
here in the studio to discuss the controversial details he's alleging in the book.
[ALEX.]
I am so excited for that interview, Bradley.
[BRADLEY.]
Thank you, Alex.
- [ALEX.]
And now on to a big story - [NICKY SCOFFS.]
Great.
This is Congress has been working on a foreign aid package to help the victims.
Awesome.
I'm being punished for saying to her face what every single person who works here has been already saying behind her back for 18 months? - Really fucking great! - Get the fuck out! Thank you.
[BRADLEY.]
With the president's veto, Congress would be sent back to square one [DONNY.]
Stand by for live feed.
Okay.
Come on.
Nothing to see here.
Got a show to do.
Let's get back to work.
[BRADLEY.]
chief Washington correspondent, Andrea Lasson, has more on this story [DONNY.]
And take it live feed.
[CHIP SIGHS.]
- You have to hire him back! - Are you fucking kidding me right now? Do you think you're helping me? Because you're not! God, Mia, this is not just about you.
I'm sorry You just made everything worse! What the fuck do you want from me? I did not fuck Mitch! I did not make that terrible decision! I'm the one who's fucking paying for it every day! F [SIGHS.]
Look, I can't I wasn't perfect.
I know that.
But I can't fucking fix it all.
That's all I'm ever going to be to everyone here, isn't it? Come on, Mia.
I'm just at the end of my rope.
I'm sorry.
I didn't [SIGHS.]
- I have to get back to work.
- I'm sorry.
Fuck.
Oh, shit.
Oh, shit.
[FLOOR DIRECTOR.]
Weather is up after tape.
Over large portions of the - Something you need? - Look at your e-mail.
- What? - Did you get an e-mail? - I get a lot of e-mails.
- Do it! Okay.
Shit.
HR.
They want to speak to me.
Did you get the same thing? - Do they know? - Maybe someone saw us.
Someone told them.
I feel like my body is going into shock.
I feel weak.
And clammy.
What do we do? Don't vomit.
Just drink a little orange juice.
Yanko, I'm terrified.
Okay.
Okay.
Give me this.
Okay.
Okay.
Just listen to me, all right? We, um We just We go to HR together, and we just tell them that we're dating.
And that they should put that on the record.
We get ahead of it.
Or I have another idea.
We go to HR, and we deny, deny, deny.
- No, it's not gonna work.
- It worked for Clinton.
Clinton was impeached, okay? It's right.
Clinton was impeached.
I'd forgotten.
- Thank you for the research.
- [FLOOR DIRECTOR.]
Back in 60 seconds.
- Throwing to Yanko.
- You got it.
Thank you.
I love you.
And I hate every moment that I have to hide it.
I wanna take you to dinner at a nice restaurant, where we can order steak and drink wine, and I can hold your hand and kiss you.
Make really bad jokes.
Will you go with me? - Yanko.
- Now is the time.
I'll meet you in HR.
After the photo shoot.
I can't wait.
[FLOOR DIRECTOR.]
And we're back in five, four, three Thank you, Andrea.
Great reporting.
That was fascinating.
Of course, Bradley was a bit of an unknown quantity on the national stage, but she came to us with an extensive body of work and experience.
So, any hiccups we had with her as coanchor were really because we I mean, let's face it, I was slow to tailor the show to the talent, you know.
It's like we were forcing Steph Curry to play in the paint.
Which is just bad coaching, you know.
When you got a player like Bradley, you hand her the ball beyond the three-point line and you just give her the green light.
And now's really the fun part where we get to sit back and really, you know, watch her do what she does.
Okay.
Great.
That should do it.
- That's it? - Mm-hmm.
That's it.
With that basketball analogy, this profile is practically gonna write itself.
You didn't ask me about Mitch or any of that stuff.
I don't have time for boilerplate denials.
I've got what I need.
You think you've got it.
Is that right? Well, I'm not writing that story anyway.
Which, seems to me, should come as a major relief to you, Chip.
Mag Maggie, Maggie, Maggie.
Can you Can you do me a favor? Can you fucking trust me for a second here, please? What? Look, I'm trying to I can tell you I can share with you some things, point you toward things that incriminate the network to the highest level.
Primarily, the highest fucking level.
Obviously this would have to be on deep, deep fucking background.
And if you're interested, I'd want you to get back to me sooner rather than later.
Do I understand what you're saying to me? Yes, you understand.
This isn't like you.
You have the reputation as a good soldier.
Yeah.
Well, this good soldier's not really Not really sure what he's protecting anymore, you know, so What's making you feel bold? What if it was 15 years of complicity? No.
Sorry.
You don't grow a conscience overnight.
Not when you're in charge of the jewel asset of a multibillion-dollar corporation.
You grow a conscience when someone from that corporation gives you permission to have one.
Maggie, I'm offering you a really good story here.
And I'm looking for the better one.
Okay.
Let's both think about it, and I'll call you.
Cory, my office is going to reach out to yours about setting a meeting.
Ooh.
Okay.
Fun.
Who with? No.
Don't tell me.
I like to be surprised.
It's with Marlon Tate.
Potential EP candidate for The Morning Show.
Chip finally had that heart attack? Damn it.
Condolences.
The internal investigation will wrap up soon.
We don't know what will be in the report, and we need to be ready with contingencies.
Marlon's good.
I've known him for years.
Came up in evening news, but he gets the morning audience.
Thank you for the recommendation, Fred.
It's not a recommendation.
Marlon's the guy.
I hear you, Fred.
And as head of the news division, I'll take it under advisement.
Is there something you'd like to say to me? Yes.
- Are you happy, Fred? - 'Scuse me? Are you like a happy person in life? I know you have a wife, a couple houses and a network, but you don't seem very fulfilled by any of it.
I honestly don't think I've ever seen you smile for more than a second or two in a row.
Which is too bad, because smiling, it's fun to smile.
It feels good.
You should spend more time doing things that you enjoy.
Maybe you'll have more time to do that soon.
I sure hope so.
It's just some personal advice.
Take it or leave it.
I thought I'd share before you find yourself left with nothing but a permanent frown.
Let me know how it goes with Marlon.
Okay.
So, unfortunately, this is not the best time to get divorced.
Are you suggesting that there is a good time to get divorced? Well, if someone has been the victim of abuse, filing for divorce is perceived to be empowering.
It's someone taking back the reins on their own life.
[ALEX.]
Mm-hmm.
- Is there anything there? - Abuse? Um.
Oh.
[CHUCKLES.]
Nope.
No abuse.
Bummer.
Yeah, cross that off.
Oh, my gosh.
Are you really kidding me with this? It's a marriage.
Marriages end.
I mean, my God.
Especially celebrity marriages, I mean, they should be measured in dog years.
[CHUCKLES.]
Jason and I would be celebrating 140 years.
Success.
That's not how people are gonna see it.
First of all, they're gonna wonder if you were having an affair with Mitch.
- Mm.
- And if you did, that's okay.
- Okay.
- You just should tell us.
- It's better to get ahead of these things.
- Right.
Either way, people are definitely going to notice that Mitch's wife filed for divorce right before your divorce was announced.
And then there's the matter of which of you files for the divorce.
If you file, people will think that it makes you look heartless.
If Jason files, people will think that he caught you with another man.
Either that or he just couldn't put up with a high-maintenance celebrity anymore, which makes you read pathetic.
Unless of course, Jason was cheating on you with, let's say, a younger woman.
That plays well.
People will look at you with pity.
But it's pity mixed with sympathy, so definitely let us know about that.
[LOW RUMBLING IN DISTANCE.]
[WOMAN.]
Daniel, your show is a fucking car crash.
Even I'm watching.
I mean, Alex crying over that fucking dog.
Who would turn away? But it's not gonna last.
Look, you're on the winning team for now.
But the real beauty about being on the number-two show is that they will spend whatever it takes on talent to get them to number one.
The remuneration at UBA is not my problem.
What is your problem? Because my problem is UBA parading around a couple of white women to show how progressive the network is for having two female coanchors while the brown people are left to make sure that the trains of their dresses don't touch the ground.
I would be outraged.
This is the thing that outrages me.
TMS pulled me from a job which I actually liked, wooed me based on my political acumen, promised me a space to do what I love to do.
Instead, they have me doing the fucking Twist.
So while, once again, my ego loves that you're interested in me Mm-hmm.
My fear is that YDA would just be a lateral move to a longer version of The Twist.
I want to do the news.
I want people to be excited about it.
And I want that to be enough.
See? This is why I want you on YDA.
Daniel, you are a beautiful, deep-feeling, boring man who loves hard news.
- I'm not kidding.
- Neither am I.
Okay, people watch YDA because it's fun.
It's light, it's poppy.
And Jimmy and I, we have that covered.
Hell, I enjoy interviewing the surviving members of the Bay City Rollers.
But we are never going to beat TMS by being fun.
We need boring.
We need gravitas.
We need political credibility.
And you have that coming out the wazoo.
TMS is vulnerable right now.
There are people there that I care about, people that would be hurt if I jump.
Alison, Yanko Yes.
I know.
Your lovely friends at the Minority Report.
- Low blow.
- Accurate.
Still.
It's not easy.
Well, the TMS family is broken, and it never really included anyone whose name wasn't Mitch or Alex.
[BRADLEY.]
And, you know, if you've seen it on WebMD or something.
As soon as possible, but tell them I don't wanna know.
- All right.
- Thank you.
Where's the rest of the family? I don't know.
Maybe they're walking the dog.
Funny kind of family.
Yep.
Dysfunctional.
Just like a real family.
[ALEX.]
All right.
I'm back.
[ALISON.]
All here.
Let's capture this happy shit.
- Can I talk to you for a second? - Yeah.
- Um - Yeah.
So, apparently I have to announce my divorce on the show sometime next week.
- Oh, gosh.
I'm sorry.
- That's okay.
I just wanted to give you the heads-up.
So, be prepared for some awkward airtime.
Well, awkward airtime is my specialty.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- But thank you for the heads-up.
Yeah.
And obviously this stays between us.
- Of course.
- Okay.
Thank you.
I just have to be so careful about what I say.
I mean, I just met with this PR woman who scared the crap out of me.
Reminded me that I'm walking into this land mine of speculation and about my marriage and my sanity and Mitch.
Fuck, I don't know, you and me.
Maybe you and I are in love.
- God, that would be preferable.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- Well, that all sounds brutal.
- Mm.
I'm here if you need anything.
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay? Wait.
Actually.
Maybe we could work on something together? For your divorce announcement? Yeah.
I mean, you're sitting right there - when I have to do it.
- Right.
You know, we could make it into a dialogue.
And since your specialty seems to be um being human.
Couldn't hurt.
I mean, we could workshop it over dinner tonight at my apartment.
- Oh, um, that would be great.
- Yeah? No.
Yeah.
I would love that.
Um, I'll bring some food.
Oh, you don't have to do that.
I have it covered.
- [BOTH.]
Okay.
- [MAN.]
Okay, ladies.
- Yeah.
- You look beautiful.
And you're ready.
So, what do you say we do this? - Ugh.
- All right.
- [PHOTOGRAPHER.]
Let's go be a family.
- Oh, God.
- [YANKO.]
Pictures.
- [ALEX.]
Okay, guys.
Come on.
- [PHOTOGRAPHER.]
Here we go.
- [ALEX.]
Happy.
Happiness.
[PHOTOGRAPHER.]
Happy family.
Good.
One, two, three.
Good.
Big smiles.
Tilt your hips towards me a tiny bit.
Good.
- That looks good.
Right there.
Freeze.
- [DANIEL.]
Serious or smiling? [PHOTOGRAPHER.]
That's nice, that's nice.
Right there.
That's a good shot.
One, two, three.
Good.
Chins up a little bit.
Shift a little bit this way so you can lean in.
Good.
Good.
Smile.
Great.
Good idea.
- Beautiful.
- Everybody knows this is my wrong side There is no wrong side for you.
Stop it.
- I had caffeine.
- [PHOTOGRAPHER.]
Thank you.
Good.
Bradley, chin up a little bit? One, two, three.
Good.
Big smiles.
There we go.
[MIA SIGHS.]
You know, Nicky was just making a joke.
He's a good kid.
Shouldn't have his life ruined over making a joke.
- I mean, he apologized.
- I didn't fire him.
Chip fired him.
If you say so.
Bart, drop it.
Yeah.
I'll drop it.
Some other people are never gonna drop it though.
Hi, everyone.
Can I have your attention, please? It's Mia Jordan here.
- Can I have everyone's attention? - What is that? Hi.
I'm the scorned, oversensitive woman - who screwed the lead anchor - Oh, fuck.
To help her career.
And got him fired when he didn't want to leave his wife.
And now I'm out for blood.
So, everybody with a dick better be careful 'cause she hates dicks now.
Dicks, beware! Don't leave your home at night without an escort, because the vengeful, slutty, feminist bitch, Mia Jordan, is out there somewhere.
[YANKO.]
Well, should we do something here? No, no, we should let her speak.
Let her speak.
- Look, Mia, I'm sorry.
- You can shut the fuck up, Bart.
Okay, everyone, I got it.
I'm well aware of what everyone is saying about me.
And now apparently, I personally got Nicky fired, and I leaked about Mitch to the Times, and I'm sure I'm also the Zodiac Killer, and I probably assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
I mean, this fucking list goes on.
And I could deny a lot of that.
Most of it is lies.
Bullshit gossip.
But I am just so fucking tired.
[LAUGHS.]
I don't have the energy to deny it.
What's the point, anyway? Everybody's already decided what they believe.
Some of you hate me, some of you pity me, some of you think I'm a victim, some of you think I'm a slut.
Everybody's got their fucking opinions, and you know what? Have 'em.
I just wanna move on with my fucking life.
- Mia, if you wanna just put the mike - [CLICKS BUTTON.]
Chip, I'm almost done here, unless you wanna join in, make this a dialogue here.
- Okay, go ahead.
- [CLICKS BUTTON.]
We're all human.
We all have regrets.
No matter which side of that Me Too line you fall on, we are all just people who wanna do our jobs, do good work.
So, that's what I'm gonna focus on.
My work.
'Cause I'd like to be known in this world for something other than fucking Mitch Kessler, and I think I deserve that opportunity.
All right, everybody.
Let's Let's take that good advice and, uh and get back to work.
Mia.
Hey.
Bradley.
God, I should've told you.
I wanted to be your producer.
- I didn't want you to think less of me - Please.
I don't.
I don't.
And I'm so glad you did that just now.
I'm just so sorry that you've had to deal with this by yourself.
Thank you.
Okay, so Look, we gotta prep a show for tomorrow.
- Okay.
- Meet you in your office in ten? Yeah.
Sounds great.
[WOMAN.]
Now, Claire, Mr.
Flores has stated that he'd like to go on public record about this relationship.
Well, he spoke, but we'd both like to go on record publicly, but ideally confidentially, if that's an option.
Well, what I need to better understand is how this relationship began.
Did you initiate an intimate relationship? No, I did not.
No.
And I never would've thought of that.
No, we became friends, you know? Claire would She'd come in with her research, and she was willing to listen and genuinely engage with my work.
Which is not always the case.
People rely on the weather, but they have a problem taking it seriously.
Not Claire.
His brain is just really fucking sexy.
It didn't seem like a crime to transition that feeling into actual sex.
I never said it was a crime.
I'm merely asking how your first sexual encounter came about.
"Merely asking.
" That's a very polite way to ask something that's really none of your business.
No.
I was the one who stopped the kiss.
Look, of course I worried that it was inappropriate.
I was in deep denial about my own feelings.
I was.
She was completely unfazed.
I mean, she told me that she liked me, and that she liked me for a while.
And I was knocked back by that.
Yes, we had sex that night.
Yes, it was at Yanko's apartment.
But only because he's the one who actually knows how to cook, and I like a good fucking paella.
So then I asked her to dinner, and then we both just thought it was smarter to keep it private.
Look, I hit on him.
I'm the creep here.
I never said either of you were creeps.
Mm, but that's the implication, isn't it? That he has to have been tricking me into liking him because of the very nature of his professional position of power.
We've thought many, many times about coming forward and And yet only when summoned did you actually come Right.
And you could choose to indict us for that.
And you could choose to compare the nature of our relationship with the despicable acts committed by Mitch Kessler.
You have to understand something, Sheila.
That was the very fear that motivated us to stay silent.
Has Mr.
Flores ever asked you to do things you're uncomfortable with? No.
Never? Well, I suppose he asked me to come here, and now I feel uncomfortable.
Look, the work you do here in this room is noble.
Okay? And I appreciate all of the tough questions, I do.
But Claire and I hope that we can represent a new way to navigate this kind of a workplace relationship.
Would you consider your relationship with Mr.
Flores serious? Why Why is that relevant? Because it's our job to examine whether the two of you working in the same environment is sustainable.
- Are you saying I could be fired? - Well, it's just But you're not going to fire the fucking weatherman.
Claire, I'm not saying that anything's gonna happen to anyone.
I really don't want to be here.
This was a mistake.
Do you need a minute? No, I need to get out of this fucking room.
Claire, it's our responsibility to ask these questions.
And I feel like I'm still entitled to a shred of privacy.
You chose to come here.
I didn't choose anything.
Claire? What? Do you need help getting out of this relationship? Oh, my God.
[YANKO WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY.]
- Oh, my God.
You okay? - I'm not sure.
- What can they do? What can - Yanko! Careful.
- I know.
- People.
I know, I know.
I'm just I'm so relieved.
I think we might be okay.
How was it for you? - Hard to describe in a - [BRADLEY.]
Hi.
Oh, good night, Yanko.
Hey.
I will get you that research on the Holmes interview in an hour or so.
- Is that okay? - Yeah, yeah.
- Good night, Claire.
- Good night.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- How are you? - Yeah, I'm fine.
Sorry, I'm just thinking about rain, you know? It's likely to rain tomorrow, so opt for rain boots.
Noted.
Hey, um, is Claire all right? Yeah, yeah, I think she's okay.
- All right.
- Yeah.
She's incredibly talented.
Yeah.
I'm really glad you saw that and gave her an opportunity.
- Hey.
- Oh, hey.
Fancy meeting you here.
What are the odds? It's okay.
Don't be embarrassed that you were waiting by the elevator for an hour hoping you would catch me leaving the office.
- You're funny.
- Mm-hmm.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's sort of silly we're going back to the same place.
It's like we live in the same dorm or something.
Yeah, I got a crazy idea.
Why don't we tell our cars to fuck off and walk back to the hotel? Why are we being driven? We're in New York fucking City.
Let's go get in it.
Wow.
Someone in this building wants to get into the actual street? - Yeah.
- Let's do it.
- Oh, yeah.
- [CHUCKLES.]
So, it must've been nice to be at home last week.
Sleep in your own bed? Nah, I spent most of the time, uh, in a screening room watching pilots.
Oh.
Anything good? You know, a month ago or so I might've said yes, but I had this very funny realization while I was sitting there watching this expensive and amazing fiction - Yeah.
- Which is truth is stranger than fiction.
- I mean, the shows were They were fine.
- Yeah.
Some of them were pretty good, actually.
But it's just not the same as the truth.
Real life.
I'm into that shit right now, Bradley.
Thanks a lot.
I like the truth.
Although it's bit me in the ass more times than I can count, but I do like it.
Hey.
Let's do something stupid.
You wanna do something stupid? Depends on what you mean by stupid.
All right, here's what I'm thinking.
We hustle up to Central Park and find that fucking carousel.
No, no, no.
We'll go for a carriage ride.
It'll be really politically incorrect and stupidly fun.
As much as, in general, I love stupid fun, I I kinda just need to figure some stuff out right now.
- All right.
- But can I get a rain check? Well, it's a limited-time-only offer.
Shut up.
No, it's not.
- [CHATTER.]
- [UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS IN ROOM.]
[SIGHS.]
- Hi, honey.
- What are you doing here? I I come bearing pizza.
I already ate.
Honey, I really want to talk to you.
Samantha is here.
Hey, I was just gonna run over to the library.
Hi, Sam.
How are you, honey? Hi, Alex.
I'm fine.
Come in, I guess.
I should've told you that I was coming.
Yeah, maybe.
[SIGHS.]
What? Wow.
Okay.
I'm sorry I broke your heart.
I'm so sorry.
Why is this happening now? Does it have something to do with all this Mitch stuff? No.
Of course not.
Really? Because you've been melting down ever since he left, doing all this crazy stuff.
"Melting down"? Is that how you characterize what I've been going through? Announcing Bradley Jackson out of nowhere like that? The whole Page Six thing with you wandering through the halls at work.
Lizzy.
How do you read Page Six and believe it? Okay.
Lizzy I know this hurts.
It doesn't hurt you.
You don't care.
What? Dad loves you so much.
He does everything for you.
Why isn't he good enough? Oh, honey, this This has nothing to do with your father not being good enough.
He's smart.
He's handsome.
He's funny.
He's a respected professor at NYU.
He's written best-selling books on world economics, for fuck's sake.
I know all of that, honey.
I know all of it.
Then how can you be so selfish? Oh, Lizzy.
Honey.
The thing is you're only seeing this from the part that you can see, and that's as it should be.
But 25 years is a really long time.
We were two completely different people when we met.
And we just I just don't feel the same way anymore.
And I haven't for years.
And I have tried, baby.
I've tried.
And I can't tell you how lonely I've been.
And I know this makes you angry and hurt.
But I just want you to try to see that there is a bigger picture here.
Well, I can't right now, Mom.
I'm too fucking hurt and angry.
Okay.
No, honey, let's just Please, come on.
We've always been there for each other.
Always.
You're my baby.
Let's just not do this right now.
You need to leave.
I can't even believe what you're doing now.
What am What am I doing? I'm not going to take care of you right now.
Okay.
Okay.
Then I will leave.
Great.
Go share it with America.
They'll take care of you.
- Well, fuck you, kid.
Fuck you! - [GASPS.]
Did you really just say that? Yeah, I did.
I just said, "Fuck you.
" And, I mean, how fucking dare you.
After all that I have done and all that I have given to you.
My life.
My love.
My body.
I broke my fucking vagina with that big, fucking head of yours.
And I had to be surgically sewn back together.
I bet you didn't know that, did you? Oh, and effing just staying with your father after all these years of him driving me insane with his condescending "my loves.
" He talked to me like I was a fucking five-year-old, and I am sick of it.
I am sick of it.
I want happiness.
I earned happiness.
I'm a human being, Lizzy.
And you know what else? Don't you dare bitch at me about my career, little Miss I'm-So-Progressive.
Yes, I worked my ass off to get where I am.
And I wanted it.
I wanted to be something.
I wanted to mean something in this world.
I didn't know that was a fucking crime.
Life isn't perfect, okay, baby? We don't get everything we want.
You're young, you know? Go make the life that you want, and you see how fucking easy it is.
And stop bitching and complaining and blaming me.
And you get your own fucking pizza.
This is my pizza.
I'm taking my pizza.
I earned this shit.
- Fuck you, Mom.
- Oh, fuck you, kid.
["IF YOU COULD SAVE YOURSELF (YOU'D SAVE US ALL)" PLAYING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
- [MUSIC STOPS.]
- [PHONE BUZZES.]
Hello? It's Bradley Jackson.
If you can find somebody to corroborate your story, I might be interested.
[SIGHS.]
[MUSIC RESUMES.]
Okay.
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
Hey, kiddo.
Mitch.
What are you doing here? Well, you got something out of me.
And now it's time for you to repay the favor.
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
[MUSIC ENDS.]