Season 4 of “The Morning Show” tackled everything from deepfakes, Olympic doping scandals, media mergers to AI that doubles as people’s therapists. For director and executive producer Mimi Rieder, the show’s staying power lies in its ability to capture the zeitgeist.
“This show is dramatic because it’s about the moment we’re living in. It’s a tumultuous time,” Reeder told Variety’s senior journeyman editor Jazz Tankay. “The world just throws things at us, and we have to subtract what the world throws at us and see how it fits organically into our character.”
Following the merger of UBA and NBN, one of the storylines in season 4 will be that anchor Alex (Jennifer Aniston) is deepfaked, threatening her public image and career. “By the way, how do you shoot that thing? We had to figure that out,” Rader said. “I had to look at deepfakes, which is something you never want to see, so it was really tough.”
Tackling so many different issues is what Radar likes about the show. “It’s very messy, and our characters are very ambitious.” For example, the deepfake storyline pits Stella (Greta Leigh) and Alex’s different perspectives against each other, reflecting real-life conversations people are having about the use of AI in society.
The main cast, including Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Billy Crudup, have been on the show since season 1, but the latest season introduced Marion Cotillard (who had never previously appeared on television) as the villainous board president Celine Dumont.
“She was an extraordinary person to work with because it’s not her first language,” Rader said. “She really understood the intonation and really understood the story.”
Cotillard binged the entire show in three days and was a fan, Rader recalled. “Everyone was nervous on the first day, including her, because we were working with France’s biggest star. The content of her work alone is extraordinary.”
Tancay noted that Rader was the first woman to graduate from the AFI Conservatory’s cinematography program. After leaving school in 1973, she directed episodes of “The West Wing,” “The Leftovers” and “Shameless,” as well as films such as “Deep Impact” and “On the Basis of Sex.”
“I’m just walking around telling stories and doing what I do. When I get asked that question, it really makes me think. I think the best way I can continue is to do good work, do honest, authentic work, and tell compelling and interesting stories that people want to see,” she said. “If you think about it too much, you feel like you have a lot of responsibility.”
Leder didn’t talk specifically about Season 5, which is currently in production, but he has no doubt that the show will continue to explore issues affecting journalists and media consumers today. “There’s no shortage of stories to tell, and Season 5 is going to be big. It’s going to be a wild journey.”
