<i>The Morning Show</i> Season 4, Episode 7 Recap: After the Storm

Spoilers below.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still reeling from last week’s episode of The Morning Show and the departure of Greta Lee, but I like that this season is keeping us on our toes. Episode 7 opens with Yanko cozy at home during a rainstorm when he hears pebbles against his window. It’s Claire! She’s back again after having disappeared from the hotel a few episodes ago, and she’s seeking refuge after the FBI has begun raiding and arresting other Extinction Revolt climate activists.

In the other but not unrelated FBI storyline, Bradley gets a visit from her Agent Andy, who is never a good time. He wonders why she has a file on the climate activist group, and how it got in Eagle News’ hands (who called the FBI about it). She gives him a half-truth about it all, but they are zeroing in on her extra-curricular activities. One thing’s clear: She has to inform the FBI if she sees Claire…or else.

The next day at The Morning Show, Bradley and Yanko deliver the morning news and make jokes about The Real Housewives of the Supreme Court. But more relevant to us is the news that Noah Bain, the head of Extinction Revolt, has been arrested. Things are not looking good for Claire, who hasn’t been responding to Bradley’s texts. Bradley doesn’t know it yet, but Claire is camping out on Yanko’s couch (also unbeknownst to his almost-fiancé), giving the two an opportunity to rehash their relationship that never really was. Over breakfast eggs, Claire and Yanko reminisce about all the sneaking around and what it was like dating without ever meeting family members. They never even had a real date, much less any closure.

Yanko and Claire decide to invite Bradley over to the apartment. Claire urgently needs to know more information about what the FBI might actually have against her. Quite panicked, she claims the oil rig incident was a set-up. Claire also drops a pretty big bomb here: She is using her family’s money to fund Extinction Revolt. She won’t be able to get out of this one if the FBI catches her. Bradley thinks she should turn herself in and cut a deal, while Yanko thinks she should run.

Neither idea is particularly tempting, so Claire hangs around a bit longer—even treating herself to a bath. Yanko eventually fills her in on his actual girlfriend Ariana after Claire sees photographs of her on the fridge. Claire basically ignores that fact and fantasizes about the two of them running away. He admits to some existential wondering about his place in the world: He’s peaked in his career as a The Morning Show anchor, but what really matters to him in this life? They embrace in a touching moment, but it doesn’t necessarily feel romantic or sexual—they’re both able to be there for each other in an emotionally vulnerable time.

Later on in his dressing room, Yanko gets a visit from Ariana. She can sense his cold feet and doesn’t want him to sign up for something he can’t fully commit to. Little does she know he’s harboring a fugitive. Musing about running away with Claire actually seems to be the closure that Yanko needed, because he later finally proposes to Ariana outside her gym, which she thinks is actually a breakup conversation. He couldn’t have at least waited until dinner or something? His little speech is cute, at least—despite still hiding his ex-girlfriend at his apartment.

In the editing room, Bradley and Chip make some progress on their Wolf River reporting with some tangible interviews with the locals impacted by the chemical fallout. What happened to the mysterious woman from Cory’s photograph that Bradley reached out to last week? Feels like we dropped that plot point (for now). She also loops him into the FBI’s request for Claire. She points out she might be a liability in this reporting (correct!), but Chip convinces her to stay on: Her position as a trustworthy public figure is important for the sake of visibility. The FBI does keep prying into Bradley’s business, though, accusing her of aiding and abetting when she tells them Claire has left the country. Andy threatens her with ten years in federal prison if she’s caught red-handed with Claire.

Hoping to set the record straight after the fallout from StellaGPT last week, Alex and Bro sit down with Times journalist Kabir. Bro goes right to blaming Stella (and makes a bunch of creepy sex jokes), while Alex offers a corporate word salad: “We’re looking at this as a reset,” she says. Kabir astutely points out the history of scandal-ridden CEOs at UBN, and places Alex as the through-line in her 22-year tenure at the company. After the interview, Bro makes it clear he doesn’t really care one way or another—he can take his podcast anywhere. But Alex says the stakes are higher for her, who has invested so much into this company already.

With Roya’s asylum now made public, Alex is struggling to find the right way to cover it. Interviewing Roya herself might not be the best call after this Times interview, and with primaries around the corner, politicians don’t want to put themselves on the line for a Middle Eastern girl. “‘Tis the season of chicken-shit politicians,” Alex says, in another great one-liner.

At long last, Mia meets with Ben to continue negotiating Chris’s return to UBN. She is offered a 5 percent salary increase, but Mia is playing hardball with the continuation of Chris’s public goodwill and some weaponized information that was presumably on the USB drive she received from Stella after her departure. Apparently, Fred Micklen bought off the legal team that was investigating the Mitch Kessler scandal. Ben balks slightly (although I doubt he would even be aware of this, considering how new he is to UBN), and Mia uses the leverage to ask for a deal for both Chris and her to secure their return.

When Chris shows up to a The Morning Show staff party (workplace pizza party vibes), Ben says they’re close to reaching an agreement, which may or may not include her actually doing Olympics coverage. After seven episodes without anything remotely gay this season, we get a little flirtation between Layla and another staff member at the party—I know I already complained about how big this ensemble is, but I wish we knew more about some of these side characters for this to mean more. Alex takes a moment to ask Chip to get Kabir off her back, which doesn’t go over well: He doesn’t want to! Harsh but fair, considering their history. He points out how she’s gone from a quality reporter to “playing C-suite games,” even going as far as calling her an “executive reptile.” In a laugh-out-loud moment of ridiculousness and levity this week, Chip and some other UBN staff perform Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” for karaoke.

The next day, and at long last, Chris finalizes her deal! Thank goodness, that was dragging out longer than it needed to. She’s working on building a new show at UBN with Mia. To Alex’s displeasure, she’s not quite sure what the show will be yet, but starts getting inspired again when Alex suggests she takes over the Roya interview. Chris watches Alex’s original interview from this season’s premiere, and meets with Roya’s father. She reassures him about the power of a child seeing their parents’ vulnerability, and about Roya’s future Olympics potential. The actual interview ends up including an on-air fencing lesson and seems to be successful enough. Finally, a win for Chris.

Turns out, the Times piece Alex was terrified about actually ends up being a sympathetic profile of Bro and his turbulent childhood, involving a stint in juvie. Alex is relieved and it looks good for UBN, especially after the Stella mess. Bro doesn’t directly admit it was to help Alex (rather than his comedy special ticket sales), but it’s suggested he offered the Times a profile as an alternative to tearing Alex apart. She seems quite flattered and invites him over for a late night drink/booty call. Color me unsurprised! At her apartment, they drink tequila and exchange trauma stories about their terrible parents. She’s hesitant to give in to his advances, but they eventually hook up. Bro tries to schedule a follow-up but Alex makes excuses to avoid having anything set in stone. Post-hookup clarity?

The episode ends with Claire deciding to go on TMS to expose the truth of the oil rig incident at the center of the FBI’s case and defend herself regardless of the consequences. Not only will this derail Bradley and Chip’s plans for Wolf River, but the FBI will almost certainly arrest both Claire and Bradley. After trying to reach Alex (what could Alex even have done here?), Bradley calls Andy the FBI agent instead. The episode concludes with Claire getting arrested in the UBN hallway. Bradley and Yanko’s ability to hop back into their Morning Show anchor chairs for another segment right after the arrest like nothing happened is beyond me. Another week, another scandal at UBN!