(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
Mia Jordan (Karen Pittman) is mad as hell, and she’s not going to take Alex Levy’s (Jennifer Aniston) faux allyship anymore. Being passed over for a promotion she has earned is one thing, but getting blocked from a dream job at a different network is the final straw on The Morning Show. “F— you, Alex,” is the appropriate response.
Thankfully, the stars do align for Mia and Chris Hunter (Nicole Beharie). After both women hit a professional wall, they repair their fractured relationship and come together to make a formidable duo. It is a particularly challenging week for former athlete Chris, who is accused of doping to win gold medals at the London and Rio Olympics. As the face of UBN’s forthcoming Paris coverage, Chris is rocked by these allegations. Only Mia is willing to guide her through the quagmire head-on.
Accountability and owning your s–t unite Mia and Chris. Alex’s refusal to do the same adds to the growing divide. It is a dynamite outing for the consistently brilliant Pittman and Beharie, whose energy off-screen was as infectious as it is on when they sat down with The Daily Beast’s Obsessed to discuss the pivotal turning point.
“It is a bummer. That’s exactly the right word. I probably would’ve said something far more colorful, like ‘It’s f—ed up!” says Pittman. My PG-friendly choice about how it feels as a Mia fan to watch her get constantly looked over at UBN isn’t punchy enough. It is f—ed up.
Stella (Greta Lee) and Alex let Mia down earlier this season, and it is time for Mia to get a win. The TMS cast feel similarly and are as thrilled as I was to see Mia rise. “I can tell you at the table read people were like, ‘Come on, Mia’s gonna go get it,” says Pittman.
It has been a long time coming. But first, Mia has to hold her hands up and apologize to Chris. The pair fell out earlier this season when Mia told Chris that her daughter’s recital was not a good reason to skip a promo shoot: Work comes first. Now, Mia admits that she was jealous of how Chris makes sure that she doesn’t bend her entire life for her job and this company. It is a crucial acknowledgement, with Chris also admitting to her mistakes later in the episode. “I think when she [Mia] reaches Alex [later in the episode], she’s looking for her to do the same,” says Pittman.
Instead, Alex bristles at Mia for suggesting that Chris appear on the polarizing and confrontational Bro Hartman (Boyd Holbrook) manosphere podcast to address the doping rumors head-on. Alex is unprepared to face a Mia who no longer tiptoes around her boss.
“It was great fun to walk in the room and see it buzzing with energy. Millicent Shelton directed that episode, and I remember seeing from her camera how she was going to film it,’ says Pittman. “A neon-lit scene in the [TMS] teacup; Mia, she’s in a red suit, red bottom heels. She’s looking for blood. The visual is just that.”
Mia enters this conversation without seeking an argument. All Mia wants is to find out why Alex blocked her chance to get another job. Alex dresses it up as wanting to do more work with Mia at UBN, but she hasn’t considered Mia’s choice in this matter. Instead, Alex thinks she is doing Mia a favor.
“What is it when you have power and privilege and you decide to use it to change the course of someone else’s career?” Pittman says. “It was quite satisfying for Mia to say to Alex, ‘Take a note from Chris. Step up and do the right thing.’ And she’s unable to do it.” Alex isn’t changing the culture that existed at UBA but reinforcing it.
“She’s [Mia] like, ‘Well, then I share no more common ground with you. I’m done.’ It was important for me that it not be an expression of a clap back, but an expression of a real clarity, a real sense of you’ve betrayed me, and I’m done, versus [snaps finger]. To me, it’s the opposite of that.”
Mia is no longer waiting for other people’s timetables to get what she wants, and the collaboration with Chris is not a one-off. Beharie is keen to reflect on how “rewarding” Mia’s response is. “Just as a fan of the show, I love how she handled it,” Beharie says.
Mia isn’t alone in changing her perspective in Season 4. Beharie describes the “huge gift’ that comes from exploring this different side to Chris, who has gone from “righteous indignation and strength” to “vulnerability and someone trying to juggle all of the pieces.” It doesn’t help that Chris is unsure if anyone fully supports her, whether it’s her husband, Mia, or Alex. “Everything that she set up is not quite working out the way that she planned. When you’re that kind of OCD perfectionist—which is what I’m working on with her—that can be devastating. We get to feel that.”
Online doping accusations send Chris into fight-back mode, resulting in an expletive-filled voicemail to former teammate and current accuser Tende Johnson (Ashley Romans). Live on Bro Hartman’s podcast, Tende announces she has the receipts that prove Chris is lying. All of Chris’ defiance shifts into a different mode, “I did what I had to do,” Chris admits. It is a shocking confession because Chris was adamant that this was a smear campaign, and I believed her.
Often, TMS runs toward melodrama, but what follows is a painful, private tragedy tackling a discussion that rarely leaves the OB/GYN office. After winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics, a then-pregnant Chris was immediately dropped by her sponsors (horrifyingly, this isn’t something made up for TV). Chris describes going into labor at five and a half months and the loss of her son, Amari. When Chris returned to the track, she was “so slow.” To get back her previous form, Chris used performance-enhancing drugs, stopping before the Rio Olympic qualifiers.
Taking on this storyline is not something Beharie takes lightly. “It’s one of those things that was so heavy. I just wanted to make sure that we were giving it its due—if that makes sense—for all the parents, mothers, fathers, anyone who had experienced loss or sacrifice for their ambition, for jobs, for whatever they’re seeking in their career,” she says. “I hope that people who have experienced this feel seen.”
The tear-inducing confession scene is beautifully done with Pittman saying that “no pins [could be heard] dropping” during filming. Mia is there to support Chris throughout this process, and the reaction on social media within TMS is positive toward Chris. Pittman is equally supportive: “She [Chris] did everything she did for good reasons.” On and off-screen, they do make a great team. Finally, Mia gets a win.
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