'The Morning Show' episode 7 highlights Alex and Bradley's growing bond
Contains spoilers for episode 7: 'Open Water'.
The tension between Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson might be emitting sparks of solidarity on 'The Morning Show', but even with Alex's marriage falling apart and Bradley coming in to check up on her, there's a looming cloud of suspicion over each other that the two can't deny.
After covering the LA wildfires together, the dynamics between the two leading ladies of the eponymous show on the show have changed significantly. It's obvious Bradley has been able to offer Alex that compassion and comfort which allowed her otherwise closed off co-host to open up to her about her marriage troubles. But it's not just opening up, anymore. At the beginning of the episode, we do get to see Bradley checking in on Alex, but later in the episode, the dynamics change to an air of consultation; in that, Alex is actually inviting Bradley's input into her professional life.
Early on in the episode, Bradley goes to Alex's dressing room to check up on her. Alex tells her about breaking the news of the divorce to her and Jason's daughter, Lizzy, and even agrees with Bradley's ripping a bandaid metaphor, calling the process quite the rip - quick and painful. Throughout the scene, there's an air of latent solidarity that the two share - an unlikely aspect of their relationship considering Bradley has made her sense of dubiousness over Alex's integrity known to her.
But trauma and tragedy do seem to bring people together and the new faces of The Morning Show are no different. The conversation shifts to a lighter one, revolving on a stressful task that they have to undertake for the job - ad photoshoots for billboards across the city. Bradley's goofy unpreparedness makes way for Alex to step in with her experience with all the side effects that the job comes with and for a second, it is impossible to envision the two of them in a light other than mutual support.
The conversation also gives scope for Mitch's topic to come up and Alex even goes to the extent of admitting to Bradley that she does miss Mitch, but that is followed by Alex talking about how there's a lot that Mitch would get away with and perhaps this is what appeases Bradley?
The timing of this pure and wholesome, cozy heart to heart between the two is striking because earlier in the episode, Bradley and Mitch are seen taking a walk at the jogger's park, and Mitch expressing his interest in Bradley interviewing him for his side of the story. Of course, Bradley refuses, citing how beyond impossible the prospect of that is. But Mitch manages to spark Bradley's suspicion bringing Alex into the equation. He hints at Alex's complicity in Mitch's alleged sexual misconduct that got him fired from a job he was heavily admired for doing over a decade now and that can be expected to change things for Bradley, despite her growing bond with Alex.
Alex's sudden warmth after Bradley has hinted at her indiscretion is surprisingly met with a consistently similar tone of amity from Bradley. The next day, when they approach the photoshoot, before heading in, Alex intimates Bradley about the prospect of announcing her divorce live on air sometime simply for PR purposes. But instead of dumping the decision on her, Alex is suddenly considerate of giving Bradley a forewarning. In fact, she even goes on to invite Bradley over for dinner so the two could improvise the whole segment and since Bradley is good at 'being human', her inputs would help it evolve from a mere announcement to a dialogue - working all the more in favor of Alex.
It's heartwarming, but also alarming: could Alex have an ulterior motive? Is Bradley's kindness a ruse for her to get Alex to spill the dirty deets? To find out, catch 'The Morning Show' as it premiers its brand new episode 7 on Thursday, November 28, only on Apple TV+.
