'The Morning Show' Episode 8 shows Hannah’s confused response towards Mitch's predatory advances and proves Fred was enabler
'The Morning Show' Episode 8 is a study of what predatory behavior by men in powerful positions looks like and Steve Carrell as Mitch Kessler plays the predator in question well enough to be hated. This episode also sheds light on the reason why Mitch puts himself above the predators he had reported, on his show.
He had always put himself above such men, he had always claimed that his encounters with women were all consensual. The episode set in the past when Mitch Kessler and Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) had worked together, gives us a first-hand look at how he approaches women who interest him.
A young rookie guest booker Hannah Shoenfeld (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who works for the show, gains his attention and he goes as far as to recommend her to travel with them on remote coverage of a mass shooting at Las Vegas. The coverage is taken over by Mitch and Alex while Hannah Shoenfeld was brought on board as a booker.
It is often expected of a journalist to stay objective, and many a time, even removed from the events that they were reporting. However, something as horrific as a shooting does take a lot of effort and even tires reporters and everyone involved with the reporting, that includes Hannah, Mitch, and Alex as well.
When Alex and Mitch have a conversation about the toll that it takes on them, Mitch makes it seem as if he is completely fine with removing himself from the situation, and oddly enough, he does this to comfort Alex. However, when he steps out of his room and goes out for a stroll to clear his head, we know he is definitely not removed from it at all.
At this moment, he sees Hannah, who is also struggling with coming to terms with the loss that this shooting has resulted in. He takes this as an opportunity to strike a conversation with her that begins with genuine interest and care.
This is something that one would expect from a mentor and until that moment, Hannah thought of Mitch as a mentor who appreciated her work. Yes, she is surprised that he would notice, but she credits that interest to her work.
The two of them end up in his hotel room where they sit down to watch a movie to distract themselves. When Hannah doesn't seem capable of removing herself from it all as easily as Mitch and tries to leave, he holds on to her and everything moves too fast.
Hannah is not able to process what's happening, and she hasn't stopped Mitch either. She is uncomfortable with where things are headed. It is this confusion and uncertainty Mitch takes advantage of.
It is this behavior that makes Mitch sure of why he isn't a predator. What is really impressive about this episode is how well a nuance such as this uncertainty is being explored. Especially, Gugu Mbatha-Raw's performance as Hannah is almost perfect in how she expresses this uncertainty.
The flaws of it, the frustration that comes when your choice is taken away and the trauma. She bottles it all up, and only after she sees Mitch pass her by in the hallway the next day at work does she realize how deeply affected by this encounter she was.
She is shocked at how easily he sweeps aside what happened the other night and that is what pushes her to inform Fred, the head of the network, about Mitch's behavior.
If what Mitch did to her left her scarred, what happened next in Fred's room is what sealed Hannah's opinion about the network, the show and the people who she worked with. Instead of addressing Mitch's behavior, Fred turned a blind eye to it all and offered the position of a head booker to Hannah instead.
When Hannah asks Fred, "So is this how it happens?" referring to other women who must have experienced workplace harassment, Fred responds, "Absolutely." He adds, "You do some good work, you get promoted." It shows how deeply the network itself was involved in enabling Mitch's behavior.
