Warning: This article discusses sexual harassment and assault.
The Morning Show offers viewers the scenic route of the Mitch Kessler story in an effort to show how dangerous Steve Carrel's character really is. The series opens with the accusations against the show’s co-anchor, Steve Carell’s Mitch Kessler, but does not, however, reveal if Mitch is guilty until much later in the season. This was by design, to allow the audience to experience how charismatic and charming Mitch’s character is, and to showcase his victimized mindset before they find out if he is a sexual predator.
The show goes to great lengths to show that Mitch is relatable and funny — he knows all of his coworkers by name, remembers details about their dogs and families, and most of his coworkers seem to genuinely mourn his presence in their lives. In his scenes with The Morning Show’s female co-anchor Alex Levy - played by beloved Friends actress Jennifer Aniston - the viewer sees that when he says the affairs were consensual, she believes him. This lends to the idea that if Alex, Mitch’s partner for fifteen years and the one who understands him better than anyone else in the world, believes him, the viewer should too.
However, these endearing traits are established in order to make the revelation that Mitch is guilty all the more uncomfortable and real to the viewer. It reminds audiences that those who are affable, well-liked, and who do not see themselves are predators are still just as capable of wrongdoing - in much the same way the likes of Ted Bundy documentaries make sure to establish his outwardly endearing persona. In his interactions with Hannah, the viewer sees just how Mitch's job and personality can be used to manipulate, as on the Vegas Strip in episode 8, Mitch points out that he is the reason she is there - building a sense of trust and debt - before initiating sexual actions without her consent when Hannah later tries to leave his hotel room. Mitch establishes that he considers the likes of Dick Lundy and Harvey Weinstein to be creeps, and yet is seemingly completely blind to the likeness of his actions in comparison to Dick Lundy and Harvey Weinstein - even telling Hannah that he believes she used him to get ahead.
The discomfort of the viewer as they witness this portrayal was The Morning Show showrunner Kerry Ehrin's goal, as she stated (via The Hollywood Reporter) “I wanted men to watch the show and recognize themselves. And if you see a guy who is just a monster you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m not that guy.” Media surrounding predatory behavior rightfully establishes the perpetrators as monstrous, but in doing so hides the fact that many who do these things are seemingly regular, amicable people, who use their charm to prevent others from thinking they are capable of hurting others. When the audience is forced to confront this, they are also forced to confront the fact that this type of predator is also far harder for victims to deal with, as people are less likely to believe them if they come forward with their story.
The long-lasting harm scenarios like this can create is especially made clear in the last episode of The Morning Show season 1, where Hannah shares her story with Bradley Jackson (played by Reese Witherspoon) before she overdoses. Her story, coupled with her tragic death, leads Alex and Bradly to expose Mitch (and the network) on the air, and the last scene of the season is of Mitch, sitting devastated and alone in his mansion. It speaks to Carell’s outstanding performance that it is unclear whether Mitch’s devastation is due to his reckoning with his guilt, or if his deluded sense of victimization persists and he is upset because the exposé has crushed his chance to further claim innocence.
The next episode of The Morning Show airs Friday, October 1st on Apple TV+