["Nemesis" playing]
[music ends]
[obituary narrator] Journalist, author and a vital force for change,
Alex Levy will forever be remembered as an icon.
From her many years on The Morning Show to her Emmy-winning hit Alex Unfiltered,
Alex brought us closer to the world and to each other.
You've all meant a lot to me over the years,
and I want to thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.
- [newsroom crew chattering] - [Alex] I look too perky.
Don't you think I look too perky? Like, "Oh, my God. She's dead."
- Yeah. I'll find some alts. - You agree, right?
- Yeah. - You guys...
- [inhales deeply, sighs] - ...this obituary shit is morbid...
- I know. - ...and it is unnecessary.
You're going up in a suborbital rocket for, like, 13 minutes.
You're not gonna have time to finish your peanuts.
[scoffs] I would not put it past Cory
to blow me up on live TV just for the ratings. Son of a bitch.
[Chip] But then what would he do for Sweeps Week?
Hmm. [groaning]
Guys, honestly, how maiden is this voyage?
I mean, they do test these rockets, right?
No, they don't test them.
They just kinda staple them together and blow 'em up into space.
Of course, they test them, okay?
You're going up with the guy who built the thing.
You don't think he wants to come back in one piece?
I hope so. I don't know.
Oh, my God. Okay.
The guy has multiple NASA contracts. It is going to be fine, Alex.
That's what they said to the crew of the Challenger.
- [Chip] Oh, boy, here we go. Really? - And Apollo 1.
- [Chip] Okay. - Oh, and 13.
Thirteen came back. I mean, they had Tom Hanks, but still.
Cory, it's Alex. Why are you avoiding me? Question mark.
- Fucker. - [knocks]
- [assistant] Alex. - Yes?
- We're ready for you. - Oh, God. Good.
- Esther. Let's do Esther. - Let's do it.
I am joined today by acclaimed psychotherapist Esther Perel,
best-selling author, speaker and host of the podcast Where Should We Begin?
- So happy to have you here. - Thank you. Pleasure to be here.
[inhales deeply]
So... [sighs]
- ...two years after the world shut down... - Hmm.
...and we are all just barely getting back on our feet.
- Esther, you speak to a lot of couples. - Mm-hmm.
What is everybody feeling right now?
[cell phone buzzing]
[breathes deeply]
[person] Are you sneaking out of your own bed?
[chuckles]
I must be off my game.
Sorry, I'm late. [chuckles]
So, no lunch?
I gotta go to work.
You got anything to eat?
Advil?
You were more fun last night. [sighs]
[stammers] I gotta be there soon.
Okay. Okay.
- We haven't just had a physical lockdown. - Hmm.
We are in an emotional lockdown,
and we have been surviving and now we are wanting to be thriving.
But for that, we need to fully experience the difference between not being dead
- and being actually alive. - Hmm.
"Not being dead." And how do we-- How do we do that?
How do we get back to feeling alive?
I don't even know what that looks like.
It's different for every person.
- So let me ask you, Alex... - Hmm.
...how would you complete the sentence "I feel most alive when..."?
What would you say?
Um, when I'm working.
- Mm-hmm. Right. - When I'm working on something
that I feel very passionate about, I feel very alive.
- Right. And you feel immersed and engaged... - Yes.
- Yes. Hmm. - ...and curious and present
- and able to take risks. - Right.
So, my question to you is, why only at work?
I mean, when is the last time that you allowed yourself
that kind of immersion and intensity but with another human being?
Whoa. [inhales sharply] Oh. Okay. [chuckles]
[person] Are you sure this is safe?
What if someone sees your story and knows it's me?
No, no. Please understand, we will completely conceal your identity.
I promise you no one will recognize you.
But people have to know what's going on in Texas, Luna.
It's just, I-I can't express how important it is right now.
I have to go next week. It's the only time I can get off work.
No problem. I'll see you in a few days, okay?
- Okay. - [chimes]
[breathes deeply]
[chattering]
- Bradley. - Cory.
[Cory] How are you?
I'm good. Yeah. Busy.
Hmm. You-- You got the speech ready for tomorrow?
Oh. Well, shitty first draft, but yes.
Well, we will all be there to cheer you on.
- Great. Uh, I'm on in an hour. - Right.
- Yeah. - Kill the people.
Okay.
Did you see the revised copy on the flood in Australia?
Yeah. Did we get a confirmation on the death toll?
Government says 21 dead at least, but they finally declared a national emergency.
[Bradley] That's confirmed?
- [Gayle] Yeah. - [Bradley] Okay. Got it. Thank you.
- Good evening, everyone. - Hey, Bradley.
- Let's have a great show. - Good evening.
- Sound check? - [crew] Ten seconds, guys.
[Bradley] Three, two, one.
[Gayle] Can you hear me?
Yes. I can hear you, Gayle.
- [manager] Okay, clear. Four, three, two. - Have a good show.
Welcome to the UBA Evening News. I'm Bradley Jackson.
President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping today
as the US navigates China's ties to Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
- [steam hissing] - [exhales deeply]
- Too hot? - [Cory sucks teeth]
- Nope. What doesn't kill you... [chuckles] - Almost kills you.
I was solo climbing on Annapurna a few years back.
Oxygen tank failed.
[inhales deeply] Weather rolled in, should've buried me.
- [Cory] Wait, don't tell me. You survived? - [chuckles]
Came across these other climbers, they had a spare tank.
They gave me their spare tank. I put their kids through college.
Well, fuck yes. That's a good story.
That's people who need people, and that could be us, Paul. You and me.
You got to admit,
- it would make a great press release. - [sighs]
While everyone was doomscrolling under the covers during COVID,
two guys, they cross paths at high tide in the Hamptons
to forge the biggest media deal in a decade. [chuckles]
So now you're thirsty?
Well, I literally am thirsty. Yeah.
But, hey, my kimono is open. So are my pores. Where are we on this?
What do you mean? I'm ready to close.
You're the one that's holding this thing up.
It's time to either dance or fuck off.
Well, meet my price. I'm ready to go to the prom.
- I wanna wear my crown. - Your number's inflated.
Says the fucking rich guy.
UBA's on the bubble. COVID saved your ass,
and I-I am offering a 20% premium on top of market value,
and you're lucky to get that.
You are lucky to get me 'cause I built a goddamn pyramid during a pandemic.
That's undeniable, and so am I.
You started a streaming platform at the beginning of a global lockdown.
Care to speculate what might happen
when the world decides it's time to get back to business?
Well, I'm starting with launching the first female journalist into space.
- Haven't you heard? - I'm launching her. It's my rocket.
She's my journalist.
- [chuckles] - Come on. Think about it.
You got America's sweetheart on the maiden voyage of Hyperion One.
She's gonna make space as safe and appealing
as a warm Cinnabon and a cup of Folgers.
Wh-What-- What is it-- What is this Alex Levy magic?
Can you explain this to me?
She's a survivor. That's it. And that's what people want to see right now.
I mean, she got the broken marriage,
she got the predation of the creepy coanchor,
and then she suffers through a biblical plague on live TV to become the one human
that people can actually relate to in this shit show of a so-called democracy.
I did not discover Alex, but I did bring her back from the dead.
So, to your question, Alex Levy is Lazarus,
and that makes me Jesus.
Except I'm in more houses seven days a week. [chuckles]
Well, I hate to break it to you, Jesus, but here's your problem.
You're overleveraged. No more loaves and fishes for you.
You need a miracle, and, buddy, I'm it.
[sighs]
And tomorrow morning, we will watch Alex Levy as she continues training
for next week's historic journey on the maiden voyage of Hyperion One.
Alex and Hyperion founder, Paul Marks, will reach the edge of space
on Wednesday, March 16th live on The Morning Show.
It's all a part of celebrating Alex's two incredible decades here at UBA.
[whimpering]
[Alex] I know. I know.
We've got to stop waking up this early.
- It's the absolute worst. It's awful. - [grunts]
- [alarm blaring] - [kisses, sighs]
- Hey, Mel. - Hey. Morning, Alex.
[anchor] Yeah. Well, th-the race is the fun part.
- It's the training that sucks. - [Yanko] Ah. Yeah.
You're living at the gym.
- Uh-huh. - There's no social life, no vacay...
- Right, yeah. - ...no bacon. [sighs]
- Wait, wait. Did you say, "No bacon"? - No.
- Like what-- Like ever? No-- - No.
I lost a race after a grand slam breakfast at Denny's.
- Never again. - [Yanko laughing]
Well... [chuckles] ...I don't know if that's the bacon's fault.
- [crew] Camera two, stay with Chris. - Alex, oh!
[crew] Take camera two.
- [Chris] The worst part about training... - [Alex] Hmm.
- ...is that you're never in the mood. - Oh, well.
- Okay. All right. - Yeah. You're too tired.
- Sore. - Mm-hmm.
- Dehydrated. - [Yanko] Okay.
- Okay. Very clear. - Yeah, all right. Cringe. We g-- Got it.
- We get it. Thank you. - [Chris] You know what I mean.
- Okay. Well, that's a perfect segue, uh... - [Yanko] We're moving on. Moving on.
- No, it's a horrible segue. - ...but we're gonna roll with it.
- Yes. Ooh. Oh, my God. - And speaking of rolling, the space chair.
- [Alex] There she is. - [crew] Center up Alex.
- [laughs] Oh, look at that. - [crew] Take it, two.
- Root canal flashbacks. - [crew] Widen out. Wider.
- [Alex] My little baby. - [Chris] Wow.
- [crew] Go, Jim. - [Alex] I've been training all week.
I didn't know, but when you're in space,
- you have to really use your core... - [crew] Standby, camera three.
- ...and just, kind of, like, tuck it-- - [Yanko] Whoa. Oh.
- [laughing] - Oh.
Miss Olympian, there we go. Hello, gold medal. [laughing]
- [hums] I like it. - [Yanko laughs]
That's good. Just go with it.
- Do you like it? - I like it a lot.
- [Alex] Okay. - Yeah. Houston, we're ready for liftoff.
- [laughs] - [Alex] Listen, if you wanna trade places,
I will gladly keep your anchor chair nice and warm while you go orbit into space.
- Oh. [mumbles] - Oh, no.
- That one's starting to feel broken in. - That's what I thought.
- All right. Okay. While they do, uh... - Oh, God. I almost had her.
- ...they-- musical chairs, Leigh... - I almost had her.
...can you tell us what the-- the weather's like for the launch?
Yeah. Musical chairs is right... [laughs] ...Yanko. All right.
- So, West Texas is gonna see clear skies - [crew] Stay with her on one.
- and warm weather for the next few days. - [sighs]
- So, Alex... - [Alex] Yes?
...you'll have a great view from that capsule.
- [Alex] Oh. - [Leigh] Yeah. Enjoy that.
All right. Let's take a look here at...
[Mia] Can't possibly like each other that much.
- [Leigh continuing weather report] - [whispers] Don't be jealous.
I'm not.
I just wanna crush 'em.
Hey, Lizzy. Mom. Remember me?
I gave birth to you. [chuckles]
Um, uh, just checking in about Texas again.
And I can still get you a ticket.
I know you're very busy, but if you wanna come...
I love you.
[bell dings]
- There she is. - [Alex] Hey, stranger.
- Hi. - How's the new apartment?
[sighs] It's so good.
Ah, did you get that rug?
Yes, I did, and you were right.
- It looks fabulous. [sucks teeth] - I can't wait to see it.
- Yeah. Well, come over sometime. - I know.
I mean that you're the one with the crazy schedule.
Uh, hello. Kettle. [scoffs]
Okay. We're gonna make a plan.
- Yep. Uh-huh. - I have this machine.
You push a button, and a cappuccino comes out.
- No. - Hmm.
- I have one of those. - You do?
Yes. I call it Chip.
- Oh. [laughs] - [laughs]
How is the training going? Is that crazy?
- Oh. - Are you ready to defy gravity?
My God. I've been trying to defy gravity for 15 years.
[inhales sharply] I'm-- I'm nervous. Y-Yeah, I'm nervous.
You're gonna be great.
[stammering] Do you know I had to actually cut together my own obit package?
- Ugh. - Literally, your whole life cut down
to 90 seconds to a Beach Boys cover.
They won't pay for an original Beach Boys song?
- No, there's budget cuts. - [elevator bell dings]
Okay. Anyway, I'm coming over.
- See you later. - [chuckles] You better.
- [Kyle] Whoa. Alex! Uh... - [Alex] Hey. How you doin', Kyle?
Ah, look at that. The doctor is in. How nice.
Ah, hey. Rest and relaxation. Check back in in two weeks.
Huh. Hey, Cory, does your phone not work?
Alex, I'm a little busy right now.
Oh, come on. You know what? You said we would finish our conversation last week,
and here I am chasing you down. Come on. Where's the love, Cory?
[laughs] Come on.
- I got you a ride on a spaceship. - Hmm.
A-A chance to commune with fragile planet Earth.
David Attenborough would strangle a snow leopard to have your seat.
And good news, by the way, I'm coming along with you.
[chuckles] Paul just, uh, extended an invitation.
Mmm. Do I sense a little bromance with Mr. Billionaire?
Well, he likes me. What can I tell you? Some people do.
Hmm.
All right. I'm serious about this, Cory.
I saved your precious UBA+ ass
with my blood, my sweat and my tears and everything else that came
- out of my body when I had COVID. - Alex, I'm profoundly grateful for all
- of your bodily fluids, but-- - Okay.
Well, let me then just speak Cory...
- [chuckles] - ...for a second.
How many ad dollars do you think I have brought into this company
in the 20 years that I've been here?
Little tricky to estimate.
Yeah. Well, I thought so. So that's why I had Doug give it a whirl. It's about--
about two billion.
- Ah. Doug. [chuckles] - [chuckles]
Well, agents do love a round number, don't they?
I-- I need to be a real partner.
I need to have a say in the future of this place, okay?
[stammers] I've been out there in the real world for the last two years,
and I know what people want.
Oh, come on. People don't know what they want until we puree it,
spoon it up and make airplane sounds.
Okay. Well, here's what I want.
Double my development slate,
profit participation and a seat on the board.
- Alex. - You know that it's time.
I have earned this, Cory. Come on.
Yeah. What you are asking is, uh, unprecedented.
I am unprecedented.
I'm all over this network, and I want to stay all over this network.
But I will be very clear with you right now.
I'll go elsewhere, if things don't change.
Alex, I hear you,
and I'm going to make you very, very happy.
Don't fuck me on this, Cory.
Ooh. God, I'll kick your ass out of that shuttle so fast,
you'll be like Clooney in Gravity. Just poof. Gone.
- See ya, Cory. - [chuckles]
[sighs]
[groans]
- [liquid pouring] - Morning.
Nice of you to join us.
[chuckles] Space question.
Massive star runs out of fuel, can't support itself. What happens?
Becomes a black hole.
[chuckles] Hey. Nerd. Correct.
Sorry I am late. I was waylaid by our resident astronaut.
So why am I getting angry calls from all of our network division heads
complaining about your cost cutting measures?
Have you ever had a happy call from a network division head?
You are cannibalizing the company to feed UBA+ and drowning us in debt.
No. [stammers] It's really more of a-- a misting,
a gentle sprinkling to keep us cool on a warm summer day.
We can make it work in the news division for now.
But I want to sit down and look at next quarter's projections
because they're worse than we thought.
And at some point there's gonna be a mutiny.
You know, we can sit around counting beans or--
But you know, wouldn't it be more fun to plant them,
grow a beanstalk and turn UBA+ into a giant?
The giant dies in the end.
We hold the line.
This is a rough patch. We'll get through it,
but we can't burn through any more of our reserves.
Stella, actually, I wanna look over those numbers
sometime this week.
I need to manage the expectations of the board.
[Cory clears throat]
So, what did Alex want?
Too much, as usual.
I like to imagine Cybil on an ice floe drifting away toward the horizon,
getting smaller and smaller.
She's right about one thing. Our financials are shit.
Do we need to talk about layoffs?
Well, don't fire up your LinkedIn just yet.
- Where are you off to? - Bradley.
- And what does she want? - Too much, as usual.
- [elevator bell dings] - [grunts]
[sighs]
With the jacket or without the jacket?
- Definitely jacket. - [knocks]
- Come in. - [Stella] Hey.
Hey.
Oh. Nice dress.
[stammers] I don't know. Too much boob?
[Stella] Hmm. No, not with the jacket.
- Yeah. That's what I was thinking. - Yeah. [chuckles]
Um, could we just have just a minute?
- Yeah. Sure. - Thank you.
- Mm-hmm. - [Stella] Thanks.
[inhales deeply, sighs]
- So, I'm guessing this is bad news. - Mm-hmm.
[Bradley] What is it?
You're gonna have to punt the abortion piece.
- What? - I'm sorry.
Medical abortions skyrocketed during the pandemic.
The pills are the next front, Stella.
We have to be leading this conversation.
Yeah. We covered SB4 and SB8.
And everybody knows you're not neutral on this issue.
Why? Because I have a personal experience with it?
That means I can't report on it? That doesn't make any sense.
Like... [stammers] ...Yanko is a gun owner.
[stammers] Does that mean he can't report on school shootings?
You know it's not the same thing.
If you cross the line and break local laws,
you leave UBA open to a lawsuit, to advertiser boycotts.
- We can't afford it. I'm sorry. - [scoffs]
I really am.
[Bradley] Wow.
You know, we were supposed to change things, weren't we?
You and me. That's why they brought us in.
When I came in, they called me an upstart. And then you started, and they said,
"You're gonna love her. She's such a disrupter."
We were supposed to shake things up at UBA, and now look at us.
Three years later, we're just status quo.
"Kill this story. Tweak that copy. You can't say that on network television."
Honestly, what the fuck, Stella? It's like death by a thousand cuts.
Bradley, because of who you are, where you come from,
you can speak to both sides of the country.
There isn't another news anchor in America who can do that right now.
And if this next election is contested, we need our viewers to trust you.
All of them. That's what I'm trying to protect here.
Got it.
[scoffs]
[sighing]
[upbeat music playing]
[people chattering]
- [photographer 1] You look amazing. - [photographer 2] Bradley.
- [Yanko] All right. Thank you. - [photographer 3] Can I get one more?
- [photographer 4] One more before you go. - [photographer 5] Thank you, Yanko.
[Yanko speaking indistinctly]
[photographer 5] You look amazing.
[photographer 1] This way, Bradley.
[photographer 2] Thank you, Yanko.
[people at event speaking indistinctly]
[photographer 4] Bradley, one more shot, please.
[photographer 5] Hey, can I get a big smile.
You came.
It's the woman of the hour.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
I thought you hated these things.
Well, I hate manufactured awards.
But this one is actually about the integrity of our job.
- Hmm. - And I thought it would be good
to see each other, since we run in the same circles.
You know, it doesn't have to be weird.
Between us, I mean.
I-I'm not mad or anything.
Why would you be?
If you had stayed in Montana, none of this would be happening tonight.
I don't know. I feel partially responsible for your meteoric success.
Right.
What?
You didn't want me to stay. You made that very clear.
So that's the story you're going with?
Story? No, excuse me, Laura. This is not a--
You pushed me away. You didn't wanna be there with me.
You wanted to be here with all of this.
- If that's what you think that's what-- - Uh, Bradley, Laura. Can you two--
Do you mind?
[Laura clears throat]
Smile. People are watching.
[photographer] That's great. Thank you so much.
Well, I always knew you were bigger than morning television.
You're on morning television.
YDA has nothing to do with what happened between us. You know that, right?
Can you excuse me? I'm empty.
[partygoers chattering]
[sighs]
[Cory] I believe acceptance speeches
are typically delivered while standing upright.
I'm not in the mood for this right now.
Okay. This is just your boss wanting you to have your moment.
Is that what it is?
Maybe just slow your roll until after the--
- I don't need you up my ass right now. - Okay. No more bubbles.
- Don't manage me. Do not. - Bradley.
I know Stella told you about the Texas story.
I spent months developing contacts down there.
News is Stella's department.
But she told you.
She tells me a lot of things. That doesn't mean I interfere.
Would you interfere if we were together?
Is that what it would take?
Huh.
[Alex] Bradley Jackson is a straight shooter, and in these divisive times,
her commitment to the truth matters more than ever.
On January 6th, 2021, our democracy hung in the balance.
We watched on television screens
as violence broke out at our most revered institution.
But Bradley Jackson didn't watch. Bradley was there... inside the Capitol.
Separated from her crew in the chaos,
armed with nothing more than her cell phone,
Bradley captured some of the most indelible images we have of that day.
And that's the thing about Bradley. For her, it's always personal.
And that passion for chasing a story makes her one of the most trusted voices
in television and the highest-rated network evening news anchor.
She is my inspiration. She is my good friend.
And it is my absolute honor to present Bradley Jackson
with the American Alliance of Journalists First Amendment Award.
[applause]
Okay.
Okay. [clears throat, breathing deeply]
Thank you, Alex.
It's-- [chuckles] It's been a whirlwind three years.
- Oof. - [chuckles]
And, you know, one thing I've learned as a journalist, and this is important,
there will always...
always be someone who tries to silence you.
[cameras shuttering]
Don't let them.
[applause]
- Hi. - Hi.
That was a very nice speech. Thank you.
Yours was, um, short.
Yeah.
- There's this woman in Texas. - Mm-hmm.
And she crosses over the border every single month into Mexico
to get abortion pills for women who cannot drive hours to the nearest clinic.
- She's doing work that really matters... - Mm-hmm.
...and I can't report on it.
[clicks tongue] You can't report on it,
or you can't go down there and drive her yourself?
You're evening news now, honey. You know, you're Dan Rather.
You're Diane Sawyer.
You've wanted this chair since you landed at UBA.
I don't know why you don't try just sitting in it for a little while.
I get it. I'm impatient, ungrateful.
Well, yeah, you are.
But you're... [stammers] ...also fucking great at what you do.
[chuckles] I just want my work to mean something.
[clicks tongue] The Supreme Court ruling in June?
2024 election?
I mean, you are reporting on some of the biggest stories out there.
Huge. I mean, I don't know.
Maybe you just let this one go.
I mean... [groans] ...we can't just--
We can't fight every battle.
We just can't.
[sighs]
Hey, Luna, it's Bradley.
Um, listen, I don't think that... [sighs]
...I'm gonna be able to make it to Texas.
Just 'cause work has-- It's just gotten a little bit complicated.
Um, and I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry.
Uh-- But I want you to know something.
Um, I really admire you.
Uh, I admire what you do.
And when I was pregnant as a teenager,
I, uh-- I knew that I could never tell my mother.
And there was a woman like you, and she saved my life.
I just wanted other women to know that there are people like you out there
and that they don't have to feel alone.
Um, again, I'm just-- I'm sorry.
- This is what Bradley was talking about. - Yep.
I don't-- How is this 2022?
It's, like, Twilight Zone crazy.
- Uh, you should try to get some sleep. - [sighs]
Out of 120 abortion clinics in Texas, how many do you think are fake?
Uh... [stammers] ...I don't know, like, 30?
According to this article, a hundred.
A hundred clinics routinely lie to pregnant women
about how far along they are,
so that they think... [stammers] ...they're-they're too--
too late to terminate the pregnancy.
I mean, they'll be three weeks along,
and they'll tell them that they're eight weeks,
- because the cutoff is six weeks. - Wow. It's sick.
- [Alex] Fucked up. - [Chip] That's--
I mean, it's really horrifying, yeah.
But where is this coming from right now? You're-- Are you spinning?
You read numbers like this, it's insane. I-- It just pisses me off.
You go to your doctor, you don't wanna be lied to.
I agree. We all agree.
Things in Texas suck, lots of things.
But maybe we just, like, I don't know, look forward to the barbecue.
Mmm. Yeah, it's delicious.
Brisket roasted over the ashes of women's autonomy.
- [inhales deeply] Mmm. - [Chip] Okay.
Wow.
- Oh, my God. Could it be any hotter? - Yeah.
And it's only March.
Yeah, well, welcome to the future, Mia. Look at this thing.
Oh, my God.
[Chip] Whoa.
- Whoa. [sighs] - Oh, there he is.
[speaks indistinctly]
He's tall.
[Paul] Welcome to Hyperion.
Tomorrow's short flight will be the beginning of a new era.
These suborbital tests will help develop the vital technology
to carry humans far, far beyond the moon.
There's that word again. "Test."
And UBA is an essential part of that project.
By showing the world what we do live on The Morning Show,
we hope to generate the kind of excitement
that will bring in new support for the next space age.
- Thank you. - [applause]
We have Chris on standby, in case you wanna shoot anything.
Okay.
[Paul] Why the fuck did we agree to this? The last thing I need right now
is a TV crew up my ass.
- Want me to send them home? No. - Yes. Could you?
These nice people are gonna help us keep that big,
fat NASA contract that you want so much.
What do you think of her?
I don't know. She walks on water in Milwaukee.
- How do you think she is in zero gravity? - [chuckles]
- [Paul] Alex. - Yes.
- Paul Marks. - Hi.
- How do you do? Pleasure to meet you. - Pleasure to meet you.
Uh, this is all very, um, impressive.
Ah... [chuckles] ...thanks.
Listen, we really haven't had a chance to talk.
- Um, can I show you around the facility? - Yeah.
- Give me a second. Okay. - Yeah.
["Runnin' Down A Dream" playing]
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.
My God. Whoa! Quite the tour, that I wasn't expecting.
- Oh, my God. - We're almost there.
- Oh, great. [stammers] Whoa! Jesus! - Whoa!
[Alex] Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Don't you love it?
Whoa! Amazing.
Oh. Whoa.
[sighing] What is it with you rich boys and your toys?
- [chuckling] - Good God.
Do you have a death wish or something? [sighs]
- You're fine. - [panting] Oh, God.
[sighs] Why did any of that have to happen?
You know, the rocket goes a lot faster.
Yeah, but... [sighs] ...you won't be driving that, right?
Didn't you get out of Bosnia on a motorcycle or something?
[sighs] Yeah, like a hundred years ago.
[grunting, sighs] You read my book. [breathing heavily]
I did.
Everybody thought they knew you, but you showed them something else.
- Huh. Oh. - I could use a rebrand like that.
Yeah, I'm sure you're very misunderstood.
Yeah. [sighs]
All those other billionaires really fucked it up for me.
[Alex] Ah, those billionaires.
Oh, wow. Whoa. This is all yours.
Yes, it is. 200,000 unspoiled acres, and I plan to keep it that way.
[sighs] Big on personal space, huh?
- Yes, I am. [chuckles] - Mm-hmm.
Well, it's-- it's really beautiful.
I think so.
[inhales sharply] So you read my book?
Well, my assistant did.
Oh. Okay.
Of course I read your book.
Maybe someday you'll tell me what isn't in it. [chuckles]
[Alex] Hmm.
I have to ask you, what is going on here?
- What? Aren't we just talking? - No, I don't-- I mean, all of this.
What are you getting out of a 13-minute joyride on The Morning Show?
I don't-- Well, I thought we maybe should get to know each other a little bit
before this deal goes through. Hmm?
What deal?
[chuckles]
- Hey. Hi. - Hi.
So you're selling UBA to Paul Marks?
When were you gonna tell me about this?
Or was I supposed to read about it in the fucking trades?
Just, uh-- It's just a conversation, Alex, and, um, you're out of your lane.
- I'm out of my lane? Fuck my lane. - Yep.
Oh, my gosh. This is all so clear now.
Why you're pimping me out on that rocket ship.
So you could close a deal.
This is why I have to be a partner, Cory. I need to be brought in on this shit.
- You want to be brought in? - Yes.
You want to be brought in. Okay. Fine.
The world as we know it is over, Alex. We are officially in the Thunderdome.
In five years, half of the streaming services,
they'll be gone or bought out.
In ten years, the Internet will be 3D.
You will literally be in people's living rooms.
We need to build a time machine to take us to the future,
and that is gonna take... [stammers] ...real deep pockets.
Someone with more money than God.
And, uh, Bill Gates, he won't return my calls
since I crushed him... [chuckles] ...in doubles at Sun Valley.
So, Paul Marks,
that's the hand that we have been dealt in this game of three-card capitalism.
And honestly, I'm happy to be at the table.
I wanna play. I wanna win.
In fact, I wanna build something that matters even when nothing else does.
With that guy? That's who you see for the future of UBA?
Some need-for-speed hard-ass from Silicon Valley?
Well, we don't like his offer, we walk away.
Alex, I mean, come on.
You could just trust that I'm doing what's best for you.
Right. I do. I forget that.
I forget that you always have my best interest at heart. Mm-hmm.
You know, Paul and I, we just had some conversations. That's it.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
You haven't told Cybil yet.
Oh, you haven't told anybody yet.
I promise, if this happens,
you will be taken care of.
Mm-hmm.
[phone buzzes]
[Alex sighs] God, I'm so sick of men.
Thank you?
- No, not you. Men with power. [sighs] - Hmm. Again, thank you very much.
That's nice.
Paul fucking Marks. Paul fucking Marks? Jesus.
I mean, look, he's not exactly known for sharing his toys, you know?
What the fuck was Cory thinking?
That he would massively upgrade his profile
by getting into bed with a fucking billionaire.
[scoffs] He's using me as-- as his honey trap.
This fucker who couldn't wait to get rid of me three years ago. [sighs]
Put in all this time, you know?
Twenty years and it-- it just doesn't mean anything.
- Doesn't mean a fucking thing. - I know.
We are only here to keep the stockholders happy, and that is it.
I'm so tired of being managed.
You ask for things politely like a grown-up,
- and you just get nothing. - Mm-hmm. Yep.
Why do I have to set something on fire to get someone to listen to me?
'Cause Cory's a fucking pyromaniac,
and that's the only language he understands, and--
I just didn't do all this to become a corporate Stepford wife.
God.
Just fuck 'em. You know what I mean? Fuck them.
- Fuck their rocket. Stupid f-- - [chuckles]
- Fuck 'em. - [groans] Seriously.
[phone buzzes]
Okay. Oh.
Shit.
What? Shit, what?
It's Bradley.
What? What is it?
"Luna got arrested. Headed to Del Rio. Can you spare a camera operator?"
Shit.
Wait, what?
[phone buzzes]
Earl, what is it?
[Earl] Bradley Jackson is on her way to JFK.
Told her team she won't be back for tomorrow evening's broadcast.
She's going to Texas.
[sighs] Of course she is.
[sighs]
[Mia mumbling]
[phone buzzes]
- Oh, God. - [knocking]
Alex? It's Mia.
Oh.
Where is she?
It's not personal.
- She wants you to know that. Fuck me. - Oh, my God.
[panting]
Alex is gone.
How gone?
[pants] Uh, the kind where I wake you up four hours
before a rocket launch gone. [pants]
- Can I blame you? - What?
No! She bailed on purpose.
- Why? - Does it matter? She's not here.
- Okay. - Okay?
- Okay. - Okay.
So we need somebody who can deliver the news in space.
Yeah. I think it's gotta be Yanko. He's a scientist. He would kill to go.
Mmm. No, no, no, no, no. It's Women's History Month.
Um, our advertisers will freak.
There really only is one option.
[Mia] It's an incredible opportunity.
[Stella] An Olympic champion in space.
[Mia] We're gonna turn it into a regular segment.
Educate our viewers on the science
- of going into space. - [gasps] You said--
You said you wanted to get more girls into STEM.
- For sure. Yeah. - [Stella] You said that.
Paul Marks wants Alex. So does everybody else. I haven't trained.
- Oh, well... [chuckles] - [mutters] Ooh.
- ...the training is bullshit. - You don't need to train.
[Mia] You can do it. You're an Olympic champion.
- I'm on three hours of sleep. - [Mia chuckles] So?
You want me to get into a metal tube
full of thousands of gallons of rocket fuel
on its first manned flight?
- [Mia] Well-- - [Stella] Yeah.
- Yes, but i-it's not-- - It's-- It's not that hard.
I'm gonna pass on being your guinea pig.
- [Mia] Are you sure? - See you at the launch.
Huh. That went well.
Now what?
Hey, we have a problem.
[announcer, over PA] Welcome to San Antonio International Airport.
- [announcement continues, indistinct] - [chattering]
Cory. What are you doing here?
- Uh, well, we need to talk. - No, I can't. I gotta go.
- I got a source who's in trouble. - Luna?
- I know she's been arrested. - What?
Wait, are you trying to stop me?
Th-There's nothing that you can do for her now.
I've called Legal. They're on it, okay?
Oh, because y'all have been so supportive.
- Hey, I am not punishing you. - [scoffs]
I would never do that. But I need you to do something for me.
Okay.
Hey. Hey. I was there for you, remember?
I need you to return the favor.
Yeah. Okay. What-- What is it?
[smacks lips] Well, since you're in the neighborhood,
wanna go to space? [chuckles]
[Alex] Oh, my God. I can't believe he got you to do this.
I really-- I can't believe it.
How are you not coming? This is your story.
You have been chasing this story, Bradley.
Well, it's your story now, so shoot the shit out of it, okay?
And tell Luna I'm sorry.
And if it all goes south, you can have my dressing room.
Well, what about your apartment?
[chuckles] You mean the one you haven't even seen?
[sighs] Oh, God. Please, you know you don't have to do this, right?
[sighs] I know. Uh, it's-- But it's like you said.
[stammers] Maybe I don't have to fight every battle.
Please just be safe. God, please be safe.
Okay. Bye.
So, folks, we have a last-minute change of plans.
We've just learned that Alex, uh, unfortunately suffered a minor injury
while she was training earlier this morning.
So out of an abundance of caution, our, uh--
our Evening News anchor Bradley Jackson, she's gonna be going in her place.
And Alex is fine. She just felt it best to step aside.
That's right. Despite the quick change of plans...
Go quickly to camera three.
...Bradley was actually able to complete that training pretty quickly,
so she's good to go.
And I'm thrilled to be here with you in beautiful West Texas.
- Look at this big, blue, Lone Star sky. - Yeah.
And I can only imagine how incredibly, uh, excited Bradley must be.
Oh, I know she is insanely excited. [chuckles]
[sighs]
[protesters chanting] My body, my choice. My body, my choice.
I'm here in Del Rio, Texas, a small city on the US-Mexico border,
where a 19-year-old woman is being held in this building
since she was arrested late yesterday.
- She is part-- - Back it up. You need to clear the area.
She is part of an underground network of volunteers
who have been bringing abortion pills from Mexico into the US.
Medication abortion is safe, and it is effective,
and here in the remote Rio Grande Valley often the only option.
Ah, well, congratulations, Paul. This is Bradley Jackson.
You just got yourself a whole new set of viewers south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Well, thanks for the ride. I'm gonna try not to throw up.
Well, there's a bag underneath your seat.
Just make sure you seal it.
Cory Ellison, boy wonder. Looks like you can't deliver after all.
[launch commentator] SNA arm rotation enabled.
[mission command] Stage one tanks pressing for flight.
[Donny] Take camera five.
[mission control] GLS mainline has been initiated.
All personnel, we are going to resume the clock.
All right. [sighs]
The, uh, G's can be a little intense, but, uh,
it's only for the first couple of minutes.
Ah, this is nothing. I used to fly Spirit Airlines.
[mission command] T-minus 15 seconds.
Standby to launch.
- [mission command] Ten, nine... - Ten, nine...
...eight, seven, six, five, four, three...
- two, one. - [both] Two, one!
[mission control] Hyperion One has cleared the tower.
[cheering, whooping]
- You can feel the ground shaking. - Keep it. Keep it.
Whoo-hoo!
That is absolutely incredible. The power of this thing--
[stammers] It takes a lot of, uh, juice to punch a hole in that sky.
[Christina] We'll be seeing footage
- of Earth from the rocket itself. - Stay with it, five. Stay with it.
Hyperion One will reach a top speed of 2,250 miles an hour.
- Whoa. Whoa. - [Yanko] It's impressive, Chris.
That's right. And reach an apogee of about 350,000 feet,
which is about 62 miles above the Earth's surface.
So Hyperion One is-- is now closing in on the Kármán Line.
That's the delineation between Earth's atmosphere and space.
- And everything looks A-okay. - It does indeed.
"The all-knowing mind, empty and radiant."
[sighs]
Any regrets?
- [Chip] Mmm. - [Alex] Hmm.
Everybody ready? Time to fly.
[breathes heavily]
["The Flower Duet" playing]
[gasps]
[Yanko] B-Bradley, this is-- this is incredible.
Can you tell us what you're seeing?
How do things look from up there?
Hi. [sighs]
After two years of a pandemic and now a war in Ukraine,
it's incredible to look down and see how connected we all are.
That's so true. I--
Hello, sorry-- [stammers]
I think we lost you, Bradley. Are you there? Hello?
- What just happened? - [Yanko] Bradley, are you--
- Can you hear me? Are you able to hear me? - I don't know.
[Yanko] Do you copy? Can you hear me?
Bradley?
["Fly Me to the Moon" playing]