["Nemesis" playing]
[music ends]
[footsteps echoing]
You're in my way.
I know you're angry. That's why I wanted to talk to you.
-You're not gonna fix this. -You're right.
But I better tell you something now, um, because you're already angry,
and I want you to know this right from the outset.
-No secrets here. -[scoffs]
Yep, no secrets.
I think you'll be happy about it eventually.
It's gonna be good for you and good for the show.
I reached out to Alex to coanchor with you, and she wants to do it.
We're gonna hammer out a deal and get her on air as soon as possible.
I see.
That's it.
Go upstairs and get some rest.
You did an amazing job tonight
conducting this televised symphony of drunks.
Don't worry. It's all gonna work out.
-What? -It's gonna work out.
Don't tell me it's gonna work out.
You've lied to me enough. You know, it's funny.
Life just turns out to be a series of disappointments
with just enough time in between them for the next one to catch you by surprise.
I'm your boss. I'm gonna make sure it works out.
Oh, you're my boss? I thought you were my friend.
Well, fuck you.
You know, I think I'm coming down with something.
Standing out all night in the cold, doing this stupid job for you.
I don't think I'm gonna make it in the morning.
[footsteps departing]
[breathing heavily]
["Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" playing]
[sighs]
[scoffs] Fuck.
[song continues]
[chattering, indistinct]
Okay.
[cell phone ringing]
[sighs]
[ringing continues]
[song fades]
[woman] Godspeed privately arbitrating a wrongful death allegation
based in sexual assault.
[man] It's a PR issue as much as it's a legal issue.
-I promise you that. -[Richard] Look. Hey.
There's no way Shoenfeld's father's gonna wanna take this to trial.
[woman] Okay, so let's talk settlement.
[Richard] They're reaching with all this crap.
Negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision, duty to rescue.
Cory, help me out here.
Their lawyer's in over her head with all this.
-We'll put the fear of God into them. -End it.
Give 'em whatever they want. Pay 'em.
We can't undo any of it, so make it go away.
The press is killing us.
All the stuff with Ray, Bradley not showing up, the stock price,
the stink of Fred in the upholstery.
There's an easy answer to this one. Pay them and end it.
We'll have to coordinate with Fred's and Mitch's teams.
They'll agree. We just need an NDA.
You know, I wouldn't normally give this advice,
but things are so weird these days.
Maybe we shouldn't have them sign an NDA.
The bad actors are all gone, anyway.
And it just makes things sound worse than they are.
[chuckles] How much worse can they be?
Look. It's a terrible thing, but--
And I hate to say this, there's a kind of a built-in NDA anyway.
[smacks lips] Pardon?
I mean, uh--
[chuckles] She's not talking.
That's it. Turn out the lights. The party's over. You're fired, Richard.
Go ahead. Get out. Vamoose.
Skedaddle. Got another meeting in a few minutes.
He's the only one fired, but I do need all of you to leave.
Keep me updated on the settlement.
♪ And did he ever return? No, he never returned ♪
♪ His fate is still unlearned ♪
[no audible dialogue]
-[sighs] -[man] Well, let's just get in
and out as quickly as possible.
What does it matter if people see me? Huh? I worked here for 15 years.
I could just be stopping by to say, "Hello."
Yeah. Well, of course.
It's just that the network is spending a lot of money
to make a big event out of announcing your homecoming.
And the deal's not done.
Well, then get the deal done, Doug. Huh?
I've been waiting-- I've waited for this my entire career, okay?
[stutters] I would like to see my office on the executive floor.
-This is not the anchor floor. -Mm-mmm.
This is where decisions get made.
-I control my own fate. -[Isabella] It's just around the corner.
-[Doug] Just keep your head down. -Alex Levy.
Hi.
Well, Alex is just making the rounds, saying hi to some old coworkers.
-Like you, apparently. -[Alex] Yeah.
Oh, no, I don't know her. Thank you for what you did.
[Alex] Oh, it--
Oh, my gosh.
Stop it.
Please. Thank you. Sweet.
-Hi. -You're a hero.
[chuckles] Shut up, Doug.
[gasps] Oh, my gosh.
-Hot damn. -Oh, my God.
Oh.
Look, just because we chose a subscription model for UBA+
does not mean there won't be opportunities.
The game's changing.
And that's what you do.
I mean, Dorexer changed the game in treating rheumatoid arthritis.
My mom's got a spring in her step again. Renewed vim and vigor.
She's here.
"Here" here? Did anybody see her?
Guess we'll find out.
I'm so sorry. I'm gonna have to call you back.
Cybil on two, says it's urgent about Bradley.
Ah, man. She's blowing it.
Yeah, Bradley's really pushing it.
I'm talking about Alex. Is the release ready to go out?
We're gonna be ready for Monday. Bradley better be game once press starts.
The clock's ticking. Ticktock.
[phone rings]
-[chuckles] -Okay. Yeah, um, it's open.
Alex Levy.
[chuckles] Welcome back.
-Hey, hey, hey. -No, don't get up.
Please. You look so comfortable. You can get up, Doug.
-Uh-- You know what? Floor's good. -[Cory chuckles]
Please have a seat if you can find a chair anywhere.
-Got one built right in. [sighs] -[Alex] Oh. [chuckles]
This, of course, is the new--
well, new to you anyway-- President of UBA News, Stella Bak.
Oh, hi. Yeah, it's-- It's great to meet you in person.
Oh, my God. You're a baby.
Look-- That's a compliment. I would kill for that skin.
-Thanks. -[Cory] Uh…
I think we can all leave with the flesh we came in.
-[Alex chuckles] -We just came by to say hi.
And if I had known you were coming in, well, I would've told you not to
until we make the big announcement that you're coming back.
But I would have given you flowers.
-Uh-huh. Well. -And you know what?
Sorry about that. We know that you want to announce Monday.
But Alex is just so just ready and raring to go
that wild horses wouldn't have kept her away.
Oh, wow. Original.
Um, so you got some new thoughts
about what Alex Levy in prime time is gonna look like?
We, uh-- We were just talking about that, actually.
And we're kicking around some good ideas.
-Oh, awesome. -[Doug] Mm-hmm.
I mean, we really can't wait to hear them.
Well, they're very early stages. So, you know,
we'll bring you the full pitch when we're there.
Killer. Okay. Producers? What are you thinking?
-Let's close the deal first, huh? -[chuckles]
Oh, my God, Alex. Go down to the studio. They put in a new kitchen.
-Do not go to the studio. -Yeah.
-Don't go to the studio. -I-- [stammers, chuckles] Excuse--
-[Doug] It's okay. -You're okay, Isabella.
-So sorry. -[Cory] It's fine.
Uh, I think the thing is,
if I can be honest, Alex,
you are our one unqualified good thing right now.
When we announce your return, it is going to be huge news.
And that's gonna be a majorly good thing for you, for me,
the network and The Morning Show. You're our returning hero.
And we just don't wanna--
We don't wanna blow the PR blitz that's gonna start on Monday.
Again, assuming we'll close.
Oh, we're gonna close, Doug. Yeah.
Wait, so should Bradley and I meet to plan about this PR blitz?
I mean, I know there's issues.
No, we're just hammering out some things with her.
But it's gonna be fine.
I think what might be good is if you reached out to her and let her know
that you're so excited to be back in the Alex and Bradley business.
Well, yeah. Is she excited?
-She's so excited. -Mm-hmm.
We just wanted to stop by and say hi. So, hi.
-Say hi, Stella. -[Alex] Hmm?
-Hi. -[Alex] Hello.
-[grunts] -Okay.
You know what? I'll tell you what. Why don't the three of us
have dinner at my place together tomorrow night?
You know, and we'll talk about what Alex Levy,
uh, her big return to The Morning Show is gonna look like,
and how we're gonna transfer you to the-- Your new prime time show.
Uh--
Y-- [sighs] I'd love to keep it intimate. No offense, Doug.
Oh. None taken, Cory.
That's great. Works for me.
-Good. -[Alex] Great.
-Good? Good. -Good.
[Alex] Great.
[door closes]
[chuckles] Wow.
Oh, wow.
You could not have planned that any better.
Just all your hard work, and then stepping away when you did,
and it just put you in this plum position. And it's-- it's brilliant.
[stammers] I was broken, Doug.
Yeah.
Well, at least it paid off. All right, I'm gonna head down to business affairs.
I will see you later. Mazel tov.
Thank you. Oh, wait, Doug.
Did you happen to get your hands on an advanced copy of Maggie Brener's book?
Yeah, they're really keeping that thing under lock and key.
-But you'll be fine. -Mm-hmm.
All right? And screw Maggie's book. You got your own book.
-Mmm. -People want the truth,
they can get it straight from the horse's mouth.
Right.
Metaphorically speaking, of course.
I'm aware that you didn't think bringing Alex back was a good idea,
but it is your job to make sure that you're wrong about that.
Alex is in the Alex business, and so are we.
Fine.
But Bradley better get on board in the next couple of days,
or we got some hard decisions to make.
Hard for you, at least.
Yeah, I'll handle that.
By the way, we should also invite Mia to the dinner.
-It's her show. -Yeah, okay. But no one else.
I wanna keep it intimate. And these things have a way of growing.
Uh, Cory's office just called. [sighs]
They want you to join a dinner tomorrow night
with him, Stella and Alex.
Cory, Stella, Alex. Okay. Have we heard from Bradley?
We haven't.
[sighs] Okay. Well, she should probably be at that dinner.
So clear it with Cory's office first, and then invite her.
Okay. Does this mean she's feeling better?
-Guess we'll find out. -[phone rings]
[sighs]
That's a bullshit offer. They're not giving me anything.
A 5% bump with incentives is not a bullshit offer.
That's basically inflation.
A prime time special.
That they're probably gonna air opposite the Super Bowl.
-Bigger wardrobe budget. -[Bradley] That's for them.
And they promised you a personal apology.
That is not easy to get.
That they negotiated with my agent? Wow, that seems really sincere.
Okay. If we can get what you want, how soon you going back?
I'm not going back until Eric's gone.
-Bradley. -Jeff.
-I understand. They mistreated you. -They didn't mistreat me.
Mistreating is what assholes do to dogs.
They hurt me.
I-- I worked every day, day in and day out.
I-I-- I gave them my-- my whole life.
I understand that you don't feel valued.
But you being out like this is making the network look foolish.
They look foolish?
They made me look foolish.
Is this about Alex?
Because it's understandable you'd be apprehensive about going back.
No, this isn't about Alex.
This is-- This is about them doing things behind my back.
Okay. Either way,
you're in a bit of a precarious position to be asking more,
what with the ratings situation and the way you've been testing.
-Let's not blow it all up. -[cell phone buzzing]
I think you should get that.
Is that your professional advice, Jeff?
[buzzing continues]
Clearly, this is not the best of times.
So, let's, uh, just double back to this a little bit later.
Oh, no, no, no, no. You don't get to do the whole condescending, paternal,
"You're out of control" move.
Let's not forget who pays who in this room.
Please have a seat.
[Jeff clears throat]
[Bradley] I realize you've only been working with me for eight months
and that you have a long relationship with this network.
I'm sure you golf with all those motherfuckers.
And I know you have other clients that-- that work there too.
But I don't give a shit.
They need me.
The fact that they have not fired me,
and I've been gone out sick for three weeks,
tells you everything you need to know.
They have two reasons they cannot fire me.
The first of all
is they have a wrongful death lawsuit hanging over their heads.
And in case you forgot, I was the whistleblower.
Remember that? It would make them look really awful.
And second of all,
they're about to roll out a big-- big announcement
that Alex and Bradley are back.
And I am Bradley.
You know what? I get to say when this meeting's over.
This meeting's over.
You can squeeze people when you have leverage,
but they're not gonna forget it.
When they have the upper hand,
-they will squeeze you back. -[Bradley] Squeeze this, Jeff.
[door slams]
Give her a minute. She'll be back. [grunts]
[phone buzzes]
-What? -[man] It's RJ.
-Oh, hey. -Okay.
Well, I hope you're feeling better.
Yeah, yeah. What's going on?
You got an invitation to dinner tomorrow night at Cory Ellison's.
Cory's? Why?
They didn't say why exactly.
I know Alex Levy is supposed to be there. It's her, Stella, Mia and Cory.
[sighs] Okay, well, I'll go if I'm feeling better.
But they need to invite Daniel and Alison. Everybody.
All the anchors. 'Cause they have to be inclusive.
Okay. I'll talk to Cory's office.
Do you think you might be feeling better tomorrow?
I might have to be.
Thanks, RJ.
[dings]
[sighs] Oh, shoot.
-[beeping] -Damn it. Damn it.
Oh, well. [sighs]
[beeping continues]
[dings]
[sighs]
[breathing heavily]
[woman] Hey!
[chuckles] Alex?
-What are you doing here? -Shh. I'm not here. I'm not here.
Oh, God.
Oh, sorry. Excuse me.
I'm sorry.
[woman 2] Alex? You're back? Oh, how--
Um…
Oh, sorry. Excuse me.
[sighs] Oh, God.
-Of all the dressing rooms… -[gasps] Oh, geez. Oh, my God.
…in all the world. Alex Levy.
No, I'm, uh-- My apo-- This is your dressing room.
I-- [stammers] I'm so sorry. Uh, old habits.
No, no, no. I was just keeping it warm for you.
It is the least I can do for a legend.
I would not call me a legend.
But I am going to retreat to the hallway.
You'll never know I was in here.
-I apologize. Back to the hallway-- -No. You gotta stay.
Just for a minute. Please?
-[stammers] -This is a big deal for me. I insist.
-Yes. -Chair's the same.
-Wi-Fi password, same. -Okay, I'll stay a minute. Sure.
Um…
Oh, wow. Oh! My-- Yes.
Congratulations on evenings.
Thank you. What about you?
How does it feel to be reuniting with Bradley Jackson?
Um, geez. [chuckles] No one is supposed to know that.
Most people don't.
I guess you and Bradley didn't exactly end on good terms.
Um, did she tell you that?
No, it's just the sense that I got.
Mmm. Yeah. No, we're good.
Look… [sighs] …I'm probably just projecting here,
but I'm not sure she's ever gonna talk to me again.
I don't suppose you have any advice on that front?
Mmm.
Yeah, I'm gonna think you would know more about that than I would.
Yeah, well, she makes it sort of hard to be her friend.
It's damn near impossible.
Oh, my God. You know what?
I don't know who the hell you think you're talking to,
but I would learn to keep a thought like that to yourself.
Bradley and I are not close,
but we worked together for all of three weeks.
Probably the three most difficult weeks of our entire lives.
Which I'm sure you know
because I'm sure Bradley would've shared that with you.
That's what friends do.
You've worked with Bradley for six months?
If you guys aren't friends yet-- [stammers] I--
The problem here most likely is you.
I hope you enjoyed meeting me.
[door slams]
[sighs]
What are you still doing here?
Things were supposed to get better.
Well, some things have.
Oh, is this about Alex?
[scoffs]
[chuckles]
Hey, did you see that someone in the US has this novel coronavirus in Washington?
And now they're admitting that it can be transmitted
-person-to-person. -Yeah, I saw that.
-How much time are we giving it tomorrow? -A minute.
But you try finding the time between a bunch of septuagenarian millionaires
and billionaires fighting over who's gonna lead us into the future,
Harry and Meghan renouncing the throne,
the president of the United States being impeached.
How about Monday then?
I don't know yet. It's MLK Day.
We got that, um, Michael Eric Dyson interview.
Look, I get it. The whole world is sick.
Some people are just worse off than others.
The information's out there
-for anyone who cares to look. -Ha ha.
You going to that dinner tomorrow night though, right?
-Do I have a choice? -No.
-Wouldn't miss it. -[chuckles]
[bell tolling]
[people speaking Italian]
This is not okay.
I'm sorry?
You think you can just pull that shit,
fly halfway across the world and invade my favorite fucking gelateria?
I'm sorry. Could you, uh, just maybe keep your voice down?
No, I will not lower my voice.
This man wants me to shut up.
Well, I'm sorry your fragile, straight white male ego
can't handle someone eviscerating it with the truth.
-Pathetic. -No. I'm-- I'm not asking you to shut up.
I was just asking you to talk directly to me in a normal tone of voice
so we don't spoil everybody else's gelato.
Well, you spoiled my gelato.
-Go away. -[diners gasp]
Like "away" away.
Stop harassing this man, will you?
-You don't have to go. -[woman] Excuse me.
If you had any idea who this scumbag was, you'd understand.
You mean, if I knew this was Mitch Kessler from The Morning Show,
I would agree he shouldn't have the nerve
to breathe the same air as someone like you,
who I'm sure has done so much for the world in her 20 long years?
Oh, okay. I get it.
Well, I'm sorry I have some self-respect
and I'm not just gonna put up with entitled male behavior anymore.
It's called feminism. Look it up.
Would it say, "Feminism is whining and throwing tantrums
until you don't have to feel uncomfortable anymore"?
Because your comfort is the most important thing in the universe?
Your constant, all-day, everyday comfort
is what we should all be bending down and grab our ankles to accomplish.
That's what it is?
He's right here, eating his gelato.
I didn't see him coming and try to grab you by your pussy.
-Then you would have a complaint. -[chuckles] Okay.
Or does kicking this guy when he's down
makes you feel better about your sad, miserable life?
-I think this is about you. -Yeah. Okay, Mussolini. That's enough.
The world has passed you by.
-Ha! Mussolini. Yeah! -Okay. You know what?
Thank you for your help.
-But I actually have to go home. -You have nowhere to be.
Stay.
I want to talk to you all about my friend, Mussolini.
[singing in Italian]
-Whoa. -Look what you've done.
You've scared off the celebrity.
And what about your friend over there? Did she get all that?
-My friend? -Yeah, your friend over there
who you had filming this whole thing to post on social media.
I'm sorry.
I hope I didn't spoil your 15 minutes as an Instagram feminist hero.
And by the way,
I fought for your right to be an asshole, bitch. Don't make me regret it.
[speaking Italian]
[continues speaking Italian]
Grazie. [breathes heavily]
Oh. No, the grazie is all yours.
-Paola Lambruschini. -Mitch Kessler.
Thank you for trying to help back there.
Oh, I enjoyed it.
Remember when getting angry was fun?
Uh, vaguely.
Nowadays, people get so angry when they're angry.
Not to criticize, but isn't it generally frowned upon
to sing about Mussolini on the streets of Italy?
I frown upon Americans
who call anything Italian they don't like "Mussolini."
Those two will dine out on that story for the rest of their lives.
The crazy, backwards Italian woman and the famous American scofflaw.
I think they would call me something worse than a scofflaw.
Well, sure.
But we can't live our lives worrying about what children think of us.
That girl was just smart enough to be stupid.
-She doesn't know what she wants from you. -Mmm.
If you apologize, she says it's insincere.
If you try to do good for the world, it's self-serving.
If you dare live your life, "the gall."
If you choose to die, then you're taking the coward's way out.
You must live and suffer.
But you mustn't do it in front of us, and you mustn't try to learn from it.
I just wanted some gelato.
I guess there's no place that's a safe space from safe spaces.
Aren't you gonna ask me why I did that?
-Uh, no. I wasn't planning on it. -Why not?
[chuckles] Because-- Because every version of that answer
is some subset of "You're crazy."
Finally being crazy is paying off.
How's that?
Well, I don't meet other people in the media very often.
I'm not really in the media.
No, me neither. I'm taking a little break.
As am I.
I was hoping to pick your brain.
-I actually need to get home right now. -It doesn't have to be now.
Uh-- [stutters] It's not a good idea. Sorry.
That's how you repay me for helping you?
All due respect, I didn't ask for your help.
You have to pay tax when you win the lottery.
[sighs]
[chuckles] Come on. I'm just trying to pick your brain.
-Come on. I just wanna pick your brain. -Okay, fine. Yes. Yes. Yes.
You can pick my brain at some future date.
Okay.
Put your number on my phone
so we can set a date.
You know, I'm gonna call that number
-as soon as-- -No, no.
That's my real number. You can call me.
[cell phone rings]
[Paola sighs]
[cell phone ringing]
[ringing continues]
What the f-- Ah.
Bradley?
Chip. It's a blast from your past.
Yeah. Um…
What, are you calling me from your hospital bed?
Oh, my God. How'd you hear about that?
Well, I run a news program, and you are the news.
That place is insane, Chip.
I thought I might miss it.
But the 17 years that I've been gone have been some of the happiest in my life.
So life goes on?
That's the part they don't tell you, you know?
It's like they don't want you to know life can be simple and normal.
My job is manageable, I actually have a life,
and I'm engaged.
Wait, what? Congratulations.
I don't know what to say. She's amazing.
I mean, sh-- It sounds corny,
but she's genuinely helping me become the person I always wanted to be,
and, um, I'm happy.
That's great.
What's going on with you? I mean, besides the obvious.
Have you done anything interesting with your sort of downtime?
Mmm, not really.
I mean, I guess I went to get ice cream yesterday.
Well, that's cool.
Anyway, the-- The reason I'm calling you is
they're making a deal to bring Alex back.
What? Uh… Uh--
I see. Uh, wow. Okay.
And from my understanding, they're giving her everything she wants.
-How do you feel about that? -Well, not great.
And I feel really shitty for not feeling great.
Like I failed somehow,
and they're bringing in my big sister to clean up my fucking mess.
That's not on you, though.
You know UBA's been a shit show for a while.
Yeah, but, um… Just, you know, you know Alex better than anybody,
and I feel like maybe you could give me some insight.
I feel like I just don't know her at all.
Like sometimes she's-- she's so open.
And then other times, she's just completely shut off.
And I would just-- I don't know, what is she like under all that?
I mean, wouldn't that be nice to know? You know?
So, any-- anything about Alex?
I don't-- I mean,
I guess the one thing I would say is you have to watch out for her.
You know, she can make you feel like you are
the most important thing in the universe.
So connected.
And then you turn,
and then she will push you off of the cliff.
And she will justify it in her head too.
But she is in it for Alex. Make no mistake.
You know, everybody wants to win, not everybody can win.
It makes you competitive.
I understand that. But it's different with Alex.
I mean, if I ever see her again, and I-- I'm not sure I will. Um…
[sighs]
I will have words for her. Let me just say that.
Yeah. [sighs]
[knocks]
-Welcome. -I brought wine.
Wine. Ah, I knew I forgot something.
This place is amazing.
-Hey there. [chuckles] -Oh, hi.
-[Yanko] That together is really good. -[Daniel] Yeah.
-We gotta add it to the rounds. Hey. -Yo.
So, Alex Levy.
-Mmm. -Does she like to make people wait on her?
Uh, you mean wait on her like a servant or wait on her to arrive?
-Um. [chuckles] -[stammers] Of course--
I mean, no. Look, Alex? She can be--
-She can be a little bit-- No. -Entitled.
-No. No. -Entitled? Really?
-No. She's a straight shooter. -Entitled.
-No. She can be-- -Straight shooter.
-She can be a little bit prickly. -Stop that word two letters sooner.
[chuckles]
That's-- That's a little rough. Little rough.
-It's the truth. -I'll keep that in mind.
How cool is it to live in a hotel, Cory?
I hear the rates here are great.
I would just want room service to have the martinis handy.
[whispers] Okay.
Shouldn't Bradley and Alex be here by now?
-Mmm. Excuse me. -[cell phone ringing]
Cybil. Sorry. Hey.
I know we've been trading calls. I apologize. How are you?
I've been better.
There are pictures in Page Six of Bradley out getting ice cream.
She doesn't look too sick.
This is just embarrassing. She's making us look like idiots.
Well, uh-- Hmm. Well, you-- I-- You can be sick and want ice cream.
She couldn't be bothered to come in for the better part of a month.
And now she's parading around like she hasn't a care in the world.
Like she's footloose and fancy-free.
Well, Cybil, maybe she was just, um--
Whatever you're going to say,
I don't exactly give a fuck.
I know you don't want to get into a pissing match with me.
All I do is piss.
Fire Bradley.
I don't even know why we have to have a conversation about it.
Fire her.
Okay.
[knocks]
[sighs]
-Hey. Coming upstairs? -Why?
Because you were invited. It's the right thing to do.
What do you know about the right thing to do?
Looks like you were getting dressed. So I'm gonna assume you were coming.
-Were you getting dressed? -You're not allowed to know that.
Okay. Well, if you are getting dressed,
then you need to put your big-girl pants on.
You think you're sticking it to everybody, but you're only sticking it to yourself.
'Cause at a certain point, this is only going to hurt you.
And also, I went through a lot of trouble to get Alex back, in part, to help you.
I know you don't believe that, but it's true.
And if you could just clear the smoke from your angry, angry heart,
you'd see that Alex coming back is gonna be good for the show,
good for ratings and good for you.
Because it's gonna be incredibly successful.
And you're gonna be a part of that success.
That success is gonna give you the green light
to do all the things you wanted to do.
Everything you've been asking for, including covering your beloved hard news.
I know you think I'm a bad guy, and I know you don't trust me.
But I am telling you right now,
if you don't make this work for you, you are only fucking yourself.
Is this the personal apology that my agent negotiated?
'Cause it sucks.
No.
[sighs] Bye, Bradley.
[clinks]
I'm not so sure Bradley's gonna make it.
What about Alex?
Oh, I'm not worried about her. She's just late.
[knocks]
Mmm. There she is.
-[Yanko] Oh, my God. -[Alex] Yanko.
-[Yanko chuckles] Oh, man. -Hi.
-It's so good to see you. -So good to see you.
-Hi. -You look great. Everybody's in there.
-Hello. Oh. -Ma'am.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
[gasps] Cory.
-[chuckles] -Mmm.
Oh. I see it's very intimate.
-Yeah. You can't offend anyone anymore. -Mmm.
-There she is. -Hi, Alex!
-Welcome back. Hi. [chuckles] -[Alex] Oh, hi, Alison.
Oh, so good to see you.
-Hi, Stella. Hello. -Hey.
-It's good to have you back. -[Alex] Ah, it's so good to see you.
Daniel.
How have you been?
You mean since you fucked me over? I'm great.
-Hello. -[sighs] And who are you?
And how did you get in here?
That's Ty Fitzgerald. He's on the show.
I know who that is.
[all chuckling]
-You're terrific. -[Ty] Oh.
I'm so looking forward to working with you.
Well, I'm really excited to be worked, uh, with.
-Worked with. -Yes.
-So it works out. -Okay. Yes.
[inhales deeply] Where's Bradley?
Should we eat?
[knocks]
Long time no see. [sighs]
-[Yanko, Stella] Hey. -[Mia] Oh, hey.
Oh, Bradley. I'm so happy to see you're feeling better.
Do we have to keep pretending she was sick?
Uh, dealer's choice.
Yes. Thank you.
-Alex. -Hi.
Wow.
It's so good to see you.
It is so good to see you too.
Okay. Now, these are two people who missed each other.
[all chuckling]
The best friends together again.
Talk amongst yourselves. I'm gonna go check on dinner.
It should be ready soon.
-Your hair. -Thank you. Yes. [chuckles]
Good to see both of you. Hope you're ready to get back to work.
Oh, I'm so excited. I'm excited. I'm getting ready to get ready.
-That's how exci-- -[Bradley chuckles]
Um, I'll be right back.
-Yes, of course. -[Mia] Oh.
-Hi. -[Yanko] How are you doing?
-So, you're not sick anymore? -[clicks tongue]
I'm getting there. [sighs]
Glad to hear it. Hope you didn't catch it from me.
I don't know, but I'm gonna push through.
Hey.
I don't know what to say. That was awful.
I'm a different person now.
It doesn't matter the person you are.
You're the person who fucked me over, Alex.
I turned down coanchor at YDA
because we made an agreement that suited you in the moment.
I did not tell you to do that. I didn't know that.
Okay, what difference does that make?
How does that make it any better that the next morning,
you decide to go on an impromptu crusade with a woman that you were firing,
and then suddenly she's not fired? And then you quit.
Would it have been better
if I never told the truth about Fred on air?
Okay, it's not about that.
I get why you did it. I'm glad it got said.
But I didn't need to become collateral damage
-in order for it to happen. -[sighs]
You could have done it without offering me the job.
Or you could have not needed a really exemplary woman
to die to wake you up.
[inhales sharply]
[clears throat]
Oh.
Um, I'm really sorry, Daniel.
Sorry is what people say
when they want permission to stop feeling bad.
Anything I can do to help you move forward, I will do it.
You deserve better than you've gotten.
But I can't turn back time.
All I can do is promise that I'll do better
and tell you what's in my heart.
And what's in my heart is that I am sorry.
Apology not accepted.
[Yanko] Oh, yeah, I'll have another one. Thank you. Mmm, that's good.
Dinner is ready.
And you two are sitting together.
Great.
[chattering]
[Alison laughs]
Oh, please. It's like having the flu.
Yeah. I don't want to get the flu either.
I don't know. I had SARS. It was wonderful.
Hey, I don't think we should joke about it.
People are getting sick.
People will get sick whether we joke about it or not.
And if a person gets coronavirus 5,000 miles away,
-does it make a sound? -I don't know.
-I think Daniel's right. -Someone should cover it.
Well, then let's get you on a plane.
Me? [scoffs] I'm going to Iowa.
Well, Bradley's back.
-She can do the caucus. -Now you're volunteering me?
You wouldn't want to cover the caucus for some reason?
No-- [sighs]
Look, I'm not necessarily saying that I need to cover coronavirus.
I'm saying that we should cover coronavirus.
Uh, well, watching a disease spread isn't exactly exciting TV.
You know what? There's a lot going on, but Daniel is right.
Let's figure it out.
There is a lot going on.
But maybe if we can get this sham impeachment trial over with,
we can actually clear up some screen time.
Are you joking?
-No. It's a sham. -In-- In what sense?
You think Trump is innocent?
That's not the point. The point is that it's a charade.
[glass clinking]
Everybody.
I'm making a toast.
[Alison] Mmm.
[Cory clears throat]
-Well, I wanna welcome back Alex Levy. -Thank you, Cory.
Alex, one of the most beloved, incisive, radiant, groundbreaking journalists
and television personalities ever to grace the TV screen.
-[Alex] Come on. -Sorry.
-I'm just so excited. -[Bradley chuckles]
-I am really happy. -[Alex chuckles]
These two women,
they-- they changed the course of human history for the better.
Um, and we've got 'em.
And we will be spending more than the GDP of a small island nation
to make sure everyone knows it, I guarantee it.
Everybody is going to be watching Alex and Bradley week on UBA,
culminating on a Sunday night prime time retrospective of their time together
we're calling the Three Weeks of Spring,
which leads into a UBA 365 interview special
that puts each of you one-on-one with the one, the only, Laura Peterson.
And it all crescendos into a moment the whole world will be watching,
the moment our heroes reunite.
Monday morning, 7:00 a.m., together on air for the first time since that--
that wonderful and shocking day nine months ago.
So everyone, please,
-let's raise a glass… -[Yanko] Yeah.
…and toast to Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson.
-Cheers. -[all] Cheers.
Hey there. Is everything okay?
Okay?
Yeah. Are you upset with me for some reason?
Mmm. No, I'm good.
Okay. Well, great.
Um, I was thinking,
you and I, why don't we get together and just sort of work on some ideas?
Sure. Just call RJ.
-Who's RJ? -That's my assistant.
I prefer to do my scheduling through him.
[chuckles]
Whoa. Okay.
Just-- Okay.
Yeah.
-[clears throat] -You're not leaving, are you?
Listen, everyone. I just want to say I had a great evening.
Um, I have a dog now. So, I gotta go take him out for a walk.
But I just wanted to say how great it was to see all of you tonight.
And I know I come with a history attached to me.
And it's not a history that all of you love. I know that.
But I left this job for a reason.
And I've done a lot of work on myself.
I've had a lot of therapy.
Never intended on coming back to this place, but you're--
Truth is, I missed it, and I missed it a lot.
So… [sighs] …I want it.
So let's focus on the future, huh?
-Right? -Mm-hmm.
Because I'm back.
And I'm not going anywhere.
So, just all have a good night, okay?
-Thanks for everything. -Mmm.
[Alex] Thank you.
Bradley. Let's be smart about this.
Get out of my way.
Alex.
Things are gonna have to be different if we're gonna resume this "partnership."
You need to know that.
Oh, I would expect things to be different. I've been gone for eight months.
It's actually nine months. And things have already changed.
First of all, I really want this, and I'm good at this.
And I've been holding up this show
ever since you decided to erratically leave
without telling me.
I told you. I remember calling you.
You called me a week after you told the network.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I was having a meltdown.
I'm sorry I didn't do it in the perfect order.
You talked to me for one fucking minute.
The whole fucking world changed in a minute.
And then I got the whole responsibility of the show dumped on my shoulders,
and I'd only been doing it for a month.
-Mmm. -And you said,
"I'm gonna check on you and I'm gonna call you."
And that is the last time I fucking heard from you, buddy.
Buddy? Okay, apologies.
You know, there are people with real problems.
[scoffs] Like you have real fucking problems in this world? I'm sorry.
Not all of us get to run off to a fucking country house
when the going gets tough.
Some of us had to sit in the shit and deal with it.
And, by the way, Miss Feminist-fucking-hero,
I was the one who was exposing the network,
and I decided to include you.
And meanwhile, you were just trying to get me fucking fired.
Behind my back!
Well, I'm really sorry I failed at that.
Oh, are we being honest with each other now?
-Yeah, we're being honest! -All right.
When I came to this show, I was a fucking baby.
I-- I did anything anybody wanted me to do to just get along and make nice
because I thought we were a team.
We're not a fucking team.
Every single person in there is out for themselves.
-So if we're gonna do this… -Oh, God.
…I want you to know I'm not gonna be your fucking sidekick.
I am your equal.
And I'm gonna go toe-to-toe with you
-for all the best stories… -Great.
…screen time, and I'm not rolling over.
-I'm gonna compete with you. -Do it!
That's what you should do.
Compete. Don't roll over. You should never roll over.
That's the job. Think you can do the job?
-Can you even hear yourself? -I can hear myself fine.
You're taking what I said to you and then turning it around,
making it seem like you're telling me what I said to you!
Oh, my God, Bradley.
Honestly-- [stammers]
A friendship with you sounds like a really bountiful journey.
I'm sorry I didn't call you.
We worked together for one month. We don't owe each other a thing.
Well, what about Chip?
What about Chip?
Do you owe him anything?
'Cause I talked to him today,
and he says he hasn't heard from you either.
And how long did you work together? Fifteen years?
Sounds like a great thing to have a friendship with you.
But congratulations on your megadeal, Alex.
I'm gonna go now, Bradley.
Of course you are. That's what you always do.
The gloves are coming off.
-Alex! -I hear it. I got it.
[dings]
[groans]
[shrieks]
[sighs]
Give me paw. Give me your paw.
[news anchor speaking Italian on TV]
[knocks]
[groans] Fuck off.
-Jesus. -I come in peace.
-The network paid $119.2 million. -Jesus.
$119.2 million for you to go away.
Well, it's a golden parachute.
How much will it cost for you to get off my fucking front step?
Mitch, we need to talk. Mitch!
[air hostess speaking Mandarin on intercom]
Thank you.
[air hostess] Your flight time from New York City to Wuhan, China
is 23 hours and 11 minutes.
[speaking, indistinct]
All right. As long as everybody in the studio and everybody at home
promises to turn around.
All right, everybody? [chuckles] All right. Yeah.
[Kyle] Mandy, Washington on one.
So where are we? How much do they want?
[Mandy] They won't settle.
The dollar figure they gave was so out of sight,
they know we can't agree to it.
119.2 million? It was so specific.
They're clearly trying to send some sort of message.
But they want this to go to trial.
[Chip] Hey, have you seen my keys?
Oh, my God. Where have my keys gone? [chuckles]
-[Madeleine] They were there. -This is insane.
[doorbell rings]
-[sighs] -I can drop you, but I'm late.
-Did I leave them in my car? Oh, shit. -[Madeleine] Maybe.
Alex.
Hi.
I saw Bradley last night.
What did she s-- [stammers]
I don't care about any of that stuff. It's in the past.
-No, no. -The job--
That's not why I'm here. I-- [inhales deeply]
I want you to come back to the show and be my producer.
It would mean the world to me.
When do I start?