No One's Gonna Harm You, Not While I'm Around

**No One's Gonna Harm You, Not While I'm Around** is the fifth episode of the first season of *The Morning Show*.

## Short Summary

A looming article threatens to upend the TMS power structure.

## Full Summary

Alex ends the day's show and congratulates Bradley on her first week. Bradley says it's been a ride and tells everyone to stay tuned for The Twist. As soon as Julia says they're clear, Alex tells Bradley never to question her integrity in her house ever again.

As they walk together, Chip tries to explain the rules of the show to Bradley. He warns her not to annihilate herself by pushing buttons she's not supposed to be pushing. She thinks he's trying to protect himself, but he says he's talking to her about her. As Chip walks away, Rena calls to him and says Mitch is there.

Mitch walks down the hallway congenially greeting people, to their confusion. Chip asks him why he's there and Mitch says he has something to say to everybody. Chip tells Rena to call security. She already did, but wants to stay to watch the show.

Mitch enters the bullpen and draws everyone's attention to him. He's noticed all the pictures of him are gone now and asks who did that. He apologizes to everyone, but says that's not an admission of guilt. He says he misses them and misses the show. He knows they interviewed one of his alleged victims and that there's a NYT article coming out. He wants all of them to speak up on his behalf. They know him better than anyone else. They worked with him for years and years and he's asking them as friends to help him. Chip tells Mitch what he's doing isn't okay and he needs to leave. Mitch knows some of them want to do it. When security arrives, he waves them off, saying he knows it's scary to go against the grain. But it's his life and he wants someone to speak up for him. He's stunned when no one speaks up. He asks Alex directly and she walks away without answering. He tells the others he understands but wants them to know how important they are to him. He loves them and it's been an honor to work with them. He walks out, followed by security. Bradley follows him onto the elevator and asks him who else knew what was happening. He asks who she thinks knew. On the ground floor, he congratulates her and tells her to keep her back to the wall before leaving.

Claire and Hannah approach Bradley at a coffee shop. They think she's great and inspiring. Bradley appreciates that. They invite her to go out with them for Claire's birthday. Bradley says she would love to come. She then takes her drink and leaves.

Alex soaks in a bath.

Bradley goes into her hotel room and looks around.

Mitch watches Bradley's interview with Ashley. He closes his computer to turn it off. He sees an invitation to a party Alex and Jason are throwing and tears it up before lying down in bed.

Chip gets someone's voicemail and asks them to call back as he needs a favor.

Bradley wakes to a call from Mia, telling her Maggie Brener will be there any minute. The front desk was supposed to call her. Bradley jolts up and lies that she's almost ready. Mia says the interview with Ashley was great and she loved it. Mitch showing up afterward just cemented that what she did was right. Bradley thinks Mitch missed having an audience. Mia says Maggie will be curious and will expect Bradley to answer all the questions everyone has about The Morning Show. Maggie thinks she's smarter than everyone.

Bradley tells Maggie she has no idea why The Morning Show chose her. Maggie says that's part of her charm. Bradley maintains that charm by remember they're all going to end up dead in the end, so there's no coming out on top. Bradley thinks she and The Morning Show can evolve together. Maggie says she's known Alex for a long time and asks Bradley if Alex is really up for the feminist revolution Bradley has ignited. Bradley thinks she is. Maggie asks if she's noticed a shift in the culture of the show with Mitch gone or if that's even possible with so many of the same people still around. Bradley wasn't there before, so she can't really speak to that. Maggie points to the interview she did with Ashley, saying that's what she was getting at. That culture let Mitch's behavior go unchecked for a decade. Bradley admits that she's curious about it. She's a journalist, so she likes to open space for people to tell their stories when they need to. Maggie asks if she's shared that space with Alex. Bradley says they've just started to work together, but they're off to a great start. She hopes they'll prove to be a great team. Maggie looks forward to a follow-up interview on that.

**UBA New York Office**

Fred and Cory are listening to Robert, who tells them that four accusers came forward, as previously stated. Two of those accusers named themselves.

**NY Times Building - New York**

At the NYT building, Robert continues that since the interview with Ashley, they have two more women willing to go on record. Some of those women reported it to UBA. UBA has eight hours to respond with a quote from Fred.

Fred says they need to give details, so he knows what's in the story. Otherwise, he won't give a quote. Cory texts Gerald to insist on details or say they won't give a quote.

**UBA Los Angeles Office**

Gerald shows Richard the quote and Richard tells Robert they won't get a quote without details.

Robert says they're calling as a curtesy as their story works with or without the quotes. They need to think about optics. Fred will look like he's trying to duck out.

Richard doesn't think that's true, and doesn't think their story is any better than any of the other vague stories. If they had anything new, they'd say so.

Jane Taft, who has been staying quiet in Robert's office, says they have four sources of quotes, including three from women who work or have worked on the show and one from a male who currently works on the show. The events took place in many locations, which she lists.

Richard says anybody can say anything and asks if it's credible.

Robert say some are direct quotes and some are second-party. One of the sources is Fred's old assistant, Janine Friedman.

Fred is surprised to learn that Mitch slept with Janine.

Jane reads Janine's quote, which reads, "There was always an environment of protection for the stars. I'm not speaking directly about sexual allegations, but obviously the stars are the bread and butter, and they are fiercely protected. I know there were always rumors about what Mitch was doing. It was common knowledge."

Cory proposes to Fred that they trade the story about Mitch coming to the set for dropping that quote. Fred okays that and Cory texts Gerald again.

Gerald shows Richard the text and Richard nods. Gerald makes the offer, but won't give any specifics without guarantee that they'll drop the quote.

Robert thinks they're bluffing and says they'll run the piece as-is and hangs up.

Fred gets on the phone and tells Gerald and Richard to do whatever they need to do to kill the story, including contacting their sources and getting them to retract. If they don't, they'll be looking for new jobs. Fred hangs up and then tells Cory he doesn't like him and no one else does either.

Alex is trying to pick a dress when Jason comes in. Alex knows at the event, she'll have to stroke Maggie's ego after the interview with Bradley.

Bradley gets a voicemail from her dad. She immediately pulls the phone away and starts to breathe heavily.

Robert meets with Chip and they talk about Mitch and the Ashley Brown interview. They're being even more transparent than Robert expected. Chip asks Robert what the article says about him. Robert's surprised Chip wasn't in on the call. Chip asks how exposed the network, the show, and himself specifically are. He plays up their friendship and asks Robert for his help. Robert is firm that he can't say anything, even after Chip reminds him what he gave Robert. Robert says he doesn't remember that, which was part of their deal. Chip's not asking him to compromise the piece. He just wants to know. Robert says him knowing will compromise the piece. Chip warns him that he knows where the skeletons are buried.

Cory arrives at Alex's fundraising party, where Cheyenne Jackson is performing. Sean tells Alex that Cory has arrived and she puts her game face on before approaching him. Cory knows Alex is faking her welcome.

Alex welcomes Fred and Geneva Micklen. Geneva brings up the wildfires outside Los Angeles, which are threatening their Malibu home. Fred thinks they'll be fine. Alex tells Fred not to be cheap and to bid on something.

Alex goes to the bar and grabs a drink and chats with Jason briefly. She asks if he's seen Maggie. Alex is annoyed that everyone wants to talk about Bradley. No one seems to remember that she's the one who found Bradley.

Alex goes to the stage and thanks everyone for coming. She specifically thanks Geneva for introducing her to the Foundation they're raising money for. She tells everyone to check out the auction room and says the pianist will be there all night and for a $1000 donation, they can sing their favorite show tunes, like Cheyenne Jackson did. She tells everyone to enjoy themselves.

Bradley orders a drink at the bar and takes it to the table. Bradley gives Claire her gift and toasts to her. A bartender comes and asks if they need anything and Bradley offers to put everything on her tab. Bradley thinks it's weird that the bartender recognized her, but Lindsay says she'll get used to it. Hannah says that's what alcohol is for.

Alison holds a very long note as she and Daniel finish their song.

Daniel is getting a drink at the bar when Audra approaches him and says he's talented, too talented to be waiting around for some white folks to play chess to decide his future. He says TMS has been his home for a long time and he doesn't think his work there is done. She asks if he feels appreciated and he says he feels motivated, which she thinks is a lie. As she walks away, Gabriel tells Daniel to come sing show tunes with him.

Alex asks Yanko if he's going to sing and Yanko waffles on that. Alex encourages him to go for it. When she spots Maggie, she excuses herself and greets Maggie. Alex talks about Bradley and Maggie asks if Bradley is there. Alex says Bradley is taking a night for herself, which she has earned. Bradley's had a busy week and was quite shocked when Alex said she had to go on air Monday. Maggie questions her making the Monday call and Alex says she knows what the show needs, a fresh start with a feminist slant. And Bradley came through. They made history with that interview. Alex says she worked with Bradley all week, trying to get to Ashley's truth. It was intense, but they got there. Maggie asks if this is supposed to be on the record. Alex says no, but she thought Maggie would be interested in the changes at TMS. She felt constrained sitting next to Mitch. Now she has the opportunity to make things better for women and herself. Maggie says she respects Alex, but she's not going to write a feminist fluff piece about a woman who turned a blind eye to her co-host's sexual misconduct. Bradley's profile will be great and she doesn't blame Alex for worrying she'll get lost. She knows it's hard for Alex. Alex says off the record, she's not afraid of getting lost anywhere ever.

Fred and Cory haven't heard anything about The Times pulling back. Chip approaches, already drunk. He tells Fred he didn't appreciate being left off the call. Fred says he wasn't needed, but Chip knows he's on the chopping block if the article is bad for Fred. After Fred leaves, Chip reminds Cory he's not immune either. He's as expendable as Chip.

Cory tries to talk to Alex. She tries to brush him off, but he wants to let the press photograph them together first. Cory says the last time they talked was right before she announced Bradley at her co-host. He admits she was right with Bradley. He wants them to find a way to work together. Alex is a crazy genius and he likes working with crazy geniuses. She doesn't believe him, so he takes the microphone and dedicates a song to Alex. He starts singing Not While I'm Around from Sweeney Todd. He invites her up to sing the other half of the duet with him and she does so under pressure.

As they watch the performance, Daniel asks Yanko what's happening. Yanko doesn't know, but he's into it.

Fred takes a call outside and says he'll give the quote in exchange for the quote from Janine being pulled. He asks what changed, but Robert won't say.

Jason finds Alex frantic in her bedroom and asks what's going on. She tells him she needs to leave. He asks what to tell people. She tells him to have people wrap it up. When Jason pushes, Alex admits she's going to see Mitch. Jason says to go, that he'll lie for her and take care of her party.

Claire asks if no one can have something sexy with someone they work with anymore. Rena says it's not hard not to hook up with people you see every day. Isabella asks with what free time. Bradley says celibacy has perks, but she doesn't know them. Hannah thinks it's just part of being a man and she's not sure that can change. Bradley says it would help if security could keep Mitch out of the building. Lindsey says that was sad and Mitch even remembered about her dog. Layla says the sad part was all the people who tried to pretend they didn't know or even participate in what Mitch was doing. Bradley asks if it wasn't just Mitch. Layla starts to answer, but Rena asks who wants to know. Hannah clarifies if she's asking as a reporter or as a friend out with co-workers. Bradley says she'd be shocked it was just Mitch. They debate over how acceptable that kind of culture is for a workplace. Claire hopes that in ten years, she'll still want to cut off Mitch's balls for what he's done. Mia says to give it twenty years. Claire's only been on the show for a year and a half. Claire and Mia continue arguing about it. After hearing Mia speak passionately, Claire backs off and apologizes, saying she's drunk. Mia apologizes as well, saying she feels bad, too. This will be hard to come back from. Hannah asks if she means for them or for Mitch. Mia doesn't answer, but says she's going to leave. Once she's gone, Claire apologizes again.

Alex and Mitch ride silently in the car. Mitch breaks the silence and asks about Bradley. Alex admits that Bradley was her decision. Now there's no turning back. Mitch says Bradley won't last and Alex needs to prepare herself for that. People won't like her long-term. He advises Alex to keep her distance so she doesn't go down with Bradley. And then people will love Alex even more. She'll be the wise one, the one they can count on. And then she'll find a new co-anchor, who has some depth. Alex knows he's referring to himself and says he's not getting his job back. He stops the car and asks her to admit that she misses him. He asks her to go out. They're both unattached for the first time. Alex says she can't do that. Mitch says there's life after the show. She hugs him and admits that she misses him. He misses her, too. He apologizes to her. As they pull back, he leans in and kisses her. She pulls back and then they get notifications. The NYT story dropped and they both read it.

At the bar, they all check their phones and read the article. They read out quotes from the story, including one that states no further incidents of a cover-up climate were reported. Bradley is scrolling through the story when she gets a call. She declines the call and excuses herself from the table.

Bradley calls the number back and talks to her dad. She asks why he's calling. He says it's been a while. He wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him. He called because he was thinking of her as he always is. He's been watching The Morning Show and he wanted to tell her how proud he is of her. He always knew she was smart. She used to debate politics with him when she was little. He's not taking credits for how extraordinary she is. He put her through hell. She says she put him through some hell, too. He says she did what she thought she had to do. She says she did what she had to do. She tells him he can't call her and asks if he called her mom because she's really fragile. He says he didn't. He doesn't want to make trouble. He tells her to take care of herself and she says she always has. Bradley hangs up and looks at the bartender through he window.

She goes back inside and orders another drink. He pours it and says it's on the house. She asks for another. She asks his name and learns it's Andrew. She takes more shots.

Bradley hooks up with Andrew in a storage room. She leaves abruptly.

Mitch reads the article in his car. Fred's quote reads, "He came in to the studio in an emotional state. He had to be escorted out. It's painful to watch but his own actions brought him to this. He'll never work again." The article goes on to recount the events of Mitch's visit to the studio. After they've both read it, Alex says she needs to go, but Mitch reminds her it's all stuff she already knew. She says she did in theory, but this feels different. She asks him to take her home.

Chip is reading the article when he gets a text from Rena saying it could have been worse.

Bradley is at the front desk of the hotel, arguing with the desk clerk about getting someone else's room number. Cory walks in and approaches them. Bradley says she told the clerk she knew him, but he wouldn't believe her. Cory leads Bradley away and asks what room she's in. Then he asks her what happened. She doesn't want to talk about it, but then admits that she had sex with a bartender, which she knows was stupid. She's worried about it because she's a little famous now. She doesn't know what she's doing. Cory has her lean on him and leads her to the elevator.

Mitch calls Fred and reads a portion of the article out loud. Then he tells Fred if he's going down, Fred is going with him. Fred hangs up on him.

## Cast

### Starring

* Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy
* Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson
* Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison
* Mark Duplass as Chip Black
* Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Hannah Shoenfeld
* Nestor Carbonell as Yanko Flores
* Karen Pittman as Mia Jordan
* Bel Powley as Claire Conway
* Desean K. Terry as Daniel Henderson
* Jack Davenport as Jason Craig
* Steve Carell as Mitch Kessler

### Guest Starring

* Janina Gavankar as Alison Namazi
* Tom Irwin as Fred Micklen

### Special Guest Stars

* Mindy Kaling as Audra Khatri
* Marcia Gay Harden as Maggie Brener
* David Morse as Mr. Jackson

### Co-Starring

* Ian Gomez as Greg
* Victoria Tate as Rena
* Augustus Prew as Sean
* Hannah Leder as Isabella
* Shari Belafonte as Julia
* Joe Marinelli as Donny
* Kate Vernon as Geneva
* Amber Friendly as Layla
* Katherine Ko as Dhillon
* Eli Bildner as Joel
* Michelle Meredith as Lindsey
* David Magidoff as Nicky
* Joe Pacheco as Bart
* Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as Gabriel
* Markus Flanagan as Gerald
* Mark Harelik as Richard
* Robert Cicchini as Robert
* Caro Zeller as Jane
* Michelle Kim as Hostess
* Andre Reiner Boyer as Host
* Julian Morris as Andrew
* Cory Tucker as Guy at Table
* Chris V. Pipkin as Waiter
* David Jahn as Desk Clerk
* Cheyenne Jackson as Cheyenne Jackson
* Christopher Wallinger as Security Guard Russ
* Noreen O'Neill as Barista
* TJ Alvarado as Barista
* Christian Jacob as Pianist