La Amara Vita

Mitch asks Paola to delete his interview

**La Amara Vita** is the seventh episode of the second season of *The Morning Show*.

## Short Summary

Alex takes a trip to finally find closure.

## Full Summary

Paola watches Mitch's interview on her computer. He talks about sometimes segments not going as planned and embracing the warts.

As Mitch's interview continues to play as voiceover, Paola and Mitch play with Fido in the yard.

Paola and Mitch read.

Mitch looks out into Italy.

The news reports on the virus. Mitch thinks he should go home and be with his kids, but he can't leave Italy. They have a few days left on their two week quarantine. He apologizes to Paola, but she says not to because it makes him look weak. He then says he has something to ask her before he leaves. After some hesitation, he asks her to delete his interview, surprising her. It's not that he doesn't trust her, but that's how it seems to her. He doesn't trust the world. Things like this get out. He doesn't want his kids seeing it. She agrees to delete it so no one will ever know his true thoughts or feelings. She leaves to get her computer. While she's gone, the doorbell rings.

Mitch walks out to the gate, where he sees Alex trying to get in. He asks her why she's there and she begs to be let in. He says he can't because he was exposed to the virus. She says she doesn't care because she's been through hell to get there. He wonders how she even found him. He finally lets her in.

Once they're inside, Alex asks Mitch why he talked to Maggie Brener, why he told her to fuck off instead of denying that they'd ever slept together. He didn't deny it and now it's in a book. He realizes that's why she's there. She wants him to tell everyone they never had sex. She had to ask in person so there was no record of the conversation. It's a small price to pay not to be associated with his dick. He tells her to let it go and not give it any air, but she still has a life. He says he can't do it, but she says he can't say no. She's been through hell to get there and tells him everything she's done in the last few days. He again refuses to lie, which angers her because she lied about it in the interview with Laura. No one will respect her anymore if they think she slept with him. He agrees to release the statement. He's done a lot of things he regrets and he knows he's no angel. He thought she was lying about it to keep Lizzy and Jason safe, but now he knows it's because having consensual sex with him was so vile it'll ruin her life. Paola comes in looking for her cigarettes and she and Alex are surprised to see each other. Paola excuses herself from the room. Alex recognizes Paola from the video at the Gelateria and thinks that's why Mitch fled. Mitch explains who Paola is and says he's not going to ruin their relationship with sex. Alex says she needs Mitch to call his publicist right away so she can hear him talk to them. Mitch says his publicist dumped him, so she wants him to write a letter instead. She needs to leave the house with it. He writes a crude note and gives it to her. She asks for a real statement, so Mitch says she'll have to wait for him to talk to his attorney, which she doesn't like. She asks for his new number to check to make sure he isn't lying. He does so and she leaves. Once she's gone, Paola comes back into the room and tells him not to leave things like that with Alex.

Mitch runs out to the gate, where Alex is struggling to get out. He wants her to stay and talk more, but she says she needs to leave. He knows their relationship is damaged and they may never see each other again, but she's probably the most important relationship he's ever had. He wants to get to an understanding so they can move on. He doesn't want to hate each other for the rest of their lives.

Mitch and Alex walk around and he tries to explain how he felt about things. He thought they were in competition and couldn't see them as a team. Alex suddenly stops and says she doesn't want to walk around anymore. Her back hurts and she has to catch a flight. He asks if she has any response to what he just said, but she doesn't know how he wants her to respond. He wants her to understand why he did some of the things he did. She thinks she understands him perfectly, but he doesn't think that's true because then she would know what he did didn't come from a malicious place. He doesn't want her to think he's evil. Alex says she has to catch her flight and walks away. Mitch asks if she was actually going to say that he raped her. She asks him to confirm that he'll release the statement. He says he will, but doesn't believe what they did qualifies as sex. Then he tells her how to get out through the gate.

In the car, Alex calls to charter a flight. She is told nothing is available because everyone from Fashion Week is trying to leave. Alex asks if there's a private jet leaving from Milan tonight. He confirms that they do, so she asks what they're paying. She's willing to pay more to get that flight instead. The person on the phone says he can't just cancel reservations. She hangs up in anger and takes a pill from a bottle before driving out through the gate.

Paola brings her laptop into the room and has Mitch watch her delete the interview and empty the trash. Then she goes to leave. He says he's not leaving right away, so she doesn't have to go. He wants her to stay, but it's time for her to go. She got a message from the professor's daughter. He died this morning. She'll send flowers and put his name on them, too. She leaves.

Alex calls Lizzy from the car and gets her voicemail. She leaves a message talking about the book that's coming out about the show. The book says horrible things about her, but just because the book says them, it doesn't mean they're true. She wants Lizzy to know that and that she loves her. Lizzy is everything to her.

Alex struggles to stay awake as she drives. She finally falls asleep and drifts off the road, which wakes her. She gets back on the road and then pulls off to the side. Then she settles in to sleep in the car.

Alex wakes to a knocking on her window. A police officer is there. He asks for ID and she gives it to him. She explains that she was driving to the airport, but she started falling asleep, so she pulled over to be safe. He asks when her flight is. She tells him she doesn't have a flight and he tells her there's a lockdown. She just needs to get to the airport to get a flight. He wants to see her make arrangements, but her phone is dead. He says he can call someone for her. She doesn't have anyone's number, but then remembers she has Mitch's. She gives it to the officer and the officer calls Mitch.

Alex drives back onto the property. A note by the door tells her to come in, so she does. The house is quiet. She finds food set out for her and a note from Mitch saying he's going to stay out of her way because he doesn't want to talk to her anymore, it's too hard. He also left the statement in an envelope for her. Alex starts crying at the table. Mitch comes in while she's crying and helps her clean up a mess she made when she knocked stuff off the table. She tells him she's trapped in Italy and she doesn't know what she's supposed to be doing, but she misses him. They hug.

Mitch finishes up a call booking a flight for Alex to return home. Her flight doesn't leave until 3:00 AM so they have time to kill.

Mitch and Alex take turns asking each other questions from Trivial Pursuit. Mitch asks a question where Laura is the answer, upsetting Alex. Alex says she's bored and Mitch says he never got bored in the last two weeks with Paola. They talk about Paola and agree to invite her back over. Before he does that, Mitch asks Alex to use her connections to help Paola because he doesn't have those connections anymore. Alex says she'll do that.

Alex and Mitch find some old records and play one. They dance together. As they dance, they reminisce and Alex confesses for the first time that for a while, she thought she was pregnant after they were together. It was okay because she loved him as a partner if not a lover. She wanted to have it and tried to figure out how she could do that. It turned out she was just late, but she mourned it just the same.

Alex thinks she should be asleep, but the couch isn't comfortable for her back. Mitch offers to help, so she moves to lie down on the floor. Paola hasn't replied to Mitch's message asking her to come back. Mitch lies on the floor next to Alex. Mitch tells Alex he's bitter sometimes over what's happened in his life. He's lost everything he thought gave his life meaning. It makes you appreciate things more. He believes they could have had a great time making burgers together. They cuddle together on the floor.

Mitch wakes up and gets up quietly while Alex sleeps on. He gets a drink and then turns on the news, which is reporting again about the virus. Alex comes in behind him and he turns the news up. The news shifts to talk about Maggie's book, which contains a passage that indicates that Mitch specifically pursued Black women. Mitch is angry when he hears that. Mitch asks Alex if she thinks he targeted Black women. He doesn't think he did that. He's attracted to them. Alex abruptly says she needs to leave. He's concerned she believes the allegations. Alex says not meaning to do it doesn't make what he did okay. He wonders if his intent is worth anything. He doesn't have the tools to understand and wants Alex to teach him how to be better. He wants to be a good person, but Alex has to go. He's angry that she came to Italy to get him to lie about who Alex is, but she won't tell anyone who she thinks Mitch really is. They hug and agree that he'll release the statement and she'll look after Paola.

Paola wakes up and sees the message from Mitch asking her to come back. She asks if he still wants her to come. He asks if he can come to her instead.

Paola lets Mitch into her place. He asks if she saw the news. She says she did. He doesn't think he did what they said he did. She takes his face in her hands and kisses him. He doesn't think it's a good idea, but that's how she knows it is. She can feel that he likes it. He pulls away and says he can't. She slaps him and tells him to show her his big balls.

Mitch and Paola end up on her bed kissing.

Paola reaches for a post-coital cigarette, but she's out. Mitch tells her they'll kill her. She says when you have the little death, it stimulates your appetite for the big death. He calls her an addict and asks if she wants him to get them. She does and he says he'll do that. Paola then admits she didn't delete the interview because she thought if she wouldn't ever see him again, she wanted the chance to watch it. He tells her she can safely delete it if that's the case. He gets up to get her cigarettes.

Both Alex and Mitch drive at night.

Alex chants to herself that she's a good person.

Mitch rolls down his window as he drives and so does Alex.

Alex sees the lights of the city ahead of her.

Mitch thinks about everything he's been through as he drives, hearing everyone's voice's telling him how awful he is. He is nearly hit by an oncoming car and swerves the other way, which sends him off the road. He closes his eyes and thinks about dancing with Alex.

## Cast

### Starring

* Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy
* Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson (credit only)
* Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison (credit only)
* Mark Duplass as Chip Black (credit only)
* Greta Lee as Stella Bak (credit only)
* Nestor Carbonell as Yanko Flores (credit only)
* Karen Pittman as Mia Jordan (credit only)
* Desean K. Terry as Daniel Henderson (credit only)
* Ruairi O'Connor as Ty Fitzgerald (credit only)
* Steve Carell as Mitch Kessler

### Co-Starring

* Giuseppe Raucci as Italian Police Officer
* Oona Roche as Lizzy
* Kevin Stidham as ACSN British Anchor
* Peter Arpesella as Vincenzo

## Notes and Trivia

* The writers knew at the start of the season that Mitch would die and wanted to explore the difference in how people are talked about after they've died.
* According to the showrunners, it was Steve Carell's idea to have Mitch actively decide not to try to stop his car crash rather than the more ambiguous way it was originally written.
* "La Amara Vita" is Italian for "the bitter life".￼