Alex Levy

**Alex Levy** is the distinguished host of UBA's The Morning Show.

## History

### Mitch's 50th Birthday and Vegas Shooting

On the last show day before Mitch's 50th birthday, Alex sent him the same birthday song she sent him every year. She then arrived at work to find that she was being assigned to something that conflicted with an event she was already planning to do. Alex went to Chip to ask about it and found that it had been assigned to Mitch. Alex was upset because she said people expected her to do the playoffs. She felt that them giving them to Mitch was a sign they were edging her out. Their conversation was cut short when Alex was called to get her makeup done for the show.

During the show, Alex announced Mitch's birthday on air and confetti fell from the ceiling.

Later, on Mitch's actual birthday, Alex joined the rest of the cast and crew of TMS to celebrate him. At the party, she gave a speech about him. After the party, they learned that there was an active shooting in Las Vegas, so Alex and Mitch were sent along with a team to do a special show from there.

In Vegas, Alex struggled not to cry and Mitch reminded her she couldn't do that. After they finished the segment, they talked about how being exposed to other people's traumas repeatedly affected them. Mitch agreed it was awful, but it was how they made their money.

### Accusations Against Mitch

Alex had been hosting The Morning Show with Mitch Kessler for fifteen years when she came in one morning to find that there were multiple allegations of sexual harassment against Mitch, who was promptly fired. Alex was concerned about this because she didn't feel they could replace the chemistry she had with Mitch.

While they talked about how to address the situation on The Morning Show, Alex insisted that she would get them through it. She said she'd be addressing the country by herself and didn't want anyone in Mitch's seat for the day and they could discuss a replacement later.

As she prepared for the show, she told her assistant that she couldn't feel anything. When she got a call from Mitch, she declined the call and then shut her phone in a drawer.

When the time came, Alex went on air by herself, saying she had upsetting news to share. She offered her support and sympathy to the women involved. Then she addressed the viewers, saying she knew how they felt because she was feeling the same things. She admitted that she would miss the Mitch she thought she knew, but was proud to work for a network that upheld consequences. She then ended the broadcast by asking the viewers to have patiences while they found their footing.

On the next show, Alex and Yanko interviewed a PTSD expert, who explained that being harassed early in your career can cause long-term damage. During the interview, Yanko was visibly uncomfortable. After the interview, Alex talked to Chip and said they needed to get it together before the network executives arrived. She wanted to have a say in her new co-host and wanted to know every candidate they were considering.

Alex then met with her team. They said she needed to make another statement as her first one came off as too sympathetic toward Mitch. She refused, saying what she said was the truth. Alex's daughter, Lizzy, was as shocked as Alex, as she'd known Mitch almost her whole life.

The next day, Alex went to work early and spent some time crying in Mitch's dressing room. She then watched the video of Bradley Jackson confronting a protestor who knocked over her camera operator. She said she didn't believe Bradley was unaware she was being filmed during the confrontation. Despite this, Alex was forced to interview Bradley on TMS. During the interview, Alex and Bradley talked about how the news was changing because people wanted to know the people reporting it and that they were truthful.

That night, Alex had her driver drop her off at the woods behind Mitch's house so she could go see him without being photographed. They argued about what he did. Mitch said it was all consensual. When Alex had to leave, Mitch told her he didn't want her to, but she left anyway.

### Contract Negotiations and New Co-Host

Amid negotiating her new contract, Alex was set to accept an award for leadership in journalism at an event. It was her first public appearance since the news came out about Mitch, which made the network nervous. She tried to get out of the event, but couldn't. Alex was worried that the network was dragging their feet on her contract because they were trying to get rid of her, but she was assured that they needed her with Mitch's departure. She wanted co-host approval written into her contract and refused to sign without it. In an attempt to get the network to cave, Alex went to Chip and refused to go on air on TMS unless he could guarantee he'd wrap up her negotiations. At the last second, he caved and she went on air.

On her way to the event with Jason and Lizzy, Alex started panicking, but insisted she had to go to the event or people would talk about her. When she went inside, she was surprised to see Bradley being led to sit at the network's table. Later, in the bathroom, she talked to Bradley, who said she didn't know why she was there either. Alex told her she was there to mess with Alex. Alex then returned to the event to accept her award. On the way, she repeated to Chip that she wouldn't close without co-host approval, which he said she wouldn't get. After she accepted her award, she gave a speech in which she apologized to Mitch's victims for not protecting them. She then said it would be a new era for The Morning Show and announced that Bradley would be her new co-host, shocking everyone else in the room, including Bradley.

Amid everyone's shock, Alex left the stage and posed for pictures with Bradley before leaving the event.

Sarah then told Alex she'd committed a fireable offense and wouldn't be surprised if the network wouldn't continue negotiations. She advised Alex to apologize to Fred immediately, but Alex refused to do that and said she'd handle it. Alex met with Fred and told him that her show was keeping the network afloat. People love her and the network had to do things her way now.

Alex then met with Bradley, who said she doesn't like surprises and didn't like Alex messing with her. Alex said she'd given Bradley a great opportunity and put her in a great position to negotiate her contract. When Bradley expressed doubt that the job was right for her, Alex said she wanted a partner, not a replacement, though Bradley believed she just wanted someone she could control.

Alex then brought treats for the writers and began talking to them about where the show would be going. She had her assistant make a schedule for them for the weekend. Part of the plan was that Alex would do the interview with Ashley Brown, one of Mitch's victims. She felt it was step on the way to making up for the fact that she never noticed the kind of man Mitch was.

As Alex prepared for the interview, Mia came to her and told her not to do it. She didn't believe Alex could get Ashley to get to something honest and she would get crucified for it.

Despite her assurance that she would help Bradley transition into her new role, Alex left without rehearsing with Bradley at all. Bradley chased her down as she was about to get into her car and confronted her about it. Alex said she couldn't be around people who were judging her. She admitted she didn't know why she picked Bradley, but said she liked her. She encouraged Bradley to sign her contract and got in her car and left.

Monday morning, Alex held Bradley's hand as they prepared for the show to start and told her not to screw it up.

As the show started, Alex introduced Bradley and welcomed her. They both said how excited they were to be working with each other. They then surprised Bradley with a call from her mother, who was reading from cue cards as she talked about Bradley's childhood. When they cut to a video of Bradley as a child, Bradley confronted Alex about how they'd changed her backstory. Alex told her it was flat and to go with it. Instead, Bradley went off-script and talked about how she struggled and made bad choices as a child and teen. She also admitted to having had an abortion at age fifteen, shocking her mother and brother.

Once they were on commercial, Alex asked if Bradley messed up or if that was intentional. Bradley admitted that she didn't know.

The next day, Alex told Bradley she had to get back on the horse and do the show like the previous day had never happened. They had to make it work because Alex picked her. Bradley said that the audience didn't know that and she could escape, But Alex said people on the inside knew and she would rather die than let them win, so Bradley agreed to try.

When Fred tried to get Bradley taken off the Ashley Brown interview, Alex said they couldn't because they'd already run the promos, so Bradley would have to do it or they would risk backlash from the women's groups.

On Thursday, Kelly Clarkson came to the show and pulled Bradley onstage with her to sing together. After the show, Chip came to see Alex, who assured him she was fine with Kelly Clarkson liking Bradley better and was enjoying the buzz surrounding Bradley. It was taking the focus off Mitch.

On Friday, Bradley did the Ashley Brown interview. Alex became worried when Bradley went off script and began to probe deeper. She tried to get Bradley to back off, but Bradley removed her earpiece and persisted. When the interview was over, Alex said Bradley had been reckless. Bradley responded by asking if Alex knew what Mitch was doing. Alex was offended and didn't answer.

After the show was over, Alex warned Bradley never to question her integrity in her house again. Everyone was then shocked when Mitch came into the studio and gave a grand speech asking for his former co-workers to speak up and defend him. When no one did, he appealed to Alex directly, but she remained silent.

### Fundraiser

Alex threw a fundraising party at her place, including the opportunity to perform at the party in exchange for a $1000 donation. At the party, Alex talked to Maggie about Bradley and pretended she'd guided Bradley through the Ashley Brown interview and how to get to Ashley's truth. Maggie didn't buy it and said she wouldn't be writing a fluff piece about them, upsetting Alex.

Cory then approached Alex and tried to talk to her. She brushed him off, so he took the microphone off the stage and began singing Not While I'm Around. After a few moments, he invited her up on stage to sing the other half of the duet, which she did under pressure from her guests. After the song, Alex fled to her bedroom and told Jason she needed to leave the party. He agreed to cover for her.

Alex left the party and met up with Mitch. They talked about the show and Bradley. Then Mitch asked her out on a date as they were both finally single, but she said she couldn't do that. They agreed that they missed each other. Mitch leaned in to kiss her and as they pulled back, they both got notified about the New York Times article about Mitch and the show being posted and they stopped to read it.

After reading the article, which mentioned Mitch's visit to the station, Alex said she needed Mitch to take her back home.

### Wildfires and Divorce

Alex woke up the next morning to a call from Chip, who told her they were going to California to cover the wildfires. Alex said she didn't want to go and wanted Chip to send Bradley instead. Their conversation was interupted when Jason came in and hung Alex's phone up. He then said he wanted a divorce. He'd been up all night after being left to host her party for her and had decided he couldn't do it anymore. She tried to refuse, but he said it was happening and he was going to tell Lizzy that day. Alex said she had to go to California and got him to agree to wait until she got back to tell Lizzy together. Alex then called Chip back and said she'd go to California, but she didn't want Bradley to go. Chip said Fred wanted them both to go, so they were going.

When they arrived in LA, they set up a production tent and began discussing the next show. This sparked an arguement between Bradley and Alex about what their role was as a news show. Alex beleived they had a duty to provide people some relief from the heavy things, while Bradley felt they needed to report even the hard stories. Chip stepped in and decided which story they would do.

As they prepared for the show, things were cold between Alex and Bradley. Alex said they didn't have to be friends. They just had to act like it for two hours a day while they were on television. They started the show all smiles, but as soon as they were clear, Alex walked away.

Alex went back to her trailer, where she cried over old photos of Lizzy. She then went back out to do an interview with a man who had rescued several dogs from the fires. During the interview, Alex became emotional and started to cry. As soon as they were done, Alex retreated to her trailer and shut herself inside, where she stayed until Bradley came to see her. Bradley held her hair while she vomited. Once she was done, Alex insisted that she was fine and Bradley could leave, believing Bradley was only interested in watching her break down.

Chip went in to see Alex after Bradley left and she told him about the divorce, which shocked him.

That evening, Alex went to Bradley's room and told her about the divorce and said that was why she was acting off. She was afraid her daughter was going to blame her job and hate her for it. She didn't like the idea of her daughter hating her. Bradley stopped her from leaving and said her daughter would always love her, which she knew becuase she still loved her parents despite everything they'd done. They hugged and went their separate ways for the night.

One back in New York, Alex and Jason sat down with Lizzy and told her they were getting divorced. She was shocked and then angry at Alex, blaming her prioritizing her job over her family for the divorce, despite both Alex and Jason saying that wasn't true. Lizzy then left in anger. Alex sent Jason after her.

At work, Alex told Bradley that they'd told Lizzy and it didn't go well. Bradley then asked if she'd spoken to Mitch since he was fired and Alex said she'd reached out once or twice. She also told Bradley that he thought hiring Bradley was crazy. Bradley said he wasn't wrong about that.

Alex then met with a PR team, who told her it wasn't a good time to get divorced. They warned her of the possible consequences for her career and how to navigate filing and telling the public.

Alex returned to work to do a photoshoot with the new cast. She also told Bradley she had to announce her divorce on the show and asked Bradley to prepare something with her. While they got their photos taken, they were surprsied to hear Mia's voice come over the speakers, talking about how she knew what the rumors were about her and said she didn't have time or energy to deny them. She just wanted to do her job and suggested they all do that themselves.

After work, Alex visited Lizzy at her dorm room with pizza. They fought over the divorce, with Lizzy still blaming Alex and her career for it. She also said she couldn't take care of Alex and suggested she tell America and let them take care of her instead. After this visit, Alex went home and climbed into Lizzy's bed.

### Working with Fred and Shake-Up at UBA

Bradley came to Alex's place to help her rehearse what to say to the audience about her divorce. After they finished, Bradley told Alex that she wanted to interview Mitch on TMS. Alex was immediately opposed and feared that she would be brought down with him. She told Bradley to have some loyalty and not do the interview.

Alex then called Fred and met with him. Together, they made a plan to oust Bradley, replace her with Daniel, and replace Chip, as Fred said that his investigation implicated Chip in a coverup. Alex was reluctant to take Chip down with them, but agreed to meet with Marlon Tate, Fred's chosen replacement for Chip. Alex then went to Daniel to tell him about the plan and he agreed to go along with it.

Alex then went to Mitch and told him the interview wouldn't be happening. They fought over it, with Mitch saying he was fighting for his legacy and would go elsewhere if he had to. She then told a story of waking up in his bed with no idea how she got there or what had happened. He challenged her, saying she wouldn't tell that story, but she just said to try her.

When Chip called, Alex pretended everything was okay between them.

Alex met with Marlon and he talked to her about his plans for her and for the show.

Before the next show, Alex went to see Bradley to check in on how she was doing and then to Chip, where things were awkward. Alex then went to the stage to do the show. While she waited for the show to start, Daniel came to ask her if Bradley knew and Alex said she would know soon.

Alex met with Fred again and said she liked Marlon. Fred said Marlon liked Alex as well. He also told her that once the new deal went through, she would have the network's support and co-anchor approval. Alex still wanted to save Chip's job, but Fred said that wasn't possible. Alex left the meeting knowing she had to find a way to tell Bradley about Daniel replacing her. As Alex left the office, she passed Chip. She looked at him briefly and then looked away.

After learning that Hannah had died, Bradley tried to leave the studio, saying she couldn't do the show. She pushed Hannah too far and then she died. She told Alex everything she'd been planning to do to take down Fred. When Bradley left, Alex followed her out to the street and begged her to stay. Bradley finally agreed and they went back inside together.

Right before the show, Alex got a message from Chip saying the network was going to get rid of her and he leaked the story to the Times to save her job because he needed her around.

Alex and Bradley stepped onto the stage and got ready for the show. As Julia warned them the time was coming, Marlon came to talk to them about Hannah. Alex threw her drink in his face and told him to get out of her face. As they went live, Alex tried to do the show as normal, but found she couldn't speak, so she had Bradley take over. Then she got out of her seat and walked off the set. Greg tried to get Alex back into her seat, but she refused. Finally, she interrupted Bradley's story to confess that they'd been dishonest with the audience about themselves. Bradley asked her if they were doing it and if so, they needed to do it quickly as they were about to shut the feed off. Alex and Bradley then reported on Fred's actions. Alex also admitted her own fault, saying she never called out actions that she should have. Alex said that Fred's actions had created a toxic work environment. She saw how it affected the other women but never stopped it because she was succeeding. She apologized for what she'd done and said she'd do whatever she could to make it right. They also encouraged the audience to act as well and call out the Fred Micklens in their own lives. They were then cut off as the studio ended the feed.

### Quitting and Move to Maine

After the broadcast ended, Alex and Bradley returned to Alex's dressing room, locking everyone else out. Alex panicked that there would be consequences from UBA because of what they did. Bradley told her they needed to stay united. As Alex left the room, she was whisked down the hall.

Not long after that, Alex quit her job as co-host of The Morning Show and relocated to Maine, where she adopted a dog and began writing a memoir about her time on The Morning Show. When she finished her manuscript, she sent it to Adelle Waters, who read it and told Alex if she wanted to take the book from really good to great, she needed to dig deeper into Mitch, as that's what people wanted and this was her opportunity to tell her side of the story and defend herself. Alex said she didn't want to talk about Mitch any more than she already had, but agreed to go over the manuscript again and try to find something to keep the sharks happy.

Alex was surprised when Cory came to her house in Maine to ask her to return to the show as they were moving Eric, the new co-host, to the evening news, and Bradley wasn't testing well. He offered her a deal to partner with the network, but she said she couldn't go back as she'd look flaky. He insisted that she wouldn't, but she still refused to return. Despite her refusal, he asked her to think about it for a few days and get back to him.

On New Years Eve, Alex decided to attend a neighbor's party, surprising the other guests. At the party, she met Sylvia Portman, a supposed psychic who was doing readings. Alex sat for a reading, but when Sylvia read her parents as dead and her daughter as a son, Alex was doubtful of her abilities. Sylvia decided to end the reading, but then told Alex she was carrying around a lot of guilt, which Alex denied. Sylvia asked what she was running away from. Alex denied that she was, but left the table and the party.

Outside, Alex grabbed her own keys from the valet to avoid waiting. As she walked to her car, she saw she had a voicemail from Cory, where he recited a line of poetry that reminded him of her. "Fame is no plant that grows on mortal soil." He told her she wasn't mortal soil and he believed she hadn't yet done her best work. Alex called Cory back. He lied and said the deal had fallen through with Eric's replacement, leaving them in a bind. He asked her again to return until she was ready to switch to her new primetime show. She told him they'd talk tomorrow and asked if she could trust him. He said she could as the seconds counted down to midnight.

### Preparing for Return

In preparation for her return to The Morning Show, Alex and her agent Doug went to the studio to meet with Cory and Stella. Since they hadn't yet announced her return, they had to keep her presence in the studio a secret. However, someone spotted her as she walked around the building and called her a hero, drawing attention to her. Doug then quickly whisked Alex into her new office to get her out of view.

Cory and Stella came to her office to meet with her. They reminded her that her return wouldn't be announced until Monday and they didn't want to spoil the big reveal. He suggested that she reach out to Bradley and let her know how happy she was to be back. He then invited her to have dinner with himself and Stella at his place. She accepted and he and Stella left. Once they were gone, Alex asked if Doug managed to get an advanced copy of Maggie Brener's book. He said they were keeping it under wraps, but he was confident she'd be fine because she was writing her own book and people could get the truth from her.

When Alex went to leave, she reflexively pressed the button for The Morning Show's floor. When the doors opened, she stepped out instead of waiting to go down to the lobby. When she became overwhelmed, she ran toward what used to be her dressing room but was now Eric's. He was honored to meet her and asked her about her relationship with Bradley, asking her for tips to help his own relationship with her. Alex said that it was probably his fault they weren't friends after working together for so long before suddenly leaving the room.

Alex attended the dinner, which had expanded to include Bradley, Mia, Daniel, Alison, Ty, and Yanko. At the dinner, she apologized to Daniel, but he did not accept her apology as he said she'd ruined his life with what she did. Over dinner, they talked about the novel coronavirus cases in China, but Alison said it was like having the flu and she'd once had SARS. Daniel pushed for them to cover the virus, so Alex suggested sending him to Wuhan and having Bradley go to Iowa for the caucus instead of him. When the conversation turned to the impeachment trial, Cory called everyone's attention to himself and then toasted to Bradley and Alex.

When Alex noticed Bradley's standoffishness, she confronted her about it. Bradley denied that anything was wrong, but kept Alex at a distance, telling her to schedule a meetup with RJ if she wanted to talk. When Alex went to leave, Bradley stopped her and confronted her, saying she needed things to be different if they were going to be partners. She was going to fight for stories and time and not just defer to Alex. Bradley was upset because when Alex left, she called a week later and said she'd keep in touch with Bradley, but never called her again. The plan to take the network down was Bradley's and she just included Alex in that. Alex defended that they only worked together for three weeks and she wasn't obligated to Bradley in any way. Bradley then reminded her she hadn't contacted Chip either, and they worked together for 15 years. In response to this, Alex went to see Chip and asked him to be her producer. After a brief hesitation, he accepted.

As she prepared for her return, Alex previewed a trailer Cory had had cut together promising a big announcement on The Morning Show. When the left the screening room afterward, Stella told Alex she'd had trouble scheduling her interview with Laura as Laura wanted two days to document Alex leaving her quiet life to return, but Alex said she could only have four hours and that was enough. Alex also told them she'd chosen Chip to be her producer.

Alex and Bradley met up to have lunch and talk about her return. Alex took the opportunity to warn Bradley about Laura, saying she would try to trick Bradley into revealing something she didn't want to share. Bradley was offended and told Alex she had been in the business a long time herself and could handle herself. Alex also wanted to get their facts straight, which Bradley said was just ridiculous until Alex reminded her that someone could ask how they came to work together. She didn't feel the true story was anyone's business but theirs.

Alex then prepared for her interview with Laura. She and Laura greeted each other congenially and then sat down to talk. Laura asked about Alex's last day at The Morning Show and what she'd tell her younger self. And then Laura asked about Hannah without using her name. Alex declined to talk about her because she valued her privacy and Alex wanted to respect that. Laura said she'd read a portion of Maggie's upcoming book and it painted the picture of an environment filled with sexism and ageism at The Morning Show and asked if that lined up with Alex's experience. Alex said it did somewhat. Laura then asked the nature of her relationship with Mitch. After some hesitation, Alex said Mitch was her best friend, but Mitch could obviously be a lot of things to a lot of people. Alex then made it clear she doesn't talk to Mitch anymore.

After the interview was over and everyone had left, Alex asked Chip what that interview was. She felt the question about Mitch was inappropriate and crossed a line. He said the question he approved was very different from the one Laura had asked. Chip assured her it would be fine and she could use her book to tell her own side of the story. She was still struggling with the Mitch chapter, so he offered to read through it for her. She said she'd love that.

Alex, knowing Bradley was going to her own interview with Laura, called her to tell her what had happened and warn her again to be on guard. Alex also lied and told Bradley she'd never had sex with Mitch. Alex later tried to write about Mitch while watching Bradley's report from the caucus. She sent a text to Bradley asking how her interview had gone. In the morning, she woke up to a reply that it had gone well.

When the interview with Laura aired, Alex watched it, focusing on the question about Mitch.

On February 10, as announced, Alex was welcomed back to The Morning Show.

To surprise her, they arranged to have The Foo Fighters perform on The Morning Show to welcome her back. The show went smoothly and Alex left the stage to many congratulations. She was relieved that it had gone so well because she'd been away for so long and had worried she'd do poorly coming back. After she returned to her dressing room, Chip asked her to moderate the Vegas debate. She immediately refused.

Next, Stella tried to convince Alex to do the debate, but she again refused. Once Stella left, Alex complained to Chip that she was expected to listen to someone so much younger and less experienced than she was.

Before their next show, Alex talked to Bradley and told her to go after the debate if she wanted it as Alex wasn't going to do it. Alex was shocked when, during the show, Daniel started singing Coming to America. Despite her surprise, Alex watched the performance and thanked Daniel afterward.

After the show, Stella came to Alex again, with a much more emotional plea for Alex to do the debate. Alex finally agreed.

After agreeing to do the debate, Alex began to prepare. She wanted to make sure she asked the right questions so the focus stayed on the candidates, not her. As she went over possible questions, she was disturbed by a pain in her back. The planning session ended abruptly when Isabella told Alex that Audra was in her office waiting. Alex talked to Audra, who said that Maggie's first stop on her book tour was going to be YDA. Audra wanted to make sure that was okay with Alex, promising not to do it if she said she wasn't okay with it. Alex insisted she was fine with it and excused herself to go back to work.

Alex went back to work, where she asked Chip to get her a copy of Maggie's book, though he said there was no way they'd give it to him. After arguing about it, Alex left instead of staying to meet Chip's fiancée, saying she had messed up her back and needed to leave.

As they flew to Las Vegas, Alex had trouble getting comfortable in her seat because of her back and argued with Chip over Laura, saying she didn't understand why Laura had never been nice to her. When they arrived, Isabella told Alex the plan for her trip. She met with Eric and Deena and then they did a mock debate. Once it was finished, they were all sent to bed so Alex could get up early to do the show before they rehearsed again. Instead of going to bed, Alex argued with Chip over Maggie's book and Chip confessed that he'd spoken to Maggie, but only off the record. This horrified Alex, though Chip tried to assure her he was still on her side.

Alex tried to go to sleep, but couldn't because of her back. So she left her room and went to Maggie's room, where she tried to convince Maggie to tell her what was in the book. Maggie told her there wasn't anything in the book about her that she didn't already know and told Alex to sue if it wasn't all true, including the assertion that Alex and Mitch had slept together. Alex begged Maggie not to associate her with Mitch like that, but Maggie just asked her to leave. Instead of doing the debate, Alex took a flight out of Vegas and let Bradley take her place.

### Visiting Mitch and His Death

After leaving Las Vegas, Alex took time off The Morning Show, communicating only with Isabella, who checked on her place and watered her plants for her. She specifically told Isabella not to tell Chip anything about where she was or what she was doing.

Alex went to Italy, where she knew Mitch was staying, and demanded to be let in, even when he said he'd been exposed to the coronavirus and was supposed to be in quarantine. Once she was inside, Alex demanded that Mitch make a statement that the two of them never slept together. He said he wouldn't lie about that for her. He said he'd have to speak to his attorney first, so she asked him for his new number so she could make sure he did it. Then she tried to leave, but before she could get out of the gate, Mitch came out and asked her to come back in and talk so they could both move forward.

They talked for only a few minutes before Alex said she had to leave to catch her flight. She confirmed with him that he'd release the statement. Then she left. As she drove away, she tried to charter a flight, but was told they had no planes available. She started to drive to the airport anyway, but found herself getting sleepy, so she pulled over and rested. She woke up to a police officer knocking on her window. He reminded her there was a lockdown and said he wanted to see her make reservations for a flight before letting her leave to go to the airport. Her phone was dead, so he offered to call someone for her. She said she didn't have anyone's number, but then remembered that Mitch had written down his. She gave it to the officer and made arrangements to return to Mitch's place. When she arrived, she found a note from Mitch promising to stay out of her way along with the statement she'd asked him to write. She started crying and Mitch came to her and hugged her. Mitch helped her book a flight home and they spent the time until her fight catching up and talking about their working relationship. Mitch asked Alex to make a statement of support for him, but she refused. He also requested that Alex help connect Paola with the right people to jumpstart her career as he wasn't connected in that way any longer. Alex agreed to this, so he gave her Paola's contact info. Later, they watched the news together, which included a piece about Mitch allegedly targeting Black women. Mitch insisted he didn't do this and begged Alex to help him be a better person. Alex refused and said she had to leave. She did give Mitch a hug first, though, and they agreed that he'd release the statement and she'd help Paola.

Alex landed at Tereboro to find Chip waiting for her. He told her that Mitch was believed to have died in a car accident in Italy and they were just waiting on a second confirmation before reporting it. She called Paola and learned that it was true. Once she hung up, she asked if Paige and the kids knew and said she wanted to tell them herself. On the way, they called Mia and said they had a second confirmation and could go to air once she'd told Paige. Once she hung up, Alex noticed she had several voicemails from Chip. He told her she could delete them, but one played automatically where he was very angry, causing an argument.

When they got to Paige's, Alex went to the door alone and told her that Mitch was dead. She offered to help however Paige needed, but Paige revealed that she knew Alex and Mitch had slept together and was very angry about it. She said she was sorry for Alex's loss and then shut the door in her face. Alex returned to the car and told Mia she could go to air with the news. Then she asked to talk to Bradley. She told Bradley she was the right person to break the news because Bradley was the start of all the change that was happening and she appreciated that.

### Maggie's Book, Mitch's Memorial, and Being Cancelled

Alex and Doug met with Stella and Cory prior to Alex's return to the show. Alex then said she was quitting the show. She'd realized returning was a mistake and she was going to give the moeny back and leave again. Cory said he wouldn't allow her to do that. He knew she was timing it so her last day was the day before Maggie's book came out in fear of being cancelled. He sent Doug and Stella out so he could speak to Alex privately and he retieterated that he wouldn't void her contract unless he found out she was racist or homophobic. He suggested she go get the surgery on her back, take some more time off, and then make her triumphant return. Despite his many reassurances, Alex was insistent she was leaving and told Cory to take care of the show and himself.

Alex went next to see Bradley. She didn't tell Bradley about her intent to leave, but said she'd be coming back Monday. Bradley said she was taking Monday off to take her brother to rehab and suggested Alex return on Tuesday instead, so she wouldn't have to work with Laura. Alex insisted she could handle it and would come back Monday. As she went to leave, Alex noticed Paige in the studio and quietly watched as Paige invited everyone to Mitch's memorial.

On Monday before the show, Alex talked to Gayle about the day's show. Then she met up with Mia, who said they were going to set up studios in everyone's homes in case the virus got bad. Alex said she didn't feel that was necessary and excused herself when she saw Chip down the hall. She talked with Chip, who said he would continue to produce her until she found someone else or got cancelled. Alex tehn talked to Laura, who asked for Alex's assurance that she could be professional.

The show went smoothly, with reports on the election and the virus, including a handwashing demonstration. After the show was over, Alex went to Laura's dressing room and asked what happened between them that made them not friends anymore. Laura explained the situation from her side and how it appeared to her that Alex had outed her. After thinking, Alex admitted that she had gossiped about Laura and apoologized for wasting their friendship. Laura then admitted she gossiped about Alex, too.

Alex went to Mitch's memorial, but arrived late, during the reception following. She talked to Paola and asked Paola to get ready sooner than later to get ready to be introduced to people as she wasn't sure how much longer people would be taking her calls. She then called everyone's attention to her and eulogized Mitch. She told everyone she'd seen Mitch the day he died and he was trying to do better and be better and wanted people to remember that about him, along with everything else. She then apologized to Paige for everything and left.

When Alex got home, she turned on Bradley's interview with Maggie, where she was relieved to see Bradley vehemently defend her. At a commercial break, Alex checked Twitter, where people said positive things about her. She was shocked and thankful. However, the next morning, she woke up to several angry tweets about her. She learned that someone took a secret video of her at the memorial and leaked it online. They used it as evidence that Alex hadn't really changed as Bradley had claimed. Alex then saw the time and turned arond quickly, tripping on a shoe, hitting her head as she fell.

Alex woke up in a hospital bed, where a call from Doug confirmed that she had a mild concussion and she'd also tested positive for COVID.

### Having COVID

When Alex was discharged from the hospital, she went home to quarantine to avoid infecting anyone else. She then called Stella and told her that she'd tested positive, forcing Mia and Stella to send everyone else from TMS home. That night, Alex woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. She got frozen vegetables out of her freezer and lay down on her kitchen floor. She was surprised to see her dog there and called Gary to ask where he was while she was in the hospital and how he got home. Gary said Chip had dropped him off after taking him when he found her after she hit her head. Alex tried to go to sleep, but tossed and turned all night. She called her doctor, Vincent Botz, and said she thought she needed to go to the hospital. He asked if she was having difficulty breathing and told her it was best to stay at home unless she needed to be intubated, as going to the hospital would just put more people at risk. So she continued to struggle alone at home. That night, she called Chip. She told him she didn't want to be alone, so he had her put on FaceTime and prop her phone so they could see each other. Then they talked about how she was feeling.

Alex was surprised the next day when Chip came to her place. She tried to tell him to leave, but he told her he had COVID, too. She was apologetic, but he said it was okay, that he was asymptomatic. He then told her that UBA wanted her on the air tonight, talking about her experience with COVID. He encouraged her to do it, telling her it mattered. He helped her cope with her symptoms until the time for broadcast came.

Later that day, Alex called Bradley and thanked her for defending Alex even when Alex told her to distance herself. Bradley said she did it because it was true and becaues they're friends, important friends. Alex promised to start doing better by Bradley and encouraged Bradley to do what she needed to do with her brother.

Alex continued tracking her symptoms as Chip set up for the broadcast. Three minutes before they were meant to start, Alex took her temperature and said her fever was up and she wasn't feeling well, but that was kind of the point, so she went on air anyway. She started off reading what Chip had written for her, but went off script briefly. She talked about her symptoms and said she was happy to scare people if it would get them to take it seriously. She talked about the guilt she felt for exposing her co-workers and said she did test negative after her return from Italy. She also specifically apologized to Chip and said he'd also tested positive. Alex continued to talk about her experience, including her doctor telling her to stay home unless she really, really couldn't breathe. She then had Peja Bjelica, the director of the University of Michigan Institute for Infectious Disease, on to talk about the virus.

Finally, Alex finished her broadcast by saying that during the show, her fever had gone up. She talked about how so many people believed she deserved and wondered why they had an opinion on her at all. She advised them all to mind their own business. She talked about why she joined the business in the first place and said she was done apologizing for herself. She then ended the broadcast by telling people it was time to take stock of themselves and figure out what they want to be. She told everyone to stay safe and sane and she'd see them later.

## Personality

She is lovely and intelligent, but also lonely and exhausted. As a result, she's been on cruise control for years, allowing others to take the driver's seat. But, after the firing of her longtime co-host Mitch Kessler, Alex is in free fall. She is forced into the fight of her life to take back control of "The Morning Show," and find stable ground to build a new, healthy life.

## Relationships

### Romantic

#### Jason Craig

She and Jason were married and have one child, Lizzy, together. They were separated for some time, but they continued to attend public events together to keep up appearances until he eventually asked for a divorce.

#### Paul Marks

In Season 3 she and Paul share a brief but passionate relationship together. It ends when she finds out that he was the one behind the hack and had been spying on Bradley since then. She then proposes an alternative purchase offer to the board, and when he confronts her, she accuses him of silencing a journalist (Bradley). When they see each other for the last time, it becomes clear that the two are still very much in love and that this may be the end of their relationship in season 3, but possibly not the final end of their relationship.

### Familial

Lizzy Craig is Alex's teenage daughter. They have a strained relationship, as Lizzy blames Alex's career for the breakdown of her parents' marriage. Whenever Alex calls her daughter, she ironically asks if Lizzy still remembers her. When talking to Paul about her past marriage Alex reveals that Lizzy and Jason moved to England together.

### Friendships

#### Bradley Jackson

She and Bradley Jackson have an on and off friendship.

#### Mitch Kessler

She and Mitch grew close over their time hosting The Morning Show together. During this time, while they were both married, they had sex twice. While visiting Mitch in Italy, Alex confessed that she thought she had gotten pregnant from their first liason. She was actually happy about it and wanted to keep the baby. It turned out she was just late, but she grieved it just the same.

### Professional

#### Chip Black

Chip is her producer at The Morning Show. He champions her behind-the-scenes, until she tells Fred Micklen of his plot to oust him from the network. Fred and Alex became close as he signed her to a lucrative deal, but soon after, Alex betrayed him.

#### Mia Jordan

Mia was once a producer for Mitch, but after their affair ended, she was transferred to Alex's team, to her dismay. Alex later apologised to Mia for mistreating her.

## Career

Alex Levy is an anchor of UBA's The Morning Show, a position she has held for over fifteen years before her resignation. Despite being popular amongst viewers of the show, her partner Mitch Kessler always tested better with audience focus groups. UBA was in the process of trying to replace Alex when allegations of Mitch's sexual harassment were published in the New York Times. In the immediate aftermath, she became the face of the show, while Mitch was replaced by Daniel Henderson. Her producer was Charlie Black, who also served as her confidant. Charlie fought for Alex behind-the-scenes.

When negotiating a new contract with UBA, Alex pushed to get co-anchor approval, but was blocked by Cory Ellison. After telling him she would not sign a new contract without co-anchor approval, she announced Bradley Jackson as Mitch's permanent replacement as she accepted her Women in Journalism award, something she had not been asked to do. Despite handpicking Bradley, she became anxious that Bradley was taking away her spotlight.

As a plot by Cory, Chip, and Bradley to oust Fred Micklen from the network due to his knowledge of Mitch's sexual harassment was brought to Alex's attention, she alerted Fred, causing him to fire Chip and prepare to fire Cory and Bradley. She was afraid that bringing down Fred might backfire on her for being complacent. Fred agreed to give her co-anchor approval. Once the contract was signed, the death of Hannah Shoenfeld (which was at the very least indirectly caused by the lasting trauma of Mitch raping her) caused Alex to help Bradley hijack The Morning Show, revealing the misconduct behind-the-scenes and betraying Fred. As this was happening, Chip left Alex a voicemail, revealing that he had leaked the story of Mitch's harassment in a plot to save Alex's job.

## Notes and Trivia

* She is the only character played by one of the three main stars (Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell) to appear in every episode of season one.

## References

1. ↑ Lonely at the Top, 1x08
2. ↑ In the Dark Night of the Soul It's Always 3:30 in the Morning, 1x01
3. ↑ A Seat at the Table, 1x02
4. ↑ Chaos Is the New Cocaine, 1x03
5. ↑ That Woman, 1x04
6. ↑ No One's Gonna Harm You, Not While I'm Around, 1x05
7. ↑ The Pendulum Swings, 1x06
8. ↑ Open Waters, 1x07
9. ↑ Open Waters, 1x07
10. ↑ Play the Queen, 1x09
11. ↑ The Interview, 1x10
12. ↑ My Least Favorite Year, 2x01
13. ↑ It's Like The Flu, 2x02
14. ↑ Laura, 2x03
15. ↑ Kill the Fatted Calf, 2x04
16. ↑ Ghosts, 2x05
17. ↑ A Private Person, 2x06
18. ↑ La Amara Vita
19. ↑ Confirmations, 2x08
20. ↑ Testimony, 2x09
21. ↑ Fever, 2x10