Perhaps the secret to making a disordered show truly captivating lies in deliberately plunging all its characters into the depths of absolute chaos. *The Morning Show* reaches its peak when every character is engulfed in a total crisis, striding around the building in a frenzy, screaming "What the hell is going on?!" at each other, and retching in the restroom—and that's precisely the state we find our beloved UBA crew in during "Ghost in the Machine," as the company falls victim to a cyberattack. The hackers bring down the morning broadcast, disrupt the building's power supply, and leak hundreds of internal emails, just to give everyone a taste of their power before demanding a $50 million ransom. There's something undeniably thrilling about watching people in impeccably tailored suits completely lose their composure—it truly invigorates the soul.
Of course, trouble was already brewing at UBA long before the hackers made their move. The Hyperion One broadcast was a monumental flop. Oh, the rocket launch itself went off without a hitch—perfect, even—but the UBA transmission failed miserably, making it seem as though Paul Marks's vision of safe, private space flight was destined to remain just a dream, the exact opposite of what Paul had hoped for when he partnered with UBA. He's furious, and Cory's secret backdoor deal to sell the company to him is in jeopardy before it even gets off the ground. But that's not the only reason the deal is hanging by a thread: An incensed Alex Levy doesn't hesitate to take the news of Cory's scheme straight to Cybil. And while Cybil is livid to learn about Cory's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, she's also clearly still seething at Alex for abandoning the Hyperion One launch—she's not nearly as staunch an ally as Alex believes her to be.
Cybil proves just how unreliable she is when she meets with Cory and Stella the next day to discuss how to handle the aftermath of Alex's actions. Cybil wants Alex punished. Advertisers are threatening to pull their support because they're paying top dollar for Alex Levy to attract an audience. She's had enough of Alex acting like she's in charge and Cory doing nothing to rein her in. "Isn't the point of having a dick to throw it around?" should be stitched onto throw pillows and displayed in living rooms across the nation. However, all three of them know that getting Alex to agree to even two days a week on *TMS* was a struggle—a suspension wouldn't be much of a deterrent. Instead, they decide to force Alex to work five days a week on *TMS* until the upfronts. When Stella breaks the news to Alex, she practically laughs in her face. As if she'd ever agree to that. But when Stella reveals that both Cory and Cybil are on board with the plan, Alex realizes she has no allies left in the building. She's furious. Unfortunately for her and her chronic self-centeredness, there are far bigger issues at play at UBA than Alex's latest tantrum.
While Alex and Christina are conducting a live interview with Bradley Jackson, the No. 1 space visitor, on *TMS*, strange things start to happen. The teleprompter goes blank. The doors in the control room lock. Communication between the control room and the anchors is cut off. And finally, the power goes out completely. It's chaos for a while. People fear there's an active shooter situation, and after Chip breaks down the door with a fire extinguisher (who knew Chip would excel in a crisis?), they rush the talent into Alex's dressing room to keep them safe. The introduction of the new Christina character has been almost nonexistent, but even in one brief scene where Alex watches a terrified Christina call her husband and speak to her daughter, the woman seems more relatable and human than anyone else on the show. It's a refreshing touch!
Meanwhile, Bradley is eager to tag along with Chip as he embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind the unfolding mystery. In what has to be one of the show's most side-splitting moments, Bradley Jackson—a woman depicted as "intelligent," "trustworthy," and unflappable in a crisis—proposes that they take the elevator amidst a mysterious event where the power is flickering on and off. AND CHIP AGREES TO IT! Oh, my God, everyone on this show is so absurdly obtuse—and I absolutely adore it. Bradley and Chip find themselves trapped together in the elevator for a full hour. It's pure gold.
Unfortunately, the situation outside the elevator is far from amusing for poor Brad. The power eventually returns, only to be followed by loud music blaring throughout the building. Emails—ranging from HR communications to personal messages—are leaked, and the IT team discovers that the entire network has been compromised, necessitating a thorough check of all computers, phones, and other devices. Then, Cory receives two messages from the hackers, who are now presumed to be Russian. One demands $50 million within 48 hours, while the other showcases the kind of damaging content they possess: a risqué video Bradley sent to Laura during their trip to Montana. As soon as Bradley is freed from the elevator she so foolishly entered, she's summoned to Cory's office, where Cory, Stella, and Laura break the news to her. Bradley promptly vomits. Laura attempts to console her by reminding her that she's been violated and should rely on others, but Bradley just craves solitude. I know there are grander issues at play here, but it would be nice if there was even a hint of chemistry between these two women.
As they start to contemplate how to handle the ransom demand, Cory decides to call Mr. Cybersecurity himself, Paul Marks—whose number he, for some inexplicable reason, has memorized—and insinuates that Paul might be behind the hack, holding UBA hostage until Cory acquiesces to his offer. Why Paul remains remotely interested in UBA, a company that repeatedly proves to be a complete disaster, is beyond comprehension. Anyway, it turns out Cory is secretly thrilled that UBA has been hacked. He believes he can spin it to portray UBA as a bastion of democracy under attack by "shadowy enemies of free speech." Cory gets off on the strangest things, as we well know.
He does seem to possess a modicum of empathy for the lives being ruined when, later, Bradley asks him to have a conversation with her. He begins by assuring her that they will do everything in their power to protect her if the video surfaces, but she cuts him off. She's less concerned about the video leaking and more terrified about the Big Mysterious Thing that happened last year coming to light. Billy Crudup shines in this scene, seamlessly transitioning from the slick CEO to a man who appears genuinely concerned for someone he cares about. As much as I enjoy the suspense, I do think that keeping so much mystery around whatever happened is actually counterproductive. If we had more details, it would be easier to become invested in what Bradley and Cory are going through. Let us care about these people!
Bradley makes it abundantly clear to Cory that it's absolutely crucial for him to secure the board's agreement to pay the ransom. He pledges to do everything in his power. Bradley even attempts to rally Alex to shore up board support by appealing to Cybil, but there are two major roadblocks: first, Alex is still seething over her punishment, consumed by self-interest and utterly indifferent to the network's potential exposure; second, as she informs Bradley, she wields no influence over Cybil. "Why does Bradley even care so much?" Alex queries. Bradley, ever the Girl Scout, responds. "Did you sleep with a predator?" she asks bluntly, suggesting that would be the only way to secure Cybil's favor. As for the prospect of UBA's secrets being laid bare, why should Alex give a damn? After all, UBA didn't stand by her when the Maggie Brener book dropped. But Bradley reminds her that other people's reputations hang in the balance, and even if UBA failed to protect her, Bradley did. That makes Alex feel remorseful.
Alas, Bradley's quest to persuade UBA to pay the ransom falls flat. Partly, it's because most companies refuse to negotiate with hackers holding them hostage; partly, it's because Cybil has a vendetta against Cory. Cory delivers one of his grand, melodramatic speeches, insisting they must pay the ransom lest a leak spiral into a "nuclear" disaster. Cybil merely rolls her eyes. She then wins over the board—now including Stephen Fry, of all people—by reminding them that there's no guarantee the leak won't surface even if they pay, and, oh yeah, funding Russia wouldn't exactly be a PR coup. Once everyone sides with her, choosing not to pay and bracing for the fallout, Cory unleashes a torrent of invective at Cybil. But she fires back, letting him know she's privy to his clandestine talks with Paul Marks and advising him to tread lightly. She's witnessed countless men arrive at this company with a God complex akin to Cory's, and every last one has crashed and burned. Oh, honey, the feud between Cory and Cybil is officially on, and you know there can only be one victor standing when the dust settles.
We'll find out who remains standing at UBA when the 48-hour mark hits and the hackers receive no payment. Bradley is the one tasked with breaking the news of the hack and UBA's refusal to capitulate on her evening news show, cautioning that some uncomfortable truths meant to stay private are about to come to light. Hey, at least Bradley has a genuine friend in Alex, who shows up at her place later that night with an apology. Laura filled Alex in on the video—she wants to help Bradley strategize about what comes next. It's heartwarming! There's a part of me that thinks *The Morning Show* is far more entertaining when Bradley and Alex are at each other's throats, but a dose of kindness is nice, too.
While I'm sure this hack will fuel drama for quite some time, with revelations yet to surface, the episode's conclusion drops a tantalizing morsel that should add a fresh twist to Cory's plans to sell the company (as if there weren't enough complications already). When Stella gets her phone back after IT clears it, she scrolls through her photos. Buried deep in that library is a rather intriguing snapshot—and no, it's not one with Blake Griffin, whom she apparently dated for a spell last year! It's an old photo of her embracing Paul Marks.
