In the final moments of the The Morning Show episode, “The Revolution Will Be Televised,” Billy Crudup’s Cory Ellison tells Stella (Greta Lee) that he wants an overall deal at the newly merged UBN network in exchange for his silence about her sleeping with the husband of the new head exec, Celine Dumont (Marion Cotillard). Trembling, Stella squeals, “Jesus Christ,” into the phone, and Cory, with a devious smile, responds, “He is risen.”
It’s a somewhat prophetic declaration, considering Cory becomes the unlikely savior at the end of the season who exposes his longtime friend Celine’s family involvement in the Wolf River chemical plant contamination cover-up. This revelation stops Alex’s (Jennifer Aniston) retaliatory termination by Celine and ensures Bradley’s (Reese Witherspoon) safe return to the States after being detained while investigating the story in Belarus.
“He’s got more than enough shitty behavior,” Crudup says of the welcome character arc. “One of the crucial things the writers and directors have done is they’ve balanced [Cory’s] ruthlessness with a kind of goofy appeal and an occasional act of temporary courage. I was grateful at the end of this season that I got to walk away feeling just a hint of pride after everything else they threw at me.”
