Julianna Margulies will not return to Apple TV+‘s hit series, The Morning Show, for its fourth season, according to a report by Variety. Sources say this decision was made before the controversy over her podcast comments last year. In November, Margulies faced backlash for derogatory comments about Black and LGBTQ+ communities during a podcast discussion on the Gaza conflict, and later attempted to apologize for her remarks.
Margulies, best known for her Emmy-winning roles in ER and The Good Wife, was reportedly offered a one-episode appearance in Season 4 but declined, though she may return for a potential fifth season. Margulies joined the cast in Season 2 as journalist Laura Peterson, who becomes romantically involved with Bradley Jackson, played by Reese Witherspoon. Despite their breakup in early Season 3, Laura’s character continued to play a significant role in the core plot of the season.
After the Season 3 finale, showrunner Charlotte Stoudt had expressed interest in exploring Laura’s character further, but those plans are now uncertain with Margulies‘ departure.
“We’re very, very, very early in the room, but I think I’d want to explore [Laura] more. Her dimensionality. Not just, ‘I’m Laura and I love Bradley, and she occasionally drives me crazy!’ I think there’s more to Laura than that.”
How Did Season 3 of ‘The Morning Show’ End?
Season 3 of The Morning Show left nothing on the table. UBA anchors Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon) joined forces to counter a cunning scheme by tech billionaire Paul Marks (Jon Hamm). While romancing Alex, Paul was secretly concealing flaws in his rocket program and planning to dismantle UBA for profit. Meanwhile, Bradley struggled with her own issues, having illegally deleted footage showing her brother’s clash with a cop during the Capitol insurrection. The fourth season looks set to get into the world of DeepFakes and the lies, as Stoudt revealed to Deadline:
“We blew everything up last year with the biggest bomb we could possibly build. So, we have to ask ourselves how is the band going to get back together, and what will that look like? We get into the world of DeepFakes and AI and the misinformation in the fog of war that we’re seeing now in the Middle East and stuff. We’re looking at who can trust. And can you trust what you’re seeing? Can you trust yourself? Can you trust your news outlet?”
Stay tuned for more updates on The Morning Show as it navigates the evolving landscape of morning television drama.
via Collider