‘The Morning Show’ Director Mimi Leder on That Episode 6 Sex Scene: ‘That’s What Love Does — It Makes You Crazy’

SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for The Stanford Student, the sixth episode of The Morning Show Season 3.

Oh, Alex.

After being embroiled in constant scandal throughout the first two seasons, Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) has spent Season 3 of The Morning Show on a moral high ground, from blowing off a glitzy broadcast from outer space in order to report on abortion rights in Texas to helping Chris (Nicole Beharie) stand up to the racism of network board president Cybil (Holland Taylor). But then Paul Marks happens.

Episode 6, The Stanford Student, sees Alex interview Paul (Jon Hamm), the tech billionaire attempting to buy the network, on her show in an attempt to unearth his past and investigate whether she and her colleagues will be able to maintain their journalistic independence under his ownership. Alex confronts Paul on air about a piece of intel shes received: An anonymous previous mentee of his its current UBA news president Stella Bak (Greta Lee) feels she was taken advantage of, having sold him a billion-dollar idea for $50,000 when she was too naive to know better. On top of that, Paul took code that Stella developed to aid grassroots activists and used it for predictive policing technology. All things considered, the unnamed Stanford student fell into a depression and attempted suicide.

Despite his surprise, Paul delivers a surprisingly elegant almost-apology. He says that his obsession with his work and disregard for other people around that time ruined his marriage, that hes since reevaluated his companys culture and policies, and that he owes the Stanford student a conversation. Its all Alex needs to hear to bury her suspicions about him, and the sexual tension thats been building all season finally erupts. After shooting the interview at Pauls house, the two make out, leading to a long-lasting and artfully shot sex scene. By the morning, Alex and Paul are in a committed romantic relationship.

And of course, in true Morning Show fashion, things are simultaneously hitting the fan for every other character. Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) gets a visit from her brother, Hal (Joe Tippett), and learns that Hal wants to turn himself into the FBI despite everything Bradley and Cory (Billy Crudup) did to cover up his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Laura (Julianna Margulies) confronts Hal about needing his support to get back together with Bradley. Chip (Mark Duplass) proposes to Isabella (Hannah Leder), and it goes badly. Stella prepares to leave UBA after Alex and Pauls interview, but Paul surprises her by offering her Corys job.

The Morning Show director and executive producer Mimi Leder spoke to Variety about the value of the truth. And the Jon Hamm of it all.

Bradley was always the most morally righteous of the major players at UBA until Jan. 6, 2021. She seems more angry at Hal than at herself in this episode. Can you walk me through her emotions here?

She has a great moral ambiguity here. As a young child, she was in the car when her father killed a kid with his car because he was drunk. She turned him in she did the right thing and it ruined her familys life, and set up her life as this truth-teller. When shes faced with a very similar situation in terms of her brother being part of the insurrection, why doesnt she tell the truth? Its because of her past, and the repercussions of telling the truth. Charlotte Stoudt, our showrunner, saw this article in the paper about a young man who saw his father at the insurrection and turned him in to the FBI, and the cost of that. One of our main themes this season is, what is the cost of the truth?

Shes compartmentalizing and making it Hals crime and not her own, for sure. But Hal is recently sober, and hes got a baby. Is she gonna ruin his family the way she ruined her family? Its a huge dilemma whether shes going to do the right thing or live in this lie.

Unlike Bradley, Cory seems more unabashed about covering up Hal and Bradleys crimes for selfish reasons. Do you think he has any moral qualms? Or is he just comfortable lying for Bradleys protection?

I think Cory protects Cory. But he has a deep, deep affection for Bradley. I dont think he likes that hes lying for her, but I think he will do anything for her, because he loves her. There is something down there in the deep recesses of Corys brain where he wants to do the right thing, but oftentimes he does not. But I do not think Cory regrets the cover up. Cory will protect her to the bitter end.

He also outed her in Season 2, you know. Hes very is he the devil? Or is he an angel? A combination of both? Hes a real combo. He wants to save UBA, and hell do anything to do it, which means bringing in Paul Marks. But I do feel that Cory, deep, deep, deep, deep down has this moral center. Its very questionable, though.

Apple TV+ Season 3 gives us the gift of Paul Marks, who runs his business with Elon Musk-like absurdity. How did you approach directing Jon Hamm in this role? Were you worried at all about making sure he remained compelling, especially as a business mogul and love interest for Alex, when theres so much discussion about whether or not hes evil?

We talked about, Who do we cast as this billionaire? Who can play this debonair, rich, handsome billionaire who walks in, who is an accelerant and pushes everyone toward their truth? Who is this guy? And Jon Hamm was the answer. He was the only guy that we wanted. Jon Hamm is a brilliant, smart, kind, clever actor. Hes very prepared. He really understood this character. So was I afraid? Nah. Jon Hamm has so many layers of abilities. Hes so easy, humorous. Hes a very powerful actor. He has a lot of different faces.

At what point do you think Alex actually realizes shes attracted to him?

From the first moment she sees him in Episode 1, when she says, Hes tall. Theres this inner attraction that she just buries because shes focused on her work, and it gets sidelined by the deal. And in Episode 4, in wrangling him back to UBA, I think theres some seeds there that lay some pipe for the attraction.

Its basically a date. This is the second time Alex has been intimate with someone publicly thought of as dangerous first Mitch, now Paul. Whats happening there?

Alex doesnt do easy. Nothing she does is easy. Shes a very powerful woman, and that attracts very powerful men. She needs her equal, and she finds it in Paul Marks the way she found it in Mitch Kessler.

I was shocked that they got together so quickly after the interview.

When he comes clean in the interview, I think what happens is she sees this different side of Paul Marks. She sees the truth-teller in him. She sees that this is a man whos willing to admit his mistakes. And its very interesting that you can be this person who can say Im sorry, and then continue to manipulate and control the situation. And its all real. Its all real. Paul Marks doesnt think hes the villain. And theres this physical attraction that takes over. Thats what love does. It makes you crazy.

So you feel that Paul feels genuine affection for Alex, too? Because theres an obvious benefit to sleeping with your biggest critic, so I wasnt sure. But their connection becomes romantic so quickly, when it seemed like it might just be sexual.

This is a mutual, genuine affection. And thats why we chose not to do the rip-your-clothes-off sex scene. It was looking into each others eyes, finding the tender center of the scene. That first, deep emotional connection. Two people caught up in just caught up in each other, taken away by the moment.

Tell me more about the sex scene. Its the first time weve seen anything like it on The Morning Show or in Jennifer Anistons career.

It was a closed set, and two very grown-up actors who really understood the nature of the storytelling and were very much a part of it. We wanted it to be sensitive. We wanted it to be sexy. We wanted it to be adult. We wanted it to be emotional. They really let go. Theyre great actors. And there you have it.

You liked it?

I did.

Im so glad. Its a really interesting episode: Its sort of a rom-com episode, but its also a very important, political episode and a turning point in the series.

I love that you said this episode feels like a rom-com, because there is some devastating drama is this show, but theres comedy too. Thats part of the appeal of the show reviews of Season 2 praised the campy feel of Mitch driving off a cliff, Alex being sick with COVID and ranting at his funeral and theres more of that this season, beginning with a rocket to outer space in Episode 1. How do you feel about that idea? Do you embrace it?

I approach the show in a very real way, and a very grounded way, because it is so big. We take big swings. People have big emotions. I never look at it as camp, as people some people do. But I do look at it in a way like feelings are big; the repercussions are huge.

And so I embrace it. I embrace it all.

This interview has been edited and condensed.