“This hack, it is nuclear.”—Cory

The second half of the two-episode premier addressed the most compelling part of the first episode—the cliffhanger. In some ways, it might have been better if the episodes had aired a week apart. But, as most everyone would have suspected, Cory (Billy Crudup), Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) and Paul Marks (Jon Hamm) all survived.

In fact, they didn’t even realize they’d lost connection with the ground. So, the crisis is averted. The big news remains Alex (Jennifer Aniston) missing the trip. As she returns to New York, Alex reaches out to Board Chair Cybil (Holland Taylor) to break the news of Cory’s attempted deal with Paul Marks.

Alex thinks it will give her an edge, but in reality, her position isn’t that secure. In response to blowing off the space flight, Alex is being forced back on The Morning Show full time. She’s not happy but doesn’t seem to have any recourse, though she fights against it most of the hour.

The biggest turn of events, though, comes later. After losing all power during a live broadcast it turns out UBA has been hacked. In a storyline ripped from the headlines, all the UBA files and data have been breached. That means even personal files from the biggest stars.

One such file outs Bradley’s relationship with Laura (Juliana Margulies). The hackers demand $10 million or they release what they got. Bradley uses all her might to convince Cory to pay. He, in turn, tries to sway the board. But it turns out this is a great chance for Cybil to turn the tables on Cory.

The board denies the request. The data will become public. And on top of it, Cybil fires a shot over Cory’s bow regarding the Paul Marks deal to make sure he knows that she is the woman in charge. But is she? That battle will rage this season.

Unfortunately, it’s Bradley caught in the crossfire. She bravely reveals the hack on her evening broadcast and awaits the information’s release. As we end the hour, Alex rallies to Bradley’s house for a little crisis management. We’ll see what the fallout is in future episodes, but at least our main team is back.

Episode MVP: Stella (Gretta Lee) is my pick this week. She has to have some tough conversations the first two episodes and manages to handle it with grace. I’m hoping she has a bigger role going forward.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.