WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Morning Show season 3, episode 9.
Summary
- Cory’s downfall in season 3 of The Morning Show is confirmed in episode 9 as his manipulative and impulsive actions catch up to him.
- The Vault article exposes Cory’s inappropriate relationship with Bradley and could result in him being fired as CEO of UBA.
- Cory’s firing would have significant implications for the storyline in season 4, potentially leading to major shifts in the cast and focus of the show.
The Morning Show has been teasing Cory’s downfall in season 3 for a while now, but episode 9’s ending might have been the final nail in the coffin for UBA’s CEO. Billy Crudup is one of the best parts of The Morning Show’s accomplished cast, brilliantly playing Cory’s descent into complete madness as he continually shoots himself in the foot due to his overinflated ego and scheming ways. Cory has long walked the line between excessively charming and repulsively slimy, and The Morning Show season 3 finally confirmed that he’s really a villain rather than the anti-hero he was previously portrayed as.
Most of The Morning Show’s characters have their own hidden agendas that require them to throw each other under the bus from time to time, something Cory has proven himself to be very skilled at and more than willing to do. Through this, Cory has amassed many enemies who have been waiting to take him down, and they might have finally gotten their way at the end of The Morning Show season 3, episode 9. The shocking reveal could remove Cory from his position as UBA’s CEO ahead of The Morning Show season 4, changing the course of the series.
Cory Being Escorted Out Of UBA Suggests He’ll Be Fired In The Morning Show Season 3
At the end of The Morning Show season 3, episode 9, The Vault published an article claiming that Cory had groomed Bradley, and when she turned him down and started dating Laura, he outed them to the press. He didn’t even have time to properly address these allegations because security was planning on escorting him out of the UBA building. The Morning Show season 3’s penultimate episode ended before that could happen, but it won’t be surprising if he is fired as CEO in the upcoming finale.
Cory was already supposed to be fired in The Morning Show season 3 as part of Paul’s plan, but the article gives him a justified reason for doing so. Paul had been looking for dirt on Cory throughout the episode, and though Cory has committed many fireable offenses as CEO, his relationship with Bradley was an easy, obvious target. Given UBA’s history with inappropriate workplace relationships, it would be hard for Cory to keep his job following The Vault article. Though multiple characters are trying to stop Paul’s deal from going through in The Morning Show season 3, this doesn’t mean that Cory’s job is safe.
The Vault Article Explained: Did Cory Groom Bradley?
The Vault article was centered around the fact that Cory had outed Bradley and Laura’s relationship and interviews with employees at Archer Hotel, where Cory and Bradley lived in The Morning Show seasons 1 and 2. Bradley and Cory have always had a complicated relationship, where the lines of friendship have been blurred due to Cory’s romantic feelings for Bradley and his position as her boss. He often takes advantage of his role to make Bradley do what he wants her to, like when he made her stay at his mother’s house against her will in The Morning Show season 3, episode 7.
On the flip side, whenever Bradley points out his inappropriate behavior as her boss, Cory will play the friend card. When Bradley moved to New York for The Morning Show and struggled to find her footing, she found a supposed ally in Cory. What might have started out as a genuine friendship has turned extremely manipulative with Cory exploiting Bradley’s needs for his own gain. It took over a season, but Cory is finally going to have to face consequences for leaking Bradley and Laura’s relationship to The Vault in The Morning Show season 2 to keep them from publishing a smear piece on Hannah that Fred had commissioned.
Cory had used their outing to help The Morning Show’s ratings since the article dropped while the couple were co-hosting together. Cory pretended to be angry on Bradley’s behalf, even offering to sue The Vault, knowing full well that he was behind the article. In The Morning Show season 2 finale, Cory confessed his love for Bradley when she was extremely vulnerable, knowing she was still with Laura. His continuous disregard for Bradley’s boundaries all while convincing her that he has her best interest at heart shows that Cory really has groomed Bradley in The Morning Show.
What Cory Being Fired From UBA Would Mean For The Morning Show Season 4’s Story
There are many storylines that are still left up in the air that will need to be further explored in The Morning Show season 4, with Cory’s job being one of them. Cory’s firing would leave Stella as his obvious replacement for CEO, but she’s already said that she doesn’t want to stay at UBA if Paul Marks is going to be taking over. This could leave the spot up for grabs for a number of characters, but with so many characters already leaving the network in The Morning Show season 3, UBA might not even be a setting for season 4.
