After a nearly two-year wait, "The Morning Show" is back for season 2.
For those who need a refresher, season 1 followed Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), the anchor of a fictional morning news and talk show who is sent reeling after her on-air partner of 15 years, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) is fired after being accused of sexual misconduct. While trying to weather the storm and keep her job, Alex brings on an opinionated and impulsive reporter named Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) to be her new co-host.
The first season ended -- spoiler alert -- with Alex and Bradley calling out their network and its president on-air for covering up Kessler's actions and fostering a toxic workplace environment and, just as Bradley is encouraging others to come forward and speak out, the feed to "The Morning Show" is cut off.
"At the very end of season 1, the entire network is shut down," Witherspoon, 45, told "Good Morning America" of the aftermath from last season. "Everything is rearranged and you pick up right there at the beginning of season 2. So you'll see exactly who got hired, who got fired. There is a whole new cast of characters."
New additions to the show for season 2 are Julianna Margulies, Greta Lee and Hasan Minhaj, among others. Many familiar faces from season 1 will also return.
"The reception was wonderful and we also went into territories of the issues that were a little, you know, taboo," Aniston, 52, told "GMA" of the show having tackled #MeToo.
If that wasn't enough, this season the show is poised to tackle issues of race, ethnicity, discrimination, mental health, cancel culture and more. Some of these matters have already been touched upon, but the second season will target them more directly.
The COVID-19 pandemic will also be incorporated into season 2.
"We have the opportunity to have the conversations that people are having behind closed doors that people would never ever dare say in a public place, 'cause they'd be canceled," Aniston said. "I wasn't sure how we were going to top season 1 and then COVID happened and we had to shut down."
What fans are most excited for is to see Aniston and Witherspoon share the screen once again and to see their characters, Alex and Bradley, navigate the world of television journalism.
"She and I have some incredible scenes together where we just go at each other, which is so funny because we're really good friends," Witherspoon said of her scenes with Aniston. "But it's just kind of fun to fake fight with your friend."
"We've known each other for so long," Aniston added, referencing how the two met while filming an episode of "Friends" back in 2000. "So it's kind of an easy dream scenario to finally get to do this together."
"The Morning Show" season 2 premieres Friday, Sept. 17, on Apple TV+.
