Spoilers ahead for The Morning Show Season 4 so far.
Every streaming service has its own set of hit shows, and for those with an Apple TV+ subscription, The Morning Show is likely on that list. Arguably one of the best Apple TV+ shows to watch, the drama series is currently deep into its fourth season on the air. The most recent episode "If Then", Greta Lee's Stella Bak left UBN, and the showrunner and actress both confirmed that it was her final episode. And I'm legit shocked by this choice.
The Morning Show Season 4 has had plenty of wild twists and turns, including the introduction of Marion Cotillard's Celine. That newbie got involved in the drama quickly, thanks to Stella having an affair with her husband. Showrunner Charlotte Stoudt spoke to THR about why Lee's character has left for good, offering:
I was interested in Stella as a person who grew up in tech, who always thought of tech as something like a superpower that could enhance her. What happens when tech becomes a way to look in the mirror and ask, who am I really? Am I on the right path?
Throughout Season 4, Stella has been putting all of her eggs in one basket. Namely UBN's coverage of The Olympics, and her AI chatbot which would allow Alex to broadcast in any language. Unfortunately this did not work out, and her professional and personal life was blown up by the AI in front of an audience of people. It was so cringeworthy that I still haven't recovered, especially when it revealed Stella's affair with Miles.
After her life got blown up, Stella tried to convince Miles to leave New York and make their relationship official in Naples. While he originally agrees, the last we see Greta Lee's character she's left boarding the plane alone. It's a tragic ending, especially since we seemingly won't see her again on the Apple Tv+ series. Later in the same interview, Stoudt spoke about saying goodbye to the character, saying:
It was very emotional [filming her final scene]. Just thinking about it, I tear up. It was very hard to leave her, even though it was time for Stella to go rediscover some part of herself, and she couldn’t do that at UBN. She had to get on that plane by herself. When you really are at a crossroads, people can support you, but you can’t have a buddy. You have to figure it out by yourself.
I didn't realize that Greta Lee wouldn't be back on The Morning Show after this latest episode, so the showrunner's comments totally blew my mind. Stella is one of my favorite characters, so it's a real bummer. Although maybe she could end up returning one day; Claire recently returned to the show after being gone for years.
Lee also spoke to the outlet about her departure from the Emmy-nominated series, coming after Stella was one of the most significant characters in Season 4. As she shared:
I know, I know. It’s shocking. But, this is it. This is the end of the road for her, and I feel all kinds of things. We’re with these characters for so long, it’s surreal. I haven’t been able to say anything because I didn’t want to spoil it, but I’ve known for some time now that this is the end of the road for her and this is her goodbye.
Sounds like Lee isn't sore about her Stella's fate... even if fans like me are absolutely shook. She's known about the direction of her Morning Show character, so it seems like it wasn't a shock. And with the Past Lives actress being busy with a number of exciting film projects like Tron: Ares, maybe departing the series will free up her schedule for more movies.
The Morning Show airs new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV+ as part of the 2025 TV schedule. There are still four episodes to go, so it feels like just about anything could happen. Anything but Stella returning to UBN that is.
