Reese Witherspoon Got into Another Ice Cream Fight in ‘The Morning Show’

Before 2019, ice cream was just a lovely and delicious treat. Now Reese Witherspoon has turned it into a weapon. For the second time this year, Witherspoon got into a fight that involved ice cream. And for a second time we were robbed of the joy of seeing her chuck a cone full of frozen milk and sprinkles at her foe’s face.

The frozen fight takes place in the second episode of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show. After a charged interview with Morning Show leader Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), the head of the network (Billy Crudup) is desperate to get the fiery Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) on his network. Basically there’s only one thing better for ratings than two co-hosts who want to screw: two co-hosts who want to kill each other. With that sweet potential rivalry in mind, network president Cory sets up a meeting for Bradley to meet with the producer of The Morning Show.

Within minutes, Bradley’s interview with producer Chip (Mark Duplass) tanks. He has no interest in her as a candidate and is openly dismissive of her lackluster stories. Of course Bradley won’t take this sort of rudeness sitting down. Shortly after meeting Chip, Bradley screams, “You sound like an ice cream flavor!”

As sick as that burn is (or isn’t), all it truly does is call to mind the ice cream duel that should have been. Months before Big Little Lies Season 2 premiered HBO teased fans with a photo of Reese Witherspoon poised to throw a delicious looking two scoop cone. Her target? None other than Meryl freaking Streep.

Why Witherspoon’s Madeline Martha Mackenzie was fighting with Streep’s Mary Louise is irrelevant. Mary Louise had a talent for pissing off even the most level-heading rich and beautiful people in this ever dramatic show. What mattered was we were going to see Reese Witherspoon chuck an ice cream cone at our modern-day goddess of acting, Meryl Streep.

And it never happened.

As Meryl herself later revealed, the dairy toss did in fact happen during at least one take, and Witherspoon nailed her. But because life is long and cruel the scene was cut. It’s set to be released as one of the DVD extras. But honestly what’s the point if you can’t marvel at an ice cream toss mid narrative?

It’s possible that The Morning Show knew about the ice cream pummeling that never was. The production schedules for both shows were too similar. But still, that Chip joke? That’s a stab in the heart. We could have seen Elle Woods utterly destroy Miranda Priestly with dairy. We should have seen Ms. Sweet Home Alabama herself obliterate the sadder Duplass brother, to make up for the loss. That’s something we all could have enjoyed, something that could have helped heal this broken nation. Instead we only have a memory of what could have been.

Watch The Morning Show on Apple TV+