Greta Lee's Stella Bak, the Asian American CEO, undergoes a reckoning arc culminating in episode 6 where her AI replica publicly declares "DEI is dead," admits she is "racist and sexist," and confesses stepping on "women of color" to advance, including forcing an Asian server to lick up a spilled drink. Nicole Beharie's Chris Hunter, a Black former Olympian anchor, faces explicit contract parity disputes with white co-stars, while dialogue claims "America has deeply ingrained fear of Black women" and positions her pairing with Yanko as soothing that fear.

Karen Pittman's Mia Jordan confronts Stella directly about betraying underrepresented groups and surrounding herself with white people. These elements drive subplots around legacy, promotion, and talent negotiations rather than remaining incidental.