Hello Beautiful People,
There’s something about The Newsroom that makes my heart happy…
…it makes my heart happy as an actress. As an artist. As a writer. As a director. As a teacher. As a person.
The Newsroom, Ladies and Gentleman, is television brilliance. If you’re not watching this show, you have plenty of time to catch up before Season 3 starts, as Season 2 just ended.
For those of you who are not familiar with the show, read on at your own risk, as there will be spoilers. For those of you who don’t care about the spoilers, here’s a bit of a recap –
The Newsroom is about the news division of the fictional network, ACN. They are, as Will McAvoy says, “the media elite”. News Night is a group of journalists who are restoring journalistic integrity back to its rightful place on our television screens. They are putting fact before gossip, their main focus is to inform, and they make a valiant effort to keep their own personal opinions out of the broadcasts.
There are countless reasons why I enjoy The Newsroom. Let me first say that I am, always have been, and always be a fan of Aaron Sorkin. I adore his use of language, the way things are always quick paced, the way he’s able to keep an audience at the edge of their seats. As a writer, I admire that. As an audience member, I revel in that. I am also a teacher, and I appreciate the fact that this show often puts the uncomfortable on a platform. We live in an era where people are afraid to be politically incorrect, so rather than ask questions people will stay silent. The Newsroom strips all that away, and raises the questions. The show puts “the uncomforable” front row and center, and I admire that. I think we can learn from that. Growth and understanding comes from dialogue, and I think that’s a constant in this show.I teach in an age where students, teenagers, run to shows like 16 and Pregnant and The Jersey Shore for entertainment, and unfortunately, that becomes their basis of reality. Shows like The Newsroom are the antidote for such programming, and I appreciate that more than I can say.
Here’s what happened in the Season 2 Finale –
Not one person resigned because of the Genoa catastrophe. It was decided that Jerry is basically a parasite, and that the network wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of giving in to his demands.
Will proposed to Mac.
She said yes.
Sloan made it pretty clear how she feels about Dom. [cue kiss]
Maggie and Jim are speaking…sort of.
Maggie and Lisa are speaking…sort of.
Now, did I boil this down to the bare bones? Yes.
Do I have a problem with any of the plot lines? No.
Do I understand what the various TV Bloggers are freaking out about? Sure.
The Newsroom, usually, is quite dramatic. Never a soap opera…just dramatic. Did we get into the touchy-feely aspects of these relationships in the Season 2 Finale? Absolutely. But, I don’t think that takes away credibility from this show. Because, lets face it – Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, and Sam Waterston are absolutely outstanding actors. Outstanding. And one gushy episode that reminds us of the things that matter, like love and friendship, should not take away credibility from the intrigue of this show.
Because despite the boardrooms, classrooms, courtrooms, and newsrooms that we all walk into, what matters in life, what really matters, is Family. Friends. Love. Relationships. The person to person connection – that’s what matters most. And that’s what the finale of Season 2 did – it reminded us of that.
I for one, cannot wait for Season 3.
To the cast, crew, & creative team of The Newsroom – congrats on another wonderful season.
Live, Love, Learn,