The Newsroom (TV Series) The Greater Fool (2012) User Reviews

"The Newsroom" comes full circle

[UncleTantra · 9/10 · 27 August 2012]

Aaron Sorkin's new show started by being attacked mercilessly before it even aired. I took a stand when it finally *was* aired, and I got to see the first episode. I've just watched the tenth, and final, episode of the year. I stand by my original stand.

It's good writing, it's good entertainment, it's good acting and direction, and it's got a pair of balls the size of Mars.

And I'm still betting on it sweeping the Emmy awards, and sending an enormous F**K YOU to all of the people who ranked on it because...well...because they have balls the size of peas, and brains to match.

It's difficult to make entertainment while conveying a useful and needed message. It's even more difficult when the very people who should be cheering that message on are so petty and green with envy that they play shoot the messenger, too.

This was the rap rattled off by Jeff Daniels' Will McAvoy during the wrap-up of his last news broadcast of the season, over a bottom-of-the-screen banner that said Republican In Name Only:

* Ideological purity * Compromise as weakness * A fundamentalist belief in scriptural literalism * Denying science * Unmoved by facts * Undeterred by new information * A hostile fear of progress * A demonization of education * A need to control women's bodies * Severe xenophobia * Tribal mentality * Intolerance of dissent * Pathological hatred of the US government

"They can call themselves the Tea Party, they can call themselves conservatives, and they can even call themselves Republicans, though Republicans probably shouldn't. But we should call them what they are, the American Taliban."

This is the message that real news stations in America should have been airing as real news last night as the Republican Convention opened. Instead, it had to be aired on HBO, on a show that even Democrats and liberals tried to kill. This is one of those days that forces me to think about America and remember the lines to a great Bob Dylan song:

"And you ask why I don't live there Honey, how come you even have to ask me that?"

This Fool is Greater ****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 27 August 2012]

The season finale certainly went out with a bang.

I hope that this intelligently, informative show is allowed to return and will not go the way of the recently defunct "Harry's Law." It appears to me that we have an anti-intellectual mood in this country revolving around television shows. Folks, it can't be all fun and games.

This final episode really got down to basics in pointing out that America is NOT a Christian nation.

Republican news anchor Will McAvoy continues to strike out at his fellow Republicans for their endorsement of Tea Party ideals.

It was interesting to see how Will is able to get away with the charges that he is accused of. Always wonderful, to see the tables being turned on your enemies.

Jane Fonda appears briefly and assumes that she is the female Donald Trump when she fires will What a rude awakening she and her cohort soon discover they have.

Again, hope to see this show back 2013, if not sooner.

Enormously satisfying finale.

[aarongnr · 10/10 · 20 July 2020]

It was little unnecessarily confusing, but it's just so god damn satisfying that I have to give this a 10. I love how these characters are written, it's just an absolute joy to see them interact on screen. I'm so happy I found this gem of a show.

Such Promise . . .

[mabbott10 · 9/10 · 20 December 2020]

I decided to go back & watch the First season. The 2nd & 3rd seasons are both okay but, the setup for Season 1 always grabbed me; the idea of how a news team would deal with huge historic moments in recent history. I also have to say, I got a kick out of the number of "reviews" I read for episodes where the viewer was unaware of Sorkin's politics & were turned off. To me, that's like saying, I didn't realized Santa had a weight issue till I met him at the mall.

To be fair, Sorkins' scripts are flawed. While I get the desire to increase dramatic potential, the constant love triangle nonsense does not work. The Jim/Maggie coupling has no chemistry, both characters are the least interesting when interacting with each other & they are the most contrived characters in the show. Besides, making a show about professionals who work together & constantly jump in and out of the sack with each other is just not realistic anymore. Believe it not, people actually date outside of their workplace. That said, the big "They Kiss!" moment felt like a waste of time away from the central plot.

As for the rest of the show, again, I wish there was less time spent on Will & Mac's relationship woes but, since it occasionally integrates with the plot, I can roll with it. For me, the big moments come during the discussions about the role media plays in relaying information to the public. The background discussions, the problems with commercial-sponsored news & ratings, how news gets hijacked by tabloid-style garbage & most of all, how the philosophy of the media shapes the information we receive. Obviously, conservatives represent getting news with a liberal viewpoint & vice versa. But how do you focus on facts without shaping a narrative or putting them on context?

For my money, the season has several beautiful moments, the opening scene in Episode 1 (Jeff Daniels' finest moment), the on-air "apology" in the 112th Congress episode, the drama around the shooting of Gaby Gifford, the moments leading up to the announcement of Bin Laden's death were all moving and well performed. But this episodes' discussion of "The American Taliban" is one that should be viewed in the context of the past decade to really appreciate the season. It's a strong message that will certainly offend some people but, it is well worth a listen and more than a few thoughts.

Finally, I want to say that several times the show left me choked up. In addition to the the moments I mentioned above, just the idea that there are still people out there that believe in the public good gives me hope. That should cut through all partisan discussions.

Season 1: Enough Solid Material To Balance Out Odd Tone & Pretentiousness

[zkonedog · 6/10 · 7 January 2021]

This first season of "The Newsroom" begins with a now-infamous epic monologue on the state of America from Jeff Daniels. When this show is really cooking, it often rises to that level throughout this spate of episodes. At the same time, however, a lean towards pretentiousness and odd tonal experiences may make it a rather targeted experience for viewers.

For a very basic overview, "The Newsroom" sees Will McAvoy (Daniels), the lead anchor of a popular cable nightly news station, "go rogue" in the sense that he wants to bring back facts, civility, and some manner of ethics to TV news. In order to accomplish this, ex-wife (and mega-producer) MacKenzie Hale (Emily Mortimer) is brought in my station maven Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston). As those two butt heads in nearly every way possible, their newsroom team fights to put together a different kind of news broadcast.

Each episode this season is centered around an actual historic event, such as the Deep Horizon oil spill, the Tea Party midterms elections, the Arab Spring, and the capture of Osama bin Laden, to name a few. For the most part, the show is very adept at capturing the essence of those events and deconstructing how the current news media has failed (or is failing) the general public. This is largely accomplished through Daniels' character, who gets the bulk of the heavy, important material. These moments constituted my favorite part of the season.

At the same time, the show also cultivates a great ensemble cast. Actors such as John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, and Olivia Munn all vie for time. The fact that every one of those individuals went on to further projects speaks to how carefully crafted the cast was.

At the same time, "The Newsroom" (at least in this first season) is a show that has a penchant for high-handedness. There is little subtly to be found whatsoever. As such, the general viewpoint on issues is not softened for across-the-aisle connection, if you will. While it isn't out-of-control partisan by any means, when it takes a stand you will have no trouble knowing it while viewing. Some may find that liberating, while others (like myself) may find it pretentious.

Also, that knockout cast I spoke of? Their personal foibles and will-they-won't-they romantic tensions often feel more contrived than endearing. This may be due to wild changes in tone throughout each episode. For example, a deep emotional moment may quickly be followed by, say, Will McAvoy struggling to put on a pair of pants. While I can appreciate the need for thematic balance, the comical nature of swaths of dialogue or the general goofiness often contrasts sharply with the deep material.

Overall, "The Newsroom" is a show that has a lot to say, and it mostly does it in an entertaining fashion here. Despite the relatively middling ranking, it is one I will likely return to after giving myself a break from the material. It earned at least that much rope to see how the plots/characters develop going forward.

Only watching for Jane

[amdew717 · 1/10 · 25 November 2018]

I admire Jane Fonda's work so much that I am willing to endure watching Aaron Sorkin's double-speak drivelfest to see her. I've tried to watch all the episodes she's in however this one pushed me to the limit of my patience. As a result I had to mute the sound in order to keep my sanity. Almost every character on this show is repulsive but that's entirely Sorkin's fault. Somehow Jane is able to rise above it.