And now The Newsroom....
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
Finally got to see the premiere yesterday. I enjoyed it, I like that they were really taking advantage of the great characters and sending them on their own stories.
I really liked the old intro, so I can't say that I'm all that happy with the new one. It's okay, but when I compare it to the old one, it gets a C.
I really liked the old intro, so I can't say that I'm all that happy with the new one. It's okay, but when I compare it to the old one, it gets a C.
Pretty much agreed. I liked the first season -- didn't love it -- but it could be a bit self-important. This episode, while not great, showed marked improvement in that regard, including the new title sequence.
I love the interactions between Sam Waterston and Oliva Munn. The "hey money skirt!" exchange alone had me laughing. Will's singing at the desk while all hell breaks loose in the control room was great. Loved the open in the lawyer interview.
Yes, Will singing "Friday" had me in stitches too. 
Much better than showing how completely klutzey some of the characters can be. One of my few problems with the show is how unbelievably inept they can be at their jobs because they're too busy talking in a way no human being would ever talk. :P
Mark
Much better than showing how completely klutzey some of the characters can be. One of my few problems with the show is how unbelievably inept they can be at their jobs because they're too busy talking in a way no human being would ever talk. :PMark
They really should do a series set in the newsroom of a newspaper on fleet street there really is nothing like it. Having worked in one for eleven years I know it would be gripping though people may not believe what they see.
Yes, Will singing "Friday" had me in stitches too.
Mark
That's Sorkin for you.
I liked the episode, I'm guessing the narrative is going to all be in flashback this season? With Will and Mac recounting their experiences the past year to the panel? I think starting in mid-2011 was a mistake that's just "too long ago" to focus, they really should have started with the 2012 election cycle once things got started (not necessarily between Mitt and Obama but during the Republican fiasco.) But I guess they had to address the "American Taliban" comment from Will.
Speaking of couples that need to get over and just hook-up already that's the mindset I'm in with Will and Mac. Jim and Maggie I can deal with but Will and Mac are older adults and obviously want to be together. So just do it you two!
Love Oliva Munn in the series as well, she's really showing some good chops (among other things) in this series.
The new theme/opening I can go either way on. I think I prefer the old theme but I dunno. The visuals for last season where too sit-commy with the clips from past/upcoming episodes.
Should be an interesting season, though, once it really gets rolling.
Will singing Friday-> http://youtu.be/840NBcZrPKU
The feeling I had with the season one opening was a great sense of nostalgia. I've always had a fascination with network news for some reason, and it brought back those memories and feelings I've had since I was a kid watching the larger world unfold every night at 6:30 eastern. I'll miss that opening to the show; the new one seems very generic and bland to me.
The first episode also seemed like the teeth had been taken out of the show. I suppose it was the story with Will backing down and pulling back after criticism of his comments. That's not the guy I liked in season one; he wouldn't have cared that much. Now he seems to be slipping back into the Jay Leno of network news, and that won't be nearly as interesting of a show to me.
Anyway, we'll see where it goes in week two.
The first episode also seemed like the teeth had been taken out of the show. I suppose it was the story with Will backing down and pulling back after criticism of his comments. That's not the guy I liked in season one; he wouldn't have cared that much. Now he seems to be slipping back into the Jay Leno of network news, and that won't be nearly as interesting of a show to me.
Anyway, we'll see where it goes in week two.
WARNING --- SPOILERS!!!!
I have enjoyed the season thus far. As other media outlets have said, the dialogue and acting are more in the vein of West Wing than it was last season. I think the consequences of the "American Taliban" comments were necessary. We can't assume that a group of Republicans, especially this group, would just ignore that. The Genoa story fits into the greater arc of whether or not the Federal Government is overreaching in its power in the War on Terror and with an American citizen being targeted, Will makes a compelling case for why we shouldn't feel bad for a terrorist. Meanwhile, the counter-argument is just as strong when they say "it's not feeling sorry for a terrorist, but being concerned with what is legal." They've done a great job of explaining why Will is a Republican, and even though they are doing that, they show him looking at "Why we hate Will McAvoy" to show he may be full of it and just want to please his audience again. That's Sorkin doing what he does best--making a compelling argument and then giving us a reason for why someone would make it personally.
I think the Maggie-Jim-Don-Lisa story is much more interesting this year, less comedy, than it was last year. Again, showing the consequences of the first kiss is compelling. Last year, you knew where the story was going. They are showing these characters being ripped apart by the decisions they made in season 1. Jim going to New Hampshire, Maggie going to Uganda, etc. I think the Occupy Wall Street story did a nice bow on what was transpiring in the newsroom and Will's reaction to it. The cop asking Will "Are you okay?" etc. They don't know everything that happens in a single episode. These guys aren't always smarter than the news, and that is an improvement. For instance, Mac po-pooing Occupy, not knowing what to do about Genoa.
I do feel, as a criticism, that I knew too much in the first episode that informed the second. I know the Genoa story isn't going to work out, and I think it takes some of the fun out of learning about it. We know it's not true. And the theme of the season seems to be "Can we go too far?" and "What if we're wrong?" It goes further than the "should we do a great news program" and just assuming they know how and don't make mistakes.
That's a small complaint. Everyone has turned in nuanced performances. My favorite scenes thus far have been Will debating about killing an American and Lisa confronting Maggie about Jim. I have to get rid of cable so I have enough money to go back to school, so I won't know what happens in the next 7 episodes until it comes out on DVD. This will probably be my last post for awhile on this topic. But it's good to know the show, with all its potential, is finally realizing it.
*As for the credits, while I cringe when cars are shown in credits (it dates them terribly), I am happy with the new opening showing the everyday process of putting a news cast together, rather than seeing themselves as Edward R. Murrow. It really shows the tone of the show has changed, and I enjoy it much better than last season's credits.
I have enjoyed the season thus far. As other media outlets have said, the dialogue and acting are more in the vein of West Wing than it was last season. I think the consequences of the "American Taliban" comments were necessary. We can't assume that a group of Republicans, especially this group, would just ignore that. The Genoa story fits into the greater arc of whether or not the Federal Government is overreaching in its power in the War on Terror and with an American citizen being targeted, Will makes a compelling case for why we shouldn't feel bad for a terrorist. Meanwhile, the counter-argument is just as strong when they say "it's not feeling sorry for a terrorist, but being concerned with what is legal." They've done a great job of explaining why Will is a Republican, and even though they are doing that, they show him looking at "Why we hate Will McAvoy" to show he may be full of it and just want to please his audience again. That's Sorkin doing what he does best--making a compelling argument and then giving us a reason for why someone would make it personally.
I think the Maggie-Jim-Don-Lisa story is much more interesting this year, less comedy, than it was last year. Again, showing the consequences of the first kiss is compelling. Last year, you knew where the story was going. They are showing these characters being ripped apart by the decisions they made in season 1. Jim going to New Hampshire, Maggie going to Uganda, etc. I think the Occupy Wall Street story did a nice bow on what was transpiring in the newsroom and Will's reaction to it. The cop asking Will "Are you okay?" etc. They don't know everything that happens in a single episode. These guys aren't always smarter than the news, and that is an improvement. For instance, Mac po-pooing Occupy, not knowing what to do about Genoa.
I do feel, as a criticism, that I knew too much in the first episode that informed the second. I know the Genoa story isn't going to work out, and I think it takes some of the fun out of learning about it. We know it's not true. And the theme of the season seems to be "Can we go too far?" and "What if we're wrong?" It goes further than the "should we do a great news program" and just assuming they know how and don't make mistakes.
That's a small complaint. Everyone has turned in nuanced performances. My favorite scenes thus far have been Will debating about killing an American and Lisa confronting Maggie about Jim. I have to get rid of cable so I have enough money to go back to school, so I won't know what happens in the next 7 episodes until it comes out on DVD. This will probably be my last post for awhile on this topic. But it's good to know the show, with all its potential, is finally realizing it.
*As for the credits, while I cringe when cars are shown in credits (it dates them terribly), I am happy with the new opening showing the everyday process of putting a news cast together, rather than seeing themselves as Edward R. Murrow. It really shows the tone of the show has changed, and I enjoy it much better than last season's credits.
Well, I really like this show. I like WW better, but this one will do.
As a former Republican, now an independent/libertarian, I wouldn't actually consider Will a Republican. I wouldn't even consider him an old-school "Reagan Republican". There's no one thing that I can put my finger on, just the way his dialog has been written in the past season-and-some-change. IMO, he's being written more as a liberal claiming to be a Repulican, who's too embarrassed to really be called a Democrat because the other Democrats he's surrounded himself with are WAY too left for his taste. Maybe it's that most New York Republicans I've ever met would be considered Democrats everywhere else in the country (with the possible exceptions of Massachusetts and various locales on the "left coast"), or maybe it's that he's a Republican trying to work with and compromise with everyone else in the newsroom who appear to be very left-leaning in general and his own personal message sometimes gets a bit muddled. Don't really know, but there does sometimes feel like mixed messages there. That's the best way I can describe it, anyway.
I still enjoy the writing, and it's quite good overall. I just wish the Jim/Maggie thing would kind of go away, but that's just me.
As a former Republican, now an independent/libertarian, I wouldn't actually consider Will a Republican. I wouldn't even consider him an old-school "Reagan Republican". There's no one thing that I can put my finger on, just the way his dialog has been written in the past season-and-some-change. IMO, he's being written more as a liberal claiming to be a Repulican, who's too embarrassed to really be called a Democrat because the other Democrats he's surrounded himself with are WAY too left for his taste. Maybe it's that most New York Republicans I've ever met would be considered Democrats everywhere else in the country (with the possible exceptions of Massachusetts and various locales on the "left coast"), or maybe it's that he's a Republican trying to work with and compromise with everyone else in the newsroom who appear to be very left-leaning in general and his own personal message sometimes gets a bit muddled. Don't really know, but there does sometimes feel like mixed messages there. That's the best way I can describe it, anyway.
I still enjoy the writing, and it's quite good overall. I just wish the Jim/Maggie thing would kind of go away, but that's just me.
A pretty decent episode but one thing missing in these two episodes has been Will at the news desk during a broadcast. There's been some bits of it here and there but nothing quite like what went on the first season. I'm hoping to see him take the desk and sort of elaborate on his "American Taliban" stand with the Tea Party to "try" to maybe mend fences, reclaim some rep.
I did enjoy his quip about "Why don't you ever ask someone how they could be a Democrat?"... I agree with you to a certain extent... I'm a pretty moderate Republican with definite conservative leanings on the fiscal side of things, so I can kind of relate to Will's character...
The people who took over the idea of the Tea Party and transformed it into some kind of Christian crusade are not true Republicans, but I disagree with Will that they are "American Taliban."... A better equivalent would be the ELF or half of the people here in Santa Fe... LOL..
Yeah, equating them to the Taliban is a bit harsh (I think). I know there would obviously be those who disagree, and that's fine. I don't really care, cause I'm not a TP'er.
The thing that irritates me most about the Tea Party, is that they've co-opted some libertarian positions and wrapped them up into a hard-core religious conservative wrapper. Many people now equate TP's with libertarians (due largely because of Rand Paul's vacillating messages) and it's become frustrating trying to elaborate the differences. Yes there are some similarities admittedly, but they are not interchangeable, and libertarians (with both a big and little "L") have been around a LOT longer than the TP Johnny-come-lately's.
The thing that irritates me most about the Tea Party, is that they've co-opted some libertarian positions and wrapped them up into a hard-core religious conservative wrapper. Many people now equate TP's with libertarians (due largely because of Rand Paul's vacillating messages) and it's become frustrating trying to elaborate the differences. Yes there are some similarities admittedly, but they are not interchangeable, and libertarians (with both a big and little "L") have been around a LOT longer than the TP Johnny-come-lately's.
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I hate to say this, but the season's not feeling as good as the first one did. Granted, season two is only now getting underway, but... I don't know, it just doesn't feel as well assembled as the first one. I've been debating on keeping or dropping HBO anyway, and The Newsroom was the largest reason for me to keep it, but so far, I'm just not really warming to this season. I figure I can give it one or two more episodes, and if I'm not on board, I'll likely let it go.
Last season was 7 or 8 mostly bottled stories with some linkage... Every episode, almost every episode, there's a couple 2 parters, started, raised and then had a money shot... But this year it's one huge story, we're leading to a massive payoff down the line, which Aaron totally spoiled on the Daily Show, which if I was well informed I would have recognized anyway without spoilers and coaching, which means that some episodes are just for ramping the tension, preparing for a supermoneyshot come episode 7 and then aftermath and consequences spiralling from there.
Judging by the episodes we've seen this season, Sorkin seems to have over-corrected in response to much of the criticism that was lobbed at him after the first season.
Gone are much of the silly, rom-com moments that critics cited as shallow characterization for the female cast members. Now all the people in the newsroom are shown to be ultra-capable at their jobs, at all times. Flawed characters may send the wrong message to the audience.
Also missing is much of the reverence that was foisted upon journalists and the journalism profession in the previous season because some felt that the show was too self-important. I may be biased but I feel journalists ARE important and they serve an important function in our society. The debates about news-worthiness in the first season were some of my favorite scenes from the show.
The dialogue, the storylines -- they seem very self-conscious and safe this season, like someone came in and filed all the corners and edges down. Much of the crackle is absent in scenes (the deposition scenes in the future being the sole exceptions). Maybe they are building toward a rich payoff in the end.
Sorkin has a distinct voice and POV to his writing; it's why I watched West Wing, Sports Night, even Studio 60. It's definitely why I continue to watch the Newsroom. Here's hoping Sorkin comes back with a vengeance in future episodes, pulls no punches, and goes for broke. Enough self-editing and handling the show with kid gloves. I want him to just ignore all the critics and make the show he wants to make.
Gone are much of the silly, rom-com moments that critics cited as shallow characterization for the female cast members. Now all the people in the newsroom are shown to be ultra-capable at their jobs, at all times. Flawed characters may send the wrong message to the audience.
Also missing is much of the reverence that was foisted upon journalists and the journalism profession in the previous season because some felt that the show was too self-important. I may be biased but I feel journalists ARE important and they serve an important function in our society. The debates about news-worthiness in the first season were some of my favorite scenes from the show.
The dialogue, the storylines -- they seem very self-conscious and safe this season, like someone came in and filed all the corners and edges down. Much of the crackle is absent in scenes (the deposition scenes in the future being the sole exceptions). Maybe they are building toward a rich payoff in the end.
Sorkin has a distinct voice and POV to his writing; it's why I watched West Wing, Sports Night, even Studio 60. It's definitely why I continue to watch the Newsroom. Here's hoping Sorkin comes back with a vengeance in future episodes, pulls no punches, and goes for broke. Enough self-editing and handling the show with kid gloves. I want him to just ignore all the critics and make the show he wants to make.
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I don't know. I think this season will be dealing more with the characters and their relations to each other while the first season set up Newsnight as a show and its guiding principles and goals. This is also reflected by the intro which is set in the here and now as opposed to the original one with its reverence for the "good old days" of TV news.
So far, I really like what I'm seeing and I feel it's a natural development that we're seeing more of the characters. Besides, calling the Tea Party the American Taliban would have some consequences that need to be addressed on the show. The love pentaeder of doom was also going to result in some serious fall-out sooner or later, though I'm surprised that happened so quickly. We'll be seeing some real news dealt with in retrospect soon enough and I'm looking forward to that, especially the drone war and the Occupy movement.
I found myself chuckling a couple of times during the two episodes that have aired so far so I can't say that I think the show is less funny than last season. The scene where Will is annoying the lawyers had me in stitches.
I love the interaction between Will and Mac this season, especially the bar scenes. Sloan is kicking ass, too. The story with her and Maggie trying to get that YouTube video taken down was really cool.
So far, I really like what I'm seeing and I feel it's a natural development that we're seeing more of the characters. Besides, calling the Tea Party the American Taliban would have some consequences that need to be addressed on the show. The love pentaeder of doom was also going to result in some serious fall-out sooner or later, though I'm surprised that happened so quickly. We'll be seeing some real news dealt with in retrospect soon enough and I'm looking forward to that, especially the drone war and the Occupy movement.
I found myself chuckling a couple of times during the two episodes that have aired so far so I can't say that I think the show is less funny than last season. The scene where Will is annoying the lawyers had me in stitches.
I love the interaction between Will and Mac this season, especially the bar scenes. Sloan is kicking ass, too. The story with her and Maggie trying to get that YouTube video taken down was really cool.
I agree with all of this except the last part. It would have been cool if it was on a show like Friends. On The Newsroom, it feels completely out of place and unnecessary.
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