The Newsroom

[Khaldun]

it's easy to make a character righteous if everyone else is a shitbag. But that's the dramatic equivalent of creating a universe where there's an all-powerful Force that can let you jump around like Peter Pan and fight with a laser sword.

[Stewie]

How so? I'm honestly asking because I never really felt like the drama was heavy handed until they were reporting one of the worst disasters ever, which justified being dramatic.

Its hard to put into words exactly, but a good example it just felt forced and unnecessarily dramatic.

The pacing is another thing. I know this is a quality of Sorkin shows though and maybe ultimately these may not really be for me but the way everyone starts running around and having these faster and faster back and for exchanges again feels forced. Its almost as if they assume we are smart enough to know its a serious situation so they have to use this method to beat us over the head with it.

But ultimately I felt that the actors have to grow into their roles, and this is true of all new shows.
 

[Segoris]

Its hard to put into words exactly, but a good example it just felt forced and unnecessarily dramatic.
 

But yeah, new show and it's growing pains and all that.

[Chimpy]

Just watched the first episode on the youtube link provided above.

Damn this show makes me almost want to pay for HBO.

[Tannhauser]

What's funny is the day after upholding Obamacare, Sorkin was on The Colbert Report and CNN/Fox's gaffe came up.  Proved his point perfectly.

I deleted my CNN app from my phone; I have to go to the BBC to get news about my country now. 

You want great Sorkin?  Watch "Charlie Wilson's War".  Maybe I'm biased because I loved the book, but that movie rocks.

[lac]

Entertaining first two episodes. It can get a bit preachy and they do try too hard at times but enjoyable none the less.

[Riggswolfe]

I'll tell you what felt off about that speech. Jeff Daniels character is, from my understanding, a Republican. Yet his speech is basically a liberal speech. That makes it feel really off to me.

[MahrinSkel]

I'll tell you what felt off about that speech. Jeff Daniels character is, from my understanding, a Republican. Yet his speech is basically a liberal speech. That makes it feel really off to me.

Jeff Daniels' character is an "above it all moderate", a type that is very common in the media and is responsible for the "Shape of the world: Opinions differ" news coverage that always tries to show both parties as equally bad on everything.

--Dave

EDIT: Apparently he is a Republican, or they wouldn't have had the "RINO" line in the second episode.

[Chimpy]

His speech is only seen as liberal through the prism of our current political discourse which has been driven so far to the right in the last 15 years.

[Tannhauser]

Enjoyed the second episode more than the first.  A couple of eye-rolls from me  but some great humor and drama.  Olivia Munn still can't act but Will McEvoy is a very enjoyable character.  Jeff Daniels fucking owns this show.

[Tebonas]

Was there an outbreak of the virus that makes people retarded from Walking Dead?

[lac]

Despite the bad press received, the public liked this well enough for HBO to give the go ahead for season 2. It was their third best season premiere after Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones.

[kaid]

The first episode was good the second was pretty terrible. Why would anybody hire such a bumbling incompetent for such an important job and who would trust her enough to go with any idea she may have.

[HaemishM]

The first episode was good the second was pretty terrible. Why would anybody hire such a bumbling incompetent for such an important job and who would trust her enough to go with any idea she may have.

George W. Bush. 'Nuff Said.

Note, I haven't actually seen the episode, I'm just saying complete fuckwits can get jobs and then get REHIRED for jobs.

[El Gallo]

Say what you want about Rocinante, but she was a horse, not a donkey.

[Tebonas]

Maybe the morning after a drunken windmill victory party the good Don happened to crawl on Sanchos trusted Donkey just as Will walked by?

[lac]

Say what you want about Rocinante, but she was a horse, not a donkey.

Say what you want about Rocinante, but she was a he. Way to add insult to injury.

[MisterNoisy]

I'm digging this show, but the second ep felt like a bit of a letdown from the first.  As for the email stuff, I chalk it up to two things:

 - She'd been embedded in wartorn shitholes for some time in the show's lore, so it's possible that there's a bit of a disconnect when she finds herself back in the world of quad-core smartphones and actually being back in an office.

 - Are you seriously telling me that you've never met people in high-level positions that are otherwise good at what they do that are completely pants on head retarded when it comes to email (and technology in general)?  Where I work we have 'reply to all' storms on a weekly basis thanks to senior management types.

[Rasix]

The best is when you get "reply all"s telling people to stop doing "reply all" or a "reply all" asking to get off the distribution list because of all of the spam.

Wasn't completely enamored with the second EP, but the first was a tough act to follow.

[Slayerik]

This is a good show. I thought the 2nd episode was pretty damn good. Finally something the wifey and I both dig, besides a usually faltering True Blood.

[JWIV]

Finally sat down and meant to watch the first two episodes, then saw the third had came on, so a full three hours of this.  The McKenzie-McAvoy relationship shit has to get settled down here. Not sure if it's writing or directing, but it's killing the McKenzie character and was really the only flaw of what was a fantastic 3rd episode.   Also, Jane Fonda as the big boss?   Awesomely meta.  

Overall though, this series is complete journalism porn which I've got a huge soft spot, so go ahead and just sign me up. Stupid HBO - I was about to cancel my subscription but not now.  

[Tannhauser]

Yeah, the McKenzie character is really getting pummeled.  Weakest link of the show.  But otherwise, great characters crashing into each other.  Episode 3 was full of great drama and a bit of humor.  The show seems to be settling into its groove and I'm really enjoying the ride.

But seriously, fix McKenzie.  It's starting to get absurd.

[El Gallo]

Say what you want about Rocinante, but she was a horse, not a donkey.

Say what you want about Rocinante, but she was a he. Way to add insult to injury.

Oh shit, self-owned.

Saw ep2, just seems terribly over the top with the righteousness.  I've been a committed socialist all my life, and watching this show makes me want to vote for Pat Buchannon just to piss the writers off. Just not for me I guess.

[lac]

Wait till you see ep 3. It has two of those speeches in the first 15 minutes. Still a good show though it makes me cringe at times.

[Tebonas]

I have all those "No shit, Sherlock" moments where he holds speeches about things that are common sense. Then you people tell me they are not in the US and I become sad. Next somebody tells me those common sense things are even problematic because they are "not fair and balanced" and I want to murder some people.

This series depresses me.

[Bunk]

Episode three was a step up from two, though I haven't quite figured out if Sam Waterston's character is supposed to be drunk 80% of the time or 100% of the time.

Enjoyed the approach of just hammering on the sound bites of Tea Party stupidity one after another. I really think the fact they are portraying Will as a Republican will help the show, despite the obvious pandering to the left - as that's obviously the target audience.

[Ironwood]

So this started here and it was pretty bad.

Every Sorkin cliche in the book, which gets tired after you've watched West Wing so often and he really can't write women and the English Woman was just shit and embarrassing and so was Dev Patel.  Don was so awful and one dimensional as a character you just wanted the Cunt to walk onto a landmine in the middle of the newsroom and spend 20 minutes gushing bloody and just screaming right into the camera while you watched.

Fuck, if it wasn't for Tess, I'd be annoyed right now.

Hmmmmmm.  Tess.

[lac]

I hope they keep going with that bigfoot joke. It really ties the show together.

[Tannhauser]

I'm losing faith in the show.  One one hand I love the fast funny banter.  But on the other hand I dislike most of the storylines.  Does that make sense?  Love Will McEvoy, but he needs to shut his damn mouth when he's trying to land the ladies. 

[palmer_eldritch]

I wanted to like it as I enjoyed the West Wing but couldn't get my head round the idea that a journalist saying their country isn't the best at everything was a big dramatic moment. He's so mealy-mouthed as well. It took him three or four goes to answer the question.

I am recording each episode and will try again, but on my first attempt I gave up half way through episode one.

[WayAbvPar]

I could use less whacky subplots and more newsroom stuff. The last 10 minutes or so of Ep4 was as good as Sorkin gets.

[Ironwood]

2nd Ep down.

Urg.  Some good moments, but mostly urg. 

[eldaec]

2nd episode was truly terrible in every way. It was way worse than studio 60 or whatever it was.

OTOH, the first few west wing episodes were also pretty weak. So I guess you never know.

[Tannhauser]

Sorkin fired his entire writing staff, except for his ex-girlfriend.  They will work out the year.  http://www.businessinsider.com/the-newsroom-fires-all-but-one-writer-2012-7

Edit:  Added link

[Slayerik]

SO, I'm not gonna lie...I got a little choked up at the end :)

Looking for some opinions on Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy... He is local to me and I think my opinion may be scewed but I think he's doing a great job.