I re-watched "The Newsroom" (a.k.a. Sorkin's best series)
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Spoiler disclaimer: For parts that could be spoilers, I'll clearly emphasize them beforehand.
Some thoughts that came to mind while watching it again
Sorkin is a great political commentator. He has a very clear viewpoint, looks at the big picture, and tries to avoid simplistic categorizations like Democrat-Republican. The series serves as a critique of all parties, as already emphasized repeatedly.
That said, it's unmistakably an American series made by Americans. The pervasive bias or idealized view that America is (or was and should be again) the best country in the world is evident from the first minutes of the first episode to the last.
The content of each season strikes me as extremely intelligent
- In the first season, as we're introduced to the characters and the universe, the "cases" are real stories (and how they were covered by the media) of the time, like the Deepwater Horizon spill or the Bin Laden assassination.
- In the second season, Sorkin shows us how the media can fail miserably, with far-reaching consequences. He crafts a story arc where the team tries to build a narrative about a war crime allegedly committed by America. However, this story is false, and the season describes how they bought into it and its aftermath.
- Jeff Daniels delivers a lifetime role, giving it his all.
- Sam Waterston, a living legend as always, is among the most underrated actors and one of my personal favorites.
- Emily Mortimer, equally deserving of more recognition, is also amazing. -Thomas Sadoski—why didn't I know about him? Shocking. For me, he, along with the others, forms the best quartet of actors in the series. And all the rest deliver stellar performances.
Character development: Sorkin excels in building characters in everything except human relationships. While he shines in other aspects, he falls short in this area.
Mental health isn't his strong suit either when it comes to writing about it. The portrayal of Maggie in seasons one and two particularly irked me.
Spoilers Ahead (Proceed at Your Own Risk)
Don Keefer, initially a jerk in the first 4-5 episodes, evolves into a great character throughout the rest of the series.
Jim, you're a huge jerk from start to finish.
The only acceptable partner for Jim to end up with (though he doesn't deserve any of the good times) was Lisa.
The last episode, despite its intentions (and Charlie's death as a clever narrative device), fell short and disrupted Will and MacKenzie's story arc. I also found it perplexing that it didn't show Neal's reunion with the team, especially with Will, who essentially saved him and fought for him.
That's all.
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