The Newsroom: #2

Oof.  This show makes me afraid to rewatch The West Wing.  Josh and Toby never talked like this, did they?  And what's with all the klutzy ladies?  CJ Cregg only fell over and/or resorted to histrionics once in a while and always to great comedic effect, whereas the leading ladies of TN seem to suffer from a rare form of floppy, hysterical narcolepsy.  The main character is both boring and unlikable, yet we are supposed to think otherwise - Emily Nussbaum put it perfectly:

Whenever McAvoy delivers a speech or slices up a right-winger, the ensemble beams at him, their eyes glowing as if they were cultists. The series turns Will McAvoy into the equivalent of the character Karen Cartwright, on “Smash,” the performer who the show keeps insisting is God’s gift to Broadway. Can you blame me for rooting for McAvoy’s enemies, all those flyover morons, venal bean-counters, sorority girls, and gun-toting bimbos? Like a political party, a TV show is nothing without a loyal opposition.

But back to our patented "Real?" index:


Thomas Sadoski really wants his girlfriend to come work on his new show so he can mentor her, but doesn't want to meet her parents.
Either he's smothering her or not, guys, pick one!

Mackenzie MacHale, an apparently badass news producer/reporter who has sliced and diced her way through war zones, cannot send an email to its intended recipient -
-this part seems real -

-because she keeps putting an asterik at the beginning of every email address.
That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.  Who needs to break the habit of beginning their emails with "*"?  That's not a thing.

Will changes his entire stance on immigration within an hour.
No.

The staff all meet at a shitty bar immediately after work to swig terrible $3 beers.
Has someone finally revealed that the lower rungs of television pay nothing?  Dost my eyes deceive me?  It's probably an accident, but I will take it: this rang true to me.  Ditto on making the intern go and save you a table, although realistically you'd send a PA.

John Gallagher, Jr. still hasn't burst into song.
I know.

I thought I was going to like this show.
I KNOW, RIGHT???????????????????????

The Newsroom

Having worked for three months five years ago as a temporary production assistant on a show on CNBC, I feel uniquely and thoroughly qualified to tell you everything that's right and wrong with The Newsroom, HBO's latest new show/Aaron Sorkin's attempt to get us to believe journalism can still be good. Real or not real? Read on.

Will has a public meltdown and people care for more than fifteen seconds.
He's not Brian Williams, guys. No one pays attention if Chris Matthews yells at someone.

Allison Pill and Thomas Sadoski are dating, and Allison Pill is super paranoid that someone in HR will find out and she'll be fired.
Cable news is second only to university student-run musical theater groups in terms of incestuousness. It's high pressure and creates lots of moments for intense bonding; plus, no one ever leaves the building. Where else are you going to meet someone?

Thomas Sadoski is a passive-aggressive dick to his girlfriend and she puts up with it.
Ugh, true. Dump him, Allison. He's not even wearing an undershirt.

The network head hires the anchor's old flame as his new executive producer without consulting said anchor.
I don't know if this is real or not. Probably not, but EPs get hired for weird reasons. Ours was only 33, and depending on who you ask, was hired because a) she'd had an affair with the head of the news division, or b) she had a unique ability to get our notoriously distractable anchor to do what he needed. Probably a combination of the two.

Mackenzie, mentioned above, immediately promotes Allison Pill from assistant to associate producer because of her loyalty.
Kind of real. I mean, the actual conversation was unlikely, but the promotion process in cable news is byzantine. The fastest way up the ladder is being one of the only people around to climb it.

Mackenzie instantly gets inappropriately involved in the romantic lives of her staff.
True! 

Will does not know his assistant's name.
I buy him not knowing anyone else's name, but there is NO WAY he doesn't know the name of his assistant. He would forget the name of his wife before his assistant. What else is he going to yell at her to get him his coffee?


Will is apparently dating Erin Andrews.
Yeah right.



Will does not where his control room is.
True.

Will is kind of an asshole.
True.

John Gallagher, Jr. shows up and DOES NOT burst into song.
I guess this is true, but that doesn't mean I'm not upset about it.

The more sympathetic members of the newsroom staff reveal unparalled expertise on ocean floor geology approximately twelve seconds after the Deepwater Horizon explodes.
Most people who go into cable news are not physical science majors. I'm just saying.

The network head wanders the hallways in a bow tie, carrying a bottle of Scotch.
I wish that one were true.

John Gallagher, Jr. looks sad when Allison Pill/Margaret leaves with her awful boyfriend instead of dumping the rube and dating him instead, after knowing her for six hours.
Aw, I hope this would be true. Sorry. I love John Gallagher, Jr. Did you see him in Spring Awakening? Squee! He's the cutest!

Overall, I thought the show was entertaining.  Yes, I let out a giant groan during the uber-earnest West Wing style opening credits, but Emily Mortimer is pretty lovable as Mackenzie and the "recent past" setting works against odds.  Will Olivia Munn's entrance as a Money Honey wreck it all next week?  Time will tell.