The Newsroom "The Greater Fool"

          Filled to the brim with heartwarming scenes and emotional tension, episode 10 The Greater Fool, became one of the best episodes yet. I know I say this after every episode, but I promise I mean it this time. Beware, if you have not seen this episode, I will be spoiling everything. 

          Well to start off, Will mixed too many anti-depressants with bourbon which created an ulcer in his stomach. Last time Jeff Daniels and an ulcer appeared in the same room, he was in Dumb and Dumber. Amazing how time flies. Anyway, Will was admitted into the hospital and considered not coming back to ACN. Obviously, this didn’t turn out to be true because the editing of this episode was not chronological and showed Will a week later back at the news desk. So this turned out to be a devious ploy Aaron Sorkin (creator and writer) devised to raise my blood pressure.

          And the stress just kept piling on. Nina Howard (the tabloid reporter) somehow found out that Will high while reporting the death of Osama Bin Laden. Later, Will, Mackenzie, and Charlie Skinner all go to Leona Lancing’s office to discuss this matter. Will ends ups admitting to being high on the air and almost gets fired, Reece is found out for hacking Mackenzie’s phone, the two sides come to an agreement, and much of the tension is dissolved.

          I also think that the emotional tension in this episode trumped every previous episode for various reasons. First, Solomon Hancock provided a heartbreaking scene where he talked about how he has no friends and his family won’t talk to him. To make things worse, he ends up committing suicide and also provides “critical information” about the Reece Lancing ordering hacks on people’s phones. Later, Lisa and Maggie get into a fight over Jim which causes Maggie to run into the street and accidentally confess the crush she has on Jim. To make the cute moment even better, Jim chases Maggie around the city which ends with a passionate kiss between the two of them. The moment is precious, but is quickly destroyed when Maggie decides to move in with Don. To make this love triangle even more complicated, Jim lies to Lisa and says that she was the reason he came by that night, not Maggie. Also, we learn that Sloan is only single because Don never asked her out. I’m pretty sure everyone knows that Sloan and Don should be together, Jim and Maggie should start dating, and Lisa can find someone else.

          As always, Will and Mackenzie have their cute fights which only compile onto the emotional tension between them. I cannot wait for the day when they just forget about the past and get back together. Mackenzie finally tells Will that she actually did hold up the signs in the pilot episode. What could have been an emotional kiss, turned into a small little fight which added some needed comic relief. 

          Finally, Will recognized a girl in the newsroom who is applying for an internship. She turns out to be the sorority girl from the pilot episode who was the catalyst for all of Will’s problems. Will decides to hire her and one more intriguing cast member is now added to this already fantastic show. The Newsroom is easily one of my favorite shows and will be renewed for a second season which is scheduled to premiere in June 2013.

The Newsroom "I'll Try to Fix You"

          Once again, Aaron Sorkin (the writer and creator of The Newsroom) delivered a fabulous episode. The fourth episode, "I'll Try to Fix You", was perfectly titled because it dealt with fixing people up for dates, fixing relationships, and fixing the news industry.
          While at a New Years Eve office party, Will McAvoy decided to take a risk and talk to a beautiful woman.  Little did he know, that she was a gossip columnist intent on writing a 'takedown piece' on a celebrity. Will tries to convince her that she it being cruel but fails because he insults her. She throws her drink in his face which lands him in a tabloid the following day. Several similar situations happen all with the same outcome. By the end of the episode, Will is on the front page of a gossip magazine. Its ironic yet beautiful that Will tried to save a celebrity from the wrath of a gossip columnist, but ended up the victim himself.
          While I love every episode of The Newsroom, this episode stands out above the rest because Aaron Sorkin criticized the cruel world of tabloid news. After watching this episode, I started thinking about how insensitive the news can be. Many people fail to realize that their entertainment (tabloids) is at the expense of other people's lives. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced that they were getting divorce a few days ago, which has given Extra and TMZ a lot to talk about.  As soon as I heard about the divorce, I pitied them nobody wants to have a broken heart, especially when its broadcasted across the world within minutes. According to the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, divorce is the second highest cause of illness after the death of a spouse. That being said, its pathetic and cruel use these stranger's relationship as a form of amusement. Luckily, I believe Aaron Sorkin and I share the same views on entertainment news which contributed to my praise of this episode.

The Newsroom "Pilot"

          Aaron Sorkin, writer and creator of The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and writer for The Social Network, has created another masterpiece called The Newsroom.  Sorkin has written an unbelievable script with immensely complex characters that makes The Newsroom a highly compelling television show.

          I can easily say that the pilot episode of The Newsroom was practically flawless. The purpose of the pilot episode is to make viewers want to watch more of the show.  This means, that the pilot episode must be stunning and highly captivating.  I have seen many shows succeed and fail when it comes to a compelling pilot episode and I have realized the two keys to success. The most important part to a pilot episode is the first few minutes because that is when it is easiest to change the channel. The Newsroom, created not only an impecable first scene, but one of my favorite scenes in all of television. If that scene were moved a few minutes later in the show, I don't believe I would have finished the episode. The second most important part of a pilot episode is the ending. It seems obvious that these would be the two most important parts, but Sorkin did a phenomenal job at connecting the ending with the beginning, while creating enough questions and drama that make the viewer want to continue into episode two. 

          While I only seen one episode of The West Wing, I can easily say that The Newsroom has a lot in common with the political drama. Both shows are focused on dialogue, which is extremely hard to due because the dialogue has to be interesting enough to keep the viewers attention. One way that Sorkin effectively creates tension with dialogue is with the 'walk and talk'.  Made famous by Thomas Schlamme in Sports Night and The West Wing, the 'walk and talk' is where a few characters will have a conversation and are joined by other characters to show how busy the characters are. 

          Not only is The Newsroom incredibly well written, but it also doesn't have too many political affiliations.  If it was about a liberal news team, the conservatives would be less inclined to watch, and vice versa. The show focuses on 'doing what is right' which should satisfy most people.

          With a phenomenal pilot episode, and immaculate writing thanks to creator and writer Aaron Sorkin, I can see The Newsroom becoming incredibly popular.