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The Newsroom - Sorkin, Daniels, and Mortimer drama about cable news - Sundays on HBO
- Thread starter Cornballer
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I'm ambivalent on this second episode. The first half-hour was far too talkative and the e-mail thing felt like something straight from the early nineties.
Second half-hour was more interesting and the fact they experience a failure was interesting to watch and set things up for later.
The segment with Olivia Munn wasn't enough to really appreciate her performance, but at least she seems to fit into it. It was pure Sorkin gatling-speed dialogue. Too bad the dialogue itself was not so good. Interesting that MacKenzie wants to put her in the show partly because of her looks while she tries to make genuine news at the same time. It shows her character knows when to make concessions in order to attain her goals.
I guess I'll give the whole season its fair chance, like I did with Studio 60 at the time.
Second half-hour was more interesting and the fact they experience a failure was interesting to watch and set things up for later.
The segment with Olivia Munn wasn't enough to really appreciate her performance, but at least she seems to fit into it. It was pure Sorkin gatling-speed dialogue. Too bad the dialogue itself was not so good. Interesting that MacKenzie wants to put her in the show partly because of her looks while she tries to make genuine news at the same time. It shows her character knows when to make concessions in order to attain her goals.
I guess I'll give the whole season its fair chance, like I did with Studio 60 at the time.
I rewatched it last night on HBO Go after it premiered and I still though it was a bit meh ( best part of show is when they are doing a newscast) however I retract my statement on Allison's pill(Maggie) character, i think I kinda like where her arc is going, however the arguments between her and Jim have shades of Jim/Pam from the office, and that has me a bit worried, considering I hated where they took that arc through the seasons. Hopefully it won't repeat.
spindoctor
Member
"Were you distracted by a bumble bee?" just says it all really. Something that worked so well before was just completely flat this time. This episode was embarrassing at times (especially the email thing). I guess the reviewers were right, the show fell off a cliff after the pilot. I wonder if they will be able to pick it up.
Cornballer
Member
- EW.com: Terry Crews will be guest-starring later this season
The actor best known for his Old Spice commercials and for playing the papa Julius on the old UPN comedy Everybody Hates Chris will be introduced in episode 6 on July 29. He playsa bodyguard — and unofficial life coach — for Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels). He’ll appear in five episodes.
Heh.If you like aaanything about the show, I advise you stick with it at least to episode 6 before giving up. Just a feeling.
If you don't like anything about it at all, I'd bail immediately.
If you like aaanything about the show, I advise you stick with it at least to episode 6 before giving up. Just a feeling.
If you don't like anything about it at all, I'd bail immediately.
Just a feeling, or have you heard something.
Literally just a feeling. Although it's one informed by knowing his shows rather well... the first few episodes of Sports Night are quite shaky (although the network decisions weren't doing it any favors), and that's by far the show of his that Newsroom has the most in common with.
edit: Oh btw.... wtf no cold open!? He writes the best ones on TV. Hope that trend doesn't continue.
edit: Oh btw.... wtf no cold open!? He writes the best ones on TV. Hope that trend doesn't continue.
If you like aaanything about the show, I advise you stick with it at least to episode 6 before giving up. Just a feeling.
If you don't like anything about it at all, I'd bail immediately.
I love the show so I'll be around till the end.
Souldriver
Member
This show is definitely a mixed bag.
I sometimes like the chemistry and dialogs between characters. However, the vast majority of dialog is insanely unrealistic to the point of cartoon-like. And the show is also a cheese factory. Lord...
I'll keep watching the show though. I wanna see if it turns to total shit or becomes better. Also, I don't get the Munn hate. She was great in that short scene. I don't know Munn so I don't know her history, but it seems people hate her because of things besides her performance on this show. Is she a bitch or attention whore or something? Has she played in garbage television shows? ...
I sometimes like the chemistry and dialogs between characters. However, the vast majority of dialog is insanely unrealistic to the point of cartoon-like. And the show is also a cheese factory. Lord...
I'll keep watching the show though. I wanna see if it turns to total shit or becomes better. Also, I don't get the Munn hate. She was great in that short scene. I don't know Munn so I don't know her history, but it seems people hate her because of things besides her performance on this show. Is she a bitch or attention whore or something? Has she played in garbage television shows? ...
I agree. Her back and forth with McKenzie over the whole cheating thing was pretty well done.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Yeah, TWW season one (even though it was good) was the worst season of that show. It didn't start getting good until around episode 5, "Five Votes Down". Still one of the best episodes.
The pilot of The West Wing is actually pretty terrible, honestly.
I'm glad I read all those negative reviews of the second episode (and this thread) so I could be pleasantly surprised. It's no West Wing yet, but it seems like it has a lot of promise.
And I'm another one who doesn't get the Munn hate. I've never seen her in anything else, but she seems fine.
And I'm another one who doesn't get the Munn hate. I've never seen her in anything else, but she seems fine.
Finally got around to watching the pilot and this is my new favorite show. I am a huge Sorkin fan (warts and all) and the material is right up my alley. I have been watching cable news off and on since I was 17 and I've become disgusted with it in cycles since about 2002. Separably, I love Network and Broadcast News is probably my favorite movie.
I've been totally removed from the commentary online about this. I will love forward to wading through this thread once I'm current on the show.
Favorite single line from favorite character:
"I'm too old to be governed by fear of dumb people."
I've been totally removed from the commentary online about this. I will love forward to wading through this thread once I'm current on the show.
Favorite single line from favorite character:
"I'm too old to be governed by fear of dumb people."
-Pyromaniac-
Member
The Munn hate is something that has boiled over for years for those who follow the gaming side. It's no big deal, but she basically always pretended to be a geek, and she was just that token female (especially compared to some other women in tech/gaming industry) and it was just annoying, aside from that she was pretty annoying overall 60-70% of the time. Combine that with classic internet hyperbole and there you go. Then she ditched it the second she got a better job, which was a good thing.
Really don't like how they're handling the romantic parts of this show. Real bad melodramatic vibes. Sorkin was a little overindulgent with some of the long dialog exchanges this episode (more than the usual). They're kind of screwing Mortimers character up, which is a shame. I also have problems with how music is used in just about every case. They need to find someone else to do it, or for a start just cut out half of what's used.
Still going to watch because hey, what else is on?
Still going to watch because hey, what else is on?
brianjones
Member
she toyed with gamerz heartz
-Pyromaniac-
Member
nah, problem was it was cringe worthy. Kind of like most of her bits on the daily show with jon stewart!
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
That's 90% why.
brianjones
Member
jesus do these characters ever shut up
sorkin must have been hitting the coke hard
sorkin must have been hitting the coke hard
-Pyromaniac-
Member
it's annoying because no human beings would ever talk like this, let alone have time to come up with all this witty repartee. It's like Gilmore Girls but with a group.
Devolution
Member
Loved the first ep felt fast paced, witty and pretty on the ball. The first part of the second episode was okay, then it really dragged on for me. Is it just me or does the Mackenzie and Will relationship drama feel really fucking shoe horned in and ridiculous at times? She sent an email to everyone in the company? Really?
I hope for the best for the next episode because this one was a "meh" for me.
I hope for the best for the next episode because this one was a "meh" for me.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Apparently, this is how Aaron Sorkin's relationships go.
The entire Matt/Harriet thing was him and Kristin Chenoweth.
Devolution
Member
Blegh. This one is starting to get real preachy and annoying about issues and I agree with the points made in the show. The one thing that made the Wire really successful to me was showing issues and even characters critiquing said issues without being ridiculously sanctimonious or whiny. I want to really like this show but it drags hard at times.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
See, most of the time, I can't ever hear the whiny and sanctimonity. All I hear is the writing. Maybe I'm just fucking weird.
It already got renewed...
whaaaaat. that's disappointing. outside of treme and a bit of boardwalk empire, HBO's drama lineup does nothing for me. there's always veep too, I guess.
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
My two beefs with the show thus far:
1. One of the themes of the show seems to be critiquing the quality of journalism that goes on the the mainstream media which is fine but then they insert that glaring plot device of having the new guy just happening to have a sister and a close friend work for BP and Haliburton respectively on the same day as Deepwater Horizon disaster. I mean, really? If the goal of the show is to show what good reporting looks like - even if it's a Hollywood-ized version of it, doing it with a deus ex machina is not the way to go. Maybe in a future episodes the British guy will reveal that he has a cousin who's a double agent and managed to infiltrate Al-Qaeda and manages to become Osama's secret gay lover.
2. The dialogue is just ridiculously unrealistic. I know that is supposedly expect from Sorkin's works but fuck me, it's damn near Dawson's Creek level.
1. One of the themes of the show seems to be critiquing the quality of journalism that goes on the the mainstream media which is fine but then they insert that glaring plot device of having the new guy just happening to have a sister and a close friend work for BP and Haliburton respectively on the same day as Deepwater Horizon disaster. I mean, really? If the goal of the show is to show what good reporting looks like - even if it's a Hollywood-ized version of it, doing it with a deus ex machina is not the way to go. Maybe in a future episodes the British guy will reveal that he has a cousin who's a double agent and managed to infiltrate Al-Qaeda and manages to become Osama's secret gay lover.
2. The dialogue is just ridiculously unrealistic. I know that is supposedly expect from Sorkin's works but fuck me, it's damn near Dawson's Creek level.
dead souls
Member
Yep, even if Munn gave a terrible performance, which she didn't, it would be one of the smallest problems this episode faced.
Watch Alison Pill on the third season of In Treatment, then watch her on this. Such a disappointing waste of someone with talent.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Wait, does that mean that Girls is the best show on that chart? lol
It's not like there's any competition.
krameriffic
Member
Saw this on twitter. I still think that S&M Gay Fantasia is a better hate watch than Misogyny + piano accompaniment, but each to her or his own.
I find The Newsroom to be quite tedious, mostly because they just seem to love to talk about irrelevant shit that I don't care about. I should really stop coming to this thread because this is basically all I have to say about it.
mr stroke
Member
LOL
Its odd the writing on this show is so cheesy and heavy handed. Sorkin is generally solid, and both of his last projects(Social Network, MoneyBall) were fantastic.
Its like Sorkin was high while writing this.
Saw this on twitter. I still think that S&M Gay Fantasia is a better hate watch than Misogyny + piano accompaniment, but each to her or his own.
How is Dexter the least ridiculous of them all, wtf?
Yep Dexter should be in the top right corner. I'm still watching it but that's where it deserves to live.
I have to suspend disbelief in Dexter far more than any of the other shows, it's just that stupid the past couple of seasons.
brianjones
Member
true blood should be on there somewhere
That's not really saying much though... It's the turd with the piece of corn in it basically.
Could probably fit in the top left corner for me. It's absolutely ridiculous but I don't find it tedious in the slightest.
Doctor West
Member
The second episode was definitely a drop in quality from the pilot. It got a bit too preachy at times and the dialogue was out of control. I don't mind quirky, but this just sounded so awkward. I think it will get better once the cast gets used to delivering Sorkin's words.
I really like the concept and the cast, so I'm going to see this through to the end of the season. This could easily turn into a great show, all the pieces are there.
I really like the concept and the cast, so I'm going to see this through to the end of the season. This could easily turn into a great show, all the pieces are there.
smokeymicpot
Beat EviLore at pool.
Did it really? Yet they couldn't give Bored to Death another season.
Sookie alone probably puts it in the middle of the tedious chart.
HBO gave Bored to Death three chances and it was never a success. I'm not sure why people blame them. Deadwood? Carnivale? Those were tragedies.
True, I almost forgot about that on account of her diminished presence this season.
he's still high off that oscar win. Anyways, Moneyball was a collaboration iirc - Sorkin's fine whenever he has someone to reel in the stupid, Fincher being a good example.
it doesn't correlate with quality, really.Wait, does that mean that Girls is the best show on that chart? lol
the page count does not indicate quality.
D
Deleted member 22576
Unconfirmed Member
Shows good so far. Lots of cheese. And fuck me the final musical flourish of the title sequence has some good ole emotional penny whistle in there.
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