Comments on: Recap: ‘The Newsroom’ Break Bin Laden’s Death In Irritating, Manipulative Low For The Series

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

I've really enjoyed this series so far. Aside from episode 2 (with the cringe worthy 'reply all' email story line) the rest has been excellent. This episode, however, was the worst since the second with equally odd moments. There was absolutely no need for the over-the-top lip dubbed singing scene and Mac's explanation of trying to report the story early of roughly "if Americans know he's dead one minute earlier that will be the most important moment in my career" nonsense made me punch a pillow.

I adore Sorkin, including Studio 60, which I can't understand how so many US critics panned. He's among the best writers in America today and Newsroom is a great show despite some extremely awkward moments. Comment threads discussing his work are so often filled with vitriol and so I feel obliged to redress the balance.

By: Wash

Wash — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

Semi-serious question: what's the process for choosing which shows to review? One would assume it's shows the Playlisters like (like "Girls" or "Veep" or "Breaking Bad"), but The Newsroom is regularly bashed each week, with even the positive reviews (like the last two weeks) pointing out that the previous episodes were poor. If you're not fans of The Newsroom, why review it and mostly bash it every week? Might as well start reviewing Real Housewives or something.

By: AS

AS — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

This show gets worse and worse with each passing week and just when you think its hit rock bottom, Sorkin finds a trap door and descends even lower. I don't know if I can make it through the rest of this season.

By: jimmiescoffee

jimmiescoffee — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

i hate this show. its has reaffirmed my belief that sorkin is a complete hack after he somewhat changed my mind with 'social network.' this show is shit. its defines cringe, self-awareness, and pomp. the more i think about it the worse it gets.

By: sam

sam — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

is this a sentence?

Later on today, the first trailer for "Zero Dark Thirty," the film by "The Hurt Locker" helmer Kathryn Bigelow that focuses on the hunt for, and successful assassination of, Osama Bin Laden, and which stars Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Chris Pratt, Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Edgar Ramirez and Mark Duplass, among many others.

By: viewer

viewer — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

I think the Osama Obama sounding alike was a way to poke fun a the fact that during live coverage Fox News actually confused the two and announced that Obama bin laden had been shot.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

Next time, try to mention how Newsroom is fighting a war against the stench of modern journalism…and doing so in a manner that *most* of our country can comprehend. No small task–unfortunately not everyone is as brilliant as you.

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

For some time now I have believed that this TV show wasn't designed to be a long-term series, but simply an election year advertisment, designed to promote Democrat ideals and hold up the base. (similar to the short-lived anti-Bush series on Comedy Central)
.
We have the straw-man republican (who always sees the errors of their ways and become democrats), the perfect timing of hindsight (this is what we WOULD have done if we were as smart as we think we are), and of course the wishful thinking of how life SHOULD be (medical MJ use in a state which doesn't yet have medical MJ).
.
I really wanted to like this show. But it's hard with such obvious smug every week.

By: Nolan

Nolan — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

When the girlfriend seemed upset after the uproar about Osama's death, I was hoping the show was going to deal with the idea of us as a country celebrating like we won the world cup or something because a man had been shot and killed. I mean, that's the sort of the feeling I had. When I heard the news I was shocked…very shocked, actually, but it's not like I went dancing in the street. It seemed so strange and morbid and futile. The show could have had a nice dialogue about catharsis, but instead they went for unearned sentimentality. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought "wait, people don't actually do this?" during the whole READ ME MY TWITTER FEED thing.

By: theOne

theOne — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

you just sound like a bitter douche who longs to be an actual journalist but all you've surmounted to is a hack blog writer complaining about a cable television show.

By: Markus

Markus — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

C'mon, you guys don't really want this show to find it's footing next week, do you? It would appear that you love spilling words against it's every step to actually give a shit as to whether the show was good or not. Even your favorable episode reviews are mostly negative. I don't really give a damn one way or the other, but I just don't see the point in taking weekly shots at a show that would appear to be better off without getting the press at all.

By: lol

lol — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

I agree that The Newsroom hasn't been as great as any of us could have hoped for, but you pick this episode to rail on? Are you kidding? I'd love to know what your idea of a party is, if not having fun which is what they were doing. Sorry they decided to try and be funny. Hopefully they'll go back to being serious all the time. Wait, then you'll blame them for being boring.
The author should consider a new gig.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

Too bad The Rock didn't send out that tweet until 10:24 EST. Gotta live creative license.

By: Blink

Blink — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

Late for Dinner sounded like Jeffrey Wright to me.

By: Belle

Belle — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

It also injected quite a bit of emotionalism and heroism over the "event" of killing
Osama Bin Laden. "Clapping moment"? C'mon. Airplane moment. Wow. I thought I was going to puke forcefully enough to reach my TV with that. Didactically and sanctimoniously reminding us to remember Obama's place in history, yes that's right, hence the nice speech at the end. Yuck. Ps. American's aren't that emotionally attached because that's not an authentic response right now. Let art be just that. We come to the TV to escape reality not have it perverted.

By: alphabet

alphabet — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

I'm still on board. Stupidly Earnest is a voice long-missing from public discourse, am game to let this show fly its colors.

Mild concern that they've blasted through a year of news already, quickly approaching realtime headlines..

And specific to this review – noting that Will "inexplicably sobers up in time to go on air" – as anyone who's had to perform professionally while seriously inebriated knows, crisis can lead one to go on auto-pilot or just rise to the occasion and perform brilliantly regardless (ie. Doc Ellis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dock_Ellis) – I would have found it much more out of character if Will had botched the broadcast.

By: Broadway

Broadway — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:50:58 +0000

I don't know why every review I've seen of Sunday's show hates on the singing/guitar playing scene with Will and Jim. Do they not know that the actor who plays Jim is a Tony-winning Broadway star who is a great singer and actually plays the guitar? It seemed totally natural to me that he would sing on the show. What I'm not sure about is why they had to ruin the moment by having Jeff Daniels sing too, could have done without that.