So Far So Good, Taking in the Newsroom

Watching The Newsroom on HBO is like going back in time 2 years to see a different take on stories we have all seen and heard before. In the first two episodes we covered a week and in the third we cover the entire 2010 election season.

That is both a blessing and a curse because we know the issues but during recent events means that the sense of surprise in what they cover is gone. Not that I think it matters because the Newsroom’s news is used in context of the characters and how they respond to the situations it inspires.

The show is about Will McAvoy a News Anchor for ACN and starts of with a pretty epic tirade on why America isn’t the greatest Country in the World. It starts there and the story goes into how Will has to reinvigorate his show with a new Executive Producer.

This show goes into politics pretty early on and that will be a turn off to many but I appreciate Aaron Sorkin diving deep into the subject instead of dancing around it. I was reading about how after three episodes that some people wouldn’t be coming back. Even in the commentary about the show the polarization is clear and the sides are not just feet but miles a part.

The first episode takes on the start of the Gulf Oil Spill at BP’s Deep Water Horizon as if ACN was the news program to blow the story wide open. The show is Sorkin’s commentary on the media industry and a reflection of days gone by and where ACN’s News Night will go again, through the course of the first episode.

I will be watching because the writing is smart although there are elements like the love triangle between Don, Jim, and Maggie and Will’s tense relationship with MacKenzie that could get tiresome if they are not careful.

I may try to write my own review of the show but I haven’t decided but I will watch if only to be inspired by the verbal dance that Aaron can create with words. Hey maybe that will give me inspiration as I try to write a script of my own, if only to prove that I can do it, even if it is bad there is only one way to go from here.