The Newsroom 1.7: 5/1

[marymary]

An anonymous source contacts Charlie and provides advance details on an imminent story of national importance. When news breaks that the President will be making a televised speech that night, the 2.0 staff cuts short its one-year (and one-week) anniversary party, and rushes back to the newsroom amidst a flurry of speculation as to what exactly

Comments

[elinorigbe]

I love Aaron Sorkin, I really do, and I'll forgive him almost any transgressions. I don;t mind when he reprises great lines, I actually love hearing them again, but when he seems to be reprising whole sections of episodes from the past, I begin to despair that he'll ever work his way back to the greatness he exhibited in TWW.

I have to re-watch last night's show, but I got the feeling, first time through, that the situations had been lifted up from S-60, and set down in this year's show, fitting the characters in however they would go, just changing the names

And the dialog is starting to fray a bit. I don't ever remember such ragged edges in TWW. Whether it's the actors not "getting" it, or the writer not having a strong grasp on what they should sound like, I keep feeling this ...roughness... in the conversations that was never there between Josh and Sam and CJ and Donna.

I won't quit on it, but I am beginning to despair.

[tomfoolery815]

Elinor, I've just come to terms that he's into recycling: His TV shows takes place behind the scenes at X and have character archetypes A through E. I'm entertained nonetheless.

I enjoyed the episode.

-- I enjoyed Mackenzie making all the right moves and kicking the asses that needed to be kicked.

-- I really liked the performance of Natalie Morales, who plays Kaylee, Neal's girlfriend. She also was Tom Haverford's girlfriend in Parks and Recreation for a few episodes.

-- Late For Dinner is going to play the role Clark Gregg played in Sports Night, it would appear. I liked Charlie's refusal to let him call himself Deep Throat. :)

-- I knew Jeff Daniels was going to be all Jed in his Notre Dame sweatshirt in the Oval Office, and it was still fun. Probably because, in both instances, the actors made it fun.

-- Nice, and thoroughly Sorkin-esque, touch to have Don and Lonny break the news first to the flight crew and the NYPD cops.

-- Gatzy, I agree that it was cool that they played President Obama's speech over the end credits

[marymary]

Almost forgot: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Whew, just under the wire. :) Hope you had a great day!

[tomfoolery815]

Thanks, Mary! You get extra credit for not having a social-networking site tell you today is somebody's birthday. :)

[anatolealice]

A belated happy birthday from me! Happy birthday Tommy! I get a heads up a day early but don't want to be a day early so inevitably I'm late :-)

[marymary]

I agree with all that, Tom, especially these:

-- Nice, and thoroughly Sorkin-esque, touch to have Don and Lonny break the news first to the flight crew and the NYPD cops.

-- Gatzy, I agree that it was cool that they played President Obama's speech over the end credits.

These are the other things I liked:

- Everything on the plane, with one giant exception (more later).

- Mac cutting the feed from DC! I thought she was just going to whine at Jane and then lose, but she won! Nice. (And that's Sally Richardson-Whitfield from Eureka as Jane. Very happy to see her. :)

- Lisa was one step ahead of Jim and Pam Maggie. I liked that they didn't make her stupid.

- Will's whole conversation with Mac while he's trying to tie his tie. That was really funny and well-delivered, especially by JD.

- We finally got the JGJ/JD singing we were promised!

- The sign for Will: "OBAMA = BAD... OSAMA = GOOD."

[anatolealice]

Hee, you called her Pam. I haven't read all the threads yet since the first ep but she was Pam to me from the first moment. It's almost like having televised fic...

[marymary]

Things I didn't like

[anatolealice]

That was dumb but the line about people in row 23 knowing all about him, Pam and Jim made me laugh so hard I think the neighbours heard. So you never know your luck :-)

[marymary]

Favorite lines:

Don: "I think later on tonight you'll be saying to yourself, 'I wish I had helped that passenger.'"
Flight Attendant: "I think later on tonight you'll be saying to yourself, 'These handcuffs hurt my wrists.'"

Lonny: "Nothing I can do about being big and black at the same time." (I feel like I've heard that before. Is that a recycle?)

Mac: "Listen, you don't think there's any chance it's a UFO, do you?"
Don: "Keep it together."

Will: "We got Obama!"
Mac: "Ah!"
Will: "Bin Laden. I got that out of my system."

Maggie: "James Tiberius Harper..."
Jim: "Not my middle name."
(I might never get tired of that. I think it's my favorite Maggie line.)

Don: "What is this compulsion you have to look on the bright side? I can never count on you to be Jewish."
Elliot: "We shoudl probably be concerned about violent retribution."
Don: "That does help, man, thanks."

Don: "...Flight Attendant Crazy Lady..."