I finished the entire last season of The Newsroom over the last few days. The beautifully crafted dialogue, the impressive performances and the pacing of the episodes made for very good television. Was it brilliant? Will it resonate in a decade on par with West Wing? In my opinion the answer is no. The final season almost lived up to the promise of the memorable response to What makes America the greatest country in the world in the opening episode. But I feel that Sorkins depiction of relationships cheapens the show, reducing both the men and women to cartoon characters unable to communicate openly and honestly, resorting to brittle repartee or inappropriate behavior. These were people that we were told repeatedly were the best in their field. If Sorkin was looking to do a Capraesque screwball comedy then step away from reporting real headlines. But the Sorkin world view is a familiar and comforting place for me. I want desperately to believe that a Charlie Skinner exists and that the news can be reported based on facts without speculation and the tunnel vision that serves Fox News so well. That journalism is more than pawing thru garbage (liberally and figuratively) to support a story. So thank you Aaron Sorkin for challenging us to think and to have conversations.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 23:39:17 +0000
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