The Newsroom, Season 2

[jimbobsonofgod]

I remember him somewhere saying where he said this show was hard to write for, then shortly afterwards the announcement that this would be the series last season. Either way at the end of the day it was Sorken not HBO who called it quits on the show.

[Headspace]

Well Sorkin decided to rewrite season 2 just as they started filming because people wanted a more season long story arc

[Bregor]

Well Sorkin decided to rewrite season 2 just as they started filming because people wanted a more season long story arc

I was just talking about Genoa with my wife after the latest episode. I think part of the reason it failed so hard is it had zero consequences. They bring in this fall guy from the DC bureau who is not endearing at all, so when he gets canned, yay, evil is punished. The immediate threat of Will, Mac, or Charlie losing their jobs is obviously not going to happen, and S3 begins with business as usual (except for ratings, which apparently they're done with caring about).

If Jim or Don or even Mac had to be the fall guy for Genoa, it might have really affected the characters. As it was presented, it's just spinning its wheels saying "DON'T MAKE SHIT UP. LOOKING AT YOU, 60 MINUTES."

[Kanriel]

I was just talking about Genoa with my wife after the latest episode. I think part of the reason it failed so hard is it had zero consequences. They bring in this fall guy from the DC bureau who is not endearing at all, so when he gets canned, yay, evil is punished. The immediate threat of Will, Mac, or Charlie losing their jobs is obviously not going to happen, and S3 begins with business as usual (except for ratings, which apparently they're done with caring about).

If Jim or Don or even Mac had to be the fall guy for Genoa, it might have really affected the characters. As it was presented, it's just spinning its wheels saying "DON'T MAKE SHIT UP. LOOKING AT YOU, 60 MINUTES."

Ratings is the entire reason the company got sold and, potentially, ended the entire newsroom! They would've had the $4 billion to buy out the little kids if not for the ratings falling away to 4th. Also, Genoa was a thorn in their side anytime they attempted to claim journalistic superiority over anyone, there was a Genoa quip coming right back at them. It's a story of how the main characters are trying to be the good guys and do the moral story and how one little thing gets them crucified and ruins the whole thing.

As for the episode, I sure wish Sam had a better exit. I can only hope there is some validation there that Charlie was just trying to keep people in line until Will came back for a comeback effort and that's why he fought so hard to keep people in line with dickbag new owners demands.

So far this season:

Don + Sloane - This is listening to the audience. We love them, we want more of them, and they sure as fuck delivered this season. Fuck yes. Didn't even drop any quality in their characters/dialogue, they've been on point all season.

Jim + Maggie - Took too long to get here, but glad they kept it somewhat short getting back together once they logically made it there. I'm not completely against it, but Maggie is the fucking Chosen One this season. She can produce, she can report, she can do the tech work, she is fucking Neo up in there.

As for Will, we are to believe that Lily was the true source and he was protecting her simply out of...integrity?

I don't see how we're getting any sort of "good" ending out of this. Best case scenario I see everyone quitting and trying to start their own network or something crazy but that's about it...

[Bregor]

Ratings is the entire reason the company got sold and, potentially, ended the entire newsroom! They would've had the $4 billion to buy out the little kids if not for the ratings falling away to 4th.

Not really, the twins were trying to sell the entire media company. ACN was just a small part of that. In the board room, Charlie gave them a little speech about how Leona lets their news division slide on maxing out profits because a. they make plenty of money elsewhere and b. it serves the public interest.

[Eurell]

Not really, the twins were trying to sell the entire media company. ACN was just a small part of that. In the board room, Charlie gave them a little speech about how Leona lets their news division slide on maxing out profits because a. they make plenty of money elsewhere and b. it serves the public interest.

Leona didn't lose the company though. The only part that was sold off was ACN. I think... lol

[Bregor]

Leona didn't lose the company though. The only part that was sold off was ACN. I think... lol

Correct. She sold ACN so she could buy the the twins' shares of Atlantis World Media (the larger media company) and stop the hostile takeover.

[Kanriel]

Leona didn't lose the company though. The only part that was sold off was ACN. I think... lol

Yeah, but wasn't Leona going to buy it all off and looking for $4billion but because the ratings had tanked so hard she no longer had the stock value or something to get that $4billion?

[Bregor]

Yeah, but wasn't Leona going to buy it all off and looking for $4billion but because the ratings had tanked so hard she no longer had the stock value or something to get that $4billion?

No, she didn't have $4 billion because it's really fucking hard to get $4 billion liquid in a week. So she sold ACN to get liquidity to buy the rest of AWM minus ACN.

IIRC the stock price had been holding steady and even went up a little before the lackluster earnings report, which is what tipped Sloan off to the hostile takeover in the first place.

[Kanriel]

No, she didn't have $4 billion because it's really fucking hard to get $4 billion liquid in a week. So she sold ACN to get liquidity to buy the rest of AWM minus ACN.

IIRC the stock price had been holding steady and even went up a little before the lackluster earnings report, which is what tipped Sloan off to the hostile takeover in the first place.

Then I am confused as to the importance of them falling to 4th which is something that was brought up multiple times over the course of them talking about being bought out.

[Bregor]

Then I am confused as to the importance of them falling to 4th which is something that was brought up multiple times over the course of them talking about being bought out.

Because it's still an indication of how they're performing? In S1 Will would have those secret meetings with Reese to get the numbers, they were really important to him on a personal level. Also imagine trying to be a reputable news broadcaster and finishing behind the current three 24-hour cable news networks. It makes Charlie's decisions in the latest episode so heartbreaking.

It just didn't have much bearing on the current economic state of the company. They feared it would, but then it didn't, which I like I said before was the indicator for the hostile takeover.

[Burningthought]

That was a weird roller coaster. The last two episodes were really weak in my opinion but overall I liked season 3. It's a shame that Sorkin had a hard time writing the episodes, I would've followed this series forever.

[Fievel]

last episode was poop

[tyven]

That sing along was just so fucking lol

[Waraji]

I'm not sure what that sing along was supposed to be other than shite. I mean, gdit they could have at least just given us a final episode of just Sloan and Don, and a little Maggie and Jim, and it would have been way better than any dialogue that came out of the other characters mouths. Who gave a shit about the baby, show is ending. So she's president now, show is ending.

Fuck, why didn't Don just start wearing the bow tie. Damnit.

That table sure took a lot of sparrows to make. <who the fuck

[tyven]

hahaha i liked that sparrow bit but god damn the last two episodes were so disappointing.

[nicholai]

I actually think the last episode was really good. Sad the show is over, agreed I'd watch it for ever.

[Evane]

I don't always think about money. But God.. Sometimes I want to be a billionaire to just revive shows like this.

[Tyrath]

Yeah that was a little weak, but meh not terrible for a ending. At least we still got plenty of Charlie in the last episode and it tied things up neatly.

Sparrow bit was cracking me up.

[Meph]

wait, was this the last episode?