Comments | keytus_tv: The Newsroom 1.3: The 112th Congress

marymary in keytus_tv

The Newsroom 1.3: The 112th Congress

Jul 08, 2012 22:29

Over the first five months of the new News Night, Will and Mac target the Tea Party. After some pointed election night panel coverage, Charlie is taken to a very high-tech woodshed by an ironic-in-at-least-two-ways Jane Fonda, playing the owner of the network. In the subplots, Jim Harper continues to be Jim Halpert, Don gets convincingly drunk and ( Read more... )

the newsroom

Comments 35

marymary July 9 2012, 03:48:28 UTC

My goodness, that's a very Sorkin episode title, isn't it ( ... )

marymary July 9 2012, 03:57:10 UTC

Favorite lines:

Will: "I got up at 2 am and broke down the polling data from the Republican senate race in Utah."
Charlie: "I've never heard anyone say that before."

Mac: "Can I warn you about something? You're a rich and famous person. And for that reason only, she might want to sleep with you."
Will: "That didn't sound like something that should come with a warning; that sounded like something that should come with balloons."

Jim, complimenting Don: "I wasn't aware of what was happening with the McRib sandwich."

Maggie: "I wish your face would stop moving, so I could punch it."

Don, to Elliot: "Pretend I gave a better pep talk."

Will: "I need the team from Inception to come and remove the image..."

Will explains why he decided to come to the bar.
Jim: "When you describe it, it sounds like Brigadoon."
Will: "Hey, you know what?"
Jim: "Shut up?"
Will: "Yeah, you know why?"
Neal: "Where's MacKenzie?"
Will: "That's why."

marymary July 9 2012, 04:46:59 UTC

!! Okay, it wasn't because John Gallagher was Tyler in 20 Hours in America, I recognized him because of fucking SPRING AWAKENING. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? He was the guy who won the Tony for Spring Awakening! With Jonathan Groff and Lea Michelle. And then he was the lead in American Idiot. Holy cow. Our senses are strong, people, we like him cause he's awesome, like, objectively.

elinorigbe July 9 2012, 04:55:28 UTC

I didn't see the awards that year, but I read the reviews; it was an awesome play, from all reports. I can imagine him in it.

elinorigbe July 9 2012, 04:52:10 UTC

Charlie: "...before he was an anchor, before he was a reporter, before he was a speech writer, he was a prosecutor. He graduated college at 19, law school at 21, and he took a job with the Brooklyn DA's office, where he had a 94% conviction record"...(He's in our newsroom) "because I decided that the American voter needed a fuckin' LAWYER..."

Sam Seaborne lives, is all I'm sayin'.

Except that I loved it more this week than ever. It felt like the first night I fell head over heels for TWW.

monicabraselton July 9 2012, 13:51:52 UTC

I totally agree, elinor. It was an absolute corker of an episode, even by Sorkin standards. I wasn't expecting something that good that early.

Regarding what you said below about the relationship scenes, I think these just haven't gelled yet. Sorkin often writes wonderful relationship scenes. There are some brilliant ones between Danny and Jordan in Studio 60 (also between Matt and Harriet, if only Harriet could have been portrayed by an actual actress); every scene between the Bartlets is wonderful; and if you're still dubious please remember "I wouldn't stop for red lights." And Andy telling Toby it's because he's too sad, and Leo telling his wife "yes, for these four years it is more important than our marriage".

When he writes corny or clunky relationship scenes, it's nearly always at the start of the series or the start of a new relationship between characters. It's like he's shy and awkward with the characters, not just that they're awkward with each other.

elinorigbe July 9 2012, 16:36:06 UTC

Oh, yes, of course. He has written many many swoonworthy exchanges. I guess I was really meaning that he gets the awkward bits even more painfully awkward, that the rough patches are the parts he doesn't always know how to portray.

He was so good at intimating these frictions between Josh and Donna, I want this kind of ease right away with these characters, to whom I am beginning to become attatched in the same way.

I don't need meet cute scenes, just not such clunky ones.

marymary July 9 2012, 05:00:34 UTC

Except that I loved it more this week than ever. It felt like the first night I fell head over heels for TWW.

I agree, elinor. I felt like this was a big step in the right direction. This episode sort of validated my commitment to watch Sorkin until he pays off.

I also agree with your Sam comment. :)