Highly energized 2010 election night broadcast for ACN and an electrified Will McAvoy who is inspired to expose the danger of the Tea Party in their influence on his Republican party light a charge throughout this impactful episode of The Newsroom. McAvoy opens the episode apologizing for his news broadcasting and promising to do a better job reporting the news to his cable audience. A busy plot includes Charlie having to defend McAvoy's mission (to show his viewers the flawed arguments and failed supposed principles of the Tea Party and how their influence can sway elections) to the ACN owner, Leora (Jane Fonda), with Leora's son, Brad (Matt Long) disapproving of the network's direction to avoid hot-button and human interest stories that keep eyes glued to their news shows. Ratings, ratings, ratings; it is like "Network", with Charlie trying, bless his heart, to persuade Leora that their new way of reporting/broadcasting the news is the right way to go. But accurate jabs at politicians and special interest groups (and very wealthy corporate figures that could threaten ACN), right as they might be, are taken its toll on the network, so how long will it be before McAvoy is forced to either tone it down or exit stage left? Charlie has orders to have McAvoy lessen the impact of his questions to guests or else. Meanwhile, McAvoy is parading hot young women waiting to date him after his broadcasts as jabs to MacKenzie for her affair with the ex-boyfriend. MacKenzie achingly looks on and even confronts some of them! It is too funny, seeing her squirm. When Maggie confronts him about it, McAvoy sees the error of his ways, but when attempting to apologize, he meets her new squeeze (dare I say, "Awkward."). Jim still pines for Maggie, even helping her overcome a panic attack, but seeing her and Don break up and get back together numerous times, he advises her to maybe save this relationship by staying as a couple. It is really exciting to watch an election night at work with all the news employees on alert, on the phones, and bustling about while the figures and polls come in. Probably one of the key scenes in the episode is a futile attempt to question a newly elected official about the debt ceiling...politics avoids such tricky questions, especially after politicians get elected.
6 Reviews
News Night goes after astroturf politics
Mr-Fusion23 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Now that's more like it.
'The 112th Congress' opens at full tilt: McAvoy's mission statement for the show's new direction. It's the kind of speech that's both earnest and informative (like the deal that Sarnoff and Paley made with Congress decades earlier, for instance).
. . . and then Sam Waterston spends the remainder of the episode dealing with the fallout. (Spoiler alert): it appears the front office wins this round.
I'm not sure about the relationship material in the workplace, but between Will's opening and the tense standoff between Waterston and Jane Fonda, it ain't bad.
7/10
'The 112th Congress' opens at full tilt: McAvoy's mission statement for the show's new direction. It's the kind of speech that's both earnest and informative (like the deal that Sarnoff and Paley made with Congress decades earlier, for instance).
. . . and then Sam Waterston spends the remainder of the episode dealing with the fallout. (Spoiler alert): it appears the front office wins this round.
I'm not sure about the relationship material in the workplace, but between Will's opening and the tense standoff between Waterston and Jane Fonda, it ain't bad.
7/10
The MOST IMPORTANT hour on television this year!
teach172-115 July 2012
The Newsroom takes on the TRUTH about the Tea Party and how little they know about anything! They want to abolish the 14th Amendment, they want to change the rules, they don't want to spend a penny - all this without even knowing their REAL responsibilities as Congressmen! This episode is a MUST SEE for any Republican who has just Z"followed the crowd" in their hatred for the current President. We cannot put our government in their hands! The interview of the very conservative Congressman who voted to "compromise with a Democrat and lost his primary, the fact that Sen. Lee from Utah went to the right of Bob Bennet by asking for the repeal of the 14th Amendment - the facts are presented as FACTS. Yet, there is still the melodrama and love triangles of a typical TV show. Finally, the ironic depiction of Jane Fonda as the president of the news company her former husband (Ted Turner - CNN) founded is hilarious!
1.3 is **** 112th Congress Rates A Zero
edwagreen8 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
You have to hand it to writer Aaron Sorkin. His top-notch writing which relates thoroughly to our current times by prime examples makes this a hit show.
I loved the way Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) apologized to Americans for the news media. He then follows suit with engaging in a literally holy war against the Tea Party. Well known Tea Party advocates are placed on the defensive by the news team.
Please expect Jane Fonda to win an Emmy next year for special guest star appearance. Looking as beautiful as ever, she was absolutely fabulous as Leona, the head, who puts ratings and making a profit ahead of what is ethical in news reporting. Fonda is back and she is better than ever. She must love being on the show with its liberal slant.
I loved the way Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) apologized to Americans for the news media. He then follows suit with engaging in a literally holy war against the Tea Party. Well known Tea Party advocates are placed on the defensive by the news team.
Please expect Jane Fonda to win an Emmy next year for special guest star appearance. Looking as beautiful as ever, she was absolutely fabulous as Leona, the head, who puts ratings and making a profit ahead of what is ethical in news reporting. Fonda is back and she is better than ever. She must love being on the show with its liberal slant.
Great writing, if you can get past Sorkins politics
holein612 July 2012
Watching The Newsroom is like watching Sports Night 2.0, done from a newsroom. Sorkin knows how to build drama and the first episode was one of finest shows I've seen in years. Unfortunately, it was a red herring. Those with a liberal bent will absolutely love this show. It's witty, thought provoking and the "My Girl Friday" frenetic pace of the dialog is exceptionally well done. In the 112th Congress episode, Sorkin becomes a shill for the far left and attempts to trash the Tea Party. I've watched all the episodes twice and for that alone I give Sorkin and his crew kudos. It's compelling, even if it's outlook is right out of an Al Jazeera blog.
The subsequent episodes have been entertaining as far as it's relationships within the newsroom getting fleshed out, but it's leftist bent portrayed as being the moral center ground limits its mass appeal. That's fine, but many will seeing it as merely a rallying cry for Obama's reelection, using well done fiction. It's the best thing I've seen Jeff Daniels do. Emily Mortimer and John Gallagher Jr are excellent and Allison Pill is a great wild card. Some don't like her, but she brings a dimension to the show that keeps it light and is someone we've all met in the workplace. I'll keep watching unless the preachy politics wears me down..
The subsequent episodes have been entertaining as far as it's relationships within the newsroom getting fleshed out, but it's leftist bent portrayed as being the moral center ground limits its mass appeal. That's fine, but many will seeing it as merely a rallying cry for Obama's reelection, using well done fiction. It's the best thing I've seen Jeff Daniels do. Emily Mortimer and John Gallagher Jr are excellent and Allison Pill is a great wild card. Some don't like her, but she brings a dimension to the show that keeps it light and is someone we've all met in the workplace. I'll keep watching unless the preachy politics wears me down..
Should be great. Sadly it just isn't
studioAT14 February 2020
Sorkin does love a rant, doesn't he?!
We get another one here, one that's not too dissimilar to the one that opened the far better show 'Studio 60' about the state of TV.
This is a show I should love, it's Aaron Sorkin writing it after all, but somehow his usual band of character types don't do a lot for me.
The constant swearing doesn't help either.
We get another one here, one that's not too dissimilar to the one that opened the far better show 'Studio 60' about the state of TV.
This is a show I should love, it's Aaron Sorkin writing it after all, but somehow his usual band of character types don't do a lot for me.
The constant swearing doesn't help either.
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