The Newsroom (TV Series) Oh Shenandoah (2014) User Reviews

Pacing to die for .... in this case, literally

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 27 December 2014]

Apologies in advance for the odd metaphor, but in the early days of boxing, when you knew that the champ had knockout power at the ready, you might suggest that he carried the other fighter for a few rounds so the audience could feel they got their money's worth.

And so it is with Sorkin and this delightful episode which, moreso than others in the series, is very very self-conscious about starting slow and building to the climax.

This humble scribe will simply state the obvious -- the irascible Mr. Sorkin has recently stated publicly that, not only is this the last season of Newsroom, but he is seriously looking at hanging up his spurs and walking away from TV.

Whether or not that is true, clearly, in this final season, Mr. Sorkin has a number of things he wants to say about the world we live in, and neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail (sorry, another goofy metaphor) is going to stop him.

In this episode, we get an earful on journalism, ethics, morality, the way women SHOULD be treated (but are not), the way the court system SHOULD work (but does not); the divide between the old and the young, the divide between those looking for a fast buck and those looking to make a difference, and the divide between those who go through life thinking only about themselves, and those actually take time to think about others.

I think it is especially clever the way a seemingly insignificant side-arc to the story -- an arc which at first glance seems to be simply about a really sweet office romance -- manages to work into the body of the script the infamous Mr. Snowden and his contribution to modern journalism. Almost by accident.

Except Sorkin's scripts don't have accidents.

The Newsroom "Oh Shenandoah" episode

[darraghcurtin · 10/10 · 13 December 2014]

For me this has been one of the best episodes of The Newsroom thus far. The story of Will McAvoy protecting a source who leaks government documents serves as a fitting microcosm of the big story of Edward Snowden. McAvoy's willingness to languish in a prison cell in order to protect the identity of someone whom he deems to have acted in good conscience provides analogies with countries willing to suffer the consequence of sanctions and ostracizing to provide asylum for those they have deemed to have done similar. The protagonist responsible for the "leaks" or revelations in this episode takes her own life no longer able to allow someone innocent remain in jail or suffer for her actions. The episode is filled with excellent TV moments, from Sloan Sabbith decimation of the "stalker app" to the realization that Will McAvoy was actually in solitary confinement for 52 days and the cell-mate we saw him sharing with was his own mental manifestation of his father..."I see dead people!" 5/5

Where's the 11 rating?

[ak-a-1 · 10/10 · 12 December 2014]

This episode blew me away with the acting, script and drama. If there is one series you chose to watch make it this one.

The handling of a date rape storyline was both thought provoking and sensitive. Each episode seems to find a way to go through the full gamut of emotion; anger and outrage, laughter and wry smiling moments, heartwarming and uplifting, but this is the biggest roller-coaster of emotions packed into the 50 or so minutes.

Even the expected events seems to be teased out and made all the more sweeter when they finally happen. Aaron Sorkin is on fire with his writing and the cast all step up to make it happen.

The shocking end will keep you gripped and waiting for a week (or less if you are binging on DVD or streaming service).

Amazingly prescient

[bnevs18 · 9/10 · 15 February 2022]

Im surprised that someone hasnt done a casestudy of the relationship between this episode and "A Rape On Campus" by Rolling Stone Magazine. This episode aired shortly after said article came out and was lambasted by anyone and everyone for supposedly taking the side of college rapists.

But Sorkin had this right...said article ended up being a fabrication only underscored his point of "this can go badly in the direction you dont think it will". Disclaimer: No, normally it doesnt and of course rape is a huge problem that needs to be combated. But the whole point of that thread and the celebrity stalking thread that pissed everyone off when it aired was right: When we leave journalism to non-journalists, we open up the possibility of unintended consequences.

Also, the prison scenes were derided as elitist, but people once again failed to get the message. Some people DESERVE to be looked down upon...and conversely, intelligence should not be mocked or instill fear in others. Simply correcting where someone went to college does not mean that you think that the person who made the mistake doesnt know the difference.

In a great series that too often glossed over the problems of the left (and yes, everything the series said about the Tea Party was right) it was nice to see one episode that hit them where it hurts.