WWVaBeach Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Watched the 3rd episode last night, and wow, the joke's on me! What a big disappointment. The first episode had such promise, even with the silly soap opera stuff. When they were dealing with the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, I actually thought that we would have a strong show involving real news events and what a news room goes through to get the story delivered. Boy, was I ever wrong. This most recent episode was so offensive and very patronizing. The left wing propaganda garbage that was spewed on "The 112th Congress" episode was so comical and filled with vitriol that I honestly thought I was watching a Michael Moore film. Alas, I should not be surprised. I actually watched the entire episode and I was hoping, just hoping that there would be some perspective from the other side. Sure enough there was, and that perspective was, "If you are a Tea Party member, then you are a big stupid buffoon." What's even more unfortunate and amazing, is that there are people who actually believe a lot of this garbage. I could give many examples of the idiocy from this episode, but then this post will go on as long as "War and Peace". As I stated in an earlier post I lean right politically, so I do have an axe to grind with this stuff, but I am not unrealistic. There are idiots on the right and there are idiots on the left. I was so hoping that this show would have the guts to call out both sides, that obviously is not the case. Sadly there are very few people out there that are willing to call out both sides, and even when some people do, they are dismissed as being unrealistic, or they use the biggest cop-out phrase of all-time, "You can't have it both ways." Sam Waterston's character in this episode actually says that "This country just elected the most dangerous congress ever in this country!" I guess his character doesn't remember the congress that got elected in 2006. Needless to say I am ticked off about this, and as a result I will not be watching this show anymore. Too bad, because I do think Jeff Daniels is very good in this show, and I do not think he has ever gotten recognition for his acting talent. So it is time for me to move on from this train wreck and watch something better. One last thing, I can guarantee you that we will not see anything like this from "The Newsroom", if they choose to center an episode around the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Wow you hit the nail on the head! I was extremely disappointed and pissed off with the direction this show took. However I'll give it another week and see if it continues. If it does then I'll be done with it also. I had high hopes for the show and that's why I started the thread. Thought it was gonna be a an honest look behind the scenes of the newsroom. I guess it is but only from the liberal newsies POV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I can't stand the political banter on CNN, Fox News, etc. and I find Sorkin's writing exhaustive. From what you guys have said, doesn't sound like the show for me. Plus I don't get HBO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Wow you hit the nail on the head! I was extremely disappointed and pissed off with the direction this show took. However I'll give it another week and see if it continues. If it does then I'll be done with it also. I had high hopes for the show and that's why I started the thread. Thought it was gonna be a an honest look behind the scenes of the newsroom. I guess it is but only from the liberal newsies POV. but wouldnt "from a liberal newsies POV" likely cross over into "an honest look behind the scenes of the newsroom." or is that too cliche? i just find a legit "fair and balanced" approach to the issues would probably not be accurate so much. remember this is a show about news casting, not intended to be actual informative news casts. which is an awkward balance to carry at times. im not sure you walk into any news studio and find a 50-50.... but i havent seen how bad it got. its certainly part of why i am both wary, and willing to cut slack with it coming across slanted. Edited July 10, 2012 by NoSaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWVaBeach Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 but wouldnt "from a liberal newsies POV" likely cross over into "an honest look behind the scenes of the newsroom." or is that too cliche? i just find a legit "fair and balanced" approach to the issues would probably not be accurate so much. remember this is a show about news casting, not intended to be actual informative news casts. which is an awkward balance to carry at times. im not sure you walk into any news studio and find a 50-50.... but i havent seen how bad it got. its certainly part of why i am both wary, and willing to cut slack with it coming across slanted. I agree but the slant is waaaay too slanted. (If that makes any sense, it sounded right in my head) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 As one who leans left, I agree with you...I hated "West Wing" and I thought the pilot for "Newsroom" was pretty bad too. For some reason, political dramas don't work for me... Same here; there's already more than enough politics everywhere you look and this show is clearly just more election year propaganda. I watched an episode just tonight and the lesson was that Tea Party Congressmen are the worst thing since McCarthy and they are going to destroy the country because they're too stupid to understand the implications of a US debt default. If I want to read opinions that stupid I can visit PPP and save a lot of time. And yes, having everyone talking like a 33 record on 45 speed is both annoying and unrealistic. In short, good cast, crap show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) Same here; there's already more than enough politics everywhere you look and this show is clearly just more election year propaganda. I watched an episode just tonight and the lesson was that Tea Party Congressmen are the worst thing since McCarthy and they are going to destroy the country because they're too stupid to understand the implications of a US debt default. If I want to read opinions that stupid I can visit PPP and save a lot of time. And yes, having everyone talking like a 33 record on 45 speed is both annoying and unrealistic. In short, good cast, crap show. Not defending the show entirely as even I was taken back by the slant of the third episode, but... in fairness that wasn't the lesson. They did make a point (only once, I grant you) to make it clear they were talking about the extremists within the Tea Party -- not all Tea Party folk. They went out of their way to make Will talk about how the extreme fringe is holding the rest of the GOP (his own party) hostage. I'll grant you that doesn't count for much -- but it's something. Edited July 11, 2012 by tgreg99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Not defending the show entirely as even I was taken back by the slant of the third episode, but... in fairness that wasn't the lesson. They did make a point (only once, I grant you) to make it clear they were talking about the extremists within the Tea Party -- not all Tea Party folk. They went out of their way to make Will talk about how the extreme fringe is holding the rest of the GOP (his own party) hostage. I'll grant you that doesn't count for much -- but it's something. Granted I didn't follow all the dialog so may have missed some of the nuances of which Tea Partiers they focused on, but that was a long scene that seemed to drive home their point very emphatically. There was also some line about the dumbest Congress in history or similar, so not a very veiled insult at the entire winning group on an election night. It sounded to me like they used the standard tactic of painting the entire opposition with the 'extremist' brush and hoped the audience would lose the distinction as they kept hammering away. The other big point at the end of the episode (and setting up the conflict for future episodes) was the agreement that their star anchor will need to stop pointing out the ignorance/incompetence of those same Congressmen so as not to upset their eeevil corporate masters. Oh brother. But maybe I'm wrong; maybe the show is not a flat out propaganda vehicle and they'll savage the left wing next week. But I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 but wouldnt "from a liberal newsies POV" likely cross over into "an honest look behind the scenes of the newsroom." or is that too cliche? i just find a legit "fair and balanced" approach to the issues would probably not be accurate so much. remember this is a show about news casting, not intended to be actual informative news casts. which is an awkward balance to carry at times. im not sure you walk into any news studio and find a 50-50.... but i havent seen how bad it got. its certainly part of why i am both wary, and willing to cut slack with it coming across slanted. You are probably right, it would be very difficult to believe that any news organization could be 50-50. Although in this last episode it was, 100-0. Not defending the show entirely as even I was taken back by the slant of the third episode, but... in fairness that wasn't the lesson. They did make a point (only once, I grant you) to make it clear they were talking about the extremists within the Tea Party -- not all Tea Party folk. They went out of their way to make Will talk about how the extreme fringe is holding the rest of the GOP (his own party) hostage. I'll grant you that doesn't count for much -- but it's something. That is true, Will made that point early in the episode. Yet Will(and practically everyone else on the show) made it his mission to demonize every single candidate that was elected. Which makes his early remarks about the tea party pointless. He could say that he understood the movement in the beginning, but when he saw it getting taken over by extremists, in his opinion, he basically made it seem like he was smarter than all the tea party voters. It never occurred to Will that a lot of those first tea party people actually stuck with the cause the entire way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Watched the 3rd episode last night, and wow, the joke's on me! What a big disappointment. The first episode had such promise, even with the silly soap opera stuff. When they were dealing with the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, I actually thought that we would have a strong show involving real news events and what a news room goes through to get the story delivered. Boy, was I ever wrong. This most recent episode was so offensive and very patronizing. The left wing propaganda garbage that was spewed on "The 112th Congress" episode was so comical and filled with vitriol that I honestly thought I was watching a Michael Moore film. Alas, I should not be surprised. I actually watched the entire episode and I was hoping, just hoping that there would be some perspective from the other side. Sure enough there was, and that perspective was, "If you are a Tea Party member, then you are a big stupid buffoon." What's even more unfortunate and amazing, is that there are people who actually believe a lot of this garbage. I could give many examples of the idiocy from this episode, but then this post will go on as long as "War and Peace". As I stated in an earlier post I lean right politically, so I do have an axe to grind with this stuff, but I am not unrealistic. There are idiots on the right and there are idiots on the left. I was so hoping that this show would have the guts to call out both sides, that obviously is not the case. Sadly there are very few people out there that are willing to call out both sides, and even when some people do, they are dismissed as being unrealistic, or they use the biggest cop-out phrase of all-time, "You can't have it both ways." Sam Waterston's character in this episode actually says that "This country just elected the most dangerous congress ever in this country!" I guess his character doesn't remember the congress that got elected in 2006. Needless to say I am ticked off about this, and as a result I will not be watching this show anymore. Too bad, because I do think Jeff Daniels is very good in this show, and I do not think he has ever gotten recognition for his acting talent. So it is time for me to move on from this train wreck and watch something better. One last thing, I can guarantee you that we will not see anything like this from "The Newsroom", if they choose to center an episode around the Occupy Wall Street Movement. I really thought I'd like this show, but then I started reading the reviews. Critics were given the first four episodes before the series started for their reviews, and it seemed that they mostly had had enough after watching all four. And, these were critics who usually are left leaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 You are probably right, it would be very difficult to believe that any news organization could be 50-50. Although in this last episode it was, 100-0. That is true, Will made that point early in the episode. Yet Will(and practically everyone else on the show) made it his mission to demonize every single candidate that was elected. Which makes his early remarks about the tea party pointless. He could say that he understood the movement in the beginning, but when he saw it getting taken over by extremists, in his opinion, he basically made it seem like he was smarter than all the tea party voters. It never occurred to Will that a lot of those first tea party people actually stuck with the cause the entire way? Just finished #3 and have mixed reactions As someone that leans right..... The tea party and some of the leaders elected that night terrified me, while others were simply a joke. Not all of them though, I will agree. It's an interesting line to walk still. 3 episodes in, you can only tell so many storylines as well. If the show never takes a leftwing issue on I'll be disappointed. While I want to say they did show support to GOP and early tea party members - it did irk me the only reason for support centered around "see this guy had obamas back and worked with dems" Am I crazy or is the timeline moving insanely quick (3 episodes, 6 months?)? Where will we be in a month? By going on real news it'll be interesting to see how they balance things out. Like I've said - it's tv about news, not news but I think that'll be a struggle for viewers. What's the last show to take on such close ties to real events? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) Easily the most ridiculous thing about the show is that Will, (Jeff Daniels) is supposed to be a Republican, not a liberal, but mostly he bashes Republicans. That ain't smart Aaron. I like the show but I pretty much hated the third episode. The actors are good. The characters are good (except for his ex-gf's/exec producer's MacKenzie's relationship crap). I like the fast dialogue. I really like both of the guy producers (John Gallagher and Thpmas Sadoski are excellent actors. I love Sam Waterson anyway and his character is great. I don't really care about the dialogue when it comes to which way it leans (I just thought the Tea Party stuff was boring). He looks like he really thought he was going to make this bash both sides but it's not even close. The part I don't really like is that all his shows become the same. There is very little difference between this and the very good Sports Night and the short-lived, lightly watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip that I really liked but never captured an audience. Edited July 11, 2012 by Kelly the Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Just finished #3 and have mixed reactions As someone that leans right..... The tea party and some of the leaders elected that night terrified me, while others were simply a joke. Not all of them though, I will agree. It's an interesting line to walk still. 3 episodes in, you can only tell so many storylines as well. If the show never takes a leftwing issue on I'll be disappointed. While I want to say they did show support to GOP and early tea party members - it did irk me the only reason for support centered around "see this guy had obamas back and worked with dems" Am I crazy or is the timeline moving insanely quick (3 episodes, 6 months?)? Where will we be in a month? By going on real news it'll be interesting to see how they balance things out. Like I've said - it's tv about news, not news but I think that'll be a struggle for viewers. What's the last show to take on such close ties to real events? Yes, that was very pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWVaBeach Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 Sorkin cleans house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 He's looking for people who will paint Republicans as bigger villains than they have been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Sorkin cleans house Most telling quote from that article by Sorkin: "I'm writing about all kinds of things I don't know anything about." No way! Sure could've fooled me. I'm amazed that they already have greenlit a second season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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