The Newsroom Finale Review

HBO has had a really good past few years. The premium network has rolled out some of the most talked-about shows, such as Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and The Newsroom. Most HBO shows have short seasons, typically consisting of about ten episodes. While each episode is usually an hour long, the short season means that fans are left with an extremely long off season. One of the newer HBO hits is The Newsroom, which just concluded its second season.

Premiering June 24 2012, The Newsroom takes place in the newsroom of fictional nightly news host for ACN, Will McAvoy. Essentially, it is a fictional place with fictional people set in our reality. The Newsroom was created and brought to HBO by the genius behind the hit political drama The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin thrives writing political dramas, especially when given real world topics to work with. The first four seasons of The West Wing gave viewers some of the most dynamic, memorable and powerful dialogue on television at the time. With this background in mind, viewers have always expected greatness from The Newsroom. In 2012, the show was nominated for critics’ choice awards, screen actors guild awards and three Emmy nominations. Clearly, Sorkin did something right.

What makes The Newsroom stand out is how it is set up. Since it is set in reality, it deals with real issues. There is something thrilling about watching The Newsroom cover stories that we as viewers remember and know the outcome of. In season one, the show deals with such news as the Egyptian riots, the rise of the Tea Party and the death of Osama Bin Laden. Sorkin writes the show in a way that blends the fast pace of a newsroom with the interpersonal relationships of the people working there, to create a show that is nearly impossible to turn off. The characters grow and evolve throughout the season, and it is truly hard to pick out a favorite. Season Two of The Newsroom is set up differently.

Graphic courtesy of fanart.tv

The majority of Season Two is set in flashbacks. Each episode typically opens with lawyers interviewing one of the characters in the room about the process behind Operation Genoa. The entirety of Season Two is plagued by Operation Genoa, a news story broken by fictional ACN alleging the use of serin gas in a U.S. military extraction operation in the Middle East. When the cornerstone of the evidence, the interview that was the basis for the go-ahead to air, proves to have been doctored, the network must retract its investigation. This of course, ruins their credibility. In the real world, characters Will, Charlie and Mackenize would have lost their jobs instantly. When they do not, the question becomes will they resign?

The final two episodes, “Election Night Part One” and “Part Two,” ob- viously deal with the 2012 presidential election. For viewers (who clearly know the outcome), the main focus is the question of resignation. The head of ACN is refusing to accept the decision of Charlie and Will to resign. It’s touching in a way, as she admits that ACN makes her proud, even though it doesn’t make her any money. At the end of the episode, Will tells Mackenzie she is fired at the conclusion of the broadcast.

The season finale aired on Sept. 15, 2013. In an attempt to not spoil the details for anyone who plans on watching the season, I will not reveal too much as to the content of the episode.

This finale felt like the end of a season, not a series. In the majority of season finales some sort of conflict, question or moral dilemma is put in front of the characters to set up for next season. The ending of season two of The Newsroom was far too happy. There was no ending conflict or question; everyone seemed to get what they wanted. It is even more concerning, given that HBO has not officially announced a third season As far as viewers know, this could be the series finale. The actor who plays Will has confirmed a third season, but it’s not official until HBO gives the go-ahead. Sorkin ended The West Wing at season four, leaving the remaining seasons to be written by someone else. He could be doing the same thing with The Newsroom, having accomplished what he set out to do.

HBO does not need The Newsroom to keep its ratings high. So, until the network announces Season 3, consider “Election Night Part Two” the series finale of The Newsroom.