The first
season’s opening was a combination of black-and-white stills followed by
fast-paced contemporary newsroom scenes. To me, both the music and images reeked
of nostalgia and longing for the good old West Wing days. Except, this intro
was not as fitting to the show as The West Wing’s was. While the quick pacing
and the walk-and-talk are typical Sorkin elements that befit the intelligent
and witty dialogue, the new shaky-cam filming akin to documentaries and
mockumentaries felt out of place.
It was
mostly this shaky-cam style that bothered me throughout the first season. While
the dialogues as well as the movements are extremely rapid and perhaps at times
as hard to follow for the cameraman, as they are for the viewer, I wished they
wouldn’t show that.
But much
like the ABC Network imposed laugh track for Sorkin’s 1998 show Sports Night
(the behind-the-scenes of a struggling sports news show), this was soon resolved
as the creator got his bearings. The uncontrollable shaky camera got more
steady along the way. Returning to a slightly more stable filming, I was able
to fully enjoy what it is that got me so hooked on Sorkin’s work to begin with;
the authenticity to all his settings and scenes, the casting expertise which
always provides the most suitable actors, the funny but true-to-life dialogue
and the witty asides throughout.
Season 2
The first episode of the second season showed a very different introduction. One more suitable to the style of the show, having its own unqiue qualities that need not remind Sorkin’s fans of his previous successes. The West Wing-like music remains, but the images are simple, current and beautifully filmed.
While a few
episodes of the first season seemed a bit too sentimental or at times “Americanized”,
I have full faith in The Newsroom’s second season. The first episode promised
to continue questioning all issues related not only to American journalism, but
to journalism in general. Integrity compromises and journalism’s moral crises
are brought to the fore – prioritizing of profit, ratings, demographics, and
popularity, are not only questioned but also condemned. Despite value
judgments, Sorkin shows it’s not always easy or at all possible “to do the
right thing”.
As an
internet addict, I am always delighted to see references to social media and
internet memes made correctly. I cringe at the bad research done by most TV
writers when they make their characters refer to “twittering” or “tweeting on
someone’s wall” or, God forbid, “checking their MySpace page”. So of course I was giggling a bit when Jeff
Daniels started singing Rebecca Black’s Friday, and I couldn’t have been happier
at the mention of SOPA. The research that has gone into the writing of this
show is without doubt unprecedented as well as Sorkin’s ability to create an
unbelievable authenticity and on-set chemistry.
Criticism
Variety’s TV columnist Brian Lowry discusses the show’s flaws, comparing the outbursts of harsh critique towards media and politics in The Newsroom as a sort of “force-feeding”. Lowry is convinced of hearing Sorkin’s own voice and opinions shine through in his characters’ lines. And while my skepticism towards that statement could have more to do with a loyalty and an all-forgiving love for Sorkin, I do believe it is dangerous to imply the author’s intent and liken him or his attributes to those of his fictional characters. Perhaps the implied author here is really just a large portion of the population. Admittedly, the words and opinions sound better in Sorkinese and are more grammatically and accurately formulated than most of us could manage. But this does not take away the truthfulness of their content, and their accordance with and applicability to daily life.
I’ve loved Sorkin’s writing since the age of
14 and I discovered during my West Wing addiction that my favorite movie at the
time (A Few Good Men) was also his. It took me a while to discover Sports Night
and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and I was through the roof when I heard Sorkin
was to write the screenplay for The Social Network. I have moved on to Sorkin’s
plays and have only been able to get my hands on a copy of The Farnsworth
Invention, but the same incomparable intelligence and care has gone into this
as in all his other creations. His work is unparalleled and despite the typical
season 1 beginner flaws, I am positive that The Newsroom’s second season will
once again prove this to be true.
So don’t go
anywhere, give the show some room to grow, and cherish the fact that we’ve all
been given an extra Sorkin year. Here’s to many more!
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