This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
Sunday night’s episode of The Newsroom was possibly one of my favorites ever – it had everything from suspense to flirtation to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. The show also regressed to a format evocative of the last season – multiple distinct plotlines happening at once and barely overlapping. All the stories were engaging and likely to be relevant to the show later on, so I was constantly glued to the screen. However, there were also some genuine laugh-out-loud moments.
In the Boardroom: Chris Messina got the chance to show off his acting skills during a tense exchange in an unnecessarily large room – reminiscent of the show’s first season – between Reese, Charlie, and Randy and Blair, Reese’s half-sibling twins who are out to sell ACN, resulting in the likely elimination of the news division. Luckily, Leona Lansing shows up to sass the twins and pay them out. In my opinion, Leona really couldn’t be any more fabulous, even when she’s just offered to write a check for $4 billion she doesn’t have.
In the Newsroom: Will and Neal meet with Rebecca Halliday, the news team’s lawyer from last season, to discuss what to do about the fact that Neal essentially committed espionage. This storyline seems to be mostly about Neal getting increasingly frustrated while Will argues with Rebecca and then Mackenzie, because Jeff Daniels does have the ability to talk really fast and who doesn’t enjoy watching that? The group doesn’t actually come to any conclusions – that is, until Neal makes up their minds for them. The FBI showing up at the office while Neal ran from the law was certainly a different kind of episode ending then we’re accustomed to.
Also, there was the incident with Hallie and the hate-filled tweet. While still an interesting character, Hallie’s kind of paled in comparison to the other strong female characters in the show in the last couple of episodes – she’s certainly got some competition – but I still felt for her as she stoically accepted being fired by Charlie, and the scene at the bar with her and Jim was just painful.
On the Train: Maggie’s storyline this week was much more enjoyable to watch, if somewhat unrealistic. What are the odds that she’d come across an EPA employee careless enough to have an off-the-record conversation in a public train car? Maggie’s always been a great character, but she’s transitioned from an endearing, tortured mess to the only person on the show who’s got her stuff together, with morals to boot. I’m in favor of more screen time for the cute marathon runner she met on the train, although after all they’ve been through, it’s hard to believe that Maggie won’t end up with Jim.
At the Buffet: I saved this part for last because Sloan and Don are clearly the best part of this show and it’s just so much fun to watch their relationship develop. This week found Don and Sloan on a date at a breakfast buffet, where they attempted to establish their status – a couple, or just friends with benefits? Their banter is some of the best on television, and Sloan’s confident, intense vibe gels well with Don’s matter-of-fact charm. Their awkward elevator ride with Jim was just priceless.
Next week promises to be a suspenseful one, with more Don and Sloan adventures – instead of a classy breakfast buffet, they seem to be attending an even classier wedding – and Will’s refusal to reveal the leaker’s identity. It’s hard to believe there are only four episodes left. But let’s not think about that right now.