HBO: The Newsroom

[Toups]

I love that Will has the team's back. The ending was so good! I loved that the "Rudy" reference came back.

Me too. I've always liked Dev since he was in Slumdog Millionaire.

That was great.

Well in this episode, he was probably helping out because Elliot was reporting from Cairo, so he was there for his guy. And in the last episode, there was breaking news, so he was there to help. It's not like he's part of the main team because he's not in the meetings.

This episode was pretty funny. I loved the shot of all injuries: Don with an arm sling, Elliot's face all messed up, Jim with a band aid on his forehead, and Neal with his broken hand. LOL

Episode 1.5: "Amen"

Maggie: (mocking Jim) “My homework….” (everyone pauses) I didn’t think I’d be the only one to say that. I thought I’d have the safety of a mob.

Gary: So one by one the players come into the coach’s office and put their jerseys down on the desk….

Will: And say, coach –

Mackenzie: I want to take a shower with Rudy.

Will: I know not everything is “Rudy”….forget it, some people don’t understand “Rudy,” just me and “Rudy,” and Neal, and the guy Neal found in Cairo.

Neal: Amen.

Will: Thank you.

Maggie: …..you’re going to be St. Valentine himself, you’re gonna ---

Jim: St. Valentine actually ---

Maggie: Focus, nerd!

Jim: Okay.

Will: Do me a favour and see if there’s a connection between the Koch brothers and Citizen’s United.

Jim: I’m way ahead of you.

Will: How?

Jim: Well no, I’m exactly where you are, it’s just an expression.

Mackenzie: Do you have any human knowledge?

Sloan: I’ve been told I do not.

[Ann_SS]

I had no clue.

Good point.

That was very funny.

[Ann_SS]

I thought this episode was just okay, but I simply love Will. He is a neurotic mess, but he is such a good guy. Buying the ring really was not normal, destroying the receipt was even more not normal.

I liked Sloan telling Charlie not to call her "girl."

So Don realizes that subconsciously that Maggie is done with him and in love with Jim. Doesn't mean this drama will be over soon, but it is good that he knows.

[YRBB]

I wasn't very happy with how Sorkin copied his own stuff in episode six.

This lead-character-talking-to-a-psychiatrist-with-flashbacks-and-poignant-moments thing has already been done on THE WEST WING and done much better. Not that the episode was bad, however.

My favorite thing is that we finally got to see more of Sloan, which I have been waiting for. I really like her and her relationship with Will.

[Ann_SS]

Yeah, nothing will come close to the episode, "Noel" where Josh had to deal with his PSD. Bradford Whitford was outstanding in that episode.

I agree. I like her relationship with Will also. He is clearly her mentor and the person whose judgement means everything to her. She learned that he has feet of clay last night, but this is good for her to know. I like that he is protective of her. Learning about his abusive father and that he protected his siblings explains a lot about Will and his interactions with the staff.

[Skin]

Well Sorkin writes the story, his writers are solely there to do research from the way he tells it.

“I create these shows so that I can write them. I’m not an empire builder. I’m not interested in just producing. All I want to do is write. I came up as a playwright—writing is something you do by yourself in a room. That said, I couldn’t possibly write the show without that room full of people. I go in there, and we kick around ideas. I’m writing about all kinds of things I don’t know anything about. So they do research for me.”

[Toups]

I thought it was one of the best episodes so far. We learned more about Will, the interview with the Santorum aid was full of tension and his dialogue was amazing, Charlie going off on Sloan was dramatic and hilarious at the same time. Loved Sloan's slow walk as she opens the door. That was funny.

Sloan is really awesome! I love her relationship with Will and Mackenzie. Olivia Munn has really impressed me.

Will: If there's any fallout, I'll be standing right next to you and in front. I'll always be standing next to you and in front.

I don't mind if he copies himself, as long as he copies the good.

Don: So what do you say? You were my first and only choice.

Sloan: What about Jerome?

Don: He's in Bermuda.

Sloan: Kathy.

Don: It's her parents' 50th anniversary.

Sloan: Taylor.

Don: Bronchitis.

Sloan: So...

Don: Yes, you were my fourth and only choice.

Charlie: Sarah Bernhardt was a turn of the century stage and film actress from France. Sandra Bernhard is a......I don't know what the hell!

Sloan (to Will): Please, I have to fix this now. Help me. I need wisdom.

Mackenzie: I have wisdom.

Sloan: Kenzie, I love you but a Japanese man's honour is at stake and sometimes your wisdom leads to.... (makes explosion sound/hands gesture)

Mackenzie: No, I get it.

[Ann_SS]

I loved that line. It endeared Will to me even more.

Good point

[Shawn]

"Amen" was one of my favorite hours of television in recent memory. Aaron Sorkin may have his faults, and his ego is larger than Dolly Parton's breasts, but when he's "on", he is simply the greatest.

[London]

This show gives me so many feelings! I can't deal!

I gotta rewatch since I missed a lot the first time around. -- Ok, second time around... I really like Jim & Lisa and I can deal until Jim & Maggie ultimately happen, They keep toying with me on Will & Mac. I'm ready for the pairings dammit! LMAO when Don fell with that little bit of turbulence and the FA had to be all I told ya so.

Maggie had me rolling with her zinger. There were so many great lines!

LMAO at Sloan reading.. a tweet or something? And Don & the Flight Attendant. I need more Terry Crews!

QUOTABLES!

Officer #1: You're a big guy ok? Don't do anything that's going to make us nervous.

Lonny: Nothing I can do about being big and Black at the same time.

Mac: .... You don't think there's any chance it's a UFO, do you?

Don: Keep it together, would you?

Maggie: Do you want to be like Spider-Man?

Jim: I'd love to.

Maggie ... The Musical. They didn't have enough rehearsal and actors died, Jim. They lost their lives.

Jim: I don't think anyone died.

Maggie: Well, they got bruised pretty bad.

Sorry if this is wrong, my DVR won't let me rewind so I'll edit later on or just catch Toups if he adds it to the wonderful quotes of the night's ep. I liked how they did the news cast towards the end and the way it ended. Next week looks so damn intense!

Don is starting to win me over! I think Sorkin did an AMAZING job on this ep. It was one of the best and definitely my favorite thus far.

[Toups]

Their little battle was hilarious.

Agreed. I like him too.

The show ending on President Obama beginning his speech, and we continue to hear his speech over the credits was amazing!!

He won me over a couple episodes back. I loved him telling the pilots about Bin Laden and his "We reported the news," which is what he wanted to do because he was stuck.

Yeah, it was another strong episode.

Episode 1.7: "5/1"

Sloan: Hey, don't turn on your phones yet, we haven't touched the ground.

Don: I turn my on at 500 feet.

Elliot: I turn my on when I see someone else turn theirs on.

Don: If you knew what we know, which is nothing, you'd be behind us, and they'd be behind us, and I think later on tonight you'll be saying, "I wish I had been more cooperative with that passenger."

Flight Attendant: I think later on you're going to be saying, "These handcuffs hurt my wrists."

Don: Alright, she's not easy. I need information now.

Elliot: If they knew more, they would tell us, right? We'll keep calling the desk but I think we're just going to have to wait.

Don: Waiting, patience - words like that, always my last option.

Will: Alright, we're going to do what Carl Bernstein from "All The President's Men." I'm going to say, "It's Bin Ladin," and then I'm going to count to ten and if you don't say anything, that's what we're pursue. Ready? One, two....wait a second, that's when they fucked up in the movie.....the guy misunderstood the directions.

Police Officer: You're a big guy, okay. Don't do anything that's going to make us nervous:

Lonny: There's nothing I can do about being black and big at the same time.

Don: Mac, he's speaking from the East Room. Presidents don't announce bad news from the East Room, they do it from the Oval Office or the Briefing Room.

Mackenzie: Alright, good. Listen, you don't think there's any chance it's a UFO, do you?

Don: Keep it together, would you?

Sloan: According to [website], we can download a petition demanding we be allowed off the plane but it's not clear how many signatures we need.

Don: We don't have time to circulate a petition, what else you got?

Sloan: A website that list seven ways to get kicked off a plane, including shouting loud unpopular political views --

Don: I can do that.

Sloan: ....being dressed in an inappropriate revealing manner --

Don: Take off your clothes.

Sloan: You take of your clothes.

Lester: I guess I'm stuck with the tie-breaker.

Don: Lester, I'm going lose my shit on you.

Don: He's stopping. The gates right there by the window. I can see it! I can practically touching it right now!

Elliot: Take it easy.

Don: It's right there!

Pilot: Well folks, this is the captain. Good news, our gate has opened up --

Don: Thank you!

Pilot: But this is a towing gate, so it'll be just a few more minutes.

Don: Let me out! Let me out and I will push the plane to the gate!

Flight Attendant (sarcastically): Maggie's a lucky girl.

Maggie: Tell me what you're going to say.

Jim: I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to say.

Maggie: You need to rehearse.

Jim: I don't need to rehearse.

Maggie: Do you want to be like Spiderman?

Jim: I'd love to.

Maggie: The Musical. They didn't have enough rehearsals and actors died, Jim. They lost their lives.

Jim: I don't think anybody died.

Maggie: Well, they got bruised pretty bad, so tell me what you're going to say.

Will: Hey! We got Obama!

Mackenzie: (makes freaked out sound)

Will: Bin Ladin! I got that one out of my system.

[London]

YAY Toups! I've been waiting to see your views on the ep. What did you think of Jim & Lisa?

I know! That was a good scene because in the end they really did. It may not have been how he wanted to but they were able to report it nevertheless. LMAO Toups Lester & Pete were cracking me up! Lester just really wanted Sloan in the worst way.

Don: He's stopping. The gates right there by the window. I can see it! I can practically touching it right now!

Elliot: Take it easy.

Don: It's right there!

Pilot: Well folks, this is the captain. Good news, our gate has opened up --

Don: Thank you!

Pilot: But this is a towing gate, so it'll be just a few more minutes.

Don: Let me out! Let me out and I will push the plane to the gate!

Flight Attendant (sarcastically): Maggie's a lucky girl.

Perfection Toups! I could not stop laughing at Don's misery/pain of being stuck aboard the airplane! I still need a gif of him falling in the aisle!

[Toups]

I don't hate or love them. Lisa now knows that Maggie is into Jim so she would be stupid to start dating him for real.

I don't really like Jim with Maggie either. I'm kinda sour on Maggie now because I think she's too nagging.

But I don't watch Sorkin shows for romantic pairings, so it doesn't bother me too much when the couples on his shows aren't great.

[London]

Aww I like them but that's because I think John & Kelen have chemistry as well. I hear ya and I liked her speech to Jim on ending it but I also liked that it seemed as if Jim admired her for what she said. idk I kinda want to see them give it a shot but I will never forget Jim's dialogue about loving himself too. He is too funny! There are a TON of people who no longer like Maggie.

What other Sorkin shows would you recommend? I know a lot of people say West Wing so I plan to start on that soon but are there any others? Thanks for answering me Toups!

[Toups]

Oh yeah, I would definitely watch TWW. If you have trouble getting through for the first couple, or dozen episodes and plan on ditching it, don't. Stick with with it and it'll be worth it. That's what happened with me. I stopped watching after some episodes (I was 17 and didn't really have any interest in politics. I kept on turning in for a while because I liked some of the character and the dialogue was amazing - it was different from any other show.) but someone told me to give it another shot and keep watching, so I did. By the season finale, I was in love with the show. The season 2 premiere is one of my favorite all time episodes from any tv show.

I also really enjoyed Sports Night. I liked Studio 60, though it's considered to be Sorkin's worst show. I agree that it ranks last, but not because I totally hated it.