The Big Show featured one of my favorite sports anchors of all time, albeit a semi-ficticious one.
Keith Olbermann, of the creatively named Olbermann, featured Josh Charles who inhabited his Dan Rydell persona from SportsNight, following a big moment of his on his show The Good Wife
Olbermann introduced Charles at the top of a new segment at which point he sat at the desk as his co-anchor, reading pieces as only Dan Rydell could.
Charles is from Baltimore and even prodded voters to support former mayor and current governor Martin O'Malley. It also makes him an Orioles fan. And while there were no Orlando Rojas highlights*, Charles did do a Orioles bit.
* The episode featured Dan trying to avoid learning the result of a spring training game featuring a pitcher making a comeback, problematic considering his job as a sports anchor who is supposed to report the news.
KO also references The Cut Man*, who showed that you actually can give yourself a nickname, and Charles and Keith pay homage to fill in co-anchor Bobbie Bernstein, Dan Rydell's co-anchor Casey McCall played by Peter Krause, and show creator Aaron Sorkin.
* Hilarity ensues.
Sorkin came up with the idea for SportsNight while he was living in a hotel writing what would become The American President, and a significant amount of The West Wing*. He watched Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann doing SportsCenter, back when it was The Big Show, every night and thought about doing a show behind those scenes. Back before ESPN gave all their writing resources to Bill Simmons ** they had Page 2, which did a short piece on the show.
* And doing all the drugs.
** Who invented blogging. Did you know that?
Olbermann is a spectacular sports show if you are the sort of sports fan that is able to make the connection between football and brain damage. Or that the professional football team in the nation's capital needs to change their name. The highlights will go for several minutes in some cases. They feature hockey more than the rest of ESPN on aggregate.
SportsNight is a show to enjoy if you ever liked The West Wing, or anything Sorkin's written. It premiered in 1998 and ran for two seasons. Much of the main cast went on to other shows like Six Feet Under, The Good Wife, The West Wing and Desperate Housewives.
Showing posts with label Sorkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sorkin. Show all posts
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Reading Live From New York gave me impetus to rewatch Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The show went off the air in 2007 following its first and last season. I watched it as it aired and probably saw the DVDs via Netflix. Now the episodes are available on Amazon Prime streaming.
Studio 60 suffered many of the same criticisms lobbed at Newsroom, as well as from unattainable expectations following West Wing's commercial and critical success*. Critics panned the show for the same qualities they supposedly enjoyed in West Wing. And when ratings didn't measure up to expectations (Studio 60 placed #63 in ratings that season) critics took more joy in tearing the show down for the lower than expected ratings rather than put any effort into writing about the show's content. Nevermind that it went head to head with CSI: Miami, the #11 show for the season, acted as a non sequitur to its lead, Heroes. And despite the audience's moderate size, it was particularly affluent (think Mad Men's audience of today).
*While Sorkin left West Wing in 2004, only a summer separated the series finale of West Wing and series premiere of Studio 60.
Premiering at a time of limbo for quality television, Studio 60 was either too early or too late for its aim. Reality programming was pushing quality dramas out of broadcast television. Cable had yet to pilot the high quality shows that define the current era. The Sopranos and The Shield were on the air but we certainly didn't dedicate the time and energy to dissecting those shows the way we do today. Had Studio 60 aired in the 90s it may have found similar support as West Wing and had it come a few years later, it may have benefited from a streamlined format with more leeway in what could be included as content.
Containting three areas of focus for the season, Studio 60 could have done thirteen high quality episodes on two of them.* The show opened with an assault on reality programming, name checking Network in the series' epic pilot **. It brought to mind the "raising the level of debate" conversation found so often on West Wing, whether it was on the issues or electing the elite Bartlet or his man of the people opponent.
* The third (i.e. weakest) area of focus would be a romantic comedy angle which seemingly came as a result from network notes
** I wonder if the pilot would have worked as a movie as well. It is without a doubt the best pilot of Sorkin's four shows.
The other quality storyline involved the acceptability of humor and political criticism in a post-September 11th America. Written and produced at a time when George W. Bush had just been elected to a second term on the heels of wrapping himself in the flag and calling anyone who dared lend an opinion unpatriotic, Studio 60 explored what it meant to voice unpopular opinions at tenuous times for the country, including addressing the war and the media's failure to cover and criticize it. It also covered themes a few years ahead of the political climate like gay marriage, how the FCC chooses to spend its day, and giving everyone an unpleasant and necessary reminder that we should probably still be helping out post Katrina New Orleans.
Studio 60 was a victim of timing and unrealistic expectations. In hindsight, the timing makes the show more interesting since I now view it as a good depiction of the political and television climate of 2006. And if nothing else, it's worth a watch for that.
Studio 60 suffered many of the same criticisms lobbed at Newsroom, as well as from unattainable expectations following West Wing's commercial and critical success*. Critics panned the show for the same qualities they supposedly enjoyed in West Wing. And when ratings didn't measure up to expectations (Studio 60 placed #63 in ratings that season) critics took more joy in tearing the show down for the lower than expected ratings rather than put any effort into writing about the show's content. Nevermind that it went head to head with CSI: Miami, the #11 show for the season, acted as a non sequitur to its lead, Heroes. And despite the audience's moderate size, it was particularly affluent (think Mad Men's audience of today).
*While Sorkin left West Wing in 2004, only a summer separated the series finale of West Wing and series premiere of Studio 60.
Premiering at a time of limbo for quality television, Studio 60 was either too early or too late for its aim. Reality programming was pushing quality dramas out of broadcast television. Cable had yet to pilot the high quality shows that define the current era. The Sopranos and The Shield were on the air but we certainly didn't dedicate the time and energy to dissecting those shows the way we do today. Had Studio 60 aired in the 90s it may have found similar support as West Wing and had it come a few years later, it may have benefited from a streamlined format with more leeway in what could be included as content.
Containting three areas of focus for the season, Studio 60 could have done thirteen high quality episodes on two of them.* The show opened with an assault on reality programming, name checking Network in the series' epic pilot **. It brought to mind the "raising the level of debate" conversation found so often on West Wing, whether it was on the issues or electing the elite Bartlet or his man of the people opponent.
* The third (i.e. weakest) area of focus would be a romantic comedy angle which seemingly came as a result from network notes
** I wonder if the pilot would have worked as a movie as well. It is without a doubt the best pilot of Sorkin's four shows.
The other quality storyline involved the acceptability of humor and political criticism in a post-September 11th America. Written and produced at a time when George W. Bush had just been elected to a second term on the heels of wrapping himself in the flag and calling anyone who dared lend an opinion unpatriotic, Studio 60 explored what it meant to voice unpopular opinions at tenuous times for the country, including addressing the war and the media's failure to cover and criticize it. It also covered themes a few years ahead of the political climate like gay marriage, how the FCC chooses to spend its day, and giving everyone an unpleasant and necessary reminder that we should probably still be helping out post Katrina New Orleans.
Studio 60 was a victim of timing and unrealistic expectations. In hindsight, the timing makes the show more interesting since I now view it as a good depiction of the political and television climate of 2006. And if nothing else, it's worth a watch for that.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Eli's Coming
A Vulture post recently discussed the use of music, particularly "dad rock" in Aaron Sorkin's shows.
I've always loved the music that goes into Sorkin's shows. Sometimes before I hear it used, and sometimes because I so closely associate it with a particular scene. Often both.
SportNight's "Eli's Coming" is one of my favorite episodes of television, period. The song and the plot associated with it play a large part as to why. Of Sorkin's four shows, SportsNight probably made the best use of music of all four shows. They don't even mention a bunch of my other favorites like "The Weight" at the end of Quality of Mercy at 29K which would be the best ending ever if not for "Eli's Coming."
Some other good uses of music:
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Raw Data: Unintended Consequences
Thoughts and observations for Newsroom episode 2-04, "Unintended Consequences" written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Carl Franklin who was an actor on The A-Team in the 1980s and recently directed "Chapter 10" and "Chapter 11" of House of Cards.
Sorkin used kids, African kids no less, to manipulate the viewer, introducing a character for the sole purpose of drumming up empathy and magnifying the tragic outcome.
However, I'm sure everyone will pat themselves on the back for calling out Sorkin on smugness and making him draw attention to it as Will, Sloan and Don march in a self aware smugness and condescension parade toward the OWS rep.
Oh, but they are going to lose their minds about Halle's editor yelling at her over the phone. "No one could ever say that!"
Uganda
Part of the problem with the Uganda story is it will ultimately not be worth it because of the simple fact it is happening to the worst character on the show. Trauma is a tricky thing to convey because it relies much on the established endearing nature of the character. Besides the quality of the Maggie character lacking, the quantity of time we've gotten to know her is lacking we well. Newsroom has only broadcast 14 episodes so far, eight less than the number than ran before "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen."
It's also unclear to me how the Uganda story connects with the subject of the wrongful termination suit, besides Maggie's (the insane, unbalanced one) ability to testify as a credible sane person. Which I'm not sure she could do anyways. Also, why she has to tell them every excruciating detail. It's a matter of suspending disbelief which I will give someone like Jeremy Goodwin when he writes his deaf sister Louise, but not to a terrible character like Maggie (who we hate).
And ultimately, the terrible thing that happened to Maggie (blah) didn't actually happen to Maggie (blerg). It happened to someone else, and she bore witness. Which is terrible. But not as terrible as Maggie (narf).
Next week!
Trayvon. Fuck.
- Following a morning visit to the Newseum I hoped this week's episode would deal with a high minded look at ethics in journalism or something similar. Instead, we got a lot of Maggie.
- I find it difficult to read any other analysis of Newroom, but for a different reason than before. Some now include faint praise of the episode but in a backhanded manner. Writers will praise an aspect of the show, explain why it was lacking, that it was identified in the media and pat themselves on the back for recognizing it and raising it to the attention of Sorkin. They will also compliment Sorkin for taking their sage advice.
- Noticing the word 'abudiate' I wondered how Maggie (who reclines her seat all the way on airplanes) could have a word in her vocabularly that I did not. Quickly fixed by acknowledging this is not a word. See "refudiate" for Real World example.
- Whatever happened to Gary Cooper?
- Maggie and Gary are going to do some piece on KONY 2012. Is that the same reason as before?
- This OWS girl is dressed much more nicely than one would expect for a OWS-er.
- All of Will's points are valid, considering that she cannot articulate a best case scenario. Or even identify who would meet with Congressional leaders if they walked down there one day and said they were willing to listen to their (scatterbrained, disorganized) demands.
- Will is still battling with that internal conflict to be liked and though of as a moderate, admitting to being harder on OWS than he had to be because they are a convenient target for someone in his position with his credentials
- Though I didn't think she took any lumps that weren't warranted or justified.
- Mentioning Entebbe brings to mind this movie
- Here I am thinking this fixer is as useless at his job as Maggie, who is terrible, is at her's. But when the cattle bandits come, he's pulling out his gun, checking things out and getting everyone onto the bus. Bam!
- This scene brought out a tension and suspense not often seen in Sorkin's work.
- Good plan to stay off the doctor prescribed Paxil. Very smart.
- The Mayo Clinic states the generic form of Paxil, Paroxetine, is used to "treat mental depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic
disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder
(also known as social phobia), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD),
and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Paroxetine belongs to a
group of medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs). These medicines are thought to work by increasing the activity
of the chemical called serotonin in the brain."
They mention SSRIs earlier in the episode, but I can't recall the context - Instead, Maggie (who is a poor tipper) medicates herself via haircut which lies somewhere between here and here and here
- Speaking of tropes, Mac is on her way to becoming the Only Sane Employee
- Did they bring the funny?
- "I always...I hate that name...I did it..." - Jim, of all people
- "Couldn't find a map with a fucking map" - Will
- Don's rambling on how he's the only one who can save the situation with OWS and the source, followed by his immediate bungling of the situation
Sorkin used kids, African kids no less, to manipulate the viewer, introducing a character for the sole purpose of drumming up empathy and magnifying the tragic outcome.
However, I'm sure everyone will pat themselves on the back for calling out Sorkin on smugness and making him draw attention to it as Will, Sloan and Don march in a self aware smugness and condescension parade toward the OWS rep.
Oh, but they are going to lose their minds about Halle's editor yelling at her over the phone. "No one could ever say that!"
Uganda
Part of the problem with the Uganda story is it will ultimately not be worth it because of the simple fact it is happening to the worst character on the show. Trauma is a tricky thing to convey because it relies much on the established endearing nature of the character. Besides the quality of the Maggie character lacking, the quantity of time we've gotten to know her is lacking we well. Newsroom has only broadcast 14 episodes so far, eight less than the number than ran before "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen."
It's also unclear to me how the Uganda story connects with the subject of the wrongful termination suit, besides Maggie's (the insane, unbalanced one) ability to testify as a credible sane person. Which I'm not sure she could do anyways. Also, why she has to tell them every excruciating detail. It's a matter of suspending disbelief which I will give someone like Jeremy Goodwin when he writes his deaf sister Louise, but not to a terrible character like Maggie (who we hate).
And ultimately, the terrible thing that happened to Maggie (blah) didn't actually happen to Maggie (blerg). It happened to someone else, and she bore witness. Which is terrible. But not as terrible as Maggie (narf).
Next week!
Trayvon. Fuck.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Raw Data: Willie Pete
Initial thoughts and observations for Newroom episode 2-03 "Willie Pete" written by Aaron Sorkin, and staff writers Michael Gunn and Elizabeth Peterson. Interesting how many of the writing credits are going to writers who have few credits to their name. It is possibly due to Sorkin's tendency to use the writing staff primarily as researchers and writing most of the script himself. Lesli Linka Glatter has of course directed a ton of stuff over the years, but is also named on the upcoming first two episodes of Homeland Season Three.
- Why not "Whiskey Papa"? "Use the NATO phoenetic alphabet!"
- Nothing like deadpanning a candidate's exact words to show how silly they sound
- The DADT debate question is a moment exactly ripe for this show, where the GOP primary showcased the despicable character that led Will to where he is today
- And how about condemning them to hell "not soon enough"?
- The whole thing is very Olberman-esque, particularly "witless bullies and hapless punks"
- For all Will's indignance, Sorkin balances it with Liam's * "So what?" reaction, where he reminds Will the contempt Will has for the Tea Party mirrors the contempt Liam has for Will. Also Liam is Will's boss. Or his boss's boss, but in practice, his boss.
- They are doing a good job here conveying the lack of reporting that goes on during the campaign. Partially due to laziness, partially due to a go-along-to-get along attitude (and a desire to be friends with these guys? **) most of the young reporters are content to regurgitate the packets provided by the Romney spokeswoman. Showing the absence of something, while still conveying the message, is a difficult thing to do in television.
- All the same, Jim's coup didn't unrealistically work and the Mod Squad is left on the side of the road to be eaten by zombies.
- Sierra de la Ventana is really wanting this story to be true, and is really focused on winning his reporting prize, commandeering (Mac's) associate producers to help with his project
- Sierra is also really terrible at hitting the recycling container with his crumpled up pages. If he worked near me I'd be all like DUDE PICK UP YOUR GARBAGE OR MOVE CLOSER TO THE GARBAGE CAN YOU ARE THE WORST SHOT EVER.
- Maggie (the terrible one) feels some placebo like side effects but no one bothers to tell her it's probably because her default setting is unbalanced.
- All she needs is something to make her more unbalanced. Maybe it'll work out though like all the diseases in Mr. Burns's body being in perfect balance so as none of them can take effect (Three Stooges Syndrome), and the weird side effects will make her normal
- Probably not
- Did they bring the funny?
- "I'm delightful." - Olivia Munn nails the delivery
- "Book agents beat their wives." - true facts from Don Keefer
- Don and Sloane remain one of the best pairings together and best characters, individually
| * Very much struggling to remember names this season but I feel like Chris Messina's character has one of those somewhat recently popular names like Rory or something. Regardless, he's Ellen's friend from Damages *** ** WHY?! *** This presents a problem in the Newsroom-Damages crossover where Will hires Patty Hewes, though I'm not sure why Ellen's boyfriend would have to be involved so maybe it's okay. What people (media) will be angry about: | ||
| Will's mission to civilize the Internet pops up again. No doubt this will cause scorn among everyone in the tubes who believes Aaron Sorkin is communicating directly to them, about them (but not you specifically. You're too small time). Paraphrasing some old quotes about profanity, Will states "Snark is the idiot's version of wit." This storyline is particularly a target of scorn because it focuses on the Internet and the media. Internet media should sit in the quiet room for a little bit before reacting so they don't hurt themselves further. |
Monday, July 22, 2013
Raw Data: The Genoa Tip
Initial thoughts and observations for episode 2-02 of Newsroom, "The Genoa Tip" written by Aaron Sorking, Dana Ledoux Miller and Adam R. Perlman. Miller and Perlman have been working on the Newsroom staff. The episode is directed by Jeremy Podeswa who directed this episode of Homeland.
What People Will be Angry About
Accusing Sorkin of manipulation regarding the Troy Davis case. I thought this was well done and gave depth to Don and Will. Will refuses to re-try the case on the air partially due to his background as a prosecutor. He could have gone one way or the other in terms of his views on the case, but he separately believes one thing about the case and feels it's his duty as a journalist to act in the exact opposite manner. With Don, it gave him a passion piece that he's followed consistently for a decade, presumably before his own show went soft.
Ultimately, Sorkin can't re-write what happened and the newsroom is toothless to provide any help.
Evoking Past Works
I can't help but think of Danny Concannon running down the flight schools looking for the pilot of Abu Nazir's plane which mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.
All the scenes of Jim on the campaign trail, especially drinking and working, bring to mind "Manchester Parts I & II".
Will and the news team being hit in the face repeatedly but impotent to do anything, he takes the most solvable problem of bailing Neil out of jail, not unlike Jed Bartlet beating the Teamsters negotiations into submission in "The State Dinner" while he looks helplessly at the other things flung at him that day.
The Troy Davis case...there is an episode of SportsNight "Dear Louise" where a friend of Issac's (whose name he did not initially recognize), a former Negro League baseball player, is carjacked and beaten. Casey and Dan report on the man's hospitalization. Later in the show, a note is passed around and the control room becomes solemn as they ready a graphic to report that he passed away. It is incredibly well done and packed an emotional punch SportsNight mangaged to dish out nearly once an episode. The mood and Don's frustration echo this.
- Thinking more about these new credits...they show more mundane locations and activities associated with New York and the newscast, almost generic, where as the old one evoked old timey broadcasters like Murrow. The theme was also more sweeping. This kind of lies there.
- The episode begins August 25, 2011 and will span several weeks.
- Did they bring the funny?
- "Ask A-Rod." is great for a throwaway
- Maybe I am a sucker but it seems particularly shortsighted to not help a fellow reporter frame their shot when you clearly have the time. It's small thing that is going to get done anyways and may help you in the long run. Or maybe it's just expected people know how to take care of themselves and it's obnoxious to ask someone to do that for you when everyone else is managing on their own.
- This girl looks like one of the girls that got eaten by zombies in the Season One of The Walking Dead. Being out at these rallies in East Chabumble, New Hampshire, I can't help but picture "walkers" stumbling out of these trees and attacking the
Romney campaign. Aaaaaaaahhh! - Interesting that Will has only been doing the anchor desk for 10 years. It means he had a rocket ascension with a near immediate disenchantment. Considering the show starts in 2010 and he's already the Jay Leno of newscasters at that point, he became complacent pretty quickly
- The footage of Charlie and Will is a new approach to an old tool, the flashback
- Charlie's wearing a necktie and not a bowtie and appears to be in a more hands on role at the time. Or it could be he's doing what he can in a crisis.
- Stuck some good music * in the bar scenes
- "Take it on the Run" - REO Speedwagon
- "Always on my Mind" - Willie Nelson version
- "Hold the Line" - Toto
- Brian Fantana is doing some good old fashioned process of elimination journalism in tracking down a member of this black ops team
- Their whiteboard running down possible stories includes "Bachmann HPV nonsense"
- Would have liked the two rings to Jim's phone go unexplained, but no, Maggie, who is awful, had to ruin that too. It's unlike a Sorkin piece to drop that obvious bit on us via dialogue
- Is she going to get kidnapped and make everyone feel sorry for her? I hope not.
- Her roommate, whose name may or may not be Lisa, was a bit dramatic with her hug of death. Still, it was nice to see her call Maggie (who is awful) on all her b.s.
What People Will be Angry About
Accusing Sorkin of manipulation regarding the Troy Davis case. I thought this was well done and gave depth to Don and Will. Will refuses to re-try the case on the air partially due to his background as a prosecutor. He could have gone one way or the other in terms of his views on the case, but he separately believes one thing about the case and feels it's his duty as a journalist to act in the exact opposite manner. With Don, it gave him a passion piece that he's followed consistently for a decade, presumably before his own show went soft.
Ultimately, Sorkin can't re-write what happened and the newsroom is toothless to provide any help.
Evoking Past Works
I can't help but think of Danny Concannon running down the flight schools looking for the pilot of Abu Nazir's plane which mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.
All the scenes of Jim on the campaign trail, especially drinking and working, bring to mind "Manchester Parts I & II".
Will and the news team being hit in the face repeatedly but impotent to do anything, he takes the most solvable problem of bailing Neil out of jail, not unlike Jed Bartlet beating the Teamsters negotiations into submission in "The State Dinner" while he looks helplessly at the other things flung at him that day.
The Troy Davis case...there is an episode of SportsNight "Dear Louise" where a friend of Issac's (whose name he did not initially recognize), a former Negro League baseball player, is carjacked and beaten. Casey and Dan report on the man's hospitalization. Later in the show, a note is passed around and the control room becomes solemn as they ready a graphic to report that he passed away. It is incredibly well done and packed an emotional punch SportsNight mangaged to dish out nearly once an episode. The mood and Don's frustration echo this.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Raw Data: First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Lawyers
These are initial observations for Newsroom episode 2-01 "First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Lawyers" written by Aaron Sorkin and Ian Reichbach, and directed by Alan Poul. There are a few credits for these guys you may find interesting.
Reichbach has worked on numerous Sorkin projects including as a writing assistant on Studio 60 and story editor on the first season of Newsroom, as well as working on features including Charlie Wilson's War and The Social Network. IMDB.com also says he acted on Saved by the Bell*. Poul's resume includes directing episodes of Rome and of Six Feet Under, and executive producing Six Feet Under and My So Called Life.
* Which I have never seen. This fact invokes ridiculous reactions when it becomes known.
- We're treated to a new opening credits. The theme sounds altered as well
- The title refers to a Shakespeare quote, which I believe people commonly misinterpret as being serious. I believe it comes from a foolish character in order to demonstrate the rule of law is important and only a fool would actually get rid of lawyers. I do not remember the play or character or even if that is correct context.
- Marcia Gay Harden was great as the general counsel for UNR on Damages, but if we are going to do lawyer speak and depositions and such in conference rooms, then we need Patti Hewes to visit. It should not be difficult, they both are located in New York City.
- MacKenzie has some uber-competent moments during the show (so the "pajama people" will look for other stuff to complain about) splicing in sound from a reporter correcting ill-checked information that would probably open the door to a law suit, while still maintaining the piece.
- No surprise Maggie, who is awful, fucked that up.
- Everything (Blue coat, khaki pants, yellow tie...his fucking haircut) about this prick Romney guy screams prick Romney guy and would be thought of as a stereotype if we hadn't spent twelve months watching Mittens and his supporters.
- Maggie (who is awful) is so lame that Jim would be lame by association if he weren't lame on his own merit.
- The new producer replacing Jim, Rand McNally, or whatever, has more of an agenda and seems to be more of a climber than Jim. As much as I don't like Jim's personality, he is uber-competent and his loyalty lies with the news, the viewers, and MacKenzie. I get the sense Mr. McNally's loyalty is not to his constituency but to himself.
- McNally has a similar trait to Neil where he seems like he may push a story because he wants it to be real, not because it is real. Or because it may win him some prize.
- I was going to say ol' Rand boy here seems more forceful than Jim, but the more I thought about it, Jim has an effective way of getting his point of view across. It is just in a whinier, more righteous tone.
- Randle's friend, Cyrus West, or whatever, seems to also suffer from a version of climberism. He wonders if he'll be asked back on the show. It seems to be a no so Cy wonders to himself, if he dresses up as a woman maybe he can comeback as a whole new person, Myrus Best.
- Maybe not climber-ism where he steps on people but he is clearly a parasite of sorts. Cy wants to feed him a story and latch onto it, riding it for more exposure.
- Will almost takes a backseat in this episode to the other machinations of the newsroom. He serves as an occasional narrator and tier of things together but does not exactly have a storyline
- Nice to see Sorkin employing the vehicles that made West Wing so good, like flashbacks.
- The structure of this episode is a lot like The Social Network, and I would not be surprised if that continued this season
- Did they bring the funny? These were hilarious
- Sloane using a blank paper as a prop
- "Ben Franklin. Nailed it!"
- Will singing "Friday"
Evoking West Wing
Sam Seaborn once mentioned he billed at $500 an hour (in 1999 dollars). This lady bills at $1,500. Even accounting for inflation, she bills at $800 more than Sam. Who is a genius. So they are in some stuff here.
MacKenzie gets a fax (which I only use when I'm dealing with local government agencies like the DMV or tax office, so it is probably surprisingly appropriate here) about the protests in NYC and it reminded me of a fax from NASA that Donna is concerned about, which states a Chinese satellite is crashing into the Earth ("The Fall is Gonna Kill You").
EDIT: Now that I think about it some more, this is structured more like "Celestial Navigation" where one character is recounting an odd sequence of events. Josh Lyman mentioned a news cycle that wouldn't end which "started either with a cabinet secretary losing her temper, a committee chairman baiting her during a hearing, the President answering a question he shouldn’t have, a dentist appointment, or me being stupid." Will recounts some of the things that transpired to bring about their apparent Operation Tailwind-esque mistake.
Sometimes I try to guess what everyone's going to be angry about this week:
- "...women try things" regarding Maggie's* horrible haircut. Thanks for giving us another reason to ridicule Maggie*, I was worried it'd have to rely on her personality again. Also, Sorkin hates women
- "Money Skirt" regarding Sloane, which should be written at "$kirt". Remember, this has everything to do with Sorkin hating women and this has nothing to do with the funny way his characters, Sloane (maybe the best character on the show) and Charlie, express their fondness for each other via hijinks and japes
- "Pajama people" which I assume refers to people who write or comment on the Internet from the comfort of their homes and in their sweats. Sorkin hates the Internet!
- This will conveniently ignore Neil citing Reddit and Twitter as evidence a story is gaining traction later in the episode. Also Sorkin writing a whole movie about Facebook
- Given the strong desire out there by many people to never be happy with anything, I don't find comments like these out of line
Thursday, July 11, 2013
In Support of Newsroom - Part 2
This is part 2 of supporting Newsroom, which returns to HBO Sunday July 14. Read Part 1
The New Age and Paradigm of Television
West Wing came on the air in 1999, when many networks began making the switch to cheaper, but highly rated, reality television which was spawned from prime time game shows. This was also the year The Sopranos debuted, and the gritty cable drama wave was still a few years away. West Wing filled a large percentage of quality, intellectual television at the time.
Only a few years later, when Studio 60 debuted in 2006, the landscape of television was very different and Sorkin comments on the state of television and the low expectations of reality tv often in the show. The drama work was going to cable and premium cable in the form of The Shield and Rescue Me on FX in 2002 and 2004 or Six Feet Under on HBO in 2001.
Look at the change, not only in the winners of Best Drama*, but the nominees, and you'll see they slowly creep and crowd out the networks, both from the high quality produced on cable and the lack of initiative from the networks to bother producing such shows.
* I almost hesitate to point this out being that the award shows often do not represent the truly best in television, particularly in the comedy categories. One of the big flaws is that the awards seem to function highly on inertia.
Golden Globe nominees and winners 2000-present
Emmy nominees and winners 2000-present
The point is Studio 60 partially failed due to it using the old paradigm of 42 minute episodic, commercially interrupted, shows. Newsroom adapts to the current model and is better set up for success, especially as compared to contemporary shows. For the first time in Sorkin's television work, he's including a season long arc which is one of the major characteristics of how television is modeled today. From reading coverage, it sounds like there is a legal battle, either at the center of, or in addition to the season long arc. Sorkin is at his best when writing some version of a courtroom *drama, whether it be hearings, depositions ** or an actual courtroom.*** ****
* Or a psycho-therapy setting
** Thinking about this makes me realize The Social Network and "Bartlet for America" have a very similar story structure.
*** Another strength of Sorkin's is flashback use or in medias res. He played with the structure for Season Two so much that he went to HBO about scrapping and starting over after a few episodes had been filmed. HBO, showing their commitment to quality yet again, said yes.
**** Marcia Gay Harden is cast in a lawyer-y part, and if she brings it like she did in Season Two of Damages, we're in for a treat
Comparisons to West Wing are inevitable, and while there are some aspects of television that are timeless, it is difficult to judge shows from today fairly against shows from even just ten years ago.
I wondered how/if Sorkin would adapt do the new model of hyper serialized dramas with anti-heros or centered around conflicted or even bad guys, considering how his protagonists are not only actual protagonists, but idealized versions of such. These days, only Raylan Givens wears the white hat, and even he goes hatless sometimes.
One thing he may have in common with Justified, if we listen to comments he's made promoting Season Two, is the ability to weave a season long story line* while still producing strong self contained episodes that also support the larger arc.
* The plotting on Justified (the best there is) is the subject of an upcoming post. Or two. We'll see.
Will Macavoy is Sorkin's first shot the new version of a lead. Will is a dick, or at least starts out that way. Unlikeable. Disenchanted, aloof, checked out, difficult, rich and really just not very nice. I am searching for his redeeming qualities (newfound honesty, sincere affection developing for his crew?) The "Jay Leno" of newsreaders, which is a great description of a lowest common denominator. Except his bitterness goes to such an extreme, it comes back around to start lashing out at those around him, all regarding the basis of his bitterness in the first place.
This is the impetus for the central conflict... the anti-hero awakens to finally create a cable news (not commentary) show that will seek to raise the level of debate, addressing a dire need and a severe dearth caused by the current state of media...and that is the Sorkin-trope to focus on with this show.
West Wing came on the air in 1999, when many networks began making the switch to cheaper, but highly rated, reality television which was spawned from prime time game shows. This was also the year The Sopranos debuted, and the gritty cable drama wave was still a few years away. West Wing filled a large percentage of quality, intellectual television at the time.
Only a few years later, when Studio 60 debuted in 2006, the landscape of television was very different and Sorkin comments on the state of television and the low expectations of reality tv often in the show. The drama work was going to cable and premium cable in the form of The Shield and Rescue Me on FX in 2002 and 2004 or Six Feet Under on HBO in 2001.
Look at the change, not only in the winners of Best Drama*, but the nominees, and you'll see they slowly creep and crowd out the networks, both from the high quality produced on cable and the lack of initiative from the networks to bother producing such shows.
* I almost hesitate to point this out being that the award shows often do not represent the truly best in television, particularly in the comedy categories. One of the big flaws is that the awards seem to function highly on inertia.
Golden Globe nominees and winners 2000-present
Emmy nominees and winners 2000-present
The point is Studio 60 partially failed due to it using the old paradigm of 42 minute episodic, commercially interrupted, shows. Newsroom adapts to the current model and is better set up for success, especially as compared to contemporary shows. For the first time in Sorkin's television work, he's including a season long arc which is one of the major characteristics of how television is modeled today. From reading coverage, it sounds like there is a legal battle, either at the center of, or in addition to the season long arc. Sorkin is at his best when writing some version of a courtroom *drama, whether it be hearings, depositions ** or an actual courtroom.*** ****
* Or a psycho-therapy setting
** Thinking about this makes me realize The Social Network and "Bartlet for America" have a very similar story structure.
*** Another strength of Sorkin's is flashback use or in medias res. He played with the structure for Season Two so much that he went to HBO about scrapping and starting over after a few episodes had been filmed. HBO, showing their commitment to quality yet again, said yes.
**** Marcia Gay Harden is cast in a lawyer-y part, and if she brings it like she did in Season Two of Damages, we're in for a treat
Comparisons to West Wing are inevitable, and while there are some aspects of television that are timeless, it is difficult to judge shows from today fairly against shows from even just ten years ago.
I wondered how/if Sorkin would adapt do the new model of hyper serialized dramas with anti-heros or centered around conflicted or even bad guys, considering how his protagonists are not only actual protagonists, but idealized versions of such. These days, only Raylan Givens wears the white hat, and even he goes hatless sometimes.
One thing he may have in common with Justified, if we listen to comments he's made promoting Season Two, is the ability to weave a season long story line* while still producing strong self contained episodes that also support the larger arc.
* The plotting on Justified (the best there is) is the subject of an upcoming post. Or two. We'll see.
Will Macavoy is Sorkin's first shot the new version of a lead. Will is a dick, or at least starts out that way. Unlikeable. Disenchanted, aloof, checked out, difficult, rich and really just not very nice. I am searching for his redeeming qualities (newfound honesty, sincere affection developing for his crew?) The "Jay Leno" of newsreaders, which is a great description of a lowest common denominator. Except his bitterness goes to such an extreme, it comes back around to start lashing out at those around him, all regarding the basis of his bitterness in the first place.
This is the impetus for the central conflict... the anti-hero awakens to finally create a cable news (not commentary) show that will seek to raise the level of debate, addressing a dire need and a severe dearth caused by the current state of media...and that is the Sorkin-trope to focus on with this show.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
In Support of Newsroom - Part 1
Yosemite?!
-Will McAvoy
Newsroom premiered last year, Aaron Sorkin's return to television since leaving us with a single season of Studio 60 and spending some time writing movies. It premiered in the same manner as Studio 60 in the form of a character ranting about the state of things.
It's difficult to avoid all the Newsroom-related hate spun toward Sorkin. There could be two reasons for this. One is the media is getting a harsh look at themselves and doesn't like it, and secondly, expectations are impossible to overcome.
Why though? Newsroom is done in the exact same vein as West Wing. It takes an important, behind the scenes setting and creates and idealized, fictional version of it.
Generally, Newsroom catches a lot of flack for being preachy, and of course this is the first work of Sorkin's to be preachy? Have you seen West Wing? The show many Newsroom-haters profess to love so much? It was on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC from 1999-2006.
West Wing was not without flaws. It could be accused of posessing straw often set up to allow the main characters to succeed. It also focused two seasons (post-Sorkin) on a completely self-righteous candidate (Santos) who could do no wrong.
I imagine the same people who criticized Stephen Colbert for his Correspondent's dinner roast, or Jon Stewart and Colbert for their Rally to Restore Sanity, or Season Five of The Wire * (immediately after heaping unadulterated praise on Season Four) are the same people criticizing Newsroom. That's because all target the media and it's unlikely the butt of the joke is going to find it very funny.
* Even the title of articles like this one rubbed me the wrong way. Phrases like "Our show" (which it's not, it's Simon's) lead to the sort of thinking that a personal preference is the same as a "correct" interpretation. Also, if everyone who claimed to watch The Wire from the start had been watching it from the start it never would've been in constant cancellation danger. Kind of like how if everyone who claimed to have ancestors on the Mayflower actually had ancestors on that ship, it would've been way over capacity and never made it out of English waters.
Drama vs. Reality
Q: Newsroom doesn't accurately portray how a newsroom functions.
A: That's not a question. And, well, yeah... Life doesn't happen in scenes and people do not speak in dialogue. You know the pithy comeback you think of hours after a conversation is over? That is dialogue...how people would talk if they had time to write, re-write and mull over words. If television dialogue mirrored real life dialogue, no one would watch.
Newsroom is fiction after all, not a documentary. I did enjoy this backhanded version of the old "it's not realistic" argument, from Dan Rather which is true of most interesting television characters:
"...average newsroom people are seldom as smart or as high-minded as most of the lead characters in this fictional drama"
Additionally, the show takes a lot of guff for including dramatized reactions to real life events. It is historical fiction. I do not think historical fiction has to be confined to history from hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Much like West Wing employed Dee Dee Myers and Gene Sperling to add realism, Newsroom's consultant list reads like the panel guest list from HBO colleague Bill Maher's Real Time.
Impossible Expectations
Expectations are so incredibly high for showrunners who have successfully produced much loved movies or television shows. Look at reactions to David Simon's Treme. Wait until everyone hates Vince Gilligan's next show. I think it follows how series finales are criticized so much, especially in cases open to interpretation like Lost or The Sopranos. The shows are an institution unto themselves and there is no way to please everyone with an end.
That is why the showrunners should continue follow their own creative path of what makes them happy and what they are trying to create. It may not please everyone. But being upset at the new product from one of these guys, or at the way they choose to end a series is like being upset at a chef in a four star restaurant because they cooked food the way they like to cook it as opposed to the way you like to cook it, with extra ketchup. It's possible for a show to both be good and not within someone's personal taste or expectations.
Bias of Objectivity - finally addressed!
With the cable news setting, Sorkin addresses one of the concerns that prevented Studio 60 from succeeding. It tried to address big issues occasionally but with the backdrop of a sketch comedy show, the stakes were simply not high enough and the characters could not affect change on a meaningful enough level. That is addressed in Newsroom with the Fourth Estate.
Back to the show's inherent criticism of the media. One of the issues it addresses is the bias of objectivity, which the show states is media's false objectivity where they pretend each story has two and only two sides to it, and that each of the two sides should be given equal weight and credence. Sometimes there are three or four or more reasonable approaches to a story. And sometimes, one of the arguments is so insane and unreasonable it should be stated as such, and the story should be reported more as facts from the sane side than as a reasoned argument from two sides. For example:
It’s even more amazing to see [the media] pass along Republican outrage that Obama isn’t cutting Medicare enough, in the same matter-of-fact tone they used during the campaign to pass along Republican outrage that Obama was cutting Medicare.
This isn’t just cognitive dissonance. It’s irresponsible reporting. Mainstream media outlets don’t want to look partisan, so they ignore the BS hidden in plain sight, the hypocrisy and dishonesty that defines the modern Republican Party.
Part 2 coming soon
-Will McAvoy
Newsroom premiered last year, Aaron Sorkin's return to television since leaving us with a single season of Studio 60 and spending some time writing movies. It premiered in the same manner as Studio 60 in the form of a character ranting about the state of things.
It's difficult to avoid all the Newsroom-related hate spun toward Sorkin. There could be two reasons for this. One is the media is getting a harsh look at themselves and doesn't like it, and secondly, expectations are impossible to overcome.
Why though? Newsroom is done in the exact same vein as West Wing. It takes an important, behind the scenes setting and creates and idealized, fictional version of it.
Generally, Newsroom catches a lot of flack for being preachy, and of course this is the first work of Sorkin's to be preachy? Have you seen West Wing? The show many Newsroom-haters profess to love so much? It was on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC from 1999-2006.
West Wing was not without flaws. It could be accused of posessing straw often set up to allow the main characters to succeed. It also focused two seasons (post-Sorkin) on a completely self-righteous candidate (Santos) who could do no wrong.
I imagine the same people who criticized Stephen Colbert for his Correspondent's dinner roast, or Jon Stewart and Colbert for their Rally to Restore Sanity, or Season Five of The Wire * (immediately after heaping unadulterated praise on Season Four) are the same people criticizing Newsroom. That's because all target the media and it's unlikely the butt of the joke is going to find it very funny.
* Even the title of articles like this one rubbed me the wrong way. Phrases like "Our show" (which it's not, it's Simon's) lead to the sort of thinking that a personal preference is the same as a "correct" interpretation. Also, if everyone who claimed to watch The Wire from the start had been watching it from the start it never would've been in constant cancellation danger. Kind of like how if everyone who claimed to have ancestors on the Mayflower actually had ancestors on that ship, it would've been way over capacity and never made it out of English waters.
Drama vs. Reality
Q: Newsroom doesn't accurately portray how a newsroom functions.
A: That's not a question. And, well, yeah... Life doesn't happen in scenes and people do not speak in dialogue. You know the pithy comeback you think of hours after a conversation is over? That is dialogue...how people would talk if they had time to write, re-write and mull over words. If television dialogue mirrored real life dialogue, no one would watch.
Newsroom is fiction after all, not a documentary. I did enjoy this backhanded version of the old "it's not realistic" argument, from Dan Rather which is true of most interesting television characters:
"...average newsroom people are seldom as smart or as high-minded as most of the lead characters in this fictional drama"
Additionally, the show takes a lot of guff for including dramatized reactions to real life events. It is historical fiction. I do not think historical fiction has to be confined to history from hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Much like West Wing employed Dee Dee Myers and Gene Sperling to add realism, Newsroom's consultant list reads like the panel guest list from HBO colleague Bill Maher's Real Time.
Impossible Expectations
Expectations are so incredibly high for showrunners who have successfully produced much loved movies or television shows. Look at reactions to David Simon's Treme. Wait until everyone hates Vince Gilligan's next show. I think it follows how series finales are criticized so much, especially in cases open to interpretation like Lost or The Sopranos. The shows are an institution unto themselves and there is no way to please everyone with an end.
That is why the showrunners should continue follow their own creative path of what makes them happy and what they are trying to create. It may not please everyone. But being upset at the new product from one of these guys, or at the way they choose to end a series is like being upset at a chef in a four star restaurant because they cooked food the way they like to cook it as opposed to the way you like to cook it, with extra ketchup. It's possible for a show to both be good and not within someone's personal taste or expectations.
Bias of Objectivity - finally addressed!
With the cable news setting, Sorkin addresses one of the concerns that prevented Studio 60 from succeeding. It tried to address big issues occasionally but with the backdrop of a sketch comedy show, the stakes were simply not high enough and the characters could not affect change on a meaningful enough level. That is addressed in Newsroom with the Fourth Estate.
Back to the show's inherent criticism of the media. One of the issues it addresses is the bias of objectivity, which the show states is media's false objectivity where they pretend each story has two and only two sides to it, and that each of the two sides should be given equal weight and credence. Sometimes there are three or four or more reasonable approaches to a story. And sometimes, one of the arguments is so insane and unreasonable it should be stated as such, and the story should be reported more as facts from the sane side than as a reasoned argument from two sides. For example:
It’s even more amazing to see [the media] pass along Republican outrage that Obama isn’t cutting Medicare enough, in the same matter-of-fact tone they used during the campaign to pass along Republican outrage that Obama was cutting Medicare.
This isn’t just cognitive dissonance. It’s irresponsible reporting. Mainstream media outlets don’t want to look partisan, so they ignore the BS hidden in plain sight, the hypocrisy and dishonesty that defines the modern Republican Party.
Part 2 coming soon
Monday, July 1, 2013
The West Wing in Ten Episodes - Part 2
This is the second of two posts exploring the ten most representative episodes of The West Wing. Here are the first five episodes
"In this White House" Episode 2-04
General Douglas MacArthur once said "Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words irreverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be."
The introduction of Ainsley Hayes is a landmark for the series because it provided a consistent, competent opposition voice to the liberal Bartlet administration. Having a recurring conservative character probably made it easier for Sorkin to write her as likeable, than as the Republican Of The Week who sometimes, especially late in the series, drifted into straw man territory. Considering her first scene is to completely smack Sam, who we know to be brilliant, up and down the Capitol Beat show they appear on, her credentials are well established.
Leo and Jed appeal to her sense of duty and public service to work for a Democratic administration. Characters will often do things either against their political views in the interest of another, greater good or principle such as voting against a gun bill because it's not a strict enough or abstaining from a vote because of ethical concerns about being a lame duck. It is again a "valentine to public service." Putting politics aside for service is never more evident than when Ainsley joins the White House.
"The Two Bartlets" Episode 3-12
Much of Season Three and Season Four focus on the re-elect and the common theme is intellectualism versus commonality. Sorkin takes issue with intellect painted as aloofness and the implicitl argument that it's better to be folksy and accommodating.
This episode also raises a similar issue first explicitly stated "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" where Leo challenges the staff to "raise the level of debate" though the idea is a major theme of the entire series. Unfortunately, Season Three took a slightly more cynical tone where the practicalities of implementing such a vision are far from easy, especially when walking a tight line to re-election. Much of the cynical tone may be a result of the show finding footing post-September 11th. Compare the season premiere, written and produced before September 11th, and "Two Bartlets", written and produced after September 11th.
"Manchester Par II"
BARTLET
There's a new book and we're gonna write it. You can win if you run a smart, disciplined campaign, if you studiously say nothing - nothing that causes you trouble, nothing that's a gaff, nothing that shows you might think the wrong thing, nothing that shows you think. But it just isn't worthy of us, is it, Toby?
TOBY
No sir.
BARTLET
It isn't worthy of us, it isn't worthy of America, it isn't worthy of a great nation. We're gonna write a new book, right here right now. This very moment. Today.
versus "The Two Bartlets"
BARTLET
I don't want to campaign today.
TOBY
What happened to writing a new book?
BARTLET
We will, but we don't...man we don't have to piss people off everyday...
The show explores the dynamic via Toby and Jed's conversations and Toby's point that there are "two Bartlets", each embodying folksiness or intellect.*
Once the censure and the MS coverup was resolved, the show shifted it's storyline to re-election which included the underlying theme of the elite versus the everyman. Other episodes would delve further into this including Jed's tete-a-tete with Richie in "Posse Commitatus" leading to one of the most epic lines of the series** and in "20 Hours in America" as Donna, Toby and Josh flounder their way through Real America. But there are probably few episodes that set off an exploration of the life feelings of America, and liberals' disgust towards both George W. Bush, the media coverage of him and the scorn received for having any opposing opinions,*** than this one.
* It also has a bonus of Jed taking a speech that Toby was working on for him and using it, but simultaneously making it his own...a window into how the president relies on his staff but still is his own man.
** "Crime, boy, I don't know" is when I decided to kick your ass.
*** Say what you will about George W. Bush but he was the catalyst for a lot of great television, especially from the Davids Three (Chase, Milch and Simon) and even comedies like Arrested Development. That is the topic for a post I'm currently working on.
"Twenty Five" Episode 04-23
Sorkin departed West Wing at the end of Season Four but not without symbolically taking away the leader of the free world. John Wells took over as showrunner starting in Season Five. He picked up the plot where Sorkin left it, where the Bartlet administration was no longer the Bartlet administration.
When Zoe is kidnapped in a scenario he foretold in Season One, Jed recuses himself from the situation so it can be dealt with effectively and impartially. Unfortunately, that means handing over the keys to his political enemy, the Speaker of the House. The stakes of doing so show just how much respect Jed has for the office, and that he truly believes the office is bigger than the man occupying it.
Sorkin did not leave on the best terms and the show did not find its footing again for over a season and a half. Even then it did not live up to its hey day of Season Two, albeit still a good show. Season Five is most similar to Season Three in that it is darker and more cynical. The sets even seem, literally, darker, as though Warner Brothers was saving money on electricity. Not only that, but Season Five was almost completely devoid of humor. Instead we saw infighting by the staffers as Jed retreated far into himself. The series also for the first time introduced recurring political opponents in Speaker Haffley and Vice President Russell.
Twenty Five represented a turning point for the series, and possibly a symbolic middle finger as Sorkin walked out the door.
"King Corn" Episode 6-13
West Wing split time between the West Wing and the campaign trail beginning mid-Season Six. On the trail they spent time mainly with three candidates, Vinick, Russell and Santos. Vinick was a longtime senator putting the cap on a distinguished career. Russell was an automaton who did whatever Will told him. Santos was difficult for Josh to control as he tried to reconcile what he would have to do to become president in order to give the country the president he thought it needed. "King Corn" split the episode into three vignettes "A Day in the Life of...." those three candidates. It gave a peek into the grueling schedule candidates had to keep, the provincial events they had to attend and the compromises they had to make within themselves to get where they wanted to be. It also showed the lives of the staffers and the sad Holiday Inn hotels they slogged through the snow to get to before crashing for a few hours until they had to get up with the candidate. Details such as staffers receiving automatic wake up calls versus candidates receiving calls from actual people helped paint the picture of the different roles people filled on the trail and the direction the final season and a half went for the series.
"Tomorrow" Episode 7-22
The most one can hope for series finales is to do the show justice, and "Tomorrow" did just that. Expectations for finales are so high they are near impossible to meet, but I would rate "Tomorrow" up there with finales like "Made in America" and "Everyone's Waiting"*. (**EDIT)
It covered a lot of ground, tied up loose ends, resolved longtime characters' threads and moved things into motion for the new administration (and sometimes did both at the same time). The progressions felt natural and organic and in character, rather than forced.
While I think the goal of "-30-" was to show the never-ending cycle of destitution and institutional problems that inhabit American cities, and used characters as a vehicle to display that, "Tomorrow" took the other side of it, more optimistic.
It showed the idea and ideals of America are larger than one man or one administration, even a man as great as Jed Bartlet and used the naturally occurring courses of action in the supporting characters to show the idea that the country and the office continues.
The show, originally conceived with the though of never showing the president, then only visiting the president periodically, clearly was about Jed Bartlet and the Bartlet administration through and through whether it be the president himself, his staff or the ideals they embraced and that the show conveyed through those characters. The natural, and only possible, ending point for the show is the end of the Bartlet administration at noon on January 20th.
As his final act he pardons Toby. Then, he raps his fist once on the desk, like a judge ending court.
And in the final scene, it reminds us that for all the social studies lessons, pontification and calls to duty the show gave us, it would not be effective in the slightest if not for the strong characters and relationships Sorkin created.
* "Everyone's Waiting" is up there not just in great finales, but in great episodes
EDIT ** Upon reflection, it is a bit of an exaggeration to put this finale in the category with those of The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. Probably my own bias and favoritism of West Wing creeping in on that statement.
Honorable Mentions
"And it's Surely to their Credit" & "Posse Commitatus" both examine themes of duty to public service and the Office of the Presidency but those are covered in other episodes listed.
"The Supremes"
Noteworthy as the clear high point of Season Five, which is why it's not representative
"2,162 Votes" & "Election Day"
Both are frantic episodes involving counting. "Election Day", and I am lumping Parts 1 and 2 together, represents the pinnacle of West Wing 2.0 and the viewer has sincere motiviation to root for both sides. "2,162" represents both the end of the primary and the launching point for the final season, putting characters into place so they can fulfill their Season Seven roles, whether as candidates, or back in the West Wing, and notable for fulfilling an allusion from all the way back in Season Four's "Commencement".
"In this White House" Episode 2-04
General Douglas MacArthur once said "Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words irreverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be."
The introduction of Ainsley Hayes is a landmark for the series because it provided a consistent, competent opposition voice to the liberal Bartlet administration. Having a recurring conservative character probably made it easier for Sorkin to write her as likeable, than as the Republican Of The Week who sometimes, especially late in the series, drifted into straw man territory. Considering her first scene is to completely smack Sam, who we know to be brilliant, up and down the Capitol Beat show they appear on, her credentials are well established.
Leo and Jed appeal to her sense of duty and public service to work for a Democratic administration. Characters will often do things either against their political views in the interest of another, greater good or principle such as voting against a gun bill because it's not a strict enough or abstaining from a vote because of ethical concerns about being a lame duck. It is again a "valentine to public service." Putting politics aside for service is never more evident than when Ainsley joins the White House.
"The Two Bartlets" Episode 3-12
Much of Season Three and Season Four focus on the re-elect and the common theme is intellectualism versus commonality. Sorkin takes issue with intellect painted as aloofness and the implicitl argument that it's better to be folksy and accommodating.
This episode also raises a similar issue first explicitly stated "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" where Leo challenges the staff to "raise the level of debate" though the idea is a major theme of the entire series. Unfortunately, Season Three took a slightly more cynical tone where the practicalities of implementing such a vision are far from easy, especially when walking a tight line to re-election. Much of the cynical tone may be a result of the show finding footing post-September 11th. Compare the season premiere, written and produced before September 11th, and "Two Bartlets", written and produced after September 11th.
"Manchester Par II"
BARTLET
There's a new book and we're gonna write it. You can win if you run a smart, disciplined campaign, if you studiously say nothing - nothing that causes you trouble, nothing that's a gaff, nothing that shows you might think the wrong thing, nothing that shows you think. But it just isn't worthy of us, is it, Toby?
TOBY
No sir.
BARTLET
It isn't worthy of us, it isn't worthy of America, it isn't worthy of a great nation. We're gonna write a new book, right here right now. This very moment. Today.
versus "The Two Bartlets"
BARTLET
I don't want to campaign today.
TOBY
What happened to writing a new book?
BARTLET
We will, but we don't...man we don't have to piss people off everyday...
The show explores the dynamic via Toby and Jed's conversations and Toby's point that there are "two Bartlets", each embodying folksiness or intellect.*
Once the censure and the MS coverup was resolved, the show shifted it's storyline to re-election which included the underlying theme of the elite versus the everyman. Other episodes would delve further into this including Jed's tete-a-tete with Richie in "Posse Commitatus" leading to one of the most epic lines of the series** and in "20 Hours in America" as Donna, Toby and Josh flounder their way through Real America. But there are probably few episodes that set off an exploration of the life feelings of America, and liberals' disgust towards both George W. Bush, the media coverage of him and the scorn received for having any opposing opinions,*** than this one.
* It also has a bonus of Jed taking a speech that Toby was working on for him and using it, but simultaneously making it his own...a window into how the president relies on his staff but still is his own man.
** "Crime, boy, I don't know" is when I decided to kick your ass.
*** Say what you will about George W. Bush but he was the catalyst for a lot of great television, especially from the Davids Three (Chase, Milch and Simon) and even comedies like Arrested Development. That is the topic for a post I'm currently working on.
"Twenty Five" Episode 04-23
Sorkin departed West Wing at the end of Season Four but not without symbolically taking away the leader of the free world. John Wells took over as showrunner starting in Season Five. He picked up the plot where Sorkin left it, where the Bartlet administration was no longer the Bartlet administration.
When Zoe is kidnapped in a scenario he foretold in Season One, Jed recuses himself from the situation so it can be dealt with effectively and impartially. Unfortunately, that means handing over the keys to his political enemy, the Speaker of the House. The stakes of doing so show just how much respect Jed has for the office, and that he truly believes the office is bigger than the man occupying it.
Sorkin did not leave on the best terms and the show did not find its footing again for over a season and a half. Even then it did not live up to its hey day of Season Two, albeit still a good show. Season Five is most similar to Season Three in that it is darker and more cynical. The sets even seem, literally, darker, as though Warner Brothers was saving money on electricity. Not only that, but Season Five was almost completely devoid of humor. Instead we saw infighting by the staffers as Jed retreated far into himself. The series also for the first time introduced recurring political opponents in Speaker Haffley and Vice President Russell.
Twenty Five represented a turning point for the series, and possibly a symbolic middle finger as Sorkin walked out the door.
"King Corn" Episode 6-13
West Wing split time between the West Wing and the campaign trail beginning mid-Season Six. On the trail they spent time mainly with three candidates, Vinick, Russell and Santos. Vinick was a longtime senator putting the cap on a distinguished career. Russell was an automaton who did whatever Will told him. Santos was difficult for Josh to control as he tried to reconcile what he would have to do to become president in order to give the country the president he thought it needed. "King Corn" split the episode into three vignettes "A Day in the Life of...." those three candidates. It gave a peek into the grueling schedule candidates had to keep, the provincial events they had to attend and the compromises they had to make within themselves to get where they wanted to be. It also showed the lives of the staffers and the sad Holiday Inn hotels they slogged through the snow to get to before crashing for a few hours until they had to get up with the candidate. Details such as staffers receiving automatic wake up calls versus candidates receiving calls from actual people helped paint the picture of the different roles people filled on the trail and the direction the final season and a half went for the series.
"Tomorrow" Episode 7-22
The most one can hope for series finales is to do the show justice, and "Tomorrow" did just that. Expectations for finales are so high they are near impossible to meet, but I would rate "Tomorrow" up there with finales like "Made in America" and "Everyone's Waiting"*. (**EDIT)
It covered a lot of ground, tied up loose ends, resolved longtime characters' threads and moved things into motion for the new administration (and sometimes did both at the same time). The progressions felt natural and organic and in character, rather than forced.
While I think the goal of "-30-" was to show the never-ending cycle of destitution and institutional problems that inhabit American cities, and used characters as a vehicle to display that, "Tomorrow" took the other side of it, more optimistic.
It showed the idea and ideals of America are larger than one man or one administration, even a man as great as Jed Bartlet and used the naturally occurring courses of action in the supporting characters to show the idea that the country and the office continues.
The show, originally conceived with the though of never showing the president, then only visiting the president periodically, clearly was about Jed Bartlet and the Bartlet administration through and through whether it be the president himself, his staff or the ideals they embraced and that the show conveyed through those characters. The natural, and only possible, ending point for the show is the end of the Bartlet administration at noon on January 20th.
As his final act he pardons Toby. Then, he raps his fist once on the desk, like a judge ending court.
And in the final scene, it reminds us that for all the social studies lessons, pontification and calls to duty the show gave us, it would not be effective in the slightest if not for the strong characters and relationships Sorkin created.
* "Everyone's Waiting" is up there not just in great finales, but in great episodes
EDIT ** Upon reflection, it is a bit of an exaggeration to put this finale in the category with those of The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. Probably my own bias and favoritism of West Wing creeping in on that statement.
Honorable Mentions
"And it's Surely to their Credit" & "Posse Commitatus" both examine themes of duty to public service and the Office of the Presidency but those are covered in other episodes listed.
"The Supremes"
Noteworthy as the clear high point of Season Five, which is why it's not representative
"2,162 Votes" & "Election Day"
Both are frantic episodes involving counting. "Election Day", and I am lumping Parts 1 and 2 together, represents the pinnacle of West Wing 2.0 and the viewer has sincere motiviation to root for both sides. "2,162" represents both the end of the primary and the launching point for the final season, putting characters into place so they can fulfill their Season Seven roles, whether as candidates, or back in the West Wing, and notable for fulfilling an allusion from all the way back in Season Four's "Commencement".
Thursday, June 27, 2013
The West Wing in Ten Episodes - Part 1
Aaron
Sorkin's Newsroom is returning on HBO soon, so now is a good time as any
to talk ab bit about his great work, The West Wing.
A tweet from a political scientist led me to Buzzfeed's 10 best West Wing episodes, and I found I disagreed with a lot of it. Though, rather than do my own top 10 list (filling in early Christmas episodes and "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" and "Two Cathedrals" doesn't leave much space), I thought I'd follow AV Club's model of:
“The 10 episodes that best represent a TV series, classic or modern. If you watch those 10, you’ll have a better idea of what that series was about, without having to watch the whole thing. These are not meant to be the 10 best episodes, but rather the 10 most representative episodes” .
This is you would use to show what this show is about to someone who's never seen it, like an alien or a foreigner, or an alien foreigner.
Here are 1-5, in chronological order:
1. “Five Votes Down” Episode 1-04
Bartlet
opens the episode in front of a banner proclaiming “Practical Idealism” which
was a theme of the entire series, or at least the first part of Jed’s
administration. Sorkin wrote the show as a “valentine to public service.” Part
of this was showing the toll it takes on the personal life, and that’s not
better represented than when Leo’s wife leaves him. He even admits to her that
his job is more important than his marriage. The sense of duty permeates the
rest of the series. Not only that but it showed motivations of different
politicians Josh and Leo whip for votes seeing hold outs for reasons petty and
noble. Ultimately Leo’s political foe, the vice president, offers Leo to attend
his own AA meeting when he worries Leo may relapsedue to his impending divorce (oh
yeah, they are both alcoholics!). Hoynes also helps his own agenda by
getting the final vote the Bartlet people need, ultimately getting all the
credit. For all their efforts the Bartlets get criticized for not going
for a stronger bill and do not even get the credit for the bill they
desperately worked to pass.
2. “These Crackpots and These Women”
Episode 1-05
West
Wing had a nerdy fascination with history. It showed through characters
like Sam and Jed and Leo, who created Big Block of Cheese Day. Each staffer
took meetings with advocacy groups they normally viewed as “below them” or at
least not at the level to swing a meeting at the White House. Slowly but
surely the staffers came around to care about the Plue the wolf or the
injustices of the Mercator projection*. And isn’t that what government is
about?** West Wing was there to inspire confidence in government and that
one person can make a difference, blah blah blah, Margaret Mead.
Josh’s survivor’s guilt was introduced and would play a major part in his character. And at Jed's chili party he combines his roles as boss and grandfather to the staff (and country) by exercising one of the perks of the presidency by forcing everyone to come (“Look down at the seal, now back up at me”) but all with the good intention of surrounding himself with the people he loves. It gave the staff a family feel which continued throughout the show especially when one staffer would come under attack.
* Greenland never seemed to mind.
** No. Not really.
3. “The State Dinner” Episode 1-07
Even
the president and all his men are helpless sometimes. Believe it or not
there's no magic lever for the present to autonomously control the economy, or
anything else for that matter.
The staff face crises of the hostage, diplomatic, labor and nautical varieties. In the end, after steering a small ship directly into the path of a hurricane, the president and his staff sit in evening wear around a phone listening to the lowliest sailor on the lowliest ship in the fleet, staying with him until they inevitably drown. Bartlet is so frustrated and angry that he even brings it up during his Latin laced tirade with God a season and a half later (“They say we haven't had a storm this bad since you took out that Tender ship of mine in the North Atlantic last year. Sixty-eight crew. You know what a Tender ship? Fixes the other ships. It doesn't even carry guns, it just goes around, fixes the other ships and delivers the mail. That's all it can do.”)
4. "In Excelsis Deo"
Episode 1-10
One
of few episodes that eschews politics as the main plot. Until now, Toby’s been
the “prickly mumbly Communications Director” but goes out of his way to
properly honor and bury a homeless veteran who he never knew but came across by
happenstance. A larger issue is at hand regarding veterans’ treatment, and this
before we made a whole bunch of new veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan. The
storyline speaks more about human decency than the politics of it, which is
really how it should be viewed in the first place.
A part often overlooked is Mrs. Landingham talking about her sons being killed in Vietnam, which no doubt contributes to why she is so dedicated to her job and duty.
The episode also features a great ‘behind the scenes’ look when Bartlet goes Christmas shopping at the bookstore…behind the scenes being another crux of the series…and possibly the first moment Josh and Donna take off when he gives her a book with a note inscribed.
5. "Take this Sabbath Day"
Episode 1-14
Thoughtful
and didactic without being preachy, West Wing could elevate mundane policy and
everyday social studies vocabulary (the census, a filibuster, the Lend Lease
Act) to be compelling television. So when it tackled the emotionally charged
issue of capital punishment, it really ran with it. The episode is rare
because there is only one storyline and all the characters participate.
Each character has their own view of capital punishment born out of their
background. The episode also takes pains to show Jed’s internal conflict with
religion and executing the law, and the larger theme of the president being
both a man and an office.
Numbers 6-10 coming soon...
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Upcoming Nonsense
Hey - Mad Men and Game of Thrones are both done until next year. What the deuce are you going to write about?
I'm glad you asked. On July 14, Newsroom returns to HBO for its second season, and Raw Data posts will begin in a non-"hate watching" fashion, as I sincerely enjoy the show.
Leading up to the premiere is as good a time as any to publish some posts I've been working on for a while regarding Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing and Newsroom, as well as part two of this post.
Enjoy!
I'm glad you asked. On July 14, Newsroom returns to HBO for its second season, and Raw Data posts will begin in a non-"hate watching" fashion, as I sincerely enjoy the show.
Leading up to the premiere is as good a time as any to publish some posts I've been working on for a while regarding Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing and Newsroom, as well as part two of this post.
Enjoy!
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