Raw Data: Red Team III

Thoughts and observations for Newsroom episode 2-07 "Red Team III".  There are two episodes remaining in the season, but the show will take a week off over Labor Day.  Booooo.  At least there will be other options.

Written by Aaron Sorkin,
Wrote "Malice" which is a good thriller

Directed by Anthony Hemingway of The Wire and Treme.
I wonder if Hemingway and Sorkin bonded over the unrealistic standards and expectations viewers have of great television producing talent following their masterpiece.

• Sierra Tuscon gets name checked, which is where Leo McGarry did his rehab
• Last week I posed that the unfolding of Genoa was too predictable and played into expectations when Gary Pajama edited the tape.  This week addressed that to some extent showing how the gumshoes are coming up juuuuuuust short in a lot of areas, which, when put together, show an institutional failure
• The show does a great job showing the errors made by the gumshoes to make them partially culpable for the retraction
• "Red Team III" brings to mind a decent episode of Elementary from earlier this year "The Red Team"

Gary Pajama is suing for millions of dollars despite the fact that, as Don plainly lays out, he was fired for journalistic fraud.  The cognitive bias occurring here is almost too much to handle, considering how actively and maliciously he edited the tape.  He feels justified because he "wouldln't have done it unless he was sure" which sounds like a justification for, well, anything unethical.  Gary's lawyers may be able to make a legal case enough to scare Atlantic Cable News.  But strictly in the legal, technical way that also relies on the public relations nightmare the company is experiencing, as well as blood lust for scapegoats beyond Mr. Pajama who is a relatively low man on the totem pole.  This despite Gary's egregious editing choice, realized too late by Mac for the same reasons we know Rock Bottom edited its interview with Homer Simpson. The gumshoes are far from innocent but much of the story relied on the edited tape.  It does raise the question of should they rely on a tape witnessed and edited by a single person?


The institutional failure in question is where a seemingly solid case goes down in flames as a result of the sources turning out to be not so reliable.  Unfortunately, the sources were all singing the same song until that point but a lack of follow through from several of the gumshoes brings us to the current state of affairs of NewsNight.  The whole is actually less than the sum of the parts of this investigation.

You know this is fiction because everyone argues about how they should be the one to take responsibility, and semi-hilariously Mac is told she can't be the one to go because she's not important enough.

The causes for the errors become apparently quickly.  Outside of Gary Pajama's editing fraud, each piece by itself may not contribute in a major way to the inaccuracy, but they do serve to confirm the other incorrect information or sources they are piecing together.  It brings to mind the chapter in Outliers where Malcolm Gladwell discusses the many factors that contribute to a plane crash (fatigue, fuel levels, weather, communication, etc).

Will has largely been in the background the last two episodes.  Being the face of NewsNight, he's going to get hung with this more than anyone, despite having probably the least to do with it.  Will is managing editor of the show so it does largely lie with him and he is the decider of things they air.

The biggest surprise was Charlie's source* acting even more maliciously than Gary did.  Actually, I take that back.  The biggest surprise is that NewsNight and Atlantic Media are brought to its knees and it's not solely due to Maggie, who is a terrible, drunk, moody spaz who is somehow employed as an incompetent associate producer on NewsNight with Will MacAvoy.  I am pretty sure it says "incompetent" in front of "associate producer" on her business card.

*  I know I've seen this actor, Frank Wood, in a few things, but I knew there was one in particular that stood out because his voice is so distinct.  After some serious IMDB hunting he played the dean in The Sopranos "Second Opinion" taking Carm to lunch and asking for $50k.  Fun Fact - Edie Falco won the Emmy for that episode, so give Frank Wood an assist.  The episode really focused on Carm and her internal conflict resolving her lifestyle with the means by which Tony earns it.  It also involves an awesome, maybe the most awesome, Furio scene.

I'd like to re-watch the conversation between Charlie and his source, who IMDB says is named Shep, and see if there's any indication Shep is the vengeful type.  Charlie's reaction to his son's death wasn't, "If only we'd known!" but "he deserved to be fired" which seemed a bit harsh.  Though understandable in trying to explain the rationale. 

Raw Data: Confessions

Thoughts and observations for Breaking Bad episode 5-11, "Confessions"... third of this year with five to go.

Written by Gennifer Hutchison, whose done a lot of work on this series, as well as Gilligan's former home, X-Files

Directed by Michael Slovis, the much lauded director of photography for this series


Walt's Jujutsu
Walt is a deranged evil genius.  He is blackmailing his brother-in-law for something his brother-in-law did not do.  In an incredible jujutsu ninja move, Walt, coming from a weak position and defensive perspective, manages to not only buy time but possibly bring his Hank problem to a sudden stalemate, barring some sort of kamikaze always get his man type mission on the part of Hank.  Last week I mentioned "Hank benefitted from Walt's meth money via his rehab.  Something to keep in mind."  Walt takes Hank's single, incredibly thin tie to the meth (which Hank is completely unaware of) and uses it to his advantage.  Quickly Hank is the one that now needs to make decisions about how to proceed, treading ever so lightly.  You have to wonder if this plan was sitting in the back of Walt's mind the whole time.

But you also have to wonder if it's a bluff, and would he actually bring down an innocent man and member of his family, and, presumably, the successive guardian to his children.  Any family togetherness is clearly gone forever.  Once someone tells you to "Just. Die." it's doubtful they'll split the wishbone next Thanksgiving.  But Walt and Skyler want to have an almost 'no hard feelings' attitude with Hank and Marie.  Even though the bond is gone, will they be willing to bring Hank to his knees as Walt goes down?

I am a bit shocked at the lack of shock and disbelief on Hank and Marie's parts.  It may be because they are so angry they do not have room for any other emotion.  Since Hank's panic attack behind the wheel he's been able to focus his energy and quickly come to grips with the reality of Heisenberg.  Marie seemed to do so even more quickly.  I wonder if it would be different, for Marie at least, if they hadn't been, or hadn't found out they were directly affected by Walt's shenanigans. 

This show takes some giant leaps in the interest of moving plot forward where characters make connections that are seemingly thing.  It also suspends reality in a way that I don't often see with other shows.  The way it is different is that viewers don't give them any guff about these leaps and connections the show asks them to make.  I wonder what that is.

Walt and Jessie
Speaking of catatonic, Jessie gives just enough a reaction out of his fugue state in the interview room to confirm (but not prove) Hank's suspicions.  Talking Bad posed the question, paraphrasing, what would be worse for Jessie to find out, Hank's role in Jane, Mike or Brock.  Looks like we'll see at least two, though I can't imagine the circumstance where evidence of the third would come out.  Jessie has his suspicions about Mike's death and may not be interested in proving it.  As Mike was in the game and understood the risks, Jessie's reaction to information about Brock* would dwarf that.

* Discovering in a similar epiphany-esque way as Hank on the toilet.  

When Jessie deduces the deal about Brock* his reaction is not to go to Hank, who essentially offered Jessie immunity not long before, or to get in the car and start his new life.   No, Jessie quickly obtains a giant can of gasoline and runs into Walt's house completely dousing it to apparently set fire to it.  Wow. 

* This show takes some giant leaps in the interest of moving plot forward where characters make connections that are seemingly thing.  It also suspends reality in a way that I don't often see with other shows.  The way it is different is that viewers don't give them any guff about these leaps and connections the show asks them to make.  I wonder why that is.  EDIT 8/27 But here is one good diagram of how it came together for Jessie

Until Jessie's revelation, Walt is on a manipulation bender, even for him, between hugging Jessie and using his cancer to retain control of his own son.

EDIT 8/27 And, for laughs, how about Walter retrieving his gun, casually making excuses to Skyler. Took a while to find that exact strip.

EDIT 8/27: Compare (I assume) Walt's choice of Guapo's for a meeting place with Hank, the DEA agent. Public and unlikely to cause a scene...with a much less Heisenberg-ed Walt choosing to meet Tuco the drug dealing meth head in the garbage dump. 

Have an A-1 day!

Take a Page from 24

On demand television watching, like Orange is the New Black from Netflix, and marathon DVD sessions are re-shaping how people watch television, providing a format for serialized television not previously available. 

Networks shouldn't give up on dramas though, just re-think them.  I think cable is also going to have to re-think how they do things in a few years when the market becomes oversaturated with serialized (especially gritty ones, an overused term if there was one) dramas* as every network not only gets in the game, but gets in the game enough to consistently air a show year-round.  How to make your show stand out? And how do you give viewers impetus to finally turn on your show when they have the convenience of doing so whenever they damn well please?

* Already evident by some shows being a poor man's version of other successful shows.  Some flash with a red alarm as being Very. Important. and discussing Real. Issues.  While there's no cap on the number of anti-heroes there can be, all the anti-heroes are not created equally. 

One way ABC re-thought Lost was to air episodes consecutively.  Season One, with 24 episodes, aired from late September to late May, a traditional television schedule spanning about 32 weeks.  This of course means repeats and pre-emptions which could push viewers away when they start missing episodes or watching them out of order. 

So they played with the model.  Season Three aired episodes six consecutive weeks in the fall and picked up again a few months later, airing the remaining 17 episodes consecutively.  Following the negotiation of a series end date * the only case of episodes not airing in consecutive weeks was due to the writers' strike **. 


* An incredibly contentious issue that nearly resulted in the producers leaving.  They wanted an date, the network did not, which hamstrung a lot of their creative efforts.

** Season Four in eight and six week blocks, and Seasons Five and Six in 16 and 17 week blocks, respectively.

No doubt Lost was a tough show to get into due to the serialization, and not made easy to hang onto due to scheduling.  Even the pilot which seems like an obvious two hour long premier aired over two separate weeks.  Adaptation allowed them to keep loyal viewers though.

It is easier to keep watching a show than it is to start a new one.  Despite pleas from friends and offers of DVD boxes, show recommendations are most often met with, "yeah I gotta get into that."  And if it doesn't take after the first episode, those pleas are often followed with "but you gotta wait a few episodes before it takes off." 

After a certain age it's easy to stop wanting to make friends.  Why should I, you may think.  I already have my friends.  Why bother putting in the enormous effort to meet new people.  Why spend the time over several weeks of one episode at at time to meet Ray Donovan*  when when I'm already buds with Jessie Pinkman and Roger Sterling, and have several seasons of Raylan Givens sitting there if I ever decide to move back home?

* Even with all the television I watch, this is the only new show I've 100 percent bought into in 2013.  One more has potential.  Gotta watch episode two.  I just wish I could hear Elmore Leonard's thoughts on it. 

If simultaneous release is not an option for cable and broadcast networks, I propose mini-events where they air, say, the first three or four episodes in a single night or over a weekend.  Three may work best with the 8-11 prime time slots (or 9-12 if they are worried about airing certain content any earlier*). Three episodes would also work with a three act structure and may benefit how the writers plot the season.  Instead of a (largely) stand alone pilot, they could do more with three hours of television.


* Networks are working on that.  Cable networks pretty much work at their own discretion. I'm reminded of an quote from an incredulous Dan on SportsNight "We have ACTUAL standards and practices?!"

Three episodes would more quickly get viewers invested in the characters.  It would also remove some of the pilot-y things that make pilots pilots.  Writers would not have to cram so much introductory stuff about characters into a single hour. They could be more subtle.  Viewers could record and watch a meatier section of the season together, or at their convenience throughout the week, as is more often their preference.  

24 did this in Season Four and it became their highest rated season.  While not necessarily causal, I imagine it didn't hurt.  I figure if viewers are going to tune out after the first hour they will do so whether it is weekly or in a single night.  But for the population who is going to like the show and is willing to invest, this is a way to make a show more appealing to start.  You may have a list of shows already existing that you want to start watching.  How do you establish priority, and how does a network make theirs the most appealing to prioritize.  It is a way to capture those viewers and bring them into the fold when there are so many other sources competing for their attention and ultimately get them to watch as the show airs from that point on (and maybe buy the DVDs too).   

Raw Data: Buried

Thoughts and observations:
Breaking Bad
Episode 5-10 "Buried"

Written by Thomas Schnauz
Producer, writer, director on Breaking Bad.  The episode is also dedicated to Thomas Schnauz, Sr who appears to have passed away, but am unsure if this is the same person.  

Directed by Michelle MacLaren
Director of several AMC shows.  Also Game of Thrones and is already listed as director for the fourth and fifth episodes of GoT's next season.

•  "The monkey's in the banana patch!"
• Hard to believe a show this dark is also this funny.  So in the final episodes, pause and think about the things that make this show so great.  Like Saul
• "Send him to Belize...I'll send you to Belize!"
• New favorite murder euphemism
• On Talking Bad, which is worthwhile of your time, someone tweeted "Send him to Belize" is the new "Sleeps with the fishes"
• Even though Huel and Bill Burr (who is an excellent, underrated comedian *) definitely stole some of the money, that seemed like not a great tip Walt game them, especially considering it's for the three of them.
• I thought Walt would've at least hid an emergency bag in a slightly easier to get to place in a hole that's easier to access.  Like the dead drops Jessie and Mike were doing pick ups for
• POV Bingo: mark off your space for a GPS
• At this point, the episode title seems too obvious, so I'm wondering what else in the episode is going to be buried
• Turns out it is Lydia's inadequate meth producer's lab/shootout avoiding space.  The guy who was going to buy the methlamine from Mike and Jessie
• Get me on her cell phone or blackberry plan if she gets signal not only out in the desert but in the underground lab with the door shut
• Todd is so matter of fact about things.  He doesn't seem to experience emotion and has singular focus on his tasks.  I wonder if Gilligan wrote him as having some sort of learning disability.
• Speaking of, hadn't seen that many bodies since the prison shankings.  Aaaaaaand there's the guy who did the prison shankings.
• Landry has another FNL friend, Jason Street's murderball teammate.  Also, Devil Crowder
• Walt's underwear is conspicuous again
• Hank's all in but he doesn't want to make the reveal until he has it 100 percent
• Marie and her uber-purple-ness in the episode are 100 percent in as well
• The first 30 minutes of this episode had the pace and suspense and feel of a late season episode, like Walt tracking down and trying to bomb Gus. I would not be surprised if that was the rule and not the exception for the rest of the season
• Hank benefitted from Walt's meth money via his rehab.  Something to keep in mind.

Meth meth meth...methy methity meth meth.
 
* Topics include Boston mascots and bandwagon fans, who to vote for, Lance Armstrong, Oprah, Steve Jobs, the Internet, and being president


Have an A-1 Day!

Raw Data: One Step Too Far

Thoughts and observations for Newsroom episode 2-06 "One Step Too Far"

Written by Aaron Sorkin

Directed by Julian Farino who directed two epic Michael-Jan episodes on The Office, "Back from Vacation" and "The Deposition" and also directed a documentary on psychopaths which sounds a lot like a specific chapter focusing on Broadmoor Hospital in Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test

• Our gumshoe journalists nicely re-cap the case for Sarin for the Red Team/audience
• Jim is immediately skeptical, as is Don
• Weirdly, the gumshoes get defensive about the case, which seems counterproductive.  The whole point of the Red Team is to poke holes in the case set forth and see where they can tighten it, or expose weaknesses.  It is not necessarily to get approval for the case, as it is 100 percent
• The whole meeting seems poorly structured and not likely to be productive in aiding the investigation
• Dennis Bandana even flies off the handle, attacking the ethics of the Red Team, and re-framing the case in the context of questions that have nothing to do with the case as it is presented
• Jim has a skype conversation with his girlfriend that would obviously be annoying to nearby co-workers
• Something about Hallie being surprised at it working is obviously a commentary from Sorkin about how women are idiots about technology. Why does he obviously hate half the planet and have his male characters make zero mistakes?
• They discuss plans which, because we are still in the first act, will obviously be ruined
• Will didactically points out the hypocrisy in how the GOP brings up faith when it's convenient. 
• Mac can't drive, and everyone goes crazy 
• Maggie, who takes up two spaces of street parking when she could allow another car to fit in there, has a rare valid point on Jim when she tells him she kept Genoa a secret from him for months.  
• Jim has a counter point in that she was not (extra) messed up at that time and her drinking is degenerating, so past behavior is more predictive of how future behavior will get worse, not stay the same.
• Did they bring the funny?
• These are more about the delivery than the text:
• "Naahhhhh" - Sloane
•  "It was regular negligence" - Mac
• "Cool" - Neil
• "You're confusing me with a hobo" - Will
• Drunk Aubrey accurately representing a drunk girl
• Tips on acting drunk
• Step 1: Practice
• The episode takes place during March Madness, which is late March 2012, but we're given a specific date of March 21, 2012 later in the episode. 
• General Stan poses the question why is it different for the "collateral damage" to be killed by chemical weapons, or other weapons, which brings to mind Obama's "red line" with Syria as to why is is worse for them to kill people with chemical weapons as opposed to regular genocide/mass murder
• General Stan has some sort of Jed Bartlet-like quality
• "You were a good spokesman for him" (emphasis added) is a backhanded compliment from Jim if there ever was one
• This show could have a vignette each week and post it to the Web site, "Conversations with Don"
• The music at the bar seems familiar but can't make it out enough to place it
• Don was at Newsweek in 2005
• Thanks Mike Isikoff!
• This is the Newseum related item I was hoping for a few episodes back
• After reading Top of the Morning, I look at the morning show with new interest
• The book also noted Savannah Guthrie's dancing skills, which Sloane highlighted
• There is a surprising dearth of clips showing this
•  Will has to sit and talk with this idiot Steve Doocy guy who Charlie yelled at in the first season
• Will talks about likeability, which may reference his Q score.  Top of the Morning makes particular note of Matt Lauer's Q score and plummet thereof following the Anne Curry nonsense
• Of course Denny Bandana is the only one in the room for the interview, making him and General Stan the only ones who know what is actually said after he alters the raw footage
• The show is taking pains to show that while the rest of the crew is skeptical and proceeding cautiously, Mr. Bandana dead set on broadcasting this story come hell or highwater.  I only wish Charlie and Mac were raising more substantive questions about the reporting rather than gritting their teeth to show how uncomfortable they are about it
• Based on how well last week's episode subverted expectations, I hope this storyline has a similar treatment because each beat has followed perfectly in step, somewhat exacerbated by the knowledge the audience has from the flashforward

What people will be upset about
Besides the supposed misogynistic attitude implying that only women make mistakes with anything ever, I imagine some will take issue with the Tailwind (not Tailspin*) story which for the first time is made the central plot to an episode.  "That's now how it happened!" will say the journalists who take no issue with artistic license on a cop or lawyer or doctor show, but suddenly become keenly aware of realism when their industry is subject matter of television drama.  Despite the central ideas for this storying ripped straight from the headlines it will somehow not be believable.  All the usual arguments for drama versus documentary apply here.  If there's an issue to discuss with the storyline, it's the predictability thus far and not the realism.  Why care about plotting and such instead of realism?

Because it's a fictional television show.
 
* OH-E-OH! 

And just as Sorkin put in Maggie mis-editing the Zimmerman tape, he flaunts another huge journalistic mistake, the Quran flushing.  I am admittedly a bit colored, seeing Isikoff speak on a panel with Matthew Cooper and some other journalists (David Corn maybe?) a few months after the incident *, because Isikoff did not seem particularly remorseful for his part in what happened. On Charlie Rose he gave the passive "it was terrible what happened" fake apology but avoids taking any responsibility. 

* And around the time of the Valerie Plame nonsense

Talking Bad

AMC has a follow up show to The Walking Dead called Talking Dead* where they have cast and crew members and a (varying level of) celebrity guest discuss the show with host Chris Hardwick.  Capitalizing on the monster ratings for Walking Dead, they immediately follow it not with an encore (the "pre-owned" instead of "used" version of "re-run") but this talk show which is entertaining enough to passively watch and (I imagine) a low cost way for the network to get some cash and keep making quality shows.**

* Talking Dead led to this hilarious moment in online polling, when posing a question related to whether the group should spend time looking for Sofia.  The audience clearly had no patience for it.

** Nationals Park in Washington, DC abuts a parking lot that laid vacant for the longest time.  With the rest of the area, which was supposed to have restaurants and bars and retail shoot up, almost completely devoid of options, it makes sense to do the bare minimum, put up a tent, and sling Miller Lights for six bucks, rather than let all that potential income go by the wayside.  That is the concept with these talk shows.  The captive audience from the lead in is there.  This is free money.


It makes sense considering how much and energy we spend discussing these shows, why not do it in house and capitalize?  

They've expanded the concept to Breaking Bad with Talking Bad.  Creator Vince Gilligan and Modern Family's Julie Bowen (who largely carries that show with Ty Burrell) were guests on the first (live) show after the season premiere Sunday.

It's refreshing to see Julie Bowen's sincere and earnest interest in the show.  The Breaking Bad finale is going to be one of those "television events" and it's cool to see a celebrity clearly invested in it.  It's not like celebrities who attend and comment on the Super Bowl, while not actually being a fan of the teams, or football in general  Bowen was clearly a huge fan who wanted Talking Bad to go longer than the half hour allotted.  Anyone who's started talking about a show they love knows that feeling.

Oddly, the show takes a caller like a radio call in show, rather mine from e-mails or tweets.  Given all the sports radio (now podcasts of radio broadcasts) I prefer e-mails because it gives the hosts and production staff a better chance to weed through the nonsense and find comments or questions that are constructive to the show, rather than listen to a caller ramble only to be cut off.   

If the guests remain main cast members, or Vince Gilligan returns I'll continue to watch this Monday evenings.

Have an A-1 Day!

Raw Data: News Night with Will MacAvoy

Thoughts and obeservations on Newsroom episode 2-05, "News Night with Will MacAvoy" written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Alan Poul (of the season premiere).

• A several month time jump, we're in March 2012.
• This episode happens close to real time (not accounting for showing simulteneous events in a more digestible manner), lasting about an hour (the length of Will's broadcast)
• It's also written more like a play, which you'll see more of in Sorkin's Steve Jobs movie, which is completely real time
• Also happening, ramping up to the Illinois primary, which Mittens won handily
• It may have been planned this way to start but a bottle episode re-allocating resources would make sense considering the mulligan  * 
• If it is a result of saving resources...I think it is one of those times where less resources make you more creative.  The plots meshed well together, like Neil looking at the NewsNight hashtag, linking the LGBT kid and Will's vanity exercise
• Ultimately though, I think it is just Sorkin being the playwright he rightly fancies himself.  The best scenes he writes have a theatrical quality to them, often evoking a play (think Noises Off)
• Think the bugged scotch in Charlie Wilson's War or the Billy Beane's horsetrading on the phone in Moneyball
• Maggie (who walks really slowly on city sidewalks) says something in the control room, but it's a guess.  Nothing like relying on Maggie's (who stands on the left side of the escalator) guesswork!
• Then again, a shot in the dark can't be any worse than work she puts effort into
• Why does Jim even bother to put on a tie?  He looks like shit every day of his life.
• Jim harps on Maggie (who orders her steak well done) for her appearance and rumpled clothes, which is a great example of the crow calling the raven black **
• If a real life media analysis of Will's tie took place it'd say the purple means he's trying to appeal to moderates.  When in reality it would only provide something for the people who picked out his tie and the people talking about his tie to talk about
• Maggie (who says "could care less" instead of "couldn't care less") is making herself useful by waiting for an e-mail.  And only that.
•  Does anyone have a problem with her performance?
• Only every Newsroom viewer
• Did they bring the funny?  Don did.
• Don in the shot (!)
• Another quote from Don involving Germany and 15-20 years of building rage...will get the exact quote
• "Mr. Munch!" - more in the delivery than the text... 
• "Ba-ba-booey motherfuckers!" - and not just the line but that payoff and unexpected twist
•  Mac verbally and intellectually smacks around this kid who gets himself in trouble for tweeting behind the scenes, reminding me of this story
• #D2R
• A serious moment about Maggie, from a writing standpoint I like how her alcohol abuse, or whatever it is, isn't hiding a bottle in her desk or spiking her Big Gulp (cliche....), but going out on the town a lot  more, which results in drinking, as a way to combat loneliness.   
• Related, this episode does a good job in general averting expectations.  Don and Sloane's talk culminates in a funny phone call and beat down rather than a make out session.  The 'trapped Syrians' get karmic comeuppance rather than be a part of some News Night team to the rescue plot.
• After several Godfather-esque moments in Sunday's Breaking Bad, Mac "settles all family business"
• I think an epic quote like that is somewhat overstating what occurred on News Night
• It actually doesn't even factor as high on the Godfather scale as when Lisa went Michael-Fredo on Maggie (who takes the elevator up one flight. Yes we're back to that)
•  And so we'll see the next few weeks how Will deals with his father's death.
• And Stephen Root!  What an awesome actor.  I know he's so well known for Milton in Office Space but he'll always be Jimmy James from NewsRadio to me.  He's also on Justified these days as the most awesome judge in the world.
• Also, what a cast NewsRadio had.  The whole was so much better than the sum of the parts.  I wonder if that show is streaming somewhere...
• Genoa is lurking in the background of every episode, but hardly the primary concern.  Kind of like how Jim and Pam always had a thing going on in the early seasons of The Office, but it was rarely the main focus of the episode.  The meeting between Charlie and his Naval Intelligence friend went like so many of those West Wing meetings.

What everyone will complain about
Not a lot in this one due to relatively little media criticism.  The errors associated with the Zimmerman tape are still fresh in people's minds.Though I would not be surprised to see Mac catch some flack for saying the kid's announcement isn't the kind of thing they do on that show ("oh, they're so self righteous!").  Or maybe some jabs for having Sloane embroiled in this naked photo thing.  Because, you know, Sorkin hates women.

* Articles contains some of the self-congratulatory nature of media patting themselves on the back for suggesting improvements to the show and lauding praise on Sorkin for taking their suggestions

** I don't think I had a chance to mention I finished A Dance with Dragons and no longer risk  inadvertent spoilers pertaining to Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire.