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I am not entirely sure why, but lately, there has been a trending surge of the “Why is America the Greatest Country in the World?” clip from HBO’s The Newsroom. I do not mind this because it is one of my top three favorite TV shows. Chloe came across it and immediately came to find me and told me that she wanted to watch the show.
We finished all three seasons about two weeks ago, and I am now ready to discuss why this show deserves some love.
Let’s start with the clip that drags most people in:
Now, do I agree with everything Will McAvoy said? No, but some of what he intends is true. We need to be informed, and we need to come together to create a country that we all can be proud of.
I have always wanted to be a journalist, so my love for this show stems from the desire to be on the bullpen floor. But there are four main relationships that I want to focus on, so just bear with me.
4. Jim Harper and Maggie Jordan:
From the beginning, we are told that these two belong together, and we must wait three seasons for that promise to be fulfilled. Their love story, although cute, it is not the most satisfying romance in the show.
Jim is a capable producer and one that deserves a Peabody for the work that he has done. Maggie is just trying to survive on the floor and figure out how to pursue her dreams. They epitomize the “Right Person but Bad Timing” Trope.
When Jim is first introduced to Maggie, he is told that she is the perfect girl for him, but she happens to be dating Don Keefer, the Executive Producer of the 10 o’clock hour. Now Maggie and Don’s relationship is the definition of “On Again, Off Again,” and it is honestly one of the most annoying parts of the multiple obstacles that Jim and Maggie must overcome.
I don’t want to say that Jim is toxic because that is not true, but the relationships Jim stumbles into while pining over Maggie tend to be. In season 1, Maggie pigeonholes him into a relationship with her beautiful roommate Lisa. Lisa is smart and thoughtful, but she is not Maggie. Jim tries hard to make it work, but Lisa recognizes that she is not what he wants and has to convince Jim that he needs to let her go.
“I don’t want to say Lisa is dumb, but when you know that your friend is head over heels for someone (even if she won’t admit it) DON’T DATE THEM!! When Lisa blames Maggie for the relationship not working I lose a bit of respect for Lisa.”
In season 2, we meet the smart and capable Hallie. Chloe has a lot of things to say about this character, and most of it I agree with, but the biggest issue we have with her is that she doesn’t recognize that she is just as much the problem as Jim.
“I am not letting Jim off the hook, he messed up in his own way, but Hallie is a real Villain. She used Jim and his position to get ahead in her own career. She was always looking for a fight and acted like the victim.”
She is right. Hallie never respected Jim. She took advantage of their relationship and his access to get ahead in her own job and then blamed him for being old-fashioned and unreasonable.
Maggie had her own set of failed relationships, and it was because her subconscious would never admit that she fell for Jim the moment they met. Because she was trying to be happy with Don, she pushed Jim away. When Don finally saw the light and let her go, she gave up too easily and ran away to Africa on assignment. She experienced her first real trauma and didn’t know who to run to, which concerned Jim. Once she is better, she tries to get into the dating world again, but everyone else sees what she can’t admit. She LOVES Jim, and no one else will be able to live up to that.
Their “Come-Together” moment is long overdue and very angsty, but they find their way to each other in the end. Maggie is the only woman we see Jim encourage to improve and help her in those strides. Maggie only ever goes to Jim for the advice she needs. The two learn to grow and support each other no matter the cost.
3. Don Keefer and Sloan Sabbith
Sloan is our Financial News correspondent, and Don produces the 10 o’clock hour, but their worlds are constantly intertwining.
Sloan is the type of beautiful geek that knows she is cute but banks on her brains. She can have the pick of the litter but almost from the moment she met him, she had a thing for Don, but he was unavailable. She suppressed her desires and pursued other relationships, but Don was always there to support her and back her up when needed.
Don is the type of man that believes he is a bad guy that is desperately trying to fit in with the good guys, and he doesn’t quite realize it until Sloan points it out to him.
The support these two give each other is one that one should be looking for in a friend and partner.
Around the middle of season two, we see them coming together a little more every time they are on screen. By season three, we get to see them as the beautiful, chaotic couple that they are. So much so that even the Vice President of HR is rooting for them.
“Sloan and Don are always sweet. The best thing about it is that there wasn’t a lot of drama between them so it was just a nice relationship you can root for. The moment they FINALLY get together in season 2 is unbelievably satisfying, and season 3 is just full of laughs as they navigate how to show love to one another.”
2. Mac and Will
What would you do if suddenly forced to work with the person who destroyed your world three years prior?
At the start of this article, you saw a clip of Will McAvoy having a true moment in front of college students. That spark lit a fire in the ANC newsroom, all thanks to a “hallucination.” Will thought he saw his former producer/ex-girlfriend in the audience doing what she does best… producing. As the backlash from his “meltdown” began to settle, he was informed that there would be a new executive producer for the News Night broadcast: the incomparable Mackenzie McHale. The very woman that shattered his heart three years ago, and now she would once again not only be in his life but running his broadcast.
Mac knew her mistake and owned it. She, on multiple occasions, pointed out that she messed up and now had to sit ten feet away from the life that she could’ve had. Mac’s love for her craft and the Will she used to know is what drives her on day-to-day bases. Both Mac and Will love their team and would do whatever they can to protect those that are following them without question, as well as each other.
When you are fighting side-by-side every day for a common goal, you can’t help but grow together. Their love of each other is based on mutual respect and trust, and their sharpening of each other also sharpens those around them. They have one of my favorite proposals because it was well worth the wait.
“First off the proposal scene was SOOO good you literally wanted to just jump for joy because of how well it was executed.
This relationship is the foundation of the TV show and again it is well worth the wait because you know that no matter how hard Will tries to hide it...he is head over heels for Mac. Sometimes he even sabotages himself just to deny it.”
1. Charlie Skinner and his ACN Staff
There are very few Boss Daddy’s out there that can rival the love and support that Charlie Skinner pours into his team.
Charlie purposefully hired Mackenize because he knew that she would be the perfect kick in the pants that Will needed to get back to the true calling of a journalist. He knows just the right words to twist to get Will to recognize the true potential that truthful and unbiased media coverage could unleash. He knows when to let Don make decisions in the best interest of the subject of his story and his broadcast. Charlie even inspires Jim and Maggie to strive for greater and truer information.
But my favorite Charlie relationship is the relationship that he has with Sloan Sabbith. They are two nerds in it for the love of the banter between them. Charlie loves all his kids, but Sloan has a special place in his heart.
I can’t quite decide if it is because she is straightforward and doesn’t like to be jerked around, which makes her a tenacious investigator. Or it could be that he sees a little bit of himself in her… but I think that is more of his relationship with Don. Charlie’s love for Don went far beyond the office. Charlie’s wife recognized the father/son relationship and needed Don to know how much Charlie loved him.
Sadly, at the end of season 3, we lose Charlie to a heart attack, which devastated the newsroom. Each person believed their attitudes and arguments were the final straw that caused the heart attack. Charlie gave everything he had to the bullpen and everyone in it. In the end, he died in the middle of compromising his values so that he could keep his team together and praying that his team would never have to do the same.
Will couldn’t be there when the heart attack hit, but he was able to be at the funeral. His initial thought was that he didn’t know what to say or if he should say anything at all, but in the end, he gave the company the exact words they needed to hear.
“The best part about Charlie is exactly what Emily said, HE LOVES HIS FAMILY! Charlie was willing to tell everyone when they were wrong and how they can be better.
Were there major bumps along the way? OF COURSE! But Charlie new when to be the sweet talker and when to be the pappa bear. Charlie’s character will always hold a special place in my heart.”
I get that a newsroom drama is not the go-to storyline for most viewers. Still, Aaron Sorkin knows how to create a show that mashes incredible characters, emotional storylines, and current historical events into a hit, however short-lived. The best part is that it almost feels like even though the show ended, their stories continue as they work to make the news world better and challenge their viewers to expect the same.
Until Next Time,
Peace Out Lovers!
