I decided to go back & watch the First season. The 2nd & 3rd seasons are both okay but, the setup for Season 1 always grabbed me; the idea of how a news team would deal with huge historic moments in recent history. I also have to say, I got a kick out of the number of "reviews" I read for episodes where the viewer was unaware of Sorkin's politics & were turned off. To me, that's like saying, I didn't realized Santa had a weight issue till I met him at the mall.
To be fair, Sorkins' scripts are flawed. While I get the desire to increase dramatic potential, the constant love triangle nonsense does not work. The Jim/Maggie coupling has no chemistry, both characters are the least interesting when interacting with each other & they are the most contrived characters in the show. Besides, making a show about professionals who work together & constantly jump in and out of the sack with each other is just not realistic anymore. Believe it not, people actually date outside of their workplace. That said, the big "They Kiss!" moment felt like a waste of time away from the central plot.
As for the rest of the show, again, I wish there was less time spent on Will & Mac's relationship woes but, since it occasionally integrates with the plot, I can roll with it. For me, the big moments come during the discussions about the role media plays in relaying information to the public. The background discussions, the problems with commercial-sponsored news & ratings, how news gets hijacked by tabloid-style garbage & most of all, how the philosophy of the media shapes the information we receive. Obviously, conservatives represent getting news with a liberal viewpoint & vice versa. But how do you focus on facts without shaping a narrative or putting them on context?
For my money, the season has several beautiful moments, the opening scene in Episode 1 (Jeff Daniels' finest moment), the on-air "apology" in the 112th Congress episode, the drama around the shooting of Gaby Gifford, the moments leading up to the announcement of Bin Laden's death were all moving and well performed. But this episodes' discussion of "The American Taliban" is one that should be viewed in the context of the past decade to really appreciate the season. It's a strong message that will certainly offend some people but, it is well worth a listen and more than a few thoughts.
Finally, I want to say that several times the show left me choked up. In addition to the the moments I mentioned above, just the idea that there are still people out there that believe in the public good gives me hope. That should cut through all partisan discussions.
To be fair, Sorkins' scripts are flawed. While I get the desire to increase dramatic potential, the constant love triangle nonsense does not work. The Jim/Maggie coupling has no chemistry, both characters are the least interesting when interacting with each other & they are the most contrived characters in the show. Besides, making a show about professionals who work together & constantly jump in and out of the sack with each other is just not realistic anymore. Believe it not, people actually date outside of their workplace. That said, the big "They Kiss!" moment felt like a waste of time away from the central plot.
As for the rest of the show, again, I wish there was less time spent on Will & Mac's relationship woes but, since it occasionally integrates with the plot, I can roll with it. For me, the big moments come during the discussions about the role media plays in relaying information to the public. The background discussions, the problems with commercial-sponsored news & ratings, how news gets hijacked by tabloid-style garbage & most of all, how the philosophy of the media shapes the information we receive. Obviously, conservatives represent getting news with a liberal viewpoint & vice versa. But how do you focus on facts without shaping a narrative or putting them on context?
For my money, the season has several beautiful moments, the opening scene in Episode 1 (Jeff Daniels' finest moment), the on-air "apology" in the 112th Congress episode, the drama around the shooting of Gaby Gifford, the moments leading up to the announcement of Bin Laden's death were all moving and well performed. But this episodes' discussion of "The American Taliban" is one that should be viewed in the context of the past decade to really appreciate the season. It's a strong message that will certainly offend some people but, it is well worth a listen and more than a few thoughts.
Finally, I want to say that several times the show left me choked up. In addition to the the moments I mentioned above, just the idea that there are still people out there that believe in the public good gives me hope. That should cut through all partisan discussions.