What I’m Watching: The Newsroom (Season Finale)

The Newsroom: Season 2, Episode 9 “Election Night, Part 2” (B+)

This certainly was a formidable finale with a number of major developments, but it’s difficult to acknowledge that the season is already over, especially since Jeff Daniels has been the only one to report that the show has indeed been renewed for a third season. I did like the Genoa storyline, but starting out by framing the episode in that future eventuality meant that the first few episodes were wasted in part trying to discern exactly what our news crew had done wrong. Once revealed, the only place it really went was to have everyone argue over who might be resigning, and I’m not sure that was worth a whole season. The first season, on the other hand, wasn’t bound by any endpoint, and anything can happen at any moment. In this finale, it was great to see Will pushed to a point of trying to hurt Mackenzie by telling her he had returned the ring but then proposing to her in a fashion very much unlike him. That bit of romance was a long time coming but perhaps a bit overdone, and I preferred the much shorter but equally memorable kiss that Sloan planted on Don after she signed the copy of her book that she realized he had bid on and won. Hallie helping Neal help Mac and Jim talking to Lisa and Maggie to encourage them to talk to each other were more typical developments on this show, and I enjoyed those, as well as Reese’s too-late attempt to be noble. I liked seeing Constance Zimmer as Taylor Warren, and I’d love to see her come back as a regular character. This season still has been fun, and I look forward to what will hopefully be a less focused and more overarching third season.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Olivia Munn as Sloan