It's a pretty telling comment on the state of affairs in America when a fictional t.v. series brings us closer to the truth than anything we hear on the "real" news. Last night's season finale of HBO's +The Newsroomwas so well-plotted and smart I almost started cheering for the issues it raised -- and would have if the walls and floors in my apartment building didn't carry every sound. I did, however, clap!
By focusing on the story of the near-impossibility of a 95-year-old black woman obtaining a photo I.D. in order to vote, newscaster Will (voicing, I'm sure, his creator Aaron Sorkin's concerns) brought into play many of the crucial issues we'll see as we near the election. Sorkin isn't afraid to let his characters passionately discuss the large issues of the day or their quirky obsessions (like the excellent Dev Patel's fixation on Bigfoot). Nor is he afraid to realistically depict how easily misled we can be in politics, love, friendship, and work.
Last night Will fearlessly called the Tea Party the American Taliban, listing bullet points making that analogy clearly feasible. He tackled religion as well, reminding his listeners that our Founding Fathers took great pains to keep church and state separate.
I was glad to see an EW reader refute the thumbs-down assessment of this show (EW called it a snooze-fest) by saying that it may be so for those viewers who don't want to think about the problems that face our country today. I say let them watch mindless reality shows if they (again, in Sorkin's words) "can't handle the truth." It is too bad, though, that there is no non-premium channel willing to be as brave as HBO on the political issues of the day. Another series that seriously discusses these issues is Bill Maher (again, HBO; again, a polarizing figure).
Sorkin has said, "I don't like riling people up. That's not what I'm going for, but
I think that when people are talking this much and this loudly about a TV show,
it's good for television."
Note that he said "loudly" - maybe I shouldn't have worried about the neighbors last night after all?
