The Blackout Part II: Mock Debate

Tonight's episode of The Newsroom wasn't quite the episode I'd been hoping to see after last week's cliffhanger ending. It still had many good moments in it, but it didn't really deliver on the big promises that seemed to be made in the first hour. It didn't conclude the threat to Will's job by Leona (though it did seem to continue that plot line for next week). It didn't even really make good on the title of "The Blackout," which occupied only the last few seconds of the last episode, and barely covered a few minutes at the start of this one.

But the episode did continue the main theme I enjoyed so much from the hour before: the illustration of "Why We Can't Have Nice Things." The mock debate scene that took place at the climax of the episode was a wonderful taste of the sort of moderation that would need to happen for intelligent discourse in political debates. And the contrast with the John King clip at the end was a bucket of water to the face showing what we actually have.

Along the way, we got another excellent scene between Will and his therapist. We got a good continuation of Neal's trolling storyline, which concluded with it intersecting with the storyline of the death threat on Will. I even found myself almost enjoying the Jim/Maggie/Don love triangle story this week; I've never been particularly engaged by this rather soap operatic saga, but it all felt more honest for some reason this week. (Perhaps it was that great moment when Lisa told Jim that she was not someone's second choice either.)

Ordinarily, I would take this moment to again scold Aaron Sorkin for undermining his female characters by making them behave stupidly. He was back to doing it with Mackenzie this week, undercutting her bold speech at the start of the hour with her manic breakdown at the close of the hour. But perhaps Sorkin can be let off the hook this week, because the character he made look the most foolish in the episode -- by far -- was Will, with the ridiculous can't-put-his-own-pants-on beat. If all the characters can be colossally, unrealistically dim at times, then it softens my concern that it thus far seemed to be reserved for Sloane, Mackenzie, and Maggie. Assuming the writing keeps pushing this way next season, anyway.

Next week is the season finale. On tap would seem to be the threats against Will, both the actual death threat, and the one from Leona. We'll see if this season can punch out in style.