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With each new episode of The Newsroom, I am even more confused as to why it hasn’t
been shown more love critically. Sure, it’s a bit preachy. And yes, it has some familiar
plot elements. However, at the root of it all is a great, thought-provoking show with
dynamic characters and something to say.
Now, with that said, onto the finale. The episode opens with Will bloody and unconscious in his bathroom. After he is taken to the hospital, a doctor reveals that he suffered from a stomach ulcer caused by taking too many anti-depressants. Mak and Charlie suspect a negative magazine article published about him may be the cause of his self medicating.
Back at the newsroom, the staff continues to work and gather information for stories. Multiple ideas are pitched, but Jim temporarily ignores them to ask if anyone is an expert on Sex and the City, as it is Lisa’s favorite show and he wants to learn more about her interests. Neil suggests a three-hour Sex and the City bus tour, to which Jim replies “I don’t know if I want to make her that happy.”
After Will wakes up, Mak confronts him about the article and why it is bothering him so much. He says it’s because “it was right” and that he doesn’t think he will be coming back to the newsroom. While talking to Will, Mak receives a phone call from Nina Howard, so she leaves to meet with her. Nina says that she has a source who claims Will was high on the air and that if she gets a second one she will have to run the story. She claims she doesn’t want to run it, and warns Mak not to allow her to find a second source.
Meanwhile, Charlie meets up with Solomon to tell him that he is not a credible source, and that he can’t go forward with the email/phone hacking story. Solomon is very unhappy with this news. That same day, Sloan reveals that she has been offered another job and will be leaving News Night. Don also reveals that he will be asking Maggie to move in with him.
Next, Mak has Jim visit Will in order to cheer him up (which was my second favorite scene of the episode; the dialogue and body language were perfect). A while after Jim leaves, he visits Charlie and reveals that Solomon Hancock has committed suicide.
The next day, Charlie visits Will and urges him to disregard the article and come back to the show. He brings in Will’s “mean nurse” and she describes why her great aunt is no longer allowed to vote and that she thinks it is a story worth covering. After talking some more, Will and Charlie are able to figure out that Nina’s source was actually a voicemail Will left Mak; they now have proof of the alleged hacking. This pumps up Will, and he returns to the newsroom. With Will back, the staff goes right back at it. After a long day, Maggie has dinner with L
isa. They have a fight over Jim, and Lisa leaves. Maggie runs after her, but is stopped by a Sex and the City tour bus, which sprays her with water. Fuming, she screams at the bus about how stupid and unrealistic Sex and they City is. She ends her rant by saying “when you fall for a guy and he is going out with your best friend, it doesn’t work out. Things get really, really bad!” And guess who hears this? Jim! When Maggie sees him, she runs away. But don’t fret Maggie and Jim fans! He gets off the bus and chases after her, and when he catches up they have the kiss I’ve been waiting all season for! Unfortunately, they don’t start a relationship like I was hoping... Jim stays with Lisa and Maggie agrees to move in with Don.
Now that they have proof, Will, Mak and Charlie meet with Leona and Reese about the phone hacking. Reese denies it at first, but after they claim to have proof he confesses. Charlie then reveals a recording device. With Reese’s confession on tape, Will no longer has the looming threat of termination over his head (for now, anyways. Who knows what next season has in store).
Throughout the last 15 minutes of the episode, Mak pesters Will over what his voicemail said, but he won’t tell her. She does, however, reveal that she was the woman in the audience at Northwestern. They also hire the girl infamously asked “what makes America the greatest country in the world?” in the pilot.
The episode closes with Nina deleting Will’s voicemail message to Mak, in which he declares that he has never stopped loving her. Why would they do that to me?! This is the season finale of The Good Wife all over again! All-in-all, though, it was a great finale. I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it. Every episode is available at hbogo.com, which is free to all HBO subscribers.
Contact Samantha Rohrs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
