Season 2
The Newsroom
Thanks to focused storytelling and a more restrained tone, The Newsroom finds surer footing in its second season, even if it still occasionally succumbs to Aaron Sorkin's most indulgent whims.
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Critic Ratings: 3996%
Audience Score
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Oof, that was Rotten.
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It’s good – I’d recommend it.
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Episodes
It's September 2011 as the second season opens, but Will's remark on the air gets him KO'd from coverage of the 9/11 anniversary. Meanwhile, Jim volunteers to fill in for a reporter covering the Romney presidential campaign; Neal investigates the beginnings of Occupy Wall Street; and a lawyer for "News Night" questions the staff about a controversial story.
Neal gets arrested on Wall Street; Maggie lands a coveted assignment, but loses a friend; MacKenzie and Sloan push Will for more coverage of drones.
A new Genoa witness emerges on Twitter; Will decides to tell Nina Howard the truth; Jim can't get any answers to his questions in New Hampshire.
Maggie attempts to persuade Rebecca that her trip to Africa with Gary didn't have any lasting effects. Meanwhile, Will's lousy on-air interview with an Occupy Wall Street protester hinders Neal and Jerry's future access; and Jim helps Hallie land an important interview, but gets an earful from Mac in the process.
Will gets distracted by a phone call and a Twitter post during a telecast; Charlie is visited by an old friend in naval intelligence with news about Operation Genoa; Sloan's emotions run the gamut from humiliation to rage following an act of revenge on social media.
Mac and Charlie hope that a retired Marine general will be a key witness in their quest to corroborate the Operation Genoa story. Meanwhile, Nina advises Will to make an appearance on a morning talk show to improve his image; and Jim has a reunion with Hallie when she's in town for a Romney rally.
The newsroom staff's depositions help Rebecca piece together the events that led to the decision to air Jerry's Operation Genoa bombshell, but the post-air revelations could ruin "News Night" and overshadow breaking news on another 9/11 anniversary.
Part 1 of 2. Election-night coverage proceeds-in the wake of Leona's refusal to accept the resignations of three staff members-with Will in charge of morale. Meanwhile, Sloan is miffed when her book is auctioned off with a forged signature; Neal is tasked with fixing an inaccurate Web page; Jim mulls retracting a prediction; and a Senate race is too close to call.
In the conclusion of the Season 2 finale, election-night coverage winds down as Will and Charlie await Reese's decision on the future of ACN and its staff. Meanwhile, Don discusses a legal maneuver with Rebecca; Sloan learns who won the anonymous auction for her book; Neal asks Hallie for gift advice; and Jim tries to make peace with Lisa, and hopes Maggie can do the same.
The Newsroom: Season 2 Photos
Tv Season Info
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Genre:Drama
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Network:HBO
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Premiere Date:Jul 14, 2013
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Creators:
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Exec. Producers:
Cast & Crew

Jory Phan

Gary Cooper

Jake Watson

Jim Harper

Herb Wilson

Charlie Skinner

Tamrara Hart

Tess Westin

Kendra James

Jennifer Johnson

Martin Stallworth

Jerry Dantana
News & Interviews for The Newsroom: Season 2
Episodes
It's September 2011 as the second season opens, but Will's remark on the air gets him KO'd from coverage of the 9/11 anniversary. Meanwhile, Jim volunteers to fill in for a reporter covering the Romney presidential campaign; Neal investigates the beginnings of Occupy Wall Street; and a lawyer for "News Night" questions the staff about a controversial story.
Neal gets arrested on Wall Street; Maggie lands a coveted assignment, but loses a friend; MacKenzie and Sloan push Will for more coverage of drones.
A new Genoa witness emerges on Twitter; Will decides to tell Nina Howard the truth; Jim can't get any answers to his questions in New Hampshire.
Maggie attempts to persuade Rebecca that her trip to Africa with Gary didn't have any lasting effects. Meanwhile, Will's lousy on-air interview with an Occupy Wall Street protester hinders Neal and Jerry's future access; and Jim helps Hallie land an important interview, but gets an earful from Mac in the process.
Will gets distracted by a phone call and a Twitter post during a telecast; Charlie is visited by an old friend in naval intelligence with news about Operation Genoa; Sloan's emotions run the gamut from humiliation to rage following an act of revenge on social media.
Mac and Charlie hope that a retired Marine general will be a key witness in their quest to corroborate the Operation Genoa story. Meanwhile, Nina advises Will to make an appearance on a morning talk show to improve his image; and Jim has a reunion with Hallie when she's in town for a Romney rally.
The newsroom staff's depositions help Rebecca piece together the events that led to the decision to air Jerry's Operation Genoa bombshell, but the post-air revelations could ruin "News Night" and overshadow breaking news on another 9/11 anniversary.
Part 1 of 2. Election-night coverage proceeds-in the wake of Leona's refusal to accept the resignations of three staff members-with Will in charge of morale. Meanwhile, Sloan is miffed when her book is auctioned off with a forged signature; Neal is tasked with fixing an inaccurate Web page; Jim mulls retracting a prediction; and a Senate race is too close to call.
In the conclusion of the Season 2 finale, election-night coverage winds down as Will and Charlie await Reese's decision on the future of ACN and its staff. Meanwhile, Don discusses a legal maneuver with Rebecca; Sloan learns who won the anonymous auction for her book; Neal asks Hallie for gift advice; and Jim tries to make peace with Lisa, and hopes Maggie can do the same.
Critic Reviews for The Newsroom Season 2
All Critics (39) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (12)
The main flaw of The Newsroom was - and remains - the central tenet of The Newsroom: its odd insistence on fixing news that has already been broken.
You can't fault The Newsroom for lack of ambition, and the cast ensures that its viewers will never get bored.
How a man can simultaneously be so out of touch and yet have his finger so firmly on the pulse is remarkable.
Few TV dramas are as thought-provoking or daringly opinionated.
Give this excellent and improved show another chance.
The Newsroom can be exciting in small doses, but when the tone is always at a peak, the peaks just make a new floor.
The Newsroom completely disrespects its audience. [Full Review in Spanish]
The point may very well be that Sorkin isn't interested in producing - or perhaps is unable to produce? - the same level of inspiring characters as he did in his earlier TV drama The West Wing.
A season that was, at turns, wonderful and laughable.
Instead of feeling crassly manipulated or condescended to, The Newsroom, as it closes out a very rocky second season, finally saw Sorkin get the formula right and return to the promise that season one put forth.
I want, desperately, to feel a solid, indestructible feeling of idealism and joy at watching this show. Sometimes it earns it. Sometimes it doesn't. Most of this season, it fell short. That makes me sad.
Sorkin has dug deeper into his characters, making it easier for a viewer to tolerate (I didn't say forgive) the rich, butter-crumb dialogue and a tendency toward neurotic cuteness...
Audience Reviews for The Newsroom: Season 2
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Feb 08, 2021Even if the story isn't as compelling as it should be, Sorkin's characters speak with enough loaded dialogue and enormous wit that they're capable of carrying the entire series.
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