NEWSROOM, THE: I'LL TRY TO FIX YOU (TV)
Summary
One in this drama series about arrogant news anchor Will McAvoy and his clashes with his staff at the New York-based Atlantis Cable News network. In this episode, at the office New Year's Eve party, Mac's boyfriend Wade, an assistant U.S. attorney, tells Will about how Congress has cut the Department of Justice's budget for investigating financial crime, saying they are being "out-lawyered." Neal attempts to convince the others of Bigfoot's existence, and as Jim works on a list of underreported stories from 2010, Don suggests to Maggie that they set him up with her roommate Lisa. Maggie is less than thrilled with the idea, but Don urges Lisa to talk to him. Mac and Will argue about relationships again, with Mac saying that she is letting herself "out of jail" after cheating on him and is happy with Wade. Will awkwardly attempts to join the party, and at Sloan's suggestion, talks to Nina Howard, whom he learns is a gossip columnist for the tabloid TMI. Though she seems interested in him, he denounces her writing of a "takedown piece" about a reality show star, saying that what she writes is "pollution," and she throws her drink in his face. Later, a piece appears in TMI trashing Will and saying that he made a drunken pass at her at the party, and an amused Charlie suggests that Will is dating the wrong women.
The rest of the staff teases Will, who vows that he is on a "mission to civilize." When Jim presents his list of "stories they missed," Will opts to focus on President Obama's trips to India and developments on gun rights, dismissing Neal's Bigfoot claims. On air, he explains that Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and others have lied by saying that Obama wants to outlaw all firearms, as he has in fact proven to be extremely loose on gun control. Lisa prepares for a date with Jim, worrying that he will think her unintelligent, but Maggie reassures her. Will goes on a date with Carrie and when she offers him a joint, he discovers that she is carrying a gun as well. Sloan, who set them up, asks Will about the date at work, and admits that Carrie is "crazy" when he mentions the .38. Jim tells Maggie that the date with Lisa was "fine," but doubts he will see her again. Will dates a second woman and tries to explain about Nina, but she reveals that she enjoys celebrity gossip too, and Will earns another drink to the face when he insults her for it. Don urges Maggie to call Jim when she comes upon an interesting economy story, but when she does, she realizes that he is in bed with Lisa after all.
Will lands in the tabloids again because of the disastrous date, and Charlie points out that he is still not over Mac. On the show, Will explains that Rush Limbaugh and others are spreading lies that Obama spent over $200 million a day while in India, despite having no source at all for the exorbitant figure. On Saturday, January 8, Neal calls everyone in for one last Bigfoot pitch meeting and Charlie, Will and Mac address Will about TMI's latest cover story. Maggie argues with Jim over his lie about Lisa, and he points out that Don seems to have orchestrated everything. Will refuses to release a statement defending himself, but thanks to a small detail in one of the stories, they realize that Leona Lansing has been helping the tabloids to make him look bad. Charlie finally tells Will about the November meeting in which she threatened to fire him, and Mac realizes that he added the non-compete clause when he altered his contract to spite her. Their fight is interrupted, however, when Maggie learns that Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been shot in Tuscon. Everyone races to assemble the story and NPR reports that Giffords has died, but Don waits for official confirmation, angering Reese. Maggie talks to a doctor and finds that she is in fact alive and headed for surgery, and Will reports the story accurately, then telling Mac and Charlie that he will not be scared off by Leona.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: July 15, 2012 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:31
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 108995
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; News broadcasting; Politics
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2012-2014
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Scott Rudin … Executive Producer
- Aaron Sorkin … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Alan Poul … Executive Producer, Director
- Paul Redford … Co-Executive Producer
- Greg Mottola … Co-Executive Producer
- Denis Biggs … Co-Executive Producer
- Lauren Lohman … Co-Producer
- Eli Bush … Co-Producer
- Dauri Chase … Co-Producer
- Christine Larson-Nitzsche … Co-Producer
- Sarah Rath … Associate Producer
- Alex Wurman … Music by
- Thomas Newman … Theme Music by
- Jeff Daniels … Cast, Will McAvoy
- Emily Mortimer … Cast, MacKenzie McHale
- John Gallagher Jr. … Cast, Jim Harper
- Alison Pill … Cast, Maggie Jordan
- Thomas Sadoski … Cast, Don Keefer
- Dev Patel … Cast, Neal Sampat
- Olivia Munn … Cast, Sloan Sabbith
- Sam Waterston … Cast, Charlie Skinner
- Chris Messina … Cast, Reese Lansing
- Hope Davis … Cast, Nina Howard
- Kathryn Hahn … Cast, Carrie
- Jon Tenney … Cast, Wade Campbell
- Kelen Coleman … Cast, Lisa
- Natalie Morales … Cast, Kaylee
- Missy Yager … Cast, Monica
- Adina Porter … Cast, Kendra James
- Chris Chalk … Cast, Gary Cooper
- Jane Fonda … Cast, Leona Lansing
- Margaret Judson … Cast, Tess Westin
- Wynn Everett … Cast, Tamara Hart
- Thomas Matthews … Cast, Martin Stallworth
- John F. Carpenter … Cast, Herb Wilson
- Trieu Tran … Cast, Joey Phan
- Charlie Weirauch … Cast, Jake Watson
- Emily Wilson … Cast, Shannon Bryer
- Cyndee San Luis … Cast, Paulita Maya
- Don Bendz … Cast, Tom
- Chuma Gault … Cast, Assistant Director
- Renee Gube … Cast, Mike
- Sarah Scott Davis … Cast, Terry Smith