The Newsroom Finale: How Did Sorkin’s Women Fare?

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The Newsroom Finale: How Did Sorkin’s Women Fare?

12:15 pm, August 27th | by Sarah Devlin

After ten episodes, the first season of The Newsroom covered over a year of real-life news events and managed to stretch out a love triangle that no one particularly cared about over the whole season, never resolving it but still picking up new members like a magnet dragged through a pile of paper clips. We certainly learned a lot about Will McAvoy, the tortured but brilliant former lawyer turned amiable anchor turned primetime firebrand (lest we forget, he is also “an accomplished guitarist who occasionally jams with Leonard Cohen”!!!!!!!) but how did the female characters fare? What was their development like from the first episode to the tenth? Let’s take a look.

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1.Lisa Lambert

Lisa's first episode saw her worrying about looking lame without a date at a New Year's Eve party, and the finale had her getting played by just about everyone, from her boyfriend to her best friend! In the second season she should dump Jim and get new friends.

2.Leona Lansing

In Leona's first appearance, she threatened to fire Will. In her final appearance, her fears about her bottom line were overpowered by her love of the news and the actions of her cartoon villain son. Not a whole lot of agency considering she's the head of the network. Charlie Skinner throws his weight around more than she does, and he's drunk at least 60% of the time.

3.Kendra James

Kendra in the pilot: *silence*

Kendra in the finale: *silence*

4.MacKenzie MacHale

Mac in the pilot: "Maggie, I am taking you SHOPPING!"

Mac in the finale: *interrupting her own interview that she's conducting* "WHAT DID THE MESSAGE SAY?????"

Who needs professionalism when you can yell at your ex-boyfriend in front of prospective interns instead?

5.Maggie Jordan

Don to Maggie, in the pilot: "You're making a mistake." Maggie: "I'm used to them by now."

Maggie in the finale: *trips over Will's desk as she leaves his office*

6.Sloan Sabbith

Sloan Sabbith's first appearance on the show had her heroically not punching Mac in the face when Mac told her that she wanted her to be "News Night's resident economist because the other analysts "[don't] have her legs."

Sloan to Don, in the finale: [I'm single because] you never asked me out."

7.Tess Westin

Tess in the pilot: *silence*

Tess in the finale, to Will: "Good show!" Will: "I don't care!"

It's unfortunate, though not unexpected, that the three women with the most screen time spent the bulk of the season worrying about boys (and, in Mac and Maggie's case, not falling over inanimate objects). They still fared better than the lesser female characters, who were such non-entities that they didn't even get their own annoying quirks, á la Neal and his Bigfoot obsession. (It's too bad Sorkin has such disdain for the internet and will never read this, otherwise I am sure he would be incorporating 100% of my notes.) But is that too much to ask in season two? Quirks for everyone!