Exit
a sigh, he continues, “We were
able to be all these things, and do
all these things, because we were
informed, by great men, men who
were revered.”
In short, McAvoy harkens back
to a time without news pundits
— and apparently without news
women.
The opening credits echo this
sentiment: video reels of news
legends like Edward R. Murrow
and Walter Cronkite lead into
still images from studios and
control rooms of the ‘50s and
‘60s, all set to the inspiring music we have come to expect from a
Sorkin series.
But if Sorkin is portraying a
modern-day newsroom, his introduction leaves us wondering:
What about the women?
Viewers eventually learn more
about the female characters who
appear onscreen. First comes McAvoy’s assistant, Maggie Jordan
(Alison Pill), a kinetic combination
of nerves, ambition and loyalty.
Unfortunately, the scene that first
delves deeply into her character
cheaply features Jordan crying at
her desk, plagued with boy troubles. Insert cheesy “There’s no crying in cable news” joke here.
TV
HUFFINGTON
07.01-08.12
Next comes the female executive
producer and McAvoy’s former/
current love interest, Mackenzie
MacHale (Emily Mortimer). Sorkin quickly qualifies her leadership
role as viewers learn that McAvoy
has the ability to fire her at the end
of each week if he so chooses.
Viewers later meet on-air financial analyst Sloan Sabbith (Olivia
If Sorkin is portraying
a modern-day newsroom,
his introduction leaves
us wondering: What about
the women?”
Munn), who MacHale hired because she was just as attractive
as she was qualified to report financial news on air, along with a
female producer named Kendra
(Alina Porter), whose character is
barely developed.
As if to compensate for this,
Sorkin offers Leona Lansing, CEO
of network parent Atlantis World
Media, played by recurring guest
star Jane Fonda. While it’s a treat
to see Fonda roar onscreen as a
Chanel-suit-wearing power player,
her first appearance in The News-