The Newsroom Recap: What’s a Maddow?

Oh, I get it. It’s so that Sorkin can fake a Republican espousing his ideas on why the Republican Party has lurched so far to the right. See, “Delaney” lost his primary because he offers principled rather than irrational opposition to the President and believes it’s his solemn duty to work with all members of congress so he co-sponsored HR 2559with a Democrat to provide housing vouchers and services for homeless veterans. Oh, landy. I’m not even Republican and I find this sledge-hammering obnoxious.

Was Droopy Dog not available that day?

On their way out of the office, and with the fake throng of “fans” acting like they’re Whoopi Goldberg and Sally Field at the mall, Will asks Charlie, again, about the radio silence from the Executive Suite so Charlie can lie that “she” doesn’t really watch Will’s show because she’s a Democrat and he’ll let Will know if there’s a problem.

Of course there is. Turns out Reese is Jane Fonda’s son and he and “Mother” weren’t invited to some annual rich person’s retreat in Telluride that year. One percent problems. Charlie agrees with me and gets up to pour himself a bourbon because he’s not nearly drunk enough. Then Reese ominously informs the room that they lost “David & Charles” and I will freely admit I thought “The fruit people?” until I remembered they’re “Harry & David.” But Charlie’s scowl and the piano dirge let me know this is serious.

Mackenzie’s called an evening staff meeting so she and Will can continue being completely unprofessional and inappropriate and Mackenzie can make more sexist comments for her female employees to hear. Still sexual harassment. She passes the meeting off to Maggie who stutters and wheezes her way through an explanation of the Tea Party that Will already gave at the top of the episode and one that was already refuted by actual journalists in 2009.

But whatever, this scene intercuts with Will giving a couple of Tea Party rubes a lesson in who the Koch brothers (David & Charles) are, how they’re wealthier and more influential than George Soros and they’re bankrolling the Tea Party. This wasn’t exactly news in 2010, but let’s look at the rubes they cast to represent the Tea Party, just in case the writing was too subtle:

She looks like Will swatted her nose with a newspaper.

Sheesh. When I’m defending the Tea Party from being made to look dumber you know you’ve crossed a line.

But with the point made, it’s back to the staff meeting where an agitated Maggie excuses herself. Good for you, Maggie. Professionalism isn’t beyond your grasp. Jim gets distracted from whatever Mackenzie is talking about and excuses himself to corner Don about Maggie. She’s fine, she’s having a panic attack and needs to be left alone to get some fresh air on the terrace. Callous, you say? Probably, but also her boyfriend who’s seen her panic attacks in the past and knows her MO with dealing with them so…default to his experience, Jim. No. He’s, again, testing the bounds of just how much of a douchebag he can be in certain situations and gets in a dig at Don’s show, to which Don just blows it off by telling Jim to go fuck himself. Then pats Jim on the back. Heh. Yes, he’s a dick but he OWNS it.

Seriously, I worked with Will before he was neutered. You’re just a chew toy.

A quick trip to the war room where there’s more dick swinging and then we’re out on the terrace with Maggie, who’s managing to employ actual coping skills to get over the panic attack. Good for you, Maggie. One step closer to being a functioning member of society. Aaaand there it goes. I’m too embarrassed to recap why she doesn’t have her Xanax, she just doesn’t. Because she’s an idiot. Oh, and so Jim can come out and be her hero because she’s just a girl. She needs a manly man like him to teach her how to manage her panic attacks. Blerg.