As court summons are served and hostile-takeover rumours fly, The Newsroom grits its digital teeth for a third and final season – more determined than ever to "do the news well" in our wickedly competitive digital universe where Tweets and Instagrams can trump old-school professionalism.
The puppet master pulling the tightest of strings behind the scenes, of course, is Aaron Sorkin, the show's creator and screenwriter, who is also famous for scripts that turn actors into political motormouths – as well as for hefty dramatic winners such as The West Wing and The Social Network.
“This season, the final season, explores a lot of themes,” says Sorkin. “When does a whistle-blower become a criminal? When does protecting your source become being an accomplice?”
A glance at the series star Jeff Daniels's face usually confirms he's got something compelling sizzling in that thespian brainpan, with an acting range that runs the gamut from cretin (Dumb and Dumber) to soul-wrenching poignancy (Pleasantville).
But it’s his current turn as the scrappy intellectual news anchor Will McAvoy that won him the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series last year.
It doesn’t hurt, either, to machine-gun the show’s dialogue with the talented likes of the network chief executive Jane Fonda and the news boss Sam Waterston, who run the Atlantis Cable News network, along with the executive producer Emily Mortimer and their newsroom staff of John Gallagher, Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel and more.
When we last checked in on The Newsroom, Obama had just been re-elected president, Will popped the big question to Mac (Mortimer), who said yes, and they both kept their jobs when their resignations were refused (after the Genoa debacle).
The new season picks up five months later as the team tackles several real-life news stories while two major fictional storylines are interwoven: the possible takeover and fight for control of ACN and the repercussions that follow the handover to Neal Sampat (Patel) of secret documents leaked by a mysterious source (à la Edward Snowden).
This raises two big questions: to what lengths can Will and his crew go to protect their source? And will their ship be sunk by social media?
“There’s this pull towards social media, but does that mean that social media is necessarily always the best way of getting facts?” asks Mortimer.
Or, as Patel says in character as the internet scanner Sampat: “It’s funny the things people try to control when they feel like they’re not in control.”
"The Newsroom is classic Sorkin – smart, riveting and thought-provoking," adds Michael Lombardo, the president of HBO programming. "I'm sure this farewell season will be one to remember."
And it’s a ton of pressure to be the go-to guy to deliver a classic Sorkin monologue, but Daniels takes it in stride: “We all want that speech. That’s the beauty of his writing. He writes for actors. He writes scenes that you get to play, that you get your teeth into.”
With 10 episodes in the first season, and nine in the second, it appears HBO is calling a rather stingy tune for the series' swansong – with only six episodes – especially when The Newsroom's second season won more critical praise and hit an edgier stride despite the pompous, annoying to some, bits of Sorkian chatter.
However, one might also argue that more North American dramas are adopting the British way of doing things by only giving a series as many hours as the story merits – and that it’s a random act of kindness for HBO’s potentates to fund a proper farewell.
After all, as every journalist knows, every story needs a final word.
The third and final season of The Newsroom begins at 11pm on Monday, on OSN First HD
artslife@thenational.ae
More on Quran memorisation:
THREE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
FIXTURES
UAE’s remaining fixtures in World Cup qualification R2
Oct 8: Malaysia (h)
Oct 13: Indonesia (a)
Nov 12: Thailand (h)
Nov 17: Vietnam (h)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
