SJvandelay

If Aaron Sorkin was looking for a way to make liberals look like pompous asses, he has succeeded. And as a liberal, any show which leaves me wincing and screaming obscenities at the television while theoretically reinforcing my own beliefs is a feat of great magnitude. I had hoped this show would improve from last season, but it seems to have gotten worse. If not for the love interest they all seem to have in one another, none of the regular female characters would even be missed if they were written out of the script. (Allison Pill cuts off all her hair after a contrived tragedy is about as deep as it gets.) I audibly groan at the real-life events (Occupy Wall Street, bank crisis, as an example) that we are supposed to watch again, through the eyes of the PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING, oh, this ridiculous news channel. And this season, even more contrived b.s. with biological weapons being used on civilians in some far off country that everyone in America knows would never get put on the nightly news. There's a royal baby being born after all. Jane Fonda and Marcia Gay Harden are the only bright lights.

Season 1 had very few redeeming qualities. In fact, I don't even remember what they were. The show was incredibly smarmy and pat (from me, a professed liberal). Mackenzie is supposed to be this great and powerful producer, yet, she doesn't know how to not send an email to the entire staff? She bumbles her way through every scene, which just outs Aaron Sorkin (again) for his lack of knowing anything of how to write female characters. Bah.

Characters with depth and backstory and a show written so well that exposition is never evident, yet, you still feel as if you know so very much about them, I mean, when does this happen? It's beyond a rarity. This season is insanely great, INSANELY. As I think back on the events and have re-watched all of the seasons many times, I am struck with just how much happens in Season 2. "Grilled" and "Peekaboo" are two hours of television that didn't leave my head for months and months. All good acting, writing, directing came together for a perfect trinity in this season, every episode, every role.

I could not like this television show more if I tried. I came to it late (during Season 4) and caught up by binge watching on Netflix. How simply compelling every part of it is.

The host is unnecessary. Besides the fact that he is quite annoying, he continues to inject himself and his experience into every conversation. Shoo. More of the writers, less of the host. So much of each show is giggling over small talk, all injected by Jim Rash, the host.