Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.0 |
| Video |  | 4.5 |
| Audio | | 4.5 |
| Extras |  | 2.0 |
| Overall | | 4.0 |
The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie Review
"What you have to do is bail water out faster than it's coming in."
Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 10, 2015
The Newsroom's final season is sadly its shortest, with HBO giving Aaron Sorkin just six episodes to wrap up the series' ambitious indictment of ratings-driven, corporate-run 24-hour news. Perhaps that's why it comes as such a surprise that Season Three is as satisfying as it is. Sorkin and his writers have been endlessly criticized for the sentiment and snark that flows freely episode to episode, and News Night's last hurrah is no different. It's more indulgent actually, with its showrunners doubling down on the personal relationships and in-office romances detractors have dismissed as contrived workplace melodrama. But for those of us who'd follow Will McAvoy and his flawed but fearless news team to hell and back will love every second, laughing, reflecting, cheering, engaging and, yes, crying. (If the finale doesn't bring a tear or two to your eye, I don't know if there's anything that'll thaw that block of ice you call a heart.) The Newsroom not only continues to tackle relevant issues and hot-button topics of the day, seamlessly blending very real and quasi-fictional news stories together with startling ease, it doesn't betray its characters, bringing their personal lives farther to the forefront. It could have called it quits, scrapping the timely comedy-drama gumbo that has made the series such a delight to watch. Instead, it continues to follow its biting commentary on the state of the media and modern journalism through to the bitter end.
The series follows popular cable news anchor Will McAvoy (Emmy winner Jeff Daniels) and the staff of "News Night" in their fervent attempts to report the news honestly and fairly amidst corporate mandates and complicated personal relationships. This season finds Will, Mac (Emily Mortimer) and their colleagues facing two explosive situations: a looming hostile takeover of the network and leaked classified government documents that threaten to topple more than one professional career. Set against the backdrop of the Boston Marathon bombing, the first episode kicks off with a highly charged look at the core issue of maintaining journalistic integrity in the era of 24-hour news cycles, while crowd-sourcing and "citizen journalism" result in the dissemination of misinformation. Over the next five episodes, the men and women of "News Night" are faced with personal and professional dilemmas that will forever determine their futures. The third season also stars Sam Waterson, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, Jane Fonda, Chris Messina, Jane Fonda, Adina Porter, Margaret Judson, Chris Chalk, Thomas Matthews, Wynn Everett, Mary McCormack, B.J. Novack and Marcia Gay Harden.
The Blu-ray release of
The Complete Third Season features six episodes spread across two BD-50 discs:
- Boston: In the wake of the Genoa debacle, Will, Mac and the "News Night" team decide to err on the side of caution in reporting a major breaking story, which may enhance credibility, if not ratings. Neal faces a slippery slope when he's contacted by an anonymous source in possession of stolen government documents revealing how false press stories planted in newspapers spawned fatal riots in Kundu. Sloan looks to solve a takeover puzzle; Maggie is forced to pinch-hit for Elliot in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. (4.5/5)
- Run: With Rebecca again tasked with defending ACN in a possible lawsuit, Will tries to protect Neal from the fallout over the DOD leak. Charlie and Leona enter the fray of a hostile-takeover gambit involving Reese's half-siblings, Blair and Randy Lansing. Sloan fears Don may be guilty of cashing in on insider information; Maggie ponders the ethics of eavesdropping; Hallie pays a price for a late-night tweet. (4/5)
- Main Justice: Leona and Reece look to raise cash in order to salvage ACN and thwart Blair and Randy. Will gets a surprise at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, while Charlie trades visions with ACN suitor Lucas Pruit. Maggie's EPA scoop makes it to "News Night." Sloan and Don try to keep their relationship hidden from a persistent HR veep who's slowly closing in on their secret. (4/5)
- Contempt: Facing a court subpoena and possible incarceration for contempt, Will stands firm in refusing to reveal the source of the stolen DOD documents. As Charlie's disdain for Lucas grows, Sloan and Mac scramble to find a more acceptable 11th-hour buyer for ACN. Jim's relationship with Hallie is put to the test by her new job at Carnivore, a start-up website. (4/5)
- Oh Shenandoah: Incarcerated for contempt, Will refuses to reveal the name of Neal's government source. Appearing to embrace Pruit's mandate to capture younger viewers, Charlie orders a reluctant Don to track down principals in a sexual-abuse case at an elite college. Sloan voices her objection to a new digital site built by Neal's replacement, Bree. Stranded in a Moscow airport, Jim and Maggie look to land seats for a Cuban-bound plane, hoping to interview one of its high-profile passengers. (4/5)
- What Kind of Day Has It Been?: A sudden tragedy leads Will and Mac to ponder the milestones that transformed the newsroom, and look ahead towards ACN's uncertain future. Maggie lands a field-producer interview in Washington; Neal's digital site is shut down for repairs; Leona offers sage advice to Pruit, who has to choose between bartering a peace with News Night or shuttering its doors. (4.5/5)
The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The Newsroom dims the lights and counts down to its final show with another terrific 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. The series' palette is natural and unassuming, with perfectly saturated, lifelike skintones, consistently eye-catching contrast, and deep, satisfying black levels. Detail doesn't disappoint either. Edge definition is clean and refined, textures are well-resolved and rewarding, and delineation is revealing. A handful of dark scenes are a bit too dark (several late-night bar shots are particularly problematic), and crush does creep into the image, but the culprit is the source, nothing more. Macroblocking, banding, aliasing and ringing are nowhere to be found, and distractions are few and far between. The Blu-ray release of The Complete Third Season is comparable to its predecessors, and fans of the show will be most pleased.
The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season features yet another excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track; one that effortlessly captures the busy, chaotic hustle and bustle of the News Night offices when a story breaks. Conversations, bickering, shouting, and wit and witticisms dominate the soundscape, but the immersiveness of the soundfield and the prowess of the rear speakers introduce layer upon layer of convincing ambience and pinpoint directional effects. The soft click-click-clicks of fingers racing across keyboards. The shuffling of papers, the rustling of hurried feet, the chomping of pen caps, the slightest subtleties of a hectic newsroom, all present and accounted for. LFE output delivers as well, providing ample power and presence, but without ever overwhelming. And dialogue is intelligible and nicely grounded, backed by flawless prioritization and commendable dynamics. I don't have any notable complaints.
The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Audio Commentary: Creator/executive producer/writer Aaron Sorkin and executive producer/director Alan Poul discuss the series finale, "What Kind of Day Has It Been," touching on the episode's title and its significance, the themes and flashbacks employed, the nuts and bolts of the episode itself, the dual performances, and more. The only issue is that, even with a single commentary, one that focuses on the final hurrah of the short-lived series, Sorkin and Poul struggle to come up with interesting topics for a full hour. (At one point the pair discuss green-screening a convincing car ride, rather than further elaborating on the funeral sequence, conversations and character developments involved in the scene.)
- Inside the Episodes (HD, 21 minutes): Each episode includes a 2-4 minute "Inside the Episode" featurette.
The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
The Newsroom's third and final season is too short. Worse, it feels too short. Yet Sorkin and company have created something special: a six-episode send-off that both honors what comes before, enriches the characters we've come to know and love, and even alters our perspective, offering glimpses into the past that reveal more about the present than we realized. And that's just with Will and his colleagues' arcs. Sorkin's commentary on journalism, indictment of 24-hour news, and treatment of controversial topics, difficult debates, and complex political issues is measured, thoughtful and, above all, entertaining. Better still, HBO's Blu-ray release of The Complete Third Season helps close the series on a high note. Forget the less-than-absorbing special features. With a strong AV presentation, the latest release of The Newsroom allows fans to bid a proper farewell to the show.
