8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The Newsroom follows a popular cable news anchor, Will McAvoy (Daniels), and his staff in their fervent attempt to report the news honestly and fairly amidst corporate mandates and complicated personal relationships. The third season finds Will, Mac (Mortimer) and the staff of "News Night" facing two explosive situations: the possibility of a hostile takeover of the network, and leaked classified government documents that unleash a legal fire storm threatening to topple more than one professional career. Going beyond the headlines, the six-part season turns its attention inward, focusing on a series of internal events at ACN that rock the very foundation of the network, and tackles such topics as privacy issues, the influence of social media on traditional news gathering and corporate takeover. The men and women of "News Night" are faced with personal and professional dilemmas that will forever determine their futures. Set against the backdrop of the Boston Marathon bombing, The Newsroom kicks off the season 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.
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas SadoskiDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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 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 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'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.
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