After Sunday night’s finale of The Newsroom season 2, many fans are wondering what next season may bring, which got us thinking about what stories Aaron Sorkin may want to include in his storyline for The Newsroom season 3.
While there are a ton of news stories for him to choose from, we think that Sorkin will focus on the most emotional and thought-provoking stories from November of 2012 to the present. Season 2 of The Newsroom spent most of its time focused on the Genoa story and other political developments leading up to the 2012 election coverage. In addition to the Petraeus scandal which has already been mentioned in The Newsroom season 2, here are our top five stories we think Sorkin will include in The Newsroom season 3:
The Syrian Civil War
There is always at least one international news story, and when looking back at the events of Fall 2012-Summer 2013, there is no doubt that the Syrian Civil War would have to be covered in one way or another by ‘News Night with Will McAvoy’.
In addition to the unending reports of bombings and shootings going on in that area on a daily basis, there were stories of people fleeing and taking refuge in Jordan and other neighboring countries. We would be surprised if there was not at least a passing mention of this in The Newsroom season 3, mainly because of the severity of the events.
The Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary
When talking about the stories he would use in season 2 of The Newsroom, Sorkin referenced the Sandy Hook shooting and mentioned that a situation like that must be handled with extreme care, but it was such a horrific tragedy that it would be hard to simply bypass.
The unfathomable events that took place on December 14th in Newtown, Connecticut cut a deep wound across our nation’s memory and hearts. While he did not find a way to work it into Season 2 (mostly due to the season ending with election coverage in November), we cannot imagine The Newsroom season 3 without mentioning Sandy Hook.
The Gay Rights Movement
Throughout seasons 1 and 2 of The Newsroom, there has been a story that shaped the majority of each of those seasons.
Season 1 focused on Will’s determination to bring the Tea Party, called by him “The American Taliban,” to the forefront of the discussion, no longer allowing them to operate under a moniker that general Americans recognized, but did not understand. Season 2 brought Genoa, and while the story wreaked havoc on the crew at News Night with Will McAvoy, it also gave the season structure and continuity.
One possible option for season 3’s continuing story would be the many events that took place concerning gay rights. Starting with election night where voters in Maine, Maryland, Washington, and Minnesota took to the polls to support gay rights, there have been many events throughout early 2013 that could help frame the story of The Newsroom season 3.
Major milestones such as, the boy scouts lifting the ban on gay youth, the shutting down of Exodus International, the June 26th Supreme Court striking down DOMA, and the overturning of Prop 8 banning gay marriage in California could easily provide many stories to structure season 3 around.
The Boston Marathon Bombing
In addition to the lives lost in Newtown Connecticut, we cannot imagine a third season of The Newsroom without mention of The Boston Marathon bombing. April 15th, 2013 should have been a day to cheer on those completing a physical feat many of us only dream about competing in, but soon became a day of fear and panic as 264 people were injured and 3 killed when two bombs exploded at the finish line.
The manhunt that took place soon after that, and the publishing of the perpetrators’ pictures as soon as they were discovered on the security camera footage, dominated the news landscape until both brothers were brought to justice, one killed and one arrested by police.
Will McAvoy and his dedicated team at News Night would undoubtedly be compelled to join in the coverage as the police brought the two boys to justice, and we would love to see how Aaron Sorkin would have our ACN crew handle the story.
The Snowden Scandal
The last item we think Sorkin and company would be crazy not to include in The Newsroom season 3 would be the ongoing saga of the Snowden Scandal. The leaking of confidential material concerning United States & British government mass surveillance programs has been touted as one of the most significant leaks seen in US history.
The leak has also been hotly debated once news broke about the actions of Edward Snowden, labeling him both a traitor and a patriot. Some see his actions as whistleblowing and exposing of controversial practices, while others believe that the sharing of the confidential material is borderline treason. The dichotomy of the issue could provide for a compelling storyline on The Newsroom and we would love to see what Will McAvoy and staff have to say on the topic.
There are many, MANY more stories that could and will be included in The Newsroom season 3 storylines, but these five stories seem too important to just be overlooked. We all anxiously await official word from HBO on the topic of renewal for season 3 of The Newsroom, at least we have
What stories would you look forward to seeing in The Newsroom season 3?
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Joshua Roberts/Reuters, and the Guardian (respectively)
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.