RECAP: The Newsroom 2x09 "Election Night, Part II"

A very sweet, heartwarming finale tonight, which is exactly what I needed after the explosiveness that was Breaking Bad. We pick up on Election Night, with Don, Mac, Charlie, Maggie and Jim in a room, discussing whether to trade their controversial comments about rape from a congressman in order to break the news two days early about General Petraeus's resignation. Don wants to do it, but Maggie and Mac think the only story that can affect votes at this stage is the congressman one, so the Petraeus story goes on hold (conveniently, because we know no one actually did break that story on election night).

We cut back to the anchor desk as Obama's victory in the swing states continues to play out, and while on a commercial break Taylor informs Will that the senior staff at News Night is all ready to resign if Charlie gets his way with the Lansings to accept their resignations. Will is upset at this news and leaves Taylor stranded at the news desk to go look for everyone. Meanwhile, Jim continues to skype with Hallie in the middle of the newsroom (on the stairs, no less) and Sloan is still concerned over who bought the book with her forged signature from the Sandy relief auction. When Will has everyone around him he lectures them all about staying there even if he's gone, but none of the staff wants to stay, all willing to accept the blame for Genoa and stand by the producer and anchor, a gesture that seems to move Will, if only just a tad.

Charlie is back upstairs at the election party, still trying to beg Leona to let them go, but she's too busy drinking with MGH and laughing about a pregnant woman who ran over her husband because he didn't vote for Romney. Jane Fonda continues to be delightfully goofy here, as she gleefully admits she was high a couple of weeks ago when she ordered them to stay, and even got high again this very night (lol). She also tells Charlie she's decided to leave the decision up to Reese, who's considering it at this very moment, a statement that almost immediately seems to put Charlie in a state of regret, given that Reese had already told him he agreed with their resignations (and as if that wasn't what he'd been begging for for two straight episodes now- I guess he really wants to be a martyr). As Charlie leaves he bumps into Maggie's roommate Lisa, who happens to be serving drinks at the party for extra cash, and who asks him not to tell Jim that she's there (honestly, I'd forgotten all about Lisa, as I don't think we've seen her since the first episode of the season).

When Will's informed that Reese is making the decision, he and Mac leave the news desk to go hang out in the makeup room and leave Elliot and Don a chance to take over their responsibilities and get the audience and staff used to their presence. While in the makeup room they get into another big confrontation about their relationship problems, where Will tells Mac that the engagement ring from last season she thought he'd bought her was actually a practical joke. Mac is incredibly hurt and offended by this, and for once, Will is actually sincere in his apology as she orders him to stand across the room from her so that she won't hit him before he goes back on camera.

Meanwhile, of course someone tweeted a picture from the party of Charlie and Lisa's collision, and Jim does see it, sending him up to visit her and square away the details of their own failed relationship (which I'd also pretty much forgotten), but the real point of this visit is so Jim can tell Lisa to make up with Maggie and help her out in the wake of her haircut (I can't believe I just typed that sentence). Jim has finally figured out, with Hallie's help, that Maggie cut off and died her own hair, which communicates to him the intensity of her trauma in Africa. Jim also realizes he doesn't want to screw things up with Hallie by making her feel stupid, which is something he apparently unintentionally did with Lisa.

Sloan finds out from Neal that the book bidder was anonymous (anyone else see where this is going yet?) and used the name of Tony Curtis's character in Sweet Smell of Success, which sets her on a more determined course to find out who it was, while Don tells MGH he's going to counter sue Jerry Dantana for causing him personal distress by doctoring the tape. He also admits in his own sincere moment that he doesn't actually want to resign from ACN, and just wants to keep on doing the news. Aww.

Back in the control room, the rude anchor lady who sits at the D.C. news desk disses Mac in front of everyone for the Genoa story, but Mac tells Don there's nothing anyone can say that will convince her it wasn't her fault. Back on the air, Sloan keeps getting hilariously cut off every single time she tries to make a point, while Taylor and Will duke it out over his personal politics, which gives Will the chance to give a big grandstanding speech about all the reasons why he remains a Republican and the good values that have gone out of the party while bad ones remain, like being anti-science and homophobic, and most importantly, hating Democrats on principle. Jeff Daniels does get a lot of good material in this episode (it's probably his Emmy submission next year if he's nominated again), as he gets to be apologetic, sincere, morally righteous, and later, as we'll see, bumbling and comedic.

Right before the election is called, Sloan is on her way out of Don's office when she sees, drumroll please...a Sweet Smell of Success poster! No big shock there of course, but I do love her reaction, which is to march into the control room, sign the book and kiss him in front of everybody while slapping the book in his hands, silencing the room as she walks out. I admit it, it might have been cheesy but I loved it and I can't wait to see them as a couple next season.

So, we then go over to Jim and Maggie, who have a big heart to heart, where Maggie finally confesses to cutting her hair because the little boy in Africa was amazed by her blonde locks, and Jim tells her just to remember that she didn't die while she was over there. She tells Jim about the first time she noticed him and we get some flashbacks to what I think was the first or second episode, and then Jim tells her to make up with Lisa. I guess it's a nice moment, but again, the Maggie character does absolutely nothing for me with whatever material they give her, and I continue to hope they can figure out some kind of exit for her next season. Really, at this point I'd rather have Hallie on the show every week.

While the crowds are celebrating on the news over the election being called, Will and Charlie are in his office, where Charlie shares with him his epiphany that he really doesn't think any of them should resign and it was all Jerry's fault after all, for doctoring that tape. Will absentmindedly agrees with him, saying he doesn't think Mac should take all the blame, which suddenly sets him off on his own epiphany, and then Will grabs the engagement ring from his desk (he didn't return it after all) and races around the studio, looking for Mac, who he finally finds at the news desk. After a stuttering speech where he confuses her and himself, he finally tells her he's in love with her and always has been, asking her to marry him. Mac is stunned, but then says yes in a sheepish sort of way, and even though I'm not the biggest fan of this relationship, it is a very sweet moment for the two of them, who joyfully announce it to the entire newsroom, which then breaks out into applause. Of course, this coincides with Reese, Leona, and his Rockette girlfriend showing up in order for Reese to announce that he has decided not to accept their resignations, while Charlie simultaneously takes them back anyway, and just like that the whole crew is set to come back next season (as if there was ever any real danger of anybody quitting).

Our final scene of the season is a montage of everyone celebrating for different reasons (Hallie even helps Jim finally fix Mac's Wikipedia page), and pouring champagne to a cover of "Let My Love Open The Door," and as cheesy and sentimental as it all is, I really do have to say that it got me, and everyone getting together or back together made me just as happy as the people on the screen, at least at this moment. As much as I love to nitpick this show, I did think it was a pretty enjoyable season overall, and much better than the first.

Well, that's a wrap on Season 2! I'll be back next year with the third season and you know, I enjoyed so much of it this year that I actually find myself wishing it wasn't so far away.