Sorkin' In It
Brian and Lex may not have Sorkin’s characters’ quick wit and complicated sentence structure, but they do have an appreciation for most things Sorkin. In season one of the podcast, they review every movie Sorkin ever wrote. Season two goes episode by episode through The Newsroom.
All Episodes
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November 29, 2023
2.13 Willie Pete (The Newsroom S2E3)
Who the heck is Willie Pete — another new character?! We investigate that, while Will tries to figure out who leaked info to Nina. Jim tries to overthrow the Romney bus. And Maggie’s getting ready for Uganda. Meanwhile, Brian and Lex are still struggling to love the Genoa plotline. We’re trying.
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November 22, 2023
2.12 The Genoa Tip (The Newsroom S2E2)
With a title like “The Genoa Tip”, you might be excused for thinking this episode of The Newsroom is about a piece of genoa salami, but no, my friend, this an episode about lots of things that aren’t that. It’s actually the title of Season 2, Episode 2 of The Newsroom, and while there are lots of complicated plot lines that may or may not hold together, you’re safe in Lex and Brian’s capable hands.
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November 15, 2023
2.11 First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers (The Newsroom S2E1)
It’s a brand new season of The Newsroom. Lex and Brian have high hopes for a reboot that helps the show gel better. And there’s a new theme song! New characters! New hairstyles! Join us as we determine whether the headline is: “Newsroom improves” or just “Newsroom is more of the same.”
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November 8, 2023
2.10 The Greater Fool (The Newsroom S1E10)
It’s the Season 1 finale of The Newsroom. Maggie’s handing out sandwiches. Jim’s on the bus. Will’s in the hospital. Brian and Lex? They’re Sorkin’ in it.
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November 1, 2023
2.9 The Blackout Part II: Mock Debate (The Newsroom S1E9)
The Blackout continues! And then immediately… it ends. The News Night team pitches the RNC on why they should get the debate, Maggie and Jim convince Lisa to talk about her barely-there relationship with Casey Anthony, Neal is trolling, and there are rosebuds and flowers afoot. Brian and Lex just try to keep up.
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October 25, 2023
2.8 The Blackout Part I: Tragedy Porn (The Newsroom S1E8)
It’s the first half of a Newsroom two-parter. Will succumbs to ratings pressure and starts covering Casey Anthony, because he’s desperate to reinvent presidential debates. Leona’s desperate to find a way to fire Will. Anthony Weiner… Well, he’s just plain desperate. Oh, and Mackenzie’s ex is writing a cover story on Will — at Will’s invitation. Brian and Lex are just trying to keep Sorkin’ In It.
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October 18, 2023
2.7 5/1 (The Newsroom S1E7)
Charlie meets a whistleblower. Sloan, Don, and Eliot get stuck on the tarmac. And Will? Will gets stoned. Plus, Obama good, Osama bad. Brian and Lex break down the highlights and lowlights of a jam packed Newsroom episode. You get to Sork it all up.
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October 11, 2023
2.6 Bullies (The Newsroom S1E6)
Who ARE the bullies? Will’s journalistic integrity is threatened by an interview that pushes the boundaries of both his professional and personal ethics. Sloan stumbles in covering a Japanese nuclear accident. And Brian and Lex don’t necessarily agree on who the real bullies are. One thing they DO agree on, though: It’s time to get Sorkin’ In It.
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October 4, 2023
2.5 Amen (The Newsroom S1E5)
It’s the Valentine’s Day episode, so of course The Newsroom focuses on… an embedded stringer reporter in Egypt during Arab Spring. Meanwhile, Will sets his sights on the Koch brothers, and Mackenzie’s becoming gossip fodder. But mostly, Brian and Lex are really frustrated with the ridiculously misplaced Rudy homage. Amen to that.
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September 28, 2023
2.4 I’ll Try to Fix You (The Newsroom S1E4)
This episode of The Newsroom is all about feelings. Aaron Sorkin feels that smoking is cool. Neal feels more people should listen to his Bigfoot theory. And Lex and Brian feel that Don’s the worst. You, too, can have feelings about Sorkin, Bigfoot, and much more in this week’s episode.
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September 20, 2023
2.3 The 112th Congress (The Newsroom S1E3)
Fire up your fax machine, because this episode of The Newsroom offers all the ingredients of a classic Sorkin show, with multiple plot lines, jumping forward and back in time, grandiose speeches, and Sorkinisms like “Can we have the room please?” But, does it hold together? Your pals Lex and Brian decide if it’s time to BLEEP around or just play golf in another episode of Sorkin’ in It.
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September 13, 2023
2.2 News Night 2.0 (The Newsroom S1E2)
Lex and Brian were excited to dive into the second episode of The Newsroom, News Night 2.0. Fresh off the high of their successes in Episode 1, now Will’s team drops the ball a few times with some pretty predictable gaffes — but we also get meet a few new interesting characters. Is News Night 2.0 2 much 2 soon? Let Brian and Lex tell you.
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September 6, 2023
2.1 We Just Decided To (The Newsroom S1E1)
We kick off Season 2 with the pilot for The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin’s series about the inner workings of, well, a newsroom. There are plenty of new characters to meet (with a surprising number of Mac/Mc/Mack names to keep track of), but your ol’ pals Brian and Lex will help try to keep things straight while we discuss what to expect for the season and break down episode one. Step into the control room, don your headset, straighten your papers on the desk, and let’s get Sorkin’ In It!
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August 31, 2023
2.0 Season 2: The Newsroom
Lex and Brian finished reviewing all of Sorkin’s movies. You may find yourself sad, disappointed, and wanting more. Well, turn those frowns upside down, folks! Lex and Brian looked into it, and here’s some breaking news: Aaron Sorkin doesn’t just write movies, but he does TV, too. Season 2 starts soon, and here’s the trailer. We’re diving deep on The Newsroom.
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June 29, 2023
9 The Trial of the Chicago 7
The year is 1968. The setting is Chicago, at the Democratic National Convention. Tensions are high. And Lex and Brian are ready to hold court, with a podcast about Aaron Sorkin’s 9th film, The Trial of Chicago 7.
Sorkin assembles yet another incredible cast, this time with Sasha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. We won’t spoil our takes on the film until you listen to the show, but we’ll just say this: Some of the cast is guilty… of the best accent work yet in Sorkin’s oeuvre. Bang the gavel — it’s Sorkin time.
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June 22, 2023
8 Molly’s Game
Lex and Brian discuss Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, Molly’s Game. It’s the classic tale of a former world-class skier turned underground elite poker game runner. Jessica Chastain turns in a command performance, but how does the story hold together when Sorkin as both the writer and director? Find out as Lex and Brian go all in on poker puns with their take on the film: This is the hand you’re dealt; let the chips fall where they may.
One last thing… Listen up, Hollywood. If you write 3 P’s on a whiteboard, don’t erase the whiteboard between shots. You’re not going to write it the same way the next time, and people like Brian and Lex will notice. This is table stakes, folks.
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June 15, 2023
7 Steve Jobs
When a film is called “Steve Jobs,” it can be hard to separate your feelings about the movie from the person it’s based on, but Lex and Brian are willing to try — and they might even thank the Apple II team, while they’re at it. They also reminisce about their first Macs and their own Apple origin stories. Whether it’s Sorkin’s artistic choices or Jobs’s life choices, it’s all on the desktop for Lex & Brian. Turn on Do Not Disturb, because it’s time for another Classic episode of Sorkin’ In It.
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June 8, 2023
6 Moneyball
Batter up: It’s time for another episode of your favorite Aaron Sorkin film podcast, and Lex & Brian hit it out of the park. This time, it’s 2011’s “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (sadly, no Joshua Malina). Lex throws a curveball: He’s not sure this even IS a Sorkin film. Either way, this is the only Moneyball-focused podcast that mentions Richard Kind’s cat. Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks, folks: It’s time for Sorkin’ In It.
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June 2, 2023
5 The Social Network
You know what’s cooler than a million podcasts? Just one podcast, all about The Social Network. Brian and Lex go deep on whether Aaron Sorkin even likes Zuck, whether Justin Timberlake can handle Sorkin dialogue like a pro, and whether this is Andrew Garfield’s best web-related role.
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May 25, 2023
4 Charlie Wilson’s War
Lex and Brian watch Charlie Wilson’s War, the 2007 film starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It’s a journey of discovery that includes bugged Scotch, truly awful accents, and watching CNN from the hot tub. And that’s just while Lex and Brian were recording this episode.
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May 19, 2023
3 The American President
Watching The American President can feel like diving into an alternate reality for fans of the West Wing. Why is Jed Bartlet the chief of staff? What’s Will Bailly doing working for a lobbyist? Why do Josh & Toby look like Michael J. Fox? Well, Lex and Brian are happy to dive into such matters and many more as they watch and review Aaron Sorkin’s White House romcom somewhat awkwardly named, The American President.
Warning: Mild spoilers for “The West Wing” throughout the episode.
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May 12, 2023
2 Malice
Brian and Lex both watch Sorkin’s second film, Malice, for the first time. The 1993 film stars Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman, and a cat that puts in a very convincing performance. It’s part thriller, part noir, part… something? Will Lex and Brian love the movie or question some of their life choices? Find out!
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May 5, 2023
1 A Few Good Men
Lex and Brian rewatch Aaron Sorkin’s first film, A Few Good Men, based off his stage play of the same name. The 1992 film stars Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore, along with two famous Kevins. Does it hold up? Are there any future Sorkin tropes to be spotted? Here’s an analysis from what you might call A Few Good Mensches.
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May 2, 2023 Lex and Brian introduce Sorkin’ In It.
0 Sorkin’ in It: Trailer
Lex and Brian introduce Sorkin’ In It, a new podcast about every film written by Aaron Sorkin. If you like snappy banter and witty insights, you’ll love most of these movies and all of these episodes. Every film needs a trailer, and so it follows that every podcast needs one too. This is that trailer.