How Genoa is saving "The Newsroom"

Genoa is an ongoing storyline on the second season of "The Newsroom" that is coming to a head. The show has two episodes left, and this storyline will have major fallout. Not everyone is excited about the storyline, in fact some have complained, but I think it's improved the show during its second season.

Though based on actual events, the Genoa storyline is fictional. It's a story that's allowed the characters in "The Newsroom" to live and breathe in their own world. This has freed up the episodes to feel more like the hallmarks of Aaron Sorkin's greatest shows.

With "Sports Night," which was a fictional sports show in a fictional sports world, and "The West Wing," which was about a fictional Presidential administration, Sorkin allowed the characters to experience events that weren't bogged down by actual history. Sure, the stories mirrored history, but they weren't known events. That allowed the shows and characters to take on a life of its own.

One of the chief criticisms of "The Newsroom" is the fact that it created a fictional show reporting two-year old news. We know how the stories turn out, so the great debates about the facts and ideas aren't as compelling. It's like someone giving you their opinion on recent history. You can't help but feel that it comes with the benefit of hindsight.

Not so with Genoa. The most exciting part is that you don't know where it's going in terms of the show. And that has somehow allowed the narrative to flow and the performances to feel crisper. I don't think it's a coincidence that the past two episodes — which have been almost completely Genoa focused — have been the show's best. It's freed Sorkin and the team to tackle issues and build characters in an interesting and organic way.

In short, I'm back in. I can't wait to see how the season wraps up.