‘The Newsroom’ Season 2 Details and July Episode Guide

Jeff Daniels in 'The Newsroom' Season 2, Episode 2
Jeff Daniels in 'The Newsroom' Season 2, Episode 2 - Photo by Melissa Moseley/HBO

Season two of HBO’s critically acclaimed series The Newsroom will premiere on July 14, 2013 at 10pm. The new episodes, set a year after the events of season one, find Jeff Daniels back as Will McAvoy and Emily Mortimer returning as Mackenzie McHale. Also reprising their roles are John Gallagher, Jr. as Jim Harper, Alison Pill as Maggie Jordan, Thomas Sadoski as Don Keefer, Dev Patel as Neal Sampat, Olivia Munn as Sloan Sabbith, and Sam Waterston as Charlie Skinner.

Season 2 – The Basics:

“It’s a year later, and in the days leading up to election night 2012, the ‘News Night’ staff is being prepared to give depositions in a lawsuit — the circumstances of which unfold throughout the season. A mysterious tip has led to the airing of a story with consequences no one could have anticipated.”

The Newsroom Story:

The series is set at the fictional cable network ACN, but the news stories covered in the News Night cablecast are often actual past news events, or are inspired by them. The Newsroom offers viewers an opportunity to return to and relive the news that made headlines as they watch it unfold for the show’s characters, who race to put together the broadcast.

Covering the period from August 2011 to November 2012, the new season touches on the administration’s anti-terrorism policy, Occupy Wall Street, Troy Davis, Trayvon Martin, Benghazi and, of course, the primaries and general election.

The Newsroom July 2013 Episodes:

Episode #11: “First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 14 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: July 14 (midnight), 16 (11:00 p.m.), 17 (9:00 p.m.), 18 (8:00 p.m.), 19 (midnight) and 20 (10:15 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 15 (10:00 p.m.), 16 (9:00 p.m.), 17 (11:00 p.m.) and 20 (3:15 p.m.)
Will (Jeff Daniels) and the “News Night” staff are questioned by their lawyer about a story they’ve aired that’s become a network crisis. An on-air remark by Will has him pulled from 9/11 anniversary coverage. Jim (John Gallagher, Jr.) volunteers to cover for an embed reporter on the Romney campaign and Neal (Dev Patel) investigates the beginnings of Occupy Wall Street.
Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin; story by Ian Reichbach and Aaron Sorkin; directed by Alan Poul.

Episode #12: “The Genoa Tip”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 21 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: July 21 (midnight), 23 (11:00 p.m.), 24 (9:00 p.m.), 25 (8:00 p.m.), 26 (midnight) and 27 (10:15 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 22 (10:00 p.m.), 23 (9:00 p.m.), 24 (11:00 p.m.) and 27 (12:40 p.m.)
A tip on a story that will ultimately cripple the network starts to become more real. Mackenzie (Emily Mortimer) and Sloan (Olivia Munn) continue to push Will on drones as Don (Thomas Sadoski) urges Will to advocate for Troy Davis. Maggie (Alison Pill) is un-friended by her roommate, but gets the assignment she’s been begging for. Neal gets arrested on Wall Street.
Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin; story by Dana Ledoux Miller & Adam R. Perlman and Aaron Sorkin; directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

Episode #13: “Willie Pete”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 28 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: July 28 (midnight), 30 (11:00 p.m.) and 31 (9:00 p.m.), and Aug. 1 (8:00 p.m.), 2 (midnight) and 3 (11:55 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 29 (10:00 p.m.), 30 (9:00 p.m.) and 31 (11:00 p.m.)
Will continues his mission to civilize by telling Nina Howard (Hope Davis) the truth. A new witness to the Genoa story emerges on Twitter, and in New Hampshire, Jim’s efforts to have his questions answered continue to fall on deaf ears.
Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin; story by Michael Gunn & Elizabeth Peterson and Aaron Sorkin; directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.