Loveday Writing

The job of a season finale is to wrap up the season’s story arcs and establish new ones for the next season (if there is one). I feel that this finale mostly did its job and I’m going to review it character by character.

Dale and Gerry – The episode kicks off with Dale being interviewed solo on Gerry’s show on 21 January 1988, much like he and Helen were interviewed on the show in the premiere, providing nice bookends to the season. Dale reveals that he and Helen have separated, using Helen’s new overseas job and the distance it creates as a reason behind it, much like Helen suggested they do.

On 23 January, Dale and his mother go to the huge house he has bought himself. When she remarks about the space and being lonely, he tells her that he loves it and never thought he would step foot in a house like this, let alone own one.

When he wakes up on the morning of 25 January, his phone rings with Gerry on the other end. Gerry asks him if he’s read the paper yet, as he was charged yesterday for indecency and the story is in the paper. He asks Dale to come over before work as he needs his help, he agrees to come over.

When Dale arrives at Gerry’s house, the media are there waiting for him. Carla tells Gerry she wants to send Alison to school, but Gerry tells her to let Alison stay home from school as the other kids will make fun of her. When Dale clearly sees that Carla supports Gerry, he asks him what he’s doing there. Gerry tells Dale that he needs to fight for him to stay on air as no-one is taking his calls, sponsors have cut ties with him, and he knows he would return the favour if the roles were reversed.

When Dale gets to work, he finds Lindsay, Rob, and Dennis gossiping about Gerry. Lindsay tells Dale that he’ll be taken off the air, Dale tells him it’s a bit premature and taking him off air will confirm he’s guilty. Dale tells them that he won’t do the Bicentennial coverage without him and leaves. Lindsay remarks that he’s turning into Helen.

When Dale gets to work after Helen warns him about Donna’s impending column, Jean gives him multiple phone messages from Tim. Dale calls Tim from his office and Tim tells him he’s been getting calls from Donna and that he’s said nothing to her about their past. Dale asks him to tell her that they were in a professional relationship, but he says he won’t feed her but if asked, he won’t lie. Tim also tells Dale that he knew he would deny everything.

Thinking that Gerry has told Donna about his past to take the heat off his own scandal, Dale tells Lindsay and Dennis that Gerry should be taken off the air. Lindsay tells him that this means he’s signed up for 14 hours plus on the desk for the Bicentennial broadcast.

Jean then gets a phone call where she finds out that Gerry has come into the office anyway. Gerry tells Lindsay that his phone was off the hook and didn’t get his calls. Lindsay and Dennis try to stop him from going on air, but Gerry wants to talk to Dale. Lindsay tells him that Dale was behind the decision. Gerry manages to get past them, and whilst Dale is shocked to see him and stumbles for a few moments before staring him down, he continues the broadcast without acknowledging him. Gerry walks out without saying anything.

After his marathon broadcast, Geoff calls Dale to congratulate him on his hard work and that he underestimated him, and brands him the “king of news”, essentially passing on the newsman baton to him.

Helen – Helen and Noelene meet on 22 January, with Helen telling Noelene that she is flying out to Washington on Wednesday and that she is putting a crew together and has mentioned her to the execs as a producer. Helen tries to convince Noelene to join her as it’s going to be huge in the U.S. politically, they’d have creative control over their work, and it would catapult her career, but Noelene points out that she’s contracted to News at Six.

Vincent tells Helen that he’s been receiving calls from Lindsay since he announced that Helen was joining his network. Later, Helen is seen in Charlie’s sports car, being driven around by him, and then partying hard with him at his house.

Later, Vincent returns Lindsay’s call. Vincent tells Lindsay that he didn’t approach Helen until after she left News at Six, Lindsay then proceeds to tell Vincent about Helen’s mental health history, trashing her.

On Australia Day, Helen wakes up (in bed with Charlie) to a knock on her door. When she opens the door, Evelyn is there. Evelyn thanks her for pulling the hit piece on her and Geoff, and to warn her about a column Donna is writing on Dale’s sexuality and tryst with Tim. Charlie walks in and tells Helen to deny it. Helen promptly kicks Evelyn out and tells Charlie she told him to stay in her bedroom. When Charlie makes a remark about Dale’s sexuality, Helen angrily tells him to leave. Helen calls Dale and tells him to stay home as she’s coming over.

When Helen gets to Dale’s house, she tells him about Evelyn’s warning and Donna’s impending column. Helen asks Dale if something’s happened since their separation, he doesn’t tell her about his hook up but does tell her that he told Gerry about his tryst with Tim and asks her what he should do. Helen tells him to go to work like everything is normal.

When Helen meets with Vincent and Walshy, Vincent tells her that they want Bill McFarlane, an older experienced journalist to be the producer over Noelene. Helen asks Walshy to leave so she can speak with Vincent alone. She tells them that she doesn’t want to work under older rigid hands as it’s why she left News at Six. Vincent then asks her if it was the only reason she left. She then asks if he has been speaking to Lindsay. He tells her that he takes anything Lindsay says with a grain of salt, but working on a political campaign can take a toll on anyone.

Helen then goes to the News at Six office to confront Lindsay and calls him out on what he said about her. Lindsay tells her that everyone in the office has been talking about her, she counters that no-one would have anything nice to say about him either, bringing up Dennis’ meeting with Charlie. He asks her what happened to her ambition and has a go at her integrity, talent and looks. Helen walks out silently, taken aback, Lindsay shouts at her to pack Valium on the way out as she’ll need it.

On 27 January, Dale goes over to Helen’s house and she tells him she’s not going to America. She has Donna Gillies coming over and is going to give her the story of why she’s not leaving, proposing to Dale. Dale tells her that he loves her but they can’t get married, echoing Helen’s response to his marriage proposal earlier in the season. When she asks him what she should do, he tells her to do her job. When Donna knocks at Helen’s door, Dale answers, telling her that Helen is not here. He then tells her that he could offer her more than what one story of his sexuality or Helen would, as he is the face of the news now and will be for a long time.

The final moments of the episode show Dale doing the bulletin by himself and Helen watching on proudly from the airport, waiting for her flight.

Geoff – Geoff announces on his show that he is going on an extended break to help Kay with her sobriety and declares that he loves her, becoming emotional, as Kay and Evelyn watch on from their home. When Dale comes back from the desk and catches the end of Geoff’s broadcast, he asks Lindsay what this means. Lindsay gleefully and insensitively declares that they will win the Bicentennial ratings.

Noelene and Rob – A few days after Noelene meets with Helen and is offered a producer role at the rival network, Rob proposes to her in front of her family in attempted Korean. Noelene immediately says yes, but her father is clearly not happy about it.

When they get home, Rob questions whether he should have proposed in front of the family, but Noelene reassures him that despite appearances, it was a good reaction and he makes her happy. Noelene then tells him about the job offer from Helen. Rob is upset as he feels he has been patient in their relationship and keeping it hidden. He asks her if she wants to marry him, she tells him she wants to do what’s best for both of them

After Lindsay yells at Helen on Australia Day, Rob talks to Noelene in Helen’s old office. He apologises for the things he said to her the night before and tells her to go for her dream job. Noelene goes to see Helen after work, telling her about her engagement and declines her offer. A depressed Helen walks Noelene out of her house.

Lindsay and Dennis – Lindsay and Dennis are seen working closely together throughout the episode, but after Helen reveals that even Dennis had a knife out for him, Lindsay goes to the editing room to confront him, asking him if he made deal with Charlie. Dennis admits to meeting with him, Lindsay tells him that no other network would have given him the chances he has and insults him. This leads to Dennis punching Lindsay in the face.

Dennis immediately apologises and offers to call for help. Lindsay tells him to help him up and to never apologise for a good punch to the face as it gives him focus. Lindsay then asks him what he got in his deal. Dennis tells him $50,000, but Lindsay immediately tells him he would never have gotten anywhere near that and he’s not good at negotiating, but is good at his job, and tells him that he’ll give him $60,000 instead.

Overall, I felt that this was a solid season finale as it brought Helen and Dale’s romance to a realistic close, provided both Helen and Dale with massive career boosts that they deserved, provided Geoff with solid (if not sudden) character development, progressed Noelene and Rob’s relationship, and provided a hilarious moment in Lindsay finally receiving some long overdue karma from the person you would least expect. In terms of possible story arcs for next season, you’ve got Helen’s possible return from America, Dale’s progressing career, and Noelene and Rob’s wedding.

In terms of the season as a whole, as the previous season established the show’s premise and characters, this season could have them undergo further development. Helen and Dale managed to continue a loving relationship until the penultimate episode, they both managed to achieve their own career success, Rob and Noelene’s relationship progressed, we saw a more human side to Geoff, and we got more of an insight into Lindsay and Dennis. I appreciated the introduction of new characters in Gerry and Kay, although I feel that they were underused in the finale. I also feel that the writers dragged their feet too long in revealing what happened to Tim.

In terms of the timeline of the season, it was set from 8 July 1987 to 27 January 1988 – a little over six-and-a-half months, in contrast to the first season, which was set over a three month period. I felt that having a year time jump between seasons was a good way to go and I appreciated that the six-and-a-half month long setting allowed for better flowing story arcs and subplots.

Overall, I enjoyed watching and reviewing the second season of The Newsreader and I’m hoping it’s renewed for a third.