Broken Lens

"News Night" anchor Will McAvoy returns to work after a public meltdown to find most of his staff has jumped ship, but new hires help steer the show when news of a catastrophe breaks in the spring of 2010.

Director

Greg Mottola

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

MacKenzie takes charge of the revamped "News Night" and lobbies economist Sloan Sabbith to file a nightly financial report. Meanwhile, Jim takes responsibility for Maggie's mistake. Charlie puts a halt to Reese's meetings with Will. A confidential breakup story is a secret no more.

Director

Alex Graves

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

Guest Stars

Adina Porter

Kendra James

Chris Chalk

Gary Cooper

Wynn Everett

Tamara Hart

Alexandra Rodriguez

Corinne

Charlie Weirauch

Jake Watson

Chris Messina

Reese Lansing

Margaret Judson

Tess Westin

Thomas Matthews

Martin Stallworth

Trieu Tran

Joey Phan

Megan Park

Gwen Valley

John F. Carpenter

Herb Wilson

Cornell Womack

Daniel Mendoza

Paul Willson

Dr. Dwayne Sotter

Marshall Bell

Ross Fernholm

Norma Maldonado

Housekeeper

Chasty Ballesteros

Tea

Stefanie Malouf

Karaoke

Chauncey Jenkins

Karaoke

Monika Smith

Amy

Will's apology for the lack of integrity in newscasts sets off constant critiques of the Tea Party before the November 2010 midterm elections, but draws the ire of network executives and Atlantis World Media CEO Leona Lansing. Meanwhile, Don confronts Elliot about his analytical skills. Jim helps Maggie during a panic attack. Mac is unnerved by Will's endless parade of romantic conquests.

Director

Greg Mottola

Written By

Aaron Sorkin, Aaron Sorkin

Will becomes tabloid fodder after a confrontation with a gossip columnist on New Year's Eve, which threatens to undermine his credibility on a current news investigation. Meanwhile, Don urges Maggie to set Jim up on a date with her roommate. Mac's boyfriend pitches a story about the government's inability to prosecute financial crimes. Neal tries out his Bigfoot theory on anyone who will listen.

Director

Alan Poul

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

News of unrest in Wisconsin in February 2011 in response to the governor's call for budget cuts bubbles up during coverage of the ousting of President Mubarak in Egypt, and Neal finds someone who can provide updates from Cairo as the staff strive to give equal attention to both uprisings.

Director

Daniel Minahan

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

Sloan subs for Elliot during the Japanese nuclear crisis following the March 2011 earthquake, but her harsh questioning of a Tokyo power-company representative could damage her credibility. Meanwhile, Will has a bout of insomnia that leads him to therapy, and he learns a lesson about bullying after his rude behavior in an interview.

Director

Jeremy Podeswa

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

Guest Stars

Adina Porter

Kendra James

Chris Chalk

Gary Cooper

Wynn Everett

Tamara Hart

Charlie Weirauch

Jake Watson

Margaret Judson

Tess Westin

Thomas Matthews

Martin Stallworth

Trieu Tran

Joey Phan

David Krumholtz

Dr. Jack Habib

Terry Crews

Lonny Church

Damon Gupton

Sutton Hall

Eve Gordon

Phylis Greer

Yuki Matsuzaki

Daisuke Tanaka

Saemi Nakamura

Translator

John F. Carpenter

Herb Wilson

Ami Haruna

Japanese Anchor

An anonymous source contacts Charlie and provides advance details on an imminent story of national importance. When news breaks that the President will be making a televised speech that night, the 2.0 staff cuts short its one-year (and one week) anniversary party and rushed back to the newsroom amidst a flurry of speculation as to what exactly happened.

Director

Joshua Marston

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

The ratings for "News Night" plummet after it downplays a pair of sensational stories, and Will and Mac must find a way to lure back enough viewers to justify the network's quest to air a Republican debate. Meanwhile, Will considers writers for an all-access profile. Sloan is disappointed by the lack of coverage of an important financial story. Charlie learns a National Security Agency whistle-blower's identity.

Director

Lesli Linka Glatter

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

Guest Stars

Jane Fonda

Leona Lansing

Adina Porter

Kendra James

Chris Chalk

Gary Cooper

Wynn Everett

Tamara Hart

Charlie Weirauch

Jake Watson

Chris Messina

Reese Lansing

Margaret Judson

Tess Westin

Thomas Matthews

Martin Stallworth

Trieu Tran

Joey Phan

David Krumholtz

Dr. Jack Habib

Terry Crews

Lonny Church

Paul Schneider

Brian Brenner

Stephen McKinley Henderson

Solomon Hancock

John F. Carpenter

Herb Wilson

Chasty Ballesteros

Tea

Alison Becker

Sandy Whiddles

Martin Moran

Ezra Schneider

Reggie De Leon

Karaoke Singer

Yutopia Essex

Karaoke Singer

The "News Night" staff host a mock debate for two Republican Party officials. A power outage energizes Mac's thought process. Charlie evaluates an intelligence-agency insider's reliability. Lisa does an on-air interview. Neal poses as an Internet troll.

Director

Alan Poul

Written By

Aaron Sorkin

Mac is shaken by a potentially devastating revelation from gossip columnist Nina Howard. Meanwhile, Sloan mulls a new job opportunity. Neal's Internet alias could prevent a catastrophe. Will, Mac, and Charlie confront Leona and Reese during a volatile lunch meeting.

Director

Greg Mottola

Written By

Aaron Sorkin