Putting All the Pieces Together

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  Posted By: yussefcole @ 02/29/2008 1:40:58 PM

  Templeton may have more than one dimension (the delicateness of his ego, which surfaces from time to time, lends a bit of understanding to his character: he's not merely looking for the pulitzer but to be simply accepted as a 'professional journalist') but Klebanow and Whiting are stick figures at best. They pop up to reinforce the plot then pop back down into the writer's toolkit. Everytime one of the characters opens his mouth you know exactly what you're going to hear. Klebanow at least seems to understand that he's sacrificing his soul for the bottom dollar/pulitzer. Whiting is a broken record. Maybe the writers didn't feel the plot had enough room for some dynamism among the paper heads but whatever the reason these guys cannot be compared to Valcheck or Carcetti or Rawls. Templeton either. That should be obvious, and Simon needs to learn how to accept valid criticism, genius or not.

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  Posted By: steveallan @ 02/26/2008 2:23:29 PM

  Templeton is not portrayed as a very sympathetic character, but to say that he's a caricature because of it is just silly. Yeah, there are problems with the media, and yeah, Templeton is the personification of those problems (or at least one of them); but to dismiss the character as one-dimensional is just a way to deflect the criticism of the media. If one fails to see problems, then one is apt to reject a character who represents those problems. Templeton's character is weak, but the character is not.

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  Posted By: lancegrantham @ 02/26/2008 11:26:35 AM

  I find it interesting that in Devin Gordon's characterization of the reporter for the sun, he says he "unknowingly" joined in the lie. That's BS and anyone who watched knows that Templeton wholly constructed his story in an effort to get ahold of the story. Sure he doesn't know the killer is a lie- but he knowingly joined in by making up his story. he wouldn't care if you told him the truth- he would still continue on the path. Seems as if Gordon's whole angle is that no reporter would possibly do this- and he can't believe it. I can't believe he can't believe it.