I have two big problems with The Newsroom Season 3 that releases today from HBO on blu-ray and DVD. The first is that this is the last season. Boo to that! The second, is that it is only 6 episodes long. Not enough!

That being said, Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant drama goes out on a high note as it continues its exploration of the way media (and corporations) are impacting news, how its gathered and how it’s reported. One could spend an enormous amount of words discoursing on the concept of citizen journalist, which plays a part in this season (it opens with the Boston Marathon Bombing – with ACN’s desire to make sure they get it right – something very few organizations did, not to mention media sites turning the event into a witch hunt instead of basing things on facts).

There are hostile takeovers, warnings from the EPA that get buried because of how dire they are, and a leak of government information that reveals a terrible incident in Equatorial Kundu (albeit a fictional country, but a familiar news story). We see how the stories are found, developed, produced, and presented… I love seeing all of this in action, and I love seeing how the show has grown as a reflection of the times they are portraying, and how the characters have changed and grown with it. All against the realistic backdrop of day-to-day news.

Interweaving with these real life news stories are the continued relationships and characters that keep me coming back… Will (Jeff Daniels), Mac (Emily Mortimer), Jim (John Gallagher Jr.), Maggie (Alison Pill), Don (Thomas Sadoski), Sloan (Olivia Munn), Neal (Dev Patel), Charlie (Sam Waterston), Gary (Chris Chalk) and Hallie (Grace Gummer) are all afforded fantastic sctandout moments, that drive their characters and the story forward as they all wrestle with the changing world, and how news is gathered, packaged, and reported.

The final season, comes on a two disc set (the blu-ray, of course, happily comes with the digital download), and each episode offers an inside look at the stories that helped create it, as well as Sorkin’s intentions episode to episode.

The picture, as to be expected from HBO, is sharp and gorgeous, with deep and vibrant colours that look amazing on the screen, and the sound (well, I get chills every time I hear the piano chords in the opening theme).

If you haven’t seen the show, now’s a perfect time, all three seasons are available, and affordable, and it makes for compulsive and addictive viewing (honestly, I can never watch just one episode, and I’m ready to go back to season 1 and start it all again).

I love this show. Sorkin’s writing is razor-sharp, and the show is exquisitely paced, and while I’m supremely frustrated the series has been concluded, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

HBO’s The Newsroom Season 3 is available today on blu-ray and DVD. Check it out!