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<i>Great News</i> – “The Red Door” and “Celebrity Hacking Scandal.” Recaps.

GREAT NEWS -- Pictured: "Great News" Logo -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)

Season 1, Episodes 7 and 8

Air Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“I want to pitch a story for tonight’s show.” – Carol

Katie taking on Greg

Katie (Briga Heelan) is shocked to discover Carol’s (Andrea Martin) substantial extreme couponing stockpile on the MMN station roof. It’s no surprise as this isn’t the first time Carol’s obsession for getting great deals has gotten out of hand. Thankfully, Carol finds a much-needed distraction when Chuck (John Michael Higgins) asks her to wait for the cable guy at his townhouse as a favor to him. Chuck’s request comes with one ominous caveat, “Whatever you do, don’t open the red door.” Will Carol resist the urge to find out what’s behind the door? More importantly, what is Chuck hiding?

“The Red Door” is another entertaining episode that focuses on the working relationship between Carol and Chuck as they try to survive in an industry geared towards younger generations. For a series that is gaining a reputation for having some preposterous storylines, Carol and Chuck’s scenes during “The Red Door” are some of the more outlandish on Great News. Nevertheless, watching Martin and Higgins play off each other is so delightful to watch, it’s easy to get caught up in their antics. From hiding Chuck’s condition in “Chuck Pierce is Blind,“ to keeping Chuck’s secret from his co-workers in “The Red Door,” I love the adventures the writers come up with for the two.

That said, as much as I enjoy Great News and the absolutely hilarious dynamic between Chuck and Carol, I wish the writers would spread Carol’s exploits around more evenly. I get she and Chuck share a special connection but other than her scenes with him or Katie, Carol’s interaction with her coworkers is often mentioned but rarely seen. I’d love to see Justin (Horatio Sanz) or Portia (Nicole Ritchie) share more one-on-one moments with Carol. Great News has been renewed for a second season so hopefully, the writers will find a way to better incorporate the rest of the cast.

Would you look?

Meanwhile, Portia becomes the latest celebrity to have their phone hacked. Along with posting her emails, the hackers release nude photos of Portia. Seeking privacy, Portia pleads with her co-workers not to look at anything leaked. Needless to say, it’s not long before Katie and Greg (Adam Campbell) scan through the treasure trove of information. The search for gossip takes an amusing turn when Katie and Greg discover an email about themselves.

Desperate to quash any rumors, Greg and Katie wage a campaign to convince their co-workers nothing is going on between them. The situation quickly escalates when Portia discovers they have been looking at her leaked information. Things go from bad to hilariously worse as the paranoia over the situation leads to Chuck’s secret being exposed in the most unlikely of ways.

In “Celebrity Hacking Scandal,” Katie continues to investigate the leaks despite Greg’s objections. Convinced she’s working on “the story of a lifetime,” Katie sneaks away from work to meet with a mysterious source (Roni Akurati) claiming to have knowledge about the hack. Things don’t go as expected and Katie must race back to the station before Greg realizes she’s gone.

Carol producing a story.

In the meantime, Carol inadvertently, and without Greg’s approval, finds herself producing a news story she pitched about a popular phone app. With a pitch like “Biscuit Blitz, it’s a phone game all of my friends play and the scoop is, it’s fun,” what could possibly go wrong? Carol quickly finds herself in over her head and the result is disastrous. It’s impossible not to laugh as Greg tricks Carol into revealing her role in producing the segment.

Katie and Greg’s professional rivalry throughout “Celebrity Hacking Scandal” is the stuff hilarity is made of. I’ve mentioned before how much I appreciate the writers not making Greg a love interest for Katie. While I don’t mind if things between them naturally evolve in that direction, I applaud the writers for not immediately going that route. I love the chemistry between Heelan and Campbell and can only imagine the shenanigans that take place off camera.

Confused over what all the fuss is about, Chuck reluctantly asks Carol to download Biscuit Blitz and teach him how to play it. It’s not long before Chuck becomes infatuated with the game and can’t put it down. Chuck’s newfound obsession helps break the hacking scandal wide open, while revealing the hack is linked to something much bigger.

It’s hard to believe the first season of Great News is almost over. With only two episodes remaining, the writers have shifted from telling episodic stories to a multi-episode story arc as the hacking storyline concludes during next week’s season finale.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “The Red Door” and “Celebrity Hacking Scandal.”

Tune in to the season finale of Great News Tuesday, May 23 at 9/8c, only on NBC.

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Photos © 2017 NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.