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Hercules Gives Five Stars Out Of Five To Sunday’s Season Premiere Of AMC's MAD MEN!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
Mad Men 3.1 FAQ
What’s it called?
“Out of Town.”
Who’s responsible?
Teleplay is credited to series mastermind Matthew Weiner (“The Sopranos”).
What says AMC?
“Pete and Ken are affected by changes at Sterling Cooper; Don and Sal go on a business trip.”
Is it great?
Easily one of its best episodes of a spectacular series, “Out of Town” traffics in an abundance of the precision suspense, drama and comedy we’ve grown to expect from “Mad Men.” On this one point the Emmys and I can agree: It is the best show on television.
The big news?
There’s lots, and we can’t talk about the biggest, but I’ll say the first four minutes of the premiere focus on Don Draper’s secret origins, and suggest we’ll be learning more of his history this season.
What else is AMC not telling us?
The “changes” at Sterling Cooper are embodied by financial officer Lane Pryce (Jared Harris, fresh from his memorable role as the teleporting David Robert Jones on “Fringe”), the firm’s new British overlord, who in one episode may have overtaken Roger Sterling as my favorite “Mad Men” character.
So Roger isn’t as much fun this season?
Hardly. Of the “big six,” Roger, Peggy and Betty are given the least to do in the season premiere, but I found Roger’s entrance hilarious.
Does the premiere reference any “current” events beyond the walls of Sterling Cooper?
None I noticed. We get a big clue in the first five minutes, though, that suggests we’re rejoining Don & Co. in spring 1963.
Where are Don and Sal headed?
Baltimore, to meet with the manufacturers of London Fog raincoats.
What’s doing with Pete and Ken?
There’s much speculation as to what use, if any, Sterling Cooper’s new masters have for them.
What’s doing with Joan?
She contends with Pryce’s British secretary, whose name is Hooker.
What’s great?
Lane Pryce. Burt Peterson. Hooker. Sterling. Draper. Campbell. Holloway. Romano. Cosgrove. “You’re good at this.” “Oh, it’s that meeting.” “It’s a tough job.” “No. We’re accountants.” “Goodnight, Bill.” “That’s not going to help.” “It would be easier that way.” “I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest with me.” “I will have a line-up.” “It’s unseemly to go through their pockets as well.” “Are these for me?” Much, much more.
What’s not so great?
AMC’s screener only contains the season’s first episode, so next Sunday can’t come soon enough.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
In Don’s bedroom.
USA Today gives it four stars (out of four) and says:
… There is always meaning to Mad Men's madness and passion under its control, along with an uncommon level of style, flair and wit. On a TV shelf crowded with cookie-cutter products, Mad Men is an original. You don't have to buy it, but you should at least try it out. …
Entertainment Weekly gives it an “A-minus” and says:
… As with so much about Mad Men, some of it is overheated but never half-baked, and the opening hour rises like a nearly flawless soufflé of sex and salesmanship. … New business strategies (firings, job shifts) get implemented by the ad agency's new owners, embodied by Fringe's Jared Harris, who is dry, conniving, and quietly contemptuous of his American counterparts. Hoo boy, is this Brit going to be a jolly good villain to secretly root for!
The New York Times says:
… Over dinner, an eager stewardess chirps to Don about her travels. His reply is typically inscrutable. “I keep going to a lot of places and ending up somewhere I’ve already been,” he says. It’s the third season, and we still want to go with him.
The Los Angeles Times says:
… This is a moral drama, a show about deciding who you are and who you want to be, of character as the sum of small choices. There are no heroes or villains here, only people working out or being carried toward their individual destinies. And in who we root for and in what we root for them to choose, we also define ourselves.
The Chicago Tribune says:
… For those of you who sampled the show at the start of Season 2 but complained that "nothing happened" -- yes, I did get your emails -- know that the episode that kicks off Season 3 is fast-paced and chock-full of delicious intrigue. Don't necessarily think of "Mad Men" as fodder for future Ph.D. theses (which it undoubtedly is). Think of it as a handsome, twisty soap opera with a fantastic cast that can do anything -- pathos, comedy, confrontation, heartbreak, you name it. …
The Washington Post says:
… Never has a show soared to such critical altitude and niche devotion on the art of the cold stare, the unfinished sentence, the trailing plot point. … Everything "Mad Men" claims to be about -- from the deception of advertising and the idea that nothing and no one are really as they seem; to the moments just before postmodern American culture exploded; to the imbalances of gender, sexuality and sometimes race, then and now -- it comes by in such a subtle way that at times it has been quite irresistible. But also disappointing. Boring, somehow. Heretical as it may seem to say, "Mad Men" is the truest example of style over substance. It is shackled by its attention to subtle detail and early-1960s clothing, objects and furniture.
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
Beyond being the finest series on television, "Mad Men" is both ambitious and exquisite, two of the ultimate rarities in the business. The Season 3 premiere on Sunday begins and ends with two wonderfully conceived and executed scenes and, when the hour closes, it leaves no doubt about its lofty goals. "Mad Men" wants to be indelibly brilliant. And after two seasons of accomplishing just that, there's no reason given in the premiere to have any doubts about the third. …
The Newark Star Ledger says:
… remains the best show on television. … I enjoyed the season two premiere, but I imagine that its sedate, introspective style was a turn-off to the new viewers who were lured in by the $25 million promotional blitz AMC launched for that season. Sunday's episode feels much more like a typical hour of "Mad Men," yet it's also far more welcoming of new viewers. The hour offers up office intrigue, romantic complications and a classic Don Draper pitch, not to mention the usual brilliant acting from all involved. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
What a relief to have this TV show for grown-ups back on the tube. …
The Boston Herald says:
… Despite the welcome humor, Weiner can’t give up the heavy-handed tricks he learned while scripting “The Sopranos.” … Like “The Sopranos” before it, “Mad Men” only has a 13-episode order. You just want to yell at the TV: Hurry up and use the time. Stop being stylish and start getting real. …
The Boston Globe says:
… In even the smallest details - watch how a stick pin travels through the episode - “Mad Men’’ remains TV at its most artful. Like Don Draper, it’s beautiful, stealthy, troubling, and, above all, addictive. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… A return to form, spellbinding and elusive as Don Draper himself. … As a "Sopranos" alumnus, the "Mad Men" executive producer graduated from the David Chase School of Storytelling. You not only don't give the viewers what they want, you confound them by toying with their expectations. Maybe you even make them question those expectations in the first place. Want tidy resolutions to cliffhangers? Go watch "Desperate Housewives." …
Variety says:
… Despite series creator Matthew Weiner's "The Sopranos"-like approach of telling the stories he wants at the pace that suits him, the first hour hits the ground running a little bit faster, creating interesting plot lines for several of the returning characters while adding a compelling new presence. …
10 p.m. Sunday. AMC.
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I always thought Mad Men ran second to Big Love for best show on television. I'm probably in the minority on that one, though, eh Herc?
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Watch tonight and see if you still think so.
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Can't wait to see the FIRST episode of season 3.
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This week I burned through every episode of Mad Men in prep for this third season. I don't know why I waited so long, but I'm glad I have finally watched it. AMAZING! Such a good show. Can't wait for tomorrow.
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Aug 16, 2009 12:19:46 AM CDT
Regardless of the fact that you write reviews for ainitcool
by mansuper
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I haven't seen the first two seasons. Can I jump in or do I have to pick up the DVD's first?
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Watch the first 2 seasons.
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That's what I figured.
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Aug 16, 2009 12:38:26 AM CDT
And ten delicious licks to thed actress thats plays...
by hollywoodhellraiser
Ms. Joan!
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If I were you I'd still watch season 3.
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I've watched all of Mad Men and while I find it easy to watch it doesn't leave me wanting more. To me it's a good show, but House is more compelling and while not perfect has more moments of greatness. Though it may be unfair to compare a procedural medical show to a period drama. But then I've been finding the recent shows Nurse Jackie and Kings to be more compelling than Mad Men, even though Mad Men may be superior in certain areas.
I guess bottom-line the title of "best show on TV" is a very subjective thing indeed. -
If you're telling me Mad Men is the best show on television, besting Bill Paxton and Co., then where would you put Big Love? I seem to remember you holding it in pretty high esteem once upon a time.
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That final scene between Pete and Peggy in the finale is so, so fucking good. I want to see Kartheiser get an Emmy nomination for this season.
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All caught up for tomorrow. As great as season 1 was, season 2 blows it out of the water. About the only plotline that fell flat for me was Colin Hanks' priest character. Everything else was gripping - I would have liked a bit more of Pete and Roger, but what beats they were given were gold. And seriously - am I the only one who loves Duck Phillips? Something about that guy...he's severely flawed and basically an asshole but I find him sympathetic. Mark Moses is an actor with great control of his voice and seems to be channeling Jimmy Stewart with his look on the show.
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Please have more of January Jones in her riding gear... We all know this is the reason S2 was better than S1.
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Aug 16, 2009 2:31:53 AM CDT
I get really mad when I think about more people watching Big Bro
by srh1son
this. Too bad there are offenders who are responsble for that.
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both incredible shows, but the edge goes to mad men because of christina hendricks.
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nomnom
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wasn't there a contest where you had to guess the date of the first episode? who won? I don't even remember what I guessed.
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for two of the best shows on TV. Mad Men and Venture Brothers talk backs are always so short. While threads about toys made into movies go on and on.
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and don't have the time to watch the first two seasons. Rent Revolutionary Road and skip the last fifteen minutes and you are pretty much at season 3.
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Change the title of the thread to Stargate:Mad Men and Dioxhoster will push up the post count.
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It's An OK Show, I'll give you that. But everyone is making like this was A Godsend. I'm glad its getting recognition, but HOLY SHIT! Besides I like Breaking Bad more. Can't wait till it comes out next year.
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but, the pacing is glacial. Based on Herc's review it does sound like Weiner is trying to inject a little more conflict to drive the plot with the Brit takeover of the firm.
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Very happy to have MAD MEN back for its third season tonight. And the Washington Post can kiss my ass.
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Yeah, he's easily the most "enjoyable" character out of the lot. While he may not have much screen-time in this ep, I'm sure we'll see more of him in the future.The guy is a goldmine of quotes.
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I thoroughly enjoyed having Duck Phillips around last year, i hope his falling off the wagon wasn't a problem for him.
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Anyone mind catching me up? It's been so long. So the british people were taking over cos Sterling cooper needed the cash for some reason. And they were going to put Duck in charge and he wanted to push forward with the accounts side of it and didn't think design and shit was important, but part of it was just to shit on Draper.
Draper told them to go fuck themselves 'cos he's awesome. Amirite? And then it ended with him not returning home? -
Oh right, this is AMC not HBO.
Think they could do a crossover.
Mad Men's agency takes on the True Blood account. Good to the last drop.
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Surely no-one can be more fun than Roger Sterling? Can't wait to see how Jared Harris turns out!
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It really is quite a good show. It has its flaws (the pacing is one; also, I'd like a bit more continuity between episodes, and I think I agree with the review that says the show is very often style over substance), but still, fine show, though it's far from the best on air (it's not even the best on AMC - Breaking Bad is far superior, IMO).
Definitely won't watch the premiere, though, as I haven't finished season 2 yet. -
No, the cuban missile crisis basically forced Betty's hand and she called Don home. He get's there, she drops the pregnant bomb, and they just kind of sit their in silence.
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its fucks like you that ruined twin peaks this show is paced like a good novel, where the story telling is much more important than the ending those that complain about the pacing are the same sort of folks that thumb to the end of a book before reading the entire thing the show is beautiful, it feels like the 60s, and i enjoy each and every epi...and hbo remains retarded for not picking it up
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Please.
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Uh..... not to hate on "Mad Men" but I think most complaints this show gets are due to the fact that ***IT IS NOT PACED LIKE A NOVEL***.
I'm not saying the show is awful, but I greatly prefer serialized dramas which maintain steady continuity and play out like a novel, i.e. Breaking Bad, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, etc. -
Ack! Ryan Cartwright has joined the MM cast! I loved him in Bones! He reminds me of a benign Alex Kapranos. This season has just become a whole lot better. Can't wait until tonight!
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is the superior show. i know, i'm troll...
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I loved him on Bones, and now he's joined he cast of MM (as the supercilious secretary to the new Brit overlord)! He reminds me of a benign Alex Kapranos. This season has just gotten a whole lot better. Can't wait until tonight.
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complaining about the pacing? Mad Men has 13 episodes each season. It's over before you know it. I don't know how anyone would complain about the pacing...what are you expecting? I mean, when I was watching season 2 I seriously watched about 6 episodes in one day because I couldn't wait to find out what happened next (Draper's trip to California). That's far from glacial pacing. On a side note, the character Joy played by Laura Ramsey in the episode The Jetset was so beautiful it almost hurt.
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Entourage, Hung, True Blood, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad. Not to mention Dexter on Showtime. A lot of quality programming on right now. Although I'm a bit embarassed about watching Entourage, 'cause lets face it, it kinda sucks.
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"Mad Men" is a great show. I suggest however, that the show is more about the women than the men. It is about the growth of Peggy, Betty and Joan, more than Dick Whitman. You see it in the first two seasons, all three women start evolve as the 60s evolve. Just a theory, and I am really glad it is back.
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Hooker's complaint about a 'gynocracy' notwithstanding, tonight's episode is definitely about the men.
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Have you seen her on Firefly in the ep. "Our Mrs. Reynolds" as Saffron? Unfortunately, we don't see too much, but when she's naked in Mal's room trying to seduce him...Yowza!
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why do you constantly omit the True Blood talkbacks when the show is so damn much fun?
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I omit nothing. Remove spaces:
http://www.aintitcool.com/section/term/20355 -
every two years each season wasnt it that way? season 1 was 1960 while 2 was 62.
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up there with Deadwood and The Wire as some of the finest examples of TV IMO.
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...are probably the same people who actually think The Sopranos was quality TV, lol.
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Okay, maybe 'omit' was a poor choice of a word, so I'll rephrase: Why is there not a weekly talkback for another one of the best shows on television. The last post in the link you gave me was July 30, and the last True Blood TB in your link was from July 12. Since then, you have completely ignored the show. I understand you don't like it, but what does it hurt to take 5 minutes and put up a TB each week for those of us that do?
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But The Wire shits all over it. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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Srsly.
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Is Don noticing Peggy's hair cut when he returns. This show is all about THEIR relationship, and their parallel paths.
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But, as fine of an actor as Jon Hamm is, holy fucking shit it seemed like his character was recycling scenes from Season 1 (with the comedian's wife instead of the department store owner). Just an interminable amount of scenes.
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Let's get ready to rumbllllllllle
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i wait for something to happen and im not sure if it does. does this make sense?
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Almost every Hollywood movie produced after the '60s. I agree that it's sometimes boring but the pluses make up for the minuses by far.
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This on blu-ray projected at 100" screen is unbelievable. Every fucking thread is perfection.
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Hell January Jones in anything, or better yet nothing, that kid was right, she is a princess.
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Mad Men and True Blood combined.
Don Draper, knocking back some True Blood in his office, charming the ladies (even more).
The kids will love it -
The Theme Song was Good, so was the Montage. The Opening Scene was weird, but kinda entertaining. Once it was over, so was my need to watch this show. Don't get me wrong, I know that Mad Men is good, but I couldn't handle it. Like I said earlier, Can't wait for Breaking Bad. FYI, They already started filming. They won't be done till Mid-January, so it'll probably come out in March or April.
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Used to be The Wire, now it's Madmen. HBO must be kicking themselves for passing on this.
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Aug 16, 2009 9:32:08 PM CDT
This site needs a section for currently airing shows w/ season l
by redjester
This site needs a section for currently airing shows w/ season long talkbacks. That way people could comment as they wished on their favorite shows for as long as the season lasted. Once the season ended, then would the talkbacks...
Just a thought... -
Japanese tentacle rape and gay sex.
I smell AMC's new marketing campaign.
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...i love Mad Men, and tonight didn't disappoint, but if Herc thinks tonight ranks as one of the best episodes of the series, I'm not convinced he's ever actually watched the show.
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Aug 16, 2009 10:38:12 PM CDT
Well is not like no one knew dude was in the closet!
by hollywoodhellraiser
Loved the G-Men bit that Don was pulling! Dude got game!
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Please keep covering this show on a weekly basis! Reminds me of the Buffy days when you seemed to have some passion for TV.
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If someone's bored by this show, that's fine - as long as you allow that it's OKAY to have a slower paced show; that's not a flaw. And all this stuff about Mad Men being style over substance is a load of horseshit.
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Aug 16, 2009 11:02:04 PM CDT
Gotta love how Janurary Jones always rats out her kids!
by hollywoodhellraiser
I would hate a mother like her...greatly.
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Cracked.com succinctly sums up why you should love Mad Men.
http://tinyurl.com/r8pg7g
As for this last episode, I loved the way Joan masterfully played the annoying brit assistant, and he finally realizes that it's a gynocracy at the end. -
If you had a mother like that, you would be kind of embarrassed and ashamed with the dreams you were having when you turned 10/11.
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In a more private setting.
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Not to say it was a bad episode, because it wasn't, but definitely the worst one. Or at least the only one where I thought to myself "this is bad writing." There is absolutley no way, that in 1963, a man would just start kissing another man, with no hinting at it whatsoever. He would be beaten up, or he'd be fired. I understand it had to happen, so Don could see it later. But it could have been done in a not terribly constructed fashion. Hell, even if it was with the guy they went out to dinner with (with the stewardesses) as there would have at least been some progression to it. Looking forward to this Campbell Vs. Cosgrove stuff though.
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Take 10 minutes and give us a True Blood talkback.
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I laughed a lot during this one. I forget how funny this show can be sometimes. Great tension between Don and Sal. I loved the very last moment and how Don Draper is such damaged goods.
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Mad Men is not a comedy.
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Not 'bad' but any means but coming off of the stellar last batch of Season 2 episodes, it was a bit tepid. But, personally, I find that Mad Men takes about 5 episodes each season to really get all the pieces in motion and set the characters to self-destructing. But I will admit that I thought it was strange that even after his baptism-in-the-Pacific at the end of Season 2, Don was still back to his old womanizing ways with that stewardess who reminded me of Kate Bosworth.
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with her in the house. Geez she probably the type who would bust down the door! Don's son is going to have major mommy issues!
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Why do TV critics feel the need to over-praise everything? Film critics might be the opposite, but television is aimed at easy lays.
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Nice pull with the sky waitress. Sal just got nominated for the worst case of blue balls ever.
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huh thought after all of those revelations of season 2 he'd be over it!
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probably watches it.
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Sal:"I've flown a couple of times but I've never seen a stewardess so game." Don: "You serious?"
Don almost lost his family last season because of his behavior. First episode this season, He's back to it and openly with his co-workers knowledge. Don is not going to stop and his behavior will probably messed up things a lot worse this season. He's the bastard son who is self destructive. The season poster basically is telling the s**t is going to hit the fan big time this season. Can't wait. Breaking Bad needs to get more love because that show is great. -
Remember those shitty posters that contained a hidden image that you had to concentrate to see? I feel like this with Mad Men. I've watched every single episode, and I still don't see why this is considered to be the best show on tv. The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, Big Love, Damages, Breaking Bad, Rescue Me are all much better and offer deeper and richer scenarios. What is so amazing about these cliched soap opera situations that Man men trots out every week? Oh no, Don's found out that Salvatore is GAY! Don cheats on his wife! Someone we don't know got fired! Oh My GOD, the drama! You want fucking drama? Recovering alcoholic Tommy Gavin going on a booze bender, talking to his dead family, and burning his leg with a blowtorch. That is fucking drama. Vic Mackey selling out his one remaining friend and standing there impotently, wallowing in his own shame as Ronnie is dragged away to prison, screaming, is drama. I don't know, I'm trying to mine for gold with this show, but I'm getting nothing.
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IMO, I wouldn't call it "the" best, but it's certainly very good. I found S1 to be guilty as charged on the style-over-substance part. The ball really started to roll during S2. I hope S3 continues the trend. Nuance plays a much larger part than pure plot, which probably explains why the rabid fans also gush so much about the set design and costumes.
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Really. It just ran through all the standard MM tropes: Don lies and cheats, there's a bit of office intrigue about power shifting... and that's it.
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Another great episode of Man Men...but I did get the feeling that it didn't go much as a season premiere. There's wasnt anything terribly new or exciting, Don hasn't changed at all, which surprised me considering the baby, but flawed as he is, his behavior is puzzling. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, I just don't see how it set up the season or prepared us for what's to come. Just seemed like a middle-of-the-season episode.
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which no one mentioned was Don fantasizing his own "origin story" throughout the episode. All probably pieced together from insults his adoptive mother hurled at him while he was growing up. "You're a whore child." , "You know why you're name is Dick because your whore mother threatened to cut your father's dick off if he knocked her up.", "All my babies died so I had to settle for you."
All the above quotes are pure conjecture on my part but, I get the feeling that this is how Dick/Don created this fantasy of his birth in his mind.
I did think the Bell Man just kissing Sal out of the blue was a bit odd but, maybe you can chalk it up to "gaydar".
Would a woman in 1963 really call her daughter "a little dyke"? Or was that just there to illustrate Betty's meanness?
How tall are Elizabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks? On Firefly Hendricks seems tiny next to Nathan Fillion but, she seemed to tower over Moss in this episode. I hope they are padding Christina Hendricks, if not she is headed for Delta Burke territory.
The way the Brits set up Pete and Ken was a major dick move. Not that they made them compete but, that they made them think that they had the job and then told them they had to compete for it. It gave more depth to the way both characters handle stress.
How will Don handle his knowledge of Sal's homosexuality? Even though he treats his wife like shit Don has been able to show incredible kindness and compassion. If Sterling, Cooper or the Brits find out what will they do. Sterling and Cooper didn't give a shit about Don not really being Don. Will they treat Sal's situation differently?
All in all a good episode though mostly "set-up".
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Seeker clip show. Just for Bridget Regan's cleavage alone.
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that show was excellent last night.
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The "Moneypenny" comment damn near killed me.
Don's reaction to the fire alarm was brilliant and surprising. We live in a time where fire protection engineering is standard in public buildings. People don't freak about firealarms in public places. But back in '63 without sprinklers everywhere? Being slow might cost you your life. After Don's experience in Korea, I can see him completely freaking about potentially dying in a fire.
That said, the episode didn't feel cohesive as a standalone, but it bodes well for the new season.
Oh, Betty's comment about Sally breaking Don's suitcase was great. -
Last night's episode had a kind of cinematic quality to it, made for a pretty grand and intense episode. The last five minutes were indeed incredible.
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I said this last season, and now I'm more sure of it than ever: by series end, Harry will be one of the major power brokers at Sterling-Cooper. He hitched his wagon to television early, and as TV advertising becomes more of a dominant force, his power within the company will increase, taking him from the loveable but earnest schlub we first met, and turning him into...something else. The fact that he had sway in regard to the divvying up of accounts between Pete and Ken was evidence to the fact that his power level is slowly, almost subtly increasing. Mark my words: By the end of the series, he'll be running the place. And that'll be dramatically appropriate.
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Personally i think Peggy is going to be the one who will end up running everything - and it'll probably take the entire run of the series to lead up to that point.
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And they are not given enough to do, last night being a good example. Jon Hamm is good as Draper, but the character is wearing thin for me, I'm much more interested in almost everyone else on the show, but especially Peggy, Pete and Joan.
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He might be selfish but he's not out to hurt anybody. So Sal's secret is probably safe.
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I completely disagree with Herc, though a good solid episode, it was hardly one of its best. I can't remember how I felt about last year's premiere ep, but I was let down by this year's somewhat. Though I applaud the HOT scene between Sal and the bellboy. My fear (like last year) is that this show was SO good the previous season, how could it possibly keep it up? But somehow Season Two was better than Season One...could they do it again. Wiener completely avoided Sophomore Slump. I'm hoping (and somewhat betting) "Mad Men" will not be affected by the Junior Jinx.
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...this season in a way not seen heretofore.BTW I noticed a subtle 60s British swagger that's kinda like MI6 in the Connery Bond movies.
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That is daring! I don't think I've ever seen that on TV before -- except for all those bad daytime soaps, of which these shows are, just better made and acted. And I don't need to "see every season just otherwise you can't get into it" jive. That just means you're hooked. I felt he same way about GENERAL HOSPITAL when I was a kid...
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Yep, saw the original broadcast and decided to watch the replay immediately after. This return episode didn't even feel like a big "return episode" but more like another ep from Season 2. I thought there was great stuff all around and I was surprised at how easily the new British staff fit into the whole picture.The preview for the rest of the season definitely gives hints that there is going to be some major conflict down the road - maybe even a surprise or two (i.e. Don's future at Sterling-Cooper...).Oh, and Roger's entrance = PRICELESS.
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Uh, fail. We've known for a long time that Sal is homosexual. What MAD MEN has been able to do with him (building genuine tension in scenes that remind one of the intensely closeted times they're living in) is rather remarkable considering he's a B-level character.
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Agreed on Harry. You've made a great point and it's one that I thought of when he seemed to be the only one interested in TV. Since he was ahead on that curve, it will be interesting to see how his career pans out.
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Why the FUCK is anyone trolling a Mad Men TB anyway?
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Yeah, even after his West Coast revelations, he's still having a hard time trying to break those old habits. Just watching how easy it is for him (as opposed to Sal who seemed surprisingly game) was hilarious.The closing scene was kind of rough - having his daughter take the Flight Attendant's wings under false pretense showed how potentially destructive his behavior can be.
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I got the idea that Draper was more conflicted than in the past. He's not ready to stop everything, but he didn't seem that into it, really.
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The subplot with Don and the real Don Draper's wife. A fascinating and mature platonic (I'm assuming) relationship with a woman. And I'ver never seen Don more comfortable.
On a sidenote: Did not realize the guy playing Pete Campbell was also Connor on "Angel." What a difference a new haircut makes. -
The details that make this show stand out. The focus on Don Draper's bare feet at the beginning of the episode, and when outside the hotel. Pete Campbell's victory jig, which soon turns sour when he finds out he has to share the account manager position. Roger telling Pete to have a drink, but not the good stuff (the Stoli). The way the Draper kids function as little servants, sp. the daughter, who unpacks Don's suitcase witout question, while he relaxes. Much like her bartending duties last season. On top of the major plot points, its the details that makes Mad Men for me.
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Keep an eye on Bert Cooper this season. I think it is an interesting choice (possibly foreshadowing) that the character fired was also named "Bert" (Peterson). Also, I cannot remember if I've ever seen Bert Cooper walk into Don's corner office and sit down. He is worried.
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1) The "Moneypenny" nickname: "Dr. No" had just premiered in the U.S. (first Bond film in the U.S., obviously)
2) Roger says the Cuban cigars had to be sent to another country first and then to him: the embargo on Cuban imports had recently gone into effect.
So yes, there were references. -
it was thicker during the industrial revolution because of coal smoke...but there is natural fog in london...so eff the brit twit
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It's how they find affirmation in themselves. Just ignore or if they get too out of hand request to have them banned.
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Eh.... I've seen every episode of "Mad Men" and yes, I do "GET" the show, I just don't understand what's THAT great about it. Yeah, yeah it's the little things...
I'm sorry but when I finish an episode of "Mad Men" --- I'm not like... "OH MY FREAKING GOD!!!! HOLY !@#$%!!!!! Pete did a *BEEP* victory jig!!! OMG I can't wait to talk to all my friends about it!!!"
I'm sorry but Pete's jig, Don's bare feet... does that REALLY equate good drama? Really? Give me those final gut wrenching scenes of "The Shield" finale, or the brilliant Jacob twist in "LOST", SAMCRO planning the hit on Opie on "Sons of Anarchy", or Skylar finally questioning Walt about the 2nd cell phone in "Breaking Bad". When the credits to those shows roll, I can't wait to talk to all my friends about the latest developments.
When I finish watching an episode of "Mad Men", I keep wondering if the show will ever develop an engaging narrative which doesn't rely exclusively on flashy set designs and nods to historical events. Oh, they mentioned the Cuban Missile Crisis and the women are politically correct. That's fine, but I'm hardly on pins and needles to have a discussion about it at the water cooler. -
^^^ You're not alone, Max.
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yeah that sounded retarded.
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I think for Peggy to wind up at the top at the end is a little too FALCON CREST, or maybe too Pia Zadora in THE LONELY LADY. In other words, I think that the plot of "The bitch fought her way to the top...but at what price??" is a little dramatically obvious, not to mention unrealistic. I mean, the show is supposed to end at the end of the 60s, and I don't think for Peggy to be the head of Sterling-Cooper speaks to the reality of your average businesswoman in 1970. Meanwhile, I do see them going for the plot of "The sweet, bow-tie wearing guy rose to the top through low-key but canny decision-making and the luck of circumstance...but at what price???" I think it puts the character to good use, and says something about the rise of tv. However, I think whatever dénouement Weiner has in store for Peggy will more complex and dynamic than anything we can predict at this point.
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the quick chat about it not being worth making more than 40k because of the tax burden, which was nice cognitive dissonance as very few paid top marginal rates, thanks to loopholes and writeoffs, never mind that cost of living was much less and i would like one show where the entire hour is devoted to walking behind joan...dont need to see ms hendricks naked, just want to spend an hour staring at that beautiful behind eff the twiggy look....that is a real woman
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Aug 17, 2009 9:13:17 PM CDT
Don daughter bartending nearly made me fall out my seat!
by hollywoodhellraiser
I was expecting it and before I thought it wrong I forget those were different times. And if you think about it something like that could be useful in her getting a job. LOLSpeaking if Sal I do understand why some think things in that room was a little too fast. I kinda felt like bellboy wouldn't had thrown hinmself at a guest like that so readily given the time period. I kinda see gay men and women way more guarded. Like in that Julianne Moore movie.
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... and I'm done with this show. That scene looked like it came straight out of "Brokeback Mountain" or "Six Feet Under". I'm surprised it made it to the final cut. Seriously, that was just too much. I don't need to be watching a show where I have to avert my eyes for five minutes.
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Sorry you felt you needed to avert your eyes. What rotten luck for you that you have to live in a society where gay people have sex too--and since it's part of the world, it will naturally be part of television shows about that society.
Nobody's making you watch the show. -
Harry will definitely have a huge presence by the end. Just seeing the growth of the TV department and his increased familiarity with it seems evidence of that. What I do think is neat though is that London Fog ad, as well as other ads Don has come up with, are REAL ads. It's crazy that this show is positing things where a FAKE person is the author of these real pieces of advertising. I love it.
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I'm sure like half the audience had the same reaction even if they wouldn't say it out loud.
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Whatever. I have watched every episode of the show and I am a great fan. HOWEVER, this scene was simply too explicit for this series. I mean, that bellboy was jerking him off, for pete's sake. Even the hetero scenes aren't that explicit. This is almost like jumping the shark as explicit gay sex has never been a part of this show before. I like to know what I'm getting going into a show. If I'm watching "Queer As Folk" or "Six Feet Under", I expect this. The inclusion of that scene was meant to titillate for no apparent reason other than everyone would talk about at work the next day. "Mad Men" prides itself on its subtlety and that's what I like about it. That scene, however, was anything but subtle. Come on, even you have to admit it went on and on. I'm sure some people will praise the show for its daring. I just don't think it belongs on this show. And, you know what, as a straight male, I loved "Brokeback Mountain" but I still averted my eyes during the sex scene there and was dreading when it would show up. I don't need that kind of anxiety when I await this show every week.
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exactly.
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Glad to see at least one other person is in the same boat! I'm going to keep watching Mad Men anyway, I mean its Sunday night, what the hell else is there to do, other than watch Hung, of course. Maybe I'll have an epiphany during one of the episodes, and I'll see the light; "Of course! That cold look Don just gave his wife reveals the tragedy of his character and works on eight different levels!"
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Great episode, good call Herc. Ok so is Duck no longer gonna be on the show? I was not really sure what was going on in finale last year, when they made him president and then sent him out...I guess they just chose draper over duck, and thats it? The dude they fired in this one...has he been around in other episodes? or was he Ducks replacement, cause he was doing ducks old job am i wrong, head of accounts? Im not gonna lie I agree with the_first_rule_of_fight_club the gay sex scene was too graphic, and i turned away...I like sal's storyline and it does deserve to have sex scenes i guess, but not that graphic.
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Can you set up a BREAKING BAD TB or something for guys like Ash0k and MaxCalifornia.? Otherwise, it's going to be REALLY lame wading through these guys' posts week after week as they continue to declare that they just "don't get it".
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Are you kidding? The suggestion of grabbing somebody's junk is too graphic, after Don fingerbangs someone in a public place? That scene was MUCH more graphic. I'm sort of flabbergasted that people who would freak out at that enjoy Mad Men. Go figure.
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is a genius! She built like a Marliyn Monroe or Jane Russell.BTW, damn British bastards!
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Aug 18, 2009 2:33:35 AM CDT
British takeover foreshadowing of British invasion?
by takingscorpioscalls
The mid-60s oncoming of the Beatles and other music groups as well as the Bond phenomenon. Oh yeah and Harry will be interesting considering the 60s was a great period for TV.
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And this is the perspective from someone who watched 4 or 5 episodes of the 1st season marathon before the 2nd season started, because I wanted to see what all the hubub was about. Basically, I found every main character on the show an asshole and completely unlikable including the lead Don Draper. Now, I realize that this is the point of the show, but I need there to be something likable about my tv characters for me to want to tune in each week. The Soprano's had characters that were all assholes too, but even the worst of them had something charming about them that made you care about them on some level. The whole point of Mad Men seems to be that men are all jerks and thank god they don't run the world like they did in the 50s and 60s.
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Is this hotel still in operation?
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... that there is even the MENTION of True Blood in a Mad Men talkback is just . . . well . . . so disappointing.Ugh.
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...was, at its sinful man-on-man center, comfortably under 90 seconds long. Not five minutes, not containing nudity, and with no particularly graphic sexual gestures.
They smooched and groped. For Sal, it was actually one of the more poignant moments of his character's arc. Defined by the intensity of emotion as much as it was by the physicality of it all.
It's not unexpected that some people may find such things so disgusting that they have to turn their eyes away, or contemplate never engaging with the show anymore, but it's unreasonable to expect the creators of the otherwise excellent programming be expected to conform to your prejudices.
Those who took away from that episode only indignation of a scene that happened to contain some gay smoochytime, may consider that it was they, not the show, that had the issue.
Anyways, as the general consensus of the TB, and critics, would seem to once again demonstrate... this here TV proggy is really kinda nifty.
To season three, and all who sail on her.
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And this just seems to confirm my belief that this show is nothing more than Hollywood trashing and making fun of a patriarchal society.
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it wasn't even a gay sex scene, it was a scene of a confused and lonely guy who got his junk grabbed for about 3 seconds before the fire alarm went off.
If that was too much for you, I hope you guys never watched OZ. -
Aug 19, 2009 3:57:25 PM CDT
Remember when Sal's penis shouted "Sal!" at the camera?
by thunderbolt ross
That was very romantic.
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Just forget about it. Forget this TB ever even happened. Just ... walk away. Please, for the love of god.
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I agree they should head on over to their latest reality show.
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With each Mad Men talkback lately, someone suggests the show is not showing the intolerance of the day correctly. But even in that era, every place in the world didn't have lynching of blacks and gay guys getting beaten up. There aren't really many black characters to be seen, first off, so there's little opportunity for slurs to be tossed around. And Don is the only one who knows about Sal. We're dealing with people in a certain area of society who consider themselves civilized, and while they'd probably fire Sal over learning such a thing, we don't really have characters that turn angry and violent in this show. Don's certainly not about to kick the crap out of some guy for being gay. Some people then -- even now -- would do that, but not everyone. "Classy" businessmen working in a NYC office building are probably a bit less likely to be walking around all day saying the n-word. Even if most of them may be thinking it.
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