Mad Men

[TooLiveBrew]

I searched & couldn't find a thread devoted to this show. There needs to be one.

 

I'm really looking forward to tonight's episode after last week's basically 2-ep. season premiere. The teaser at the end of last week seemed to indicate Betty will be back in the storyline, which I like since I think she's an awesome character.

 

I'm also looking forward to seeing where the rest of the women in the series go this season... Peggy, Joan, Sally, even Megan.

[razzzorsharp]

Was Betty in a fat suit?

[TooLiveBrew]

Was Betty in a fat suit?

Yeah (I mean, I didn't call Matthew Weiner or anything, but still).

 

Here is January Jones when she was actually pregnant.

[Invader3K]

They went from making Betty sympathetic back to completely unsympathetic in one episode. Good stuff.

[TooLiveBrew]

They went from making Betty sympathetic back to completely unsympathetic in one episode. Good stuff.

How do you mean? Just that she didn't call Don after getting her news?

[Invader3K]

Partly. Also, calling her mother in law "obese" and saying "I don't have cancer, I'm just fat," sort of tied into that.

[bjkrautk]

Once or twice a year, my TiVo strongly hints to me that I ought to like Mad Men, and I will watch the episodes it records. Last night happened to be one of those times.

 

Saying this as cautiously as I can (so as not to troll - I don't expect to post in the thread again unless called upon to do so), I just don't see what people get out of this show. I understand passionate fans (I love Community on NBC, so we at least have Alison Brie in common), so I look at this show with a curiosity that I don't have for a lot of other networks' offerings (e.g., if you're on Bravo & don't have "Top Chef" in your show title....I'm turning the channel). This is one of those rare shows where the fawning coverage it gets from media and fans leave me far more interested than the show itself ever seems to.

 

I'm sure that my watching pattern does the show a disservice, but can someone explain to me what it is I'm not seeing?

[Baldkin]

It is not a "one and done" type of show. You really cannot take any episode as a stand alone viewing and expect to be moved by what someone is doing.

 

It is a slow build, within both interpersonal relationships, delved deep into the psyche and also the culture of the US of A during the 60's.

 

Since I didn't live during that type period, I find it a sort of fascinating look back at how that culture may have been (through rose colored glasses, of course).

 

Oh, and also, Scotch. You're probably missing Scotch.

[TooLiveBrew]

It is not a "one and done" type of show. You really cannot take any episode as a stand alone viewing and expect to be moved by what someone is doing.

 

It is a slow build, within both interpersonal relationships, delved deep into the psyche and also the culture of the US of A during the 60's.

 

Since I didn't live during that type period, I find it a sort of fascinating look back at how that culture may have been (through rose colored glasses, of course).

 

Oh, and also, Scotch. You're probably missing Scotch.

Everything here. Well summed-up, Baldkin.

[chadomac]

Saying this as cautiously as I can (so as not to troll - I don't expect to post in the thread again unless called upon to do so), I just don't see what people get out of this show. I understand passionate fans (I love Community on NBC, so we at least have Alison Brie in common), so I look at this show with a curiosity that I don't have for a lot of other networks' offerings (e.g., if you're on Bravo & don't have "Top Chef" in your show title....I'm turning the channel). This is one of those rare shows where the fawning coverage it gets from media and fans leave me far more interested than the show itself ever seems to.

 

I hear ya. My girlfriend and I gave it four episodes and started from the beginning. We were bored and gave up. It just seemed very slow and didn't keep our interest. Tons of people love it, though... and it sometimes makes you question yourself, heh.

[NeedMoreFans]

My wife and I watched everything up until the current season (no cable, but it's on Netflix). The more we watched, the more intrenched we became. I just think it's very interesting how they make Don a not so nice person, yet for some reason, I was cheering for good things to happen to him by the end of the last season. I'm sad I can't watch it now...I guess I'll have to wait a while until it gets back up on Netflix.

[homer]

There's a lot of sub text going on. And the show represents the character of a changing America in the 60's. There are a ton of very subtle references to homosexuality, race, religion, politics in nearly every show. Also for fans of visual design, it is probably the most cinematic of all TV shows in that its lit and shot very much like a full length movie.

 

The writing style is also very "discreet". They don't hit you over the head with things but give hints as to how a character feels. For example, last night when Don called to check up on Betty, you could tell that Henry was really steamed at her for going to Don and telling him about her tumor. This is punctuated when he tells Betty that it was "nobody" on the other line. Kind of have to think through the emotions and motivations of each character in this show. Unlike CSI or Law and Order where basically what you see is what you get.

[TooLiveBrew]

My wife and I watched everything up until the current season (no cable, but it's on Netflix). The more we watched, the more intrenched we became. I just think it's very interesting how they make Don a not so nice person, yet for some reason, I was cheering for good things to happen to him by the end of the last season. I'm sad I can't watch it now...I guess I'll have to wait a while until it gets back up on Netflix.

In a different way (obviously), it reminds me of how David Chase made Tony Soprano somehow an endearing character/'good guy'

[TooLiveBrew]

There's a lot of sub text going on. And the show represents the character of a changing America in the 60's. There are a ton of very subtle references to homosexuality, race, religion, politics in nearly every show. Also for fans of visual design, it is probably the most cinematic of all TV shows in that its lit and shot very much like a full length movie.

 

The writing style is also very "discreet". They don't hit you over the head with things but give hints as to how a character feels. For example, last night when Don called to check up on Betty, you could tell that Henry was really steamed at her for going to Don and telling him about her tumor. This is punctuated when he tells Betty that it was "nobody" on the other line. Kind of have to think through the emotions and motivations of each character in this show. Unlike CSI or Law and Order where basically what you see is what you get.

Yeah, not sure if anyone else caught it, but there was a shot at Romney in last night's episode... oh, but his father George, of course... in no way was that meant to mirror our contemporary time

 

 

EDIT: Please don't take this thread political, my winking-face was about the subtlety of the line

[lukevan]

I really dig the show for its style and cinematography (I think that's the term I'm looking for?). However I can see how it is tough to get into for some people. You really can't just watch an episode and be enthralled. It took me half a season to really understand that this was going a long arcing show and that storylines would progress very subversively.

[TooLiveBrew]

I really dig the show for its style and cinematography (I think that's the term I'm looking for?). However I can see how it is tough to get into for some people. You really can't just watch an episode and be enthralled. It took me half a season to really understand that this was going a long arcing show and that storylines would progress very subversively.

Well said.

 

And I know what you mean in using "cinematography", and I can't think of a better word to describe it. But I know you mean more than just the framing of the shots. The show's use of light & dark is probably my favorite aspect. There have been some just jaw-dropping scenes based on said usage.

[TURBO]

The show is just good, and when determining what to watch, that is my measuring stick.

 

If I like it, it is good!

[TooLiveBrew]

Another stellar episode. I really wasn't expecting to see one I liked more than Ep. 4 for a while longer, but Ep. 5 was right there imo.

 

I like how Weiner & co. seem to have reversed the fortunes in the Campbell/Sterling beef. Pete had a particularly brutal storyline this week.

[Schlitz001]

I just got a chance to catch up with this season and it doesn't disappoint. The fight between Campbell and Price was great. Sterling sums it up perfectly when he says, "I know this is uncivilized, but am I the only one who wants to see this".

[Invader3K]

Another very compelling episode last night. Rather dark in some parts. You get the feeling one of the characters is going to snap at some point, as Peggy and Don both seem to be on downward spirals right now.

[TooLiveBrew]

Yeah, that ep. was one I'd definitely like to re-watch. Lots of stuff going on.

 

I loved that they 'turned' Peggy into a man, at least as she's represented in the workplace. The details... hands in her pockets when pitching the Heinz campaign, her all-out offensive during said pitch, more cigarette smoking & drinking at work, the 'affair' in the movie theater. And ultimately, of course, even Peggy being 'a man' in the workplace wasn't enough to counter the fact that she's a woman and isn't taken seriously in the same way the guys are. Peggy is still probably my favorite character; she's absolutely the lens through which the viewer is introduced to the MM world, and she's the constant reminder of how important gender is, & specifically on the show.

 

And the reunion of Roger & Joan just seems imminent now. On one hand, I'd like to see that happen, but on the other hand that's bordering on just lazy writing & storytelling... so I don't know. But Roger's most likely going to be in full-court-press mode going after Joan now. Although I don't know if anyone at SCDP is aware that she broke up with her husband (or if Roger would've even cared if she hadn't).

[homer]

Roger Sterling on LSD was pure gold.

[TooLiveBrew]

Roger Sterling on LSD was pure gold.

Couldn't agree more.

[Invader3K]

This thread is worth a bump. Really good season so far. I liked this past Sunday's episode a lot. The whole Harikrishna thing was surreal and amusing at the same time.

[TooLiveBrew]

This last episode was my favorite of the (outstanding) season so far