Mad Men

Elki

This will be the first time I watch an episode live. Oh yeah.

My long tradition of knowing as little as possible I'm interested in watching holds up with much help from Matthew Weiner. Their ad campaign for the new season made brilliant non-use of material from the premier, and I couldn't be more excited for it.

Jon Hamm: Jon Hamm! The man spent his long break wisely. I've seen him all over, doing brilliantly in small supporting role, podcasts, videos, even interviews. Everything. I love it.


And in 1 hour (hoorays).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEEo3aH23IQ


I think that's how you make a promo.


Currently: watching season 4's finale.

SaraLuna

here's a season 4 recap video:
http://www.amctv.com/mad-men/videos/where-season-4-left-off-inside-mad-men

adytum

I just finished watching all 4 seasons of Mad Men, and everyone is an irredeemably terrible person. Those that are almost sympathetic (Peggy, Joan) always end up doing something so nasty, horrible, or stupid that I have to write them off. The only people I don't hate are the ones with no personalities, like Ken.

But, like Nip/Tuck, I'm enthralled enough that I'll keep on watching right through to the end.

y2jake215

adytum wrote: »

I just finished watching all 4 seasons of Mad Men, and everyone is an irredeemably terrible person. Those that are almost sympathetic (Peggy, Joan) always end up doing something so nasty, horrible, or stupid that I have to write them off. The only people I don't hate are the ones with no personalities, like Ken.

But, like Nip/Tuck, I'm enthralled enough that I'll keep on watching right through to the end.

I'm trying to come up with a counterexample...

and I can't.

Sal?

adytum

Sal was cool, except for lying to and ultimately cheating on his wife.

His treatment from Don was probably the worst thing Don's done in 4 years of being an all-around horrible human being, especially when the show made a point to detail how much of a bully Lee Garner, Jr. was with his treatment of Roger at the Christmas party. Sal was 100%, unequivocally correct in his position, and rather than making a show of "firing" him while actually keeping him on board, Don threw him to the wolves. That was particularly disappointing considering how closely Sal's life mirrors Don's. Maybe that's why he treated him so harshly?

On a side note, I hope Betty gets less air time, because she's the queen bee of the hideous hive.

y2jake215

I like whenever Betty's onscreen, because she's just so goddamn miserable. I never think I could hate her more, then she just tops herself, like bitch slapping Sally

Heisenberg

Irredeemably terrible? No one in the show has murdered someone. You're being way too judgemental. Something special about the show is how all of the characters are real people who aren't perfect, just like real life. If you're actually writing off any of the characters as "irredeemably terrible" you shouldn't bother watching good TV.

adytum

It's a TV show, and there may have been a little bit of hyperbole in my previous post. Don't take it so seriously. :bz

Heisenberg

Apologies, then.

edit: Mad Men is one of my favorite shows and I've been holding out to see Don go through a transformation from the really shitty guy he's been to something more. That's why Season 4 was a complete kick in the balls.

You think he's actually going to make a change, and then in the season finale he throws it all away and starts right back where he began.

Javen

It's mostly that they all seem to do the same wrong things, and yet judge each other incredibly harshly for them.

adytum

I mean, every main character (except Peggy) has made a several-year-long habit of just completely ruining everyone's lives around them through lying, cheating, and stealing. There is certainly a lot of judgement to be passed.

Hacksaw

adytum wrote: »

I mean, every main character (except Peggy) has made a several-year-long habit of just completely ruining everyone's lives around them through lying, cheating, and stealing. There is certainly a lot of judgement to be passed.

This. Most everyone on the show is frightening amoral. It's like watching American Psycho, only everyone is Patrick Bateman, and there's no killing.

DiannaoChong

I think my favorite scene is when Sally makes a cocktail, and it's 3/4ths of a tall glass of whiskey. Don takes a sip of it in mid conversation, holds it out to look at it like he knows what went wrong while in conversation, and continues to drink it anyways. They need to change the "like a boss" meme to "like a Don" and have a bottle of liquor in each hand.


I think all the characters are contractually obligated to drink a fifth of something each episode.

Mike Danger

Best part of tonight was

the three or four different interpretations of Meghan's song-and-dance routine

Javen

So who IS the closest thing to a decent notable character on this show?

Until tonight it was going to say Lane, until they decided he was going to be kind of racist now

DiannaoChong

Allison Brie's character? She does her best to manipulate her husband and "punish" in the 60's stereo type of husband and wife, and refuses to adopt. But shes probably just the least seen. I think every character has cheated on their partner but her.

y2jake215

DiannaoChong wrote: »

I think my favorite scene is when Sally makes a cocktail, and it's 3/4ths of a tall glass of whiskey. Don takes a sip of it in mid conversation, holds it out to look at it like he knows what went wrong while in conversation, and continues to drink it anyways. They need to change the "like a boss" meme to "like a Don" and have a bottle of liquor in each hand.


I think all the characters are contractually obligated to drink a fifth of something each episode.

I read that scene like you were supposed to think, Oh man Sally, that's ridiculous, you're making a horrible cocktail (it was either a Bloody Mary or a Screwdriver I think)... but then your expectations are subverted when its exactly how he wanted the drink to be fixed. Been a while since I saw it though

finnith

Hacksaw wrote: »

adytum wrote: »

I mean, every main character (except Peggy) has made a several-year-long habit of just completely ruining everyone's lives around them through lying, cheating, and stealing. There is certainly a lot of judgement to be passed.

This. Most everyone on the show is frightening amoral. It's like watching American Psycho, only everyone is Patrick Bateman, and there's no killing.

What about Ken? I don't think he's done much wrong, at least to the extent of everyone else on the show.

y2jake215

finnith wrote: »

Hacksaw wrote: »

adytum wrote: »

I mean, every main character (except Peggy) has made a several-year-long habit of just completely ruining everyone's lives around them through lying, cheating, and stealing. There is certainly a lot of judgement to be passed.

This. Most everyone on the show is frightening amoral. It's like watching American Psycho, only everyone is Patrick Bateman, and there's no killing.

What about Ken? I don't think he's done much wrong, at least to the extent of everyone else on the show.

Spoiler for.. LA Noire ahead?

He burned a whole hospital full of people alive during the war, remember?

wanting to not spoil anything for people is really stepping on my joke

Heisenberg

Tonight was pretty good and moved at the typically glacial pace the show is known for. Lots of great Pete, roger, and lane scenes but Im not really sure what the Don arc for the season will be.

DiannaoChong

Great episode. I think Don's arc is going to be "this is why you don't marry your secretary in this environment", as he learns how much like a child she is on this stuff.

The Roger vs Pete stuff is going to get amazing. The only problem it becomes a thing of which will happen first: Pete loses, or Roger dies. Because I dont think Roger loses: He gets even.

y2jake215

I know blackface is bad, but I was more offended by Roger singing in orangeface this episode

izzyb

Javen wrote: »

So who IS the closest thing to a decent notable character on this show?

Until tonight it was going to say Lane, until they decided he was going to be kind of racist now

What? When?

Bert Cooper has always been a pretty stand up guy.

adytum

DiannaoChong wrote: »

Allison Brie's character? She does her best to manipulate her husband and "punish" in the 60's stereo type of husband and wife, and refuses to adopt. But shes probably just the least seen. I think every character has cheated on their partner but her.

Wasn't it the other way around? I thought she wanted to adopt, but her husband wouldn't let her because he's not going to raise someone's else's child, despite the fact that some stranger is raising his child..

And considering all the vile things her husband had done to her, her actions are pretty mild in comparison.

CptKemzik

adytum wrote: »

DiannaoChong wrote: »

Allison Brie's character? She does her best to manipulate her husband and "punish" in the 60's stereo type of husband and wife, and refuses to adopt. But shes probably just the least seen. I think every character has cheated on their partner but her.

Wasn't it the other way around? I thought she wanted to adopt, but her husband wouldn't let her because he's not going to raise someone's else's child, despite the fact that some stranger is raising his child..

And considering all the vile things her husband had done to her, her actions are pretty mild in comparison.

Yes, it was the other way around, she was open to adoption as an option. I've seen everything up till the end of season 4 and would have watched this premier, but my area's basic cable service is shit and doesn't carry AMC.

Allforce

izzyb wrote: »

Javen wrote: »

So who IS the closest thing to a decent notable character on this show?

Until tonight it was going to say Lane, until they decided he was going to be kind of racist now

What? When?

Bert Cooper has always been a pretty stand up guy.

Lane wouldn't trust the black cabbie with the wallet he found in his cab.

Roger had some great lines tonight, "Ahh there's my baby! Now get that brat out of the way so I can give her a kiss"

Disrupter

I wonder how good the ratings for this show will be this year. I have a feeling Netflix brought in a shitload of people who "heard about it' but never watched it. I know pretty much everyone I am friends with fit into that group. We all watched Mad Men seperately over the last few months and now we all watched it last night.

Shows should pay Netflix to carry them...

Mike Danger

I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be "Lane doesn't trust the cabby because he's black" or "Lane just wants to keep the wallet for himself". Maybe I'm just naive.

Straygatsby

Mike Danger wrote: »

I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be "Lane doesn't trust the cabby because he's black" or "Lane just wants to keep the wallet for himself". Maybe I'm just naive.

As soon as he saw the picture of Dolores, he chose to hold on to the wallet. I suspect he's going to get into some serious trouble this season. I can't quite remember the exact sequence of events though (whether he pulled the picture out in the cab or sitting at his office), so it may fall back to those two options.

y2jake215

Straygatsby wrote: »

Mike Danger wrote: »

I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be "Lane doesn't trust the cabby because he's black" or "Lane just wants to keep the wallet for himself". Maybe I'm just naive.

As soon as he saw the picture of Dolores, he chose to hold on to the wallet. I suspect he's going to get into some serious trouble this season. I can't quite remember the exact sequence of events though (whether he pulled the picture out in the cab or sitting at his office), so it may fall back to those two options.

He took it out in his office, right before he gave it back.

GONG-00

Did anyone else get a mafia vibe from the Lane and the wallet plot?

Romero Zombie

I've tried a few times to get into this show and can't get past the first season. There was always something that bugged me about it and I felt like it was an hour long show where nothing ever seemed to happen except lots of smoking and cheating on your spouses.

Heisenberg wrote: »

Tonight was pretty good and moved at the typically glacial pace the show is known for. Lots of great Pete, roger, and lane scenes but Im not really sure what the Don arc for the season will be.

Maybe this was it....just seemed so god awful slow I didn't know what to make of it

Sammich

y2jake215 wrote: »

Straygatsby wrote: »

Mike Danger wrote: »

I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be "Lane doesn't trust the cabby because he's black" or "Lane just wants to keep the wallet for himself". Maybe I'm just naive.

As soon as he saw the picture of Dolores, he chose to hold on to the wallet. I suspect he's going to get into some serious trouble this season. I can't quite remember the exact sequence of events though (whether he pulled the picture out in the cab or sitting at his office), so it may fall back to those two options.

He took it out in his office, right before he gave it back.

I think he opened the wallet in the cab and saw the $100, but i dont know if he saw the picture of Dolores at that point. I think he did thats why he kept it. I dont think Lane is racist as much as he is used to behaving a certain way in England and bringing it over. He had a black playboy bunny GF in season 4 i think it was. Either way.. i love this show. Roger was awesome this episode.

Smaug6

On the whole wallet thing, I wouldn't turn over a wallet with a good deal of cash to any cab driver, regardless of race. Maybe Lane is racist, but more likely he is practical an just wouldnt trust any cabbie with that wallet in the first place, even of they were in jolly old England.

Joe Dizzy

Hacksaw wrote: »

adytum wrote: »

I mean, every main character (except Peggy) has made a several-year-long habit of just completely ruining everyone's lives around them through lying, cheating, and stealing. There is certainly a lot of judgement to be passed.

This. Most everyone on the show is frightening amoral. It's like watching American Psycho, only everyone is Patrick Bateman, and there's no killing.

I don't know if amoral is the right word. These characters are profoundly oblivious to the effects their actions have on other people, though. Emotionally stunted or ignorant might be more fitting. They either flail about because they don't really know what they want, let alone how to get it... or they do know what they want, but cannot accept not getting it.

I think Don might be the only one who can occasionally rise above this myopia and recognise that other people's emotions are affected by what you do. (It's this empathy that fuels his great salesmanship.)

Captain Tragedy

Disrupter wrote: »

I wonder how good the ratings for this show will be this year.

Most watched Mad Men episode ever.

DiannaoChong

I thought we were supposed to believe Lane was racist with the wallet.

I also expected to find out the owner of the wallet was black. If the woman was really "one of the girls" in a professional sense, I see the sleeze pimp coming back around saying "oh you liked the girl in the picture, huh? $x"

carmofin

Why would racist Lane introduce his black girlfriend to his father last season? Nah, he just didn't trust cab drivers in general.

Hacksaw

Or he didn't trust a guy he doesn't know from Adam.

Kana

Romero Zombie wrote: »

I've tried a few times to get into this show and can't get past the first season. There was always something that bugged me about it and I felt like it was an hour long show where nothing ever seemed to happen except lots of smoking and cheating on your spouses.

Heisenberg wrote: »

Tonight was pretty good and moved at the typically glacial pace the show is known for. Lots of great Pete, roger, and lane scenes but Im not really sure what the Don arc for the season will be.

Maybe this was it....just seemed so god awful slow I didn't know what to make of it

The first several episodes of season 1 tend to go a bit thick on the "hehe, hey guys look, everyones smoking and drinking and is sexist! So wacky!"

Once it stops being amused by its setting it turns into a really great character study of Don, but it does take a little grinding at first.

Kana

Also I've started watching the new episode right now. First scene and I'm completely distracted by the hot girlie poster on the wall