Mad Men

[Liber Pater]

I've just watched Season 1 on DVD, and I don't understand what all the hype is about.

Its not a bad series, but I don't understand why its getting all of the critical acclaim. It captures the late 50's/early 60's well, and it shows the viewer how much the work environment has changed in the past 40 years, but as far as the actual story, it doesn't strike me as anything new.

Its OK, and I will probably watch it here and there, but its no Sopranos/Shield/Wire/Rescue Me in my opinion.

 

[RTRD]

I just started wathing Season 1 on DVD....

I've just watched Season 1 on DVD, and I don't understand what all the hype is about.

Its not a bad series, but I don't understand why its getting all of the critical acclaim. It captures the late 50's/early 60's well, and it shows the viewer how much the work environment has changed in the past 40 years, but as far as the actual story, it doesn't strike me as anything new.

Its OK, and I will probably watch it here and there, but its no Sopranos/Shield/Wire/Rescue Me in my opinion.

...and so far (I am three episodes in), it hasn't been as good as season two (I've seen every episode), be me and the SO still do agree it is great TV.

That said, while I am unfamiliar with "Rescue Me", the others show you listed are "action" shows. "Mad Men" is much more subtle...the nuances are in the characters, the dialogue, the situations. It is riveting, but in a different way...MUCH better than "The Shield" IMHO...

 

[darrenstevens]

What Mad Men Is Really About...

I love this thread so much, replying to it is my first post here! I love Mad Men enormously -- though Season 2 is dragging a bit compared to Season 1. But in both seasons, it seems to slowly build momentum throughout the 12-13 episodes (like The Wire did).
As much as Mad Men entertains us with the Sixties look (god, the smoking is unbelievable on its own!), in my view the show is, in essence, about identity -- some characters are trying to find it, others trying to lose it. Do we define ourselves by our jobs? By our trophy wives? Or exactly how does each individual come to understand himself/herself? What makes Don Draper "Don Draper"? What makes Roger Sterling "Roger Sterling"? I'm not a deep thinker so I'm probably not making a lot of sense here ... but maybe someone else can pick up the thought.
On a less-eggheady note, Betty (Don's wife) is possibly the most gorgeous woman in the history of television. And Roger Sterling is the best supporting character in the history of television.

 

[The Cunning Linguist]

I love this thread so much, replying to it is my first post here! I love Mad Men enormously -- though Season 2 is dragging a bit compared to Season 1. But in both seasons, it seems to slowly build momentum throughout the 12-13 episodes (like The Wire did).
As much as Mad Men entertains us with the Sixties look (god, the smoking is unbelievable on its own!), in my view the show is, in essence, about identity -- some characters are trying to find it, others trying to lose it. Do we define ourselves by our jobs? By our trophy wives? Or exactly how does each individual come to understand himself/herself? What makes Don Draper "Don Draper"? What makes Roger Sterling "Roger Sterling"? I'm not a deep thinker so I'm probably not making a lot of sense here ... but maybe someone else can pick up the thought.
On a less-eggheady note, Betty (Don's wife) is possibly the most gorgeous woman in the history of television. And Roger Sterling is the best supporting character in the history of television.

I find it interesting that you have chosen a handle from a 1960's TV show about an advertising exec, who's wife was a witch. Intentional?

Are you Dick York or Dick Sargent?

 

[darrenstevens]

Re: The Two Dicks

Okay, that is weird that a guy with an ad exec handle wrote about an ad exec show. But it's a coincidence that I didn't notice until you pointed it out! But come to think of it, Don's wife on Mad Men is kind of like Samantha, isn't she?
I wouldn't want to be either Dick, BTW. The last I heard, Dick York was wheelchair-bound and hooked up to an oxygen tank due to emphyzema or something, and Dick Sargeant had died from AIDS. Marrying a cute witch comes at a cost apparently.

 

[lasslicker]

Okay, that is weird that a guy with an ad exec handle wrote about an ad exec show. But it's a coincidence that I didn't notice until you pointed it out! But come to think of it, Don's wife on Mad Men is kind of like Samantha, isn't she?
I wouldn't want to be either Dick, BTW. The last I heard, Dick York was wheelchair-bound and hooked up to an oxygen tank due to emphyzema or something, and Dick Sargeant had died from AIDS. Marrying a cute witch comes at a cost apparently.

Made for you :

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/ers/872382130.html

 

[tboy]

yeah, I never miss PVRing it.....and yes, it is dragging and yeah, Don is super cool. I tell ya, the way he dresses he could fit in anywhere today.

The plastic bag thing, that was funny, the worst was this season when Don and the fambly went on a picnic they just shook out their trash onto the grass and don tosses his beer can into the bushes. Another one was where Don was off to the beach with his hottie mistress and rolls his car. He gets caught drunk and the cops charge him $100.00 and let him go. Even though he wrote off the car!!!!!

I so get a kick out of the way they treat the "girls" (the secretaries) and how they portray them all as simpltons (most recently crying over marylin monroe's death).

The smoking and drinking is too much...I mean, how did they ever get any work done being half in the bag all the time?

 

[tywebb1967]

Don is super cool. I tell ya, the way he dresses he could fit in anywhere today.

http://whatwoulddondraperdo.tumblr.com/

 

[tboy]

I remembered this one today while I was working: When Don's wife Betty Betsy, or whatever her name is was seeing a shrink, the shrink called DON and told him what his wife said.....My jaw literally DROPPED when I saw that......

 

[3Tees]

I remembered this one today while I was working: When Don's wife Betty Betsy, or whatever her name is was seeing a shrink, the shrink called DON and told him what his wife said.....My jaw literally DROPPED when I saw that......

Better yet was when Betty was snooping in Don's office because she thought he was cheating. She finds a suspicious phone number on the phone bill and calls it to find-out it's HER shrink. She was so relieved to find-out the number was not some "other woman's" that she didn't even care to ask or think about WHY Don had called her shrink's number!!

 

[Diode]

I remembered this one today while I was working: When Don's wife Betty Betsy, or whatever her name is was seeing a shrink, the shrink called DON and told him what his wife said.....My jaw literally DROPPED when I saw that......

Ah..The good old days.
Great show. And YES Fedoras beat Baseball caps any day.

 

[I Claudius]

I agree - I saw several episodes of Mad Men in a row a month or so ago, and it totally hooked me. New season now on Sunday nights, but if you miss it, you can catch up via ROD. I was hooked on In Treatment as well... it's nice to see there sometimes is a good alternative to the crap series on regular channels...

 

[syn]

I agree - I saw several episodes of Mad Men in a row a month or so ago, and it totally hooked me. New season now on Sunday nights, but if you miss it, you can catch up via ROD. I was hooked on In Treatment as well... it's nice to see there sometimes is a good alternative to the crap series on regular channels...

or you catch up on missed episodes on ctv.ca . i have compulsively watched season 1 and all of the aired season 2 episodes in last week or so.

Syn

 

[syn]

Any thoughts on the finale last night?

And do we think Don Draper and Roger Sterling will be back next season? Both actors and creator Mathew Weinberg have yet to renew their contracts.

Syn

 

[tboy]

Yeah, they'll all be back and I bet "Duck" is history after that last meeting.

I hate it though when these really good series don't go full season. What ever happened to the good old days when a season ran from Sept/Oct to march/april?

Oh, and isn't Betsy the little tramp? Pickin up some dude in a bar and doing him in the manager's office. I bet next season she tells Don about it....

But good old Don is now $500K richer. That's the equivolent of about $4M in today's dollars......(or thereabouts)

 

[RTRD]

Damn It!!!!

YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO GIVE A SPOILER WARNING!!!!

YOU PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF DVRs RIGHT???!!! SOME OF US HAVEN"T GOTTEN TO ALL THE EPISODES YET!!!!



.....sigh.....

 

[tboy]

LOL ok

SPOILER ALERT

 

[Manji]

That was the Season Finale?

That sucks.....was hoping for more.....

Yeah...Duck is gonna get the boot from Sterling & Cooper...


Heard that Mad Men is signed on for two more seasons...

 

[james t kirk]

Yeah, I loved the scene with Betsy having annonymous sex with the guy in the bar. When she's walking out and the bar tender asks what they were doing in there and she just walks right past him like whatever. I'm hoping that Betsy becomes more of a little slut next season (and I say that in a good way).

I think Doug has roasted his own ass as well. He's off the wagon, he's trying to fuck Don around when really Don's the guy who brings in the money. The new bosses don't seem too impressed with him. Don clearly outsmarted him not signing the contract. (Show's that Don is pretty smart and Doug was easily out manouvered. Not someone you want running the place.)

Next season will be the assasination of JFK I would guess by the way things are proceeding. Then comes the Beatles.

Each and every character in that show is missing something in one way or another. They are all disfunctional (very much like real life isn't it.)

 

[syn]

YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE A SPOILER WARNING!!!!

YOU PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF DVRs RIGHT???!!! SOME OF US HAVEN"T GOTTEN TO ALL THE EPISODES YET!!!!



.....sigh.....

Maybe you should not read posts on a thread about a tv show on the day following it's finale if you don't want to read spoilers. Just a thought ...

Besides - didn't I give a spolier warning when I asked for thoughts on the season finale? You have to make your own bubble ... and can't fault tboy on this one.

Syn