Mad Men

[Reaper16]

Season 4 premiered tonight. I would have bumped the season three thread but I titled it "season 3," which no longer seems appropriate.

Who saw it? It was a stupendous hour of television. All sorts of shit has happened in the eleven months that have passed (in-story) between the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Price and the beginning of season 4. The premeir was stepped in the juices of the sexual revolution. It also had a lot to say about the increasing role of the media in the success or failure of things. It was great to see Don fail a little bit, and it was exciting to consider the future implications at the end of Don crafting a public/media persona that is completely unlike his actual personality.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

Girls is such a brilliant show. Doesn't get nearly enough credit.

I get how people rapped it for tokening Donald Glover, but I loved that storyline. She was so mature and sophisticated for dating a black guy who calls himself republican. Then her GF suggests that there's more out there than a guy who won't read her writings quicker [writings about getting over her past BF BTW], and she invents all these controversies to try to start a fight and Donald's character stays calm and reasonable. She switches to putting words in his mouth and huffs off anyway full of righteous indignation. Love that she [Lena] sees that kind of neurosis in chicks and love her even more for putting herself in the role of playing the worst of it.

[Red Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I get how people rapped it for tokening Donald Glover, but I loved that storyline. She was so mature and sophisticated for dating a black guy who calls himself republican. Then her GF suggests that there's more out there than a guy who won't read her writings quicker [writings about getting over her past BF BTW], and she invents all these controversies to try to start a fight and Donald's character stays calm and reasonable. She switches to putting words in his mouth and huffs off anyway full of righteous indignation. Love that she [Lena] sees that kind of neurosis in chicks and love her even more for putting herself in the role of playing the worst of it.

Absolutely. I also loved how that scene specifically, but that whole storyline really, played with the real life criticism the show received for it's white washed cast AND then equally for the tokening of Glover.

She's a smart one that Lena. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve.

[DJ's left nut]

I can't at all figure out how next week will be the season finale.

There's been nothing that's even inched towards a resolution this year. I feel like the season should only be halfway done at this point.

And I don't care if you call me a filthy homo, I like Bob Benson dammit. He's a bizarre queen, but he's a likeable dude that will probably cut someone's throat for you if you're on his good side.

Lusty manservant or no, Bob's good people. He's also the most 'jump the shark' kind of character the show's ever seen. He's outwardly soap operaish and that's a sign that Mad Men probably has run its course. The fact that the pace has seemingly fallen off the face of the earth suggests the same.

There won't be a bow put on this show and I think that's all there is to it. This season just hasn't come far enough.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

Absolutely. I also loved how that scene specifically, but that whole storyline really, played with the real life criticism the show received for it's white washed cast AND then equally for the tokening of Glover.

She's a smart one that Lena. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve.

Loved the scene of her last ditch effort to de-homo her ex-BF

Attempt at a passionate kiss

"When did you eat jerky?"

"That's not any of your concern."

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

There won't be a bow put on this show and I think that's all there is to it. This season just hasn't come far enough.

Like The Soprano's, this series has lasted one season too long. As I mentioned earlier, too many story lines have been extended because Weiner has the time to do so. If this was the final season, each episode would be much tighter.

Personally, I liked the parallels between Don Draper/Dick Whitman and Bob Benson/?. Bob, however, seems hell bent on power and has a little more determination and "evil" behind his rise to power, whereas Don was always surprised that he was able to ascend in the business world so quickly.

Once again, the direction of the program appears to be setting up a death. Ken wasn't killed but Pete was seen cleaning a gun. Don & Megan ran into Ted & Peggy at Rosemary's Baby and later re-enacted that disturbing scene (for the time, especially), with Don as Satan's baby. There just seems to be an ominous air about the direction of the series this season.

The transformation of Sally is nearly complete. She didn't like her mother and adored her father, until she saw who her father really was in last week's episode ("Monster!"). She's finally given in and become like her mother, sharing a cigarette while insulting Don ("He's never given me anything").

Finally, Don in the fetal position to start the show and Don in a the fetal position to end the show. The two women he most respected (Peggy & Sally) now seem him for who he really is: A shallow, empty, shell of a man. Considering that Weiner isn't prone to redemption, I can only assume that Don's downward spiral will continue until the final episode.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I think Don kills himself, or at least attempts to kill himself, in the series finale. Watching Don fall from the top of a building in the opening credits for the past six years, IMO, isn't a coincidence.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Loved the scene of her last ditch effort to de-homo her ex-BF

Attempt at a passionate kiss

"When did you eat jerky?"

"That's not any of your concern."

With all due respect, do you guys mind focusing on this particular program? Thanks.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Like The Soprano's, this series has lasted one season too long. As I mentioned earlier, too many story lines have been extended because Weiner has the time to do so. If this was the final season, each episode would be much tighter.

Personally, I liked the parallels between Don Draper/Dick Whitman and Bob Benson/?. Bob, however, seems hell bent on power and has a little more determination and "evil" behind his rise to power, whereas Don was always surprised that he was able to ascend in the business world so quickly.

Once again, the direction of the program appears to be setting up a death. Ken wasn't killed but Pete was seen cleaning a gun. Don & Megan ran into Ted & Peggy at Rosemary's Baby and later re-enacted that disturbing scene (for the time, especially), with Don as Satan's baby. There just seems to be an ominous air about the direction of the series this season.

The transformation of Sally is nearly complete. She didn't like her mother and adored her father, until she saw who her father really was in last week's episode ("Monster!"). She's finally given in and become like her mother, sharing a cigarette while insulting Don ("He's never given me anything").

Finally, Don in the fetal position to start the show and Don in a the fetal position to end the show. The two women he most respected (Peggy & Sally) now seem him for who he really is: A shallow, empty, shell of a man. Considering that Weiner isn't prone to redemption, I can only assume that Don's downward spiral will continue until the final episode.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I think Don kills himself, or at least attempts to kill himself, in the series finale. Watching Don fall from the top of a building in the opening credits for the past six years, IMO, isn't a coincidence.

Great stuff, Dane.

[SLAG]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Like The Soprano's, this series has lasted one season too long. As I mentioned earlier, too many story lines have been extended because Weiner has the time to do so. If this was the final season, each episode would be much tighter.

Personally, I liked the parallels between Don Draper/Dick Whitman and Bob Benson/?. Bob, however, seems hell bent on power and has a little more determination and "evil" behind his rise to power, whereas Don was always surprised that he was able to ascend in the business world so quickly.

Once again, the direction of the program appears to be setting up a death. Ken wasn't killed but Pete was seen cleaning a gun. Don & Megan ran into Ted & Peggy at Rosemary's Baby and later re-enacted that disturbing scene (for the time, especially), with Don as Satan's baby. There just seems to be an ominous air about the direction of the series this season.

The transformation of Sally is nearly complete. She didn't like her mother and adored her father, until she saw who her father really was in last week's episode ("Monster!"). She's finally given in and become like her mother, sharing a cigarette while insulting Don ("He's never given me anything").

Finally, Don in the fetal position to start the show and Don in a the fetal position to end the show. The two women he most respected (Peggy & Sally) now seem him for who he really is: A shallow, empty, shell of a man. Considering that Weiner isn't prone to redemption, I can only assume that Don's downward spiral will continue until the final episode.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I think Don kills himself, or at least attempts to kill himself, in the series finale. Watching Don fall from the top of a building in the opening credits for the past six years, IMO, isn't a coincidence.

So many plates spinning, but its missing something the Sopranos had that kept me wanting more each week, but with Mad Men its becoming more and more forgettable

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I think Don kills himself, or at least attempts to kill himself, in the series finale. Watching Don fall from the top of a building in the opening credits for the past six years, IMO, isn't a coincidence.

I've never read the credits that way. The credits end with the 'falling man' sitting comfortably in a posture of privilege. It seems to suggest that, in America of that time, no matter how much a person like Don [whether you read that as white, ambitious, dashing, or winningly creative] ****s up or steps into chaos, he'll land right side up with a tumbler of brown liquor in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

And I think Weiner puts those scenes with Pete and his gun in there for no other reason than he hates the maxim about 'if you show a gun it must go off.'

[Silock]

That episode would have been way more awesome if they just offed Ken like that.

[Thig Lyfe]

Originally Posted by Silock

That episode would have been way more awesome if they just offed Ken like that.

For real thought he was dead for a hot minute.

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by Silock

That episode would have been way more awesome if they just offed Ken like that.

DOES MY GARAGE SAY DEAD KEN STORAGE?

[Thig Lyfe]

Originally Posted by AphexPhin

this show bores the hell out of me. All the characters are too smug for my liking.

I'll stick to Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Empire.

Cool opinion, bro.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Silock

That episode would have been way more awesome if they just offed Ken like that.

I wondered if that scene existed in Weiner's mind at any point prior to Cheney's whoopsie.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I've never read the credits that way. The credits end with the 'falling man' sitting comfortably in a posture of privilege. It seems to suggest that, in America of that time, no matter how much a person like Don [whether you read that as white, ambitious, dashing, or winningly creative] ****s up or steps into chaos, he'll land right side up with a tumbler of brown liquor in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Before the past few weeks, I felt the same exact view of the opening titles. But with Don's rapid descent into Dante's Inferno, I began looking at the titles differently. I could be projecting but I thought I'd throw it out there.

That said, Weiner's a fan of ambiguity so it's possible that the series finale is as ambiguous as the series ender to The Soprano's.