progressive politics and regressive entertainment. like peanut and butter.
June 11, 2012 2 Comments
I sometimes try to explain my admiration for the nuance in Mad Men by talking about how they can create character by focusing on the simple fashion in which one picks up a coffee cup. To give an even better example, the season five finale “The Phantom” begins…with Don Draper putting a cotton ball in his mouth.
Okay, so let the drama (and the spoilers) unfold…
June 6, 2012 2 Comments
There are a few more images of Lane Pryce from “Commissions and Fees” which I wanted to share with Mad Men fans.
June 4, 2012 3 Comments
When I learned that this week’s episode was going to be called “Commissions and Fees,” it felt logical. After the entire build-up over the season — and particularly the punch-to-the-gut quality of last week’s episode, “The Other Woman” — it seemed that there would be a build-up of accounts to settle. And yeah, that’s kind of what happened, so step away from the door if you don’t want to see the spoilers inside.
May 28, 2012 10 Comments
“The Other Woman” was of couple of socks to the jaw, a pair of punches to the gut, or two swift kicks to the knees. That’s mostly what I’m going to talk about today. First, what was done to Joan. Second, what Peggy did for herself.
Sit back, and let’s begin…
May 22, 2012 8 Comments
Hey, so who is it who voices the dramatic and gravely “previously, on Mad Men” that jump-starts our weeks on Sunday nights? Anyone know? This week, it became evident from those clips that we were to revisit some characters who haven’t been seen a lot of late. Lane! with his English accent. Joan! with her red hair. Lane! now using his English accent to berate Pete.
It’s a Christmas episode, so Roger started drinking early.
May 15, 2012 11 Comments
I’m back in California with a stack of papers that ain’t grading themselves, but I can’t think straight any more. True, Mad Men isn’t a show where one can turn off the ole noggin’, but I’m gonna try. What could be a better pick-me-up than an episode titled “Dark Shadows”? That will lift my spirits, right?
May 7, 2012 4 Comments
For those of you who watched Sherlock last night, please remember that I already reviewed “A Scandal in Belgravia” around the end of February. For those of you who watched Mad Men last night, join me in a discussion which may involve spoilers. For those of you who watched both, will you be my new best friend?
April 30, 2012 10 Comments
I usually dislike the “Previously on Mad Men” snippets which kick of new episodes, because they accent the melodrama, which is an integral part of the show to be sure, but less vital to me than the subtler moments. Nonetheless, “At the Codfish Ball” grabbed my attention as soon as I saw the face of Glen Bishop (played by Marten Holden Weiner, son of series creator Matthew Weiner). One of the weirder presences in previous Mad Men, I’ve been bemoaning Glen’s absence. How might the years have changed him?
If you’re not afraid of some spoilers, let’s talk about it…
April 23, 2012 10 Comments
Loved it, loved it, loved it. From writing to direction, “Far Away Places” was my favorite episode of the season so far. The hybrid recap/review is about to begin, so if you haven’t seen it yet and want to avoid the spoilers, please turn away from the door now.
April 16, 2012 9 Comments
Another week, another Mad Men, and this time around we’re focusing on Pete Campbell. Having achieved a good measure of business success, Pete is now forced to deal with meaning. Married, with a child, living in Cos Cob (a neighborhood of Greenwich, Connecticut), Pete evidently feels that his life is repetitive and mundane, like the leaking faucet that frames this story. Drip, drip, drip…
That’s the appetizer. Now, if you want to stay away from discussing the drama until you’ve had a chance to watch, step away from the table now. The entree is about to arrive.
April 9, 2012 12 Comments
Remember me saying that I love how Mad Men does awkward? Well, this episode starts off with that, with a small moment of Don meeting an ex-flirtation named Andrea, who comes on to him because it’s not obvious that the other woman in the elevator is Don’s wife, Megan. But she is. And I still love it.
(Warning: possible spoilers ahead.)
April 8, 2012 4 Comments
One of the jokes on last week’s episode of Mad Men was that Don and Harry chase after The Rolling Stones but wind up with The Trade Winds. Who are The Trade Winds? Here are The Trade Winds, appearing like a somewhat awkward Beach Boys imitation.
