Mad Men

[Juliana]

Lest we take over the Random TV thread...

Did you guys take away that the lady Don was with on Thanksgiving was a prostitute?  I didn't really get that, but that's what people on the AV Club were lamenting.  That whole thing just really went against character, in my mind.  The whole "getting punnished" thing just didn't really seem true to character.  Granted, we've missed a year between this season and last, but I don't see that in his personality.  He's always been so confident and self sure.

Favorite line, hands down was Pete's "If they were whores I could write them off on my expense report"

[Kwyjibo]

I can see the S&M thing, I think that's pretty typical of confident people... turns them on to be out of control.

[rva]

But he's not confident at all, at least not in his personal life.  He's actually kind of self-loathing.  He doesn't care about his wife or any of the women he sleeps with, they're all just playing roles in his mind.  So it's only natural that once single, he'd finally just go the next step and pay someone to role play.

Besides, Don Draper can pretty much do anything in that show and it wouldn't be out of character as long as it then involves him staring moodily off into space afterwards.  Basically, that's the entire show.  Don Draper does something weird.  Don Draper stares into space.  Audience wonders why Don Draper just did that weird thing.

[vizzah]

I agree with both of you to a certain extent on Don's new fetish (and yes, I assume she was a prostitute since he got his wallet out when she came in).  It's common for confident people and people in positions of power to be into something like that.  Even if he's not genuinely confident, he's still a head honcho in a lot of respects.  He's used to calling the shots, and wants someone else to call the shots in the sack. 

I really didn't have any expectations built up, but it's always bug me how they kind of let real time go by between seasons.  Meaning, 9 months lapses in between seasons 3 and 4, and 9 months pass in the characters' lives, so it's a lot to catch up on. I was kind of assuming we'd still see SCDP operating out of a hotel room, which is where they left off last season. 

As most of you know, I've always detested Peggy - both her character and her ghastly face.  But, so far this season I'm kind of loving her.  Her face even seems a lot less harsh.  I'm almost wondering if she had a little work done.  She's cuter, more confident, and I'm very anxious to see where they take the character. 

Juliana - I noticed the prostitute line too and cracked up.  The subtle nuances like expensing hookers and smoking on planes are amongst the number of things that not only do the writers and set designers get right, but also what makes me wish I lived then and not now.


RVA, stop hating on mah Mad Mens!

[Juliana]

Pete & Roger continually have the best lines.

Was the older lady at the Thanksgiving that Henry brough Betty & the kids (well, the older kids, the baby was probably with the maid again) to Henry's sister?  I thought they were trying to make it his mom from they way they were talking, but if that's the case, his mom is the same age as him.

I cannot believe that Betty is even more of a bitch.  That line from the sister/mom about the kids fearing her...Henry seems in total deference to her too.  Maybe this is where Don picked up 'being dominated' thing?  Like maybe it was always there between the two of them, they just didn't show it. I don't know.  Betty is seriously an awful mother.

[Doug]

I've been steadily working my way through Mad Men by getting DVDs at the library.  I've made it all the way through the first 3 episodes of Season 3...I left off on the one where the British dude gets his foot chewed off by the riding lawnmower. I couldn't hold back on watching the premier last night.  So, there's a serious gap for me between what I've seen and where the show is right now and it all happened during season 3.  I have to say that I don't really like the current vibe of the show at all.  Earlier shows are whiskey tinged, fuzzy little 60s dreamlands.  This show was like some bright fluorescent nightmare.  It's weird to see them all put so low and struggling, although it seems like a good way to set up some new dynamic in the show.

[Kwyjibo]

Man, you really skipped some important stuff.  Hurry and watch the rest of Season 3, it's good stuff.

I think this new season is weird and different but shows that don't evolve just begin to suck after awhile.  It's all kind of weird but I'm sure there's good stuff ahead.

On Viz's comments about Peggy I noticed the same things, though I don't think she had any work done. I think what's happened is that the character has become more confident and is dressing and looking the part.  A makeover can do wonders for a person, and that's what's happened with her I think... she's just less frumpy.  I never thought Elizabeth Moss was hideous as you do, but she was certainly never attractive on MM just because of the personality and inhibitions of the character and that's changing.

[Juliana]

Peggy, who's real name I can't think of, did have a baby since the last season, right?  Maybe that's the dif?

I wish they'd bring back Colin Hanks as the cool hippie kind of priest.  They'd have to bring back his rough and tumble "punk bustin" partner Dan now too though, so I guess that's out.

[Kwyjibo]

Peggy, who's real name I can't think of, did have a baby since the last season, right?  Maybe that's the dif?

Perhaps you could think of it if you read the post above yours...

[Doug]

Man, you really skipped some important stuff.  Hurry and watch the rest of Season 3, it's good stuff.

Yeah, I have a hold at the library, but the wait is pretty long.  It's taken me about 6 months just to get this far with it.  It's weird how int the first two seasons, change seemed pretty gradual and then season three had some major, rapid changes.

[vizzah]

Peggy's pregnancy was alluded to in season 1, I think -  then she confessed to Pete in season 2 that she'd had his baby and given it away. 

Did anyone notice of they made a suggestion as to what year it was, maybe by referring to who the sitting president is?  I always try to pick up on those deets, but didn't catch any in the season opener.

[Doug]

Peggy's pregnancy was alluded to in season 1, I think -  then she confessed to Pete in season 2 that she'd had his baby and given it away. 

Did anyone notice of they made a suggestion as to what year it was, maybe by referring to who the sitting president is?  I always try to pick up on those deets, but didn't catch any in the season opener.

I noticed the kids were watching Sky King on TV that morning that Don had them.  This about Sky King...

Scheduling and cancellation
The television show began airing on Sunday afternoons on NBC between September 16, 1951 and October 26, 1952. These episodes were rebroadcast on ABC's Saturday morning lineup the following year November 8, 1952 until September 21, 1953, when it made its prime-time debut on ABC's Monday night lineup. It then aired twice-a-week in August and September 1954, before ABC canceled it. New episodes were produced when the show went into syndication in 1955. The last episode, "Mickey's Birthday", aired March 8, 1959.
[edit]Syndication and DVD release
CBS began airing reruns of the show on early Saturday afternoons (at 12 pm Eastern/Pacific times; late Saturday mornings at 11 am Central/Mountain times) on October 3, 1959 and continued to do so until September 3, 1966.

Can't tell much from that though.

[Kwyjibo]

Peggy's pregnancy was alluded to in season 1, I think -  then she confessed to Pete in season 2 that she'd had his baby and given it away.  

She meant that Elizabeth Moss had a baby in real life between this season and last, and maybe that's why she looks different to you.

[Juliana]

Yeah, she and Fred Armestien had a bebe.

I thought they mentioned that was 1964.  November, since it was Thanksgiving

[rva]

Don's dinner date referenced Andrew Goodman getting killed by the KKK.