Mad Men: "This doom and gloom - I'm tired of it!"

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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The TV IV > Mad Men: "This doom and gloom - I'm tired of it!"

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

bobkatt013 posted:

New season new Bobby. Mad Men is back

Yeah was gonna say, another new Bobby it looks like.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2012 01:07

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# ¿ May 25, 2013 13:22

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Astroman posted:

Jesus Don, can you ever be happy?

I feel bad for Megan...I figured she'd gently caress this up royally and piss off Don, but she tried really hard. She really is good for him. But he's just so terminally pissy.

She did pull off a pretty nice party but also like three or four different characters thought they were being snubbed because of how late they got invited, haha.

It wasn't really that surprising how big Megan's role is now but still, I wonder if the actress ever had any inkling that she'd go from bit part secretary to one of the biggest characters.

SpitztheGreat posted:

Yes he did. Harry's arch has been the polar opposite of all the other mid level execs who started off together in season 1. Pete and Ken are growing up after starting off as frat boys. Are they perfect? Christ no. Harry on the other hand

Excuse me, Kenny Cosgrove is perfect.

Fast Luck fucked around with this message at Mar 26, 2012 around 12:19

# ¿ Mar 26, 2012 12:14

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Captain Capitalism posted:

I missed what Henry said. Also, I didn't catch all the words in that prayer, but it was weird to give that guy a scene. Countdown to something depressing!

Yeah I'm a little worried right now that the black woman they hired is just a Don/Dawn joke and the real major new character is going to be this guy.

# ¿ Apr 2, 2012 12:14

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

I assumed Betty was telling the truth but she could be keeping it secret, that's not as far-fetched a theory as some of the ones that come out of TVIV threads.

JayMax posted:

You wouldn't have guessed Megan was going to be an important character from her first appearance last season.

The race stuff has been kind of simmering in the background for awhile now and then the premiere this season seemed to be confronting it or bringing it into the agency but right now Dawn seems reduced to a punch line... which Megan never was. We'll see.

# ¿ Apr 2, 2012 16:52

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Hoops posted:

That's the easiest reshoot in the world though, or they'd do it with ADR. It's not by accident they chose to have the Mayor be going to Minnesota, who's governor happened to be Romney. It's shoehorning in those nods to the present that sticks out a lot, "Romney's a clown" was an out of place dig at a current figure and it really jars with with the historical setting the show has worked crazily hard to achieve. You say it yourself, this show hasn't involved politics, and just the other day I was talking about how they don't cartoonise republicans like Cooper. It's a really weird decision to start doing it now.

Maybe it's not some grand shift in philosophy though, maybe on the day they just needed a state and a governor from 1966, pulled up wikipedia, saw Romney's dad, and thought it would be funny. That doesn't strike me as Matthew Weiner's style though.

Who really cares, it was just a line or two. They probably realized that during the year 1966 in Mad Men world, George Romney's dad was governor of Michigan, and just wanted to nod to how, while this generation has Mitt Romney, in Don's time there was a George Romney. And then Henry doesn't like him and calls him a clown, that wasn't necessary but it doesn't really matter. Henry is just a fictional character, and he didn't make some political grandstanding to the audience about it either. Seems like you are invested too much in how kind the show is to Republicans.

# ¿ Apr 4, 2012 18:58

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Jon Hamm's looks change a lot to me, from being ridiculously good looking to this: http://i.imgur.com/HicPE.jpg

# ¿ Apr 4, 2012 19:15

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Haha, Doctor surprise sex just got even worse. Volunteers to leave his family and lies about it.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 02:37

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Y Kant Ozma Post posted:

Well let's be honest, what has he actually contributed to her life aside from knocking her up?

He didn't get her pregnant if that's what you mean and you're not joking. The kid is Roger's

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 02:38

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

What the hell just happened

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 02:58

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Makarov_ posted:

I'm calling hallucination.

Right, but how much of it? Just the killing, I think.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 03:00

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Makarov_ posted:

Crazy never slept with Don, because his wife came right home.

Yeah, could be. I just thought he really sent her out the backdoor but the whole scenario of the woman showing up at his house probably was kind of out there.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 03:03

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

A SHAMEFUL CAT posted:

Between this and the goony "Betty actually does have cancer" theory I'm wondering where people in this thread got the idea that Mad Men is plotted by David E. Kelley.

Well remember people said "Joan didn't really get the abortion" and then ended up being right. I don't really think Betty actually has cancer but it's at least possible.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 15:42

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

zoux posted:

I took the racist stuff as given, I thought it was more saying how tenuous interracial (or broader, interclass) relationships in such a volatile time can be. Peggy was being super progressive by inviting a black woman into her home, and they certainly seemed to be bonding throughout the evening, but all of that was completely destroyed by a single glance, and that each person instantly knew the subtext behind it. Both people had worked hard throughout the night to be comfortable with each other and build a rapport, but it was undone in a second. I don't think the takeaway from that scene should be "Is Peggy racist?"

There were some good posts about the Peggy-Dawn incident and I think this was one of them. But I don't think it was all successful bonding time before being interrupted by that glance at the purse. The interaction opened with Peggy confusing Dawn's reference to race riots with nurse murders. Later, when she got Dawn back to her place, Peggy was being boorish and drunk, which was capped by Dawn saying kind of awkwardly, "Y'all sure do drink a lot." The night wasn't a total disaster, but I never got the sense that Dawn was happy to be spending time with Peggy (it felt more like tolerating), and I agree with your point that what progress they did make in coming together was largely undone by that glance, since they both recognized the implication.

I don't think Peggy is a person that would intentionally discriminate against black people or anyone else, and maybe she would have moved away her purse regardless of what color her guest was, but Peggy is probably asking herself that too, if she's not just feeling guilty about it. Dawn isn't a close acquaintance, but she is a new coworker and someone who was in no position to steal from her. It reminded me a little of Lane refusing to turn the wallet over to the cabbie but in this case Peggy left the purse, but only after visibly balking at the idea.

Fast Luck fucked around with this message at Apr 9, 2012 around 21:29

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 21:15

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Oh no not the teeth thing again!

# ¿ Apr 10, 2012 14:15

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Don't forget, Greg has always had inadequacy issues. The only reason he joined the military in the first place is because he couldn't be a surgeon anywhere else. You can say he wants to help people or whatever, but almost everything he's ever done in the show indicates it's primarily a search for the feeling of importance. And, if you were ready to give him honor points for serving his country or something, I'd think signing back up without consulting his wife and then lying about it throws that out the window. That was gutless, he handled it that way because he's weaker than Joan, and he also raped her at one point to establish power. I think he's just a bad guy.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2012 15:24

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

And when I say "just a bad guy" I don't mean he's a one dimensional bad guy. No, he's a poo poo, but in a pretty well developed way. But he sucks and there's very little ground he can be defended on. The scene in the restaurant some people interpreted as gay I think shows more the respectfulness and other parts of military life that make him enjoy it and want to go back.

Fast Luck fucked around with this message at Apr 15, 2012 around 16:46

# ¿ Apr 15, 2012 15:35

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Miss Lonelyhearts posted:

Greg isn't perfect and neither is Joan. In the broadest strokes - Greg raped Joan because of sexual insecurity; Joan cheated on Greg while he was fighting a war, had another man's baby, and said it was his. Objectively, both are very hosed up.

Joan's not perfect but those things are hardly equivalent of course. I know you know that but the way you put them both side by side and then say "they're both hosed up" obligates me to point that out.

She felt her age and society pressuring her to marry, and ended up settling with this scummy guy. I think she did it largely for status and money, which certainly aren't noble reasons, but which was kind of what was expected of her. Then he sucks as a surgeon, and goes off to Vietnam, and she slipped up with Roger, probably helped by the fact she never loved Greg. Marrying someone you sort of hate and cheating on him are bad things but still more sympathetic than everything about Greg.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2012 16:56

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Fooley posted:

Do I need to spoiler these, by the way?

Riptor posted:

Jesus christ yes

Haha, he does need to spoiler them as that's the rule but Mad Men previews are incredibly famous for just being a series of random sentences, so, like, there's no need to worry

Hoops posted:

I'm saying the majority of what SCDP actually do, and how they actually make their money, is nothing to do with creative. The creative is obviously the interesting bit to base the series around, and it's how they make a company makes a name for itself, but coming up with the ads themselves is only a small part of what they actually bill the client for doing.

Creative is what actually creates the product. When they started the new agency, it was Don's creativity that they used to try and sell themselves.

Fast Luck fucked around with this message at Apr 21, 2012 around 17:06

# ¿ Apr 21, 2012 16:24

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Love this song.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2012 02:27

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Hahaha Bert on the dollar bill.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2012 02:28

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Y Kant Ozma Post posted:

Evidently that's what it takes to get him to stop being a condescending rear end in a top hat.

He was so excited for her to taste that orange sherbet.

He was wrong about everything but I still felt bad for him, what he had built up on his head about how he'd share it with her and she'd love it.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2012 02:56

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Hanks Lust Cafe posted:

Everyone always makes a crack about this but do you really want them to give you a clear idea of what's happening next week? I much prefer these little non-contextual images that paint the mood for the next episode. I think that's the classy way to go about it.

It's stupid because if they don't want to show previews they shouldn't bother, but it's obviously some goofy compromise between a network that insists on it and a show director that doesn't want to do it.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2012 03:35

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

kylejack posted:

I thought this was an interesting article.

When Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce hired its first black employee, it was news. But that employee�a secretary named Dawn�has been a largely silent excuse for white characters to feel self-conscious about their racism. The new hire Mad Men has focused on is Michael Ginsberg: A Jewish white man.

http://inthesetimes.com/article/131...ddening_decline

I made the quoted point above earlier this thread. I thought I might be wrong when we got the episode where Dawn went home with Peggy but so far that's been the one brief moment of character for Dawn, with Gingsberg getting I'd wager several times that. That's not what I expected after the season opener and given what was going on at the time. It shouldn't really be a comparison between the two but with Dawn being such a minor player, having another new character looking like he may become a major one just exposes her lack of development more. Still, there's a lot of episodes to come but that's the way it looks like it's going at least.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2012 03:54

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

(spoilers) The skate rink is revealed in an episode this season where he kicks Pete's rear end in a fistfight, plants a big kiss on Joan, and then goes downstairs and totally shreds. How can you not love Lane?

# ¿ May 1, 2012 20:39

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

kylejack posted:

Pete Campbell raped the au pair. He's not understandable, he's punchable, and Lane was the one who finally did it.

Big difference there though, even though it was a surprise sex, is that it left him bawling at the hem of Trudy's skirt like a guilty little baby. Now he's not raping (hooray!) but he's a conscienceless philanderer.

# ¿ May 8, 2012 20:40

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Am I remembering right that Megan initially cozied up to Don telling him how interested she was in advertising? Now she even has a breakthrough moment with the Heinz account and one talk from Communist Dad and she's up and quitting. Don is trying to let her spread her legs and fly but is clearly unhappy, that's why he lashed out at Peggy and she called him on it. But I'm not sure why he's that bothered since he's checked out from work himself. I'd guess it's not so much because she's leaving advertising but more because she's a little less in his world now.

# ¿ May 8, 2012 20:54

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Aggro posted:

I have never sympathized with Don more than the moment he started playing Tomorrow Never Knows. I don't loving get it either, Don.

That's the best song on the album! I dunno, it's conventionally listenable while also infused throughout with really fascinating slices of sound... and they all fit perfectly into the song

# ¿ May 9, 2012 15:46

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Haha this thread reverts to drink chat every other week

# ¿ May 9, 2012 20:49

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

SpaceMost posted:

I thought this episode was unequivocal that there is a rivalry between Don and Ginsberg - or that Don at least feels threatened by Ginsberg - and that Don ultimately resorted to petty tactics to show that he is still the alpha male in the office.

The episode begins with Don realizing Ginsberg's name is on everything, and then proceeds to show Don snooping through Ginsberg's notebook. Then in the meeting, Don tries really hard to sell his idea but even Pete thinks Ginsberg's idea better communicates what the product is, who it's for, and how it should make you feel.

Then Don treats Ginsberg's ad like garbage and ditches it in the taxi, because Don would rather lose the account if they dislike his pitch than use Ginsberg's idea as a backup.

Yes, I agree with this. It's obviously not a rivalry of equals as far as power goes at the office, but Ginsberg's work is what got Don working for the first time in ages, and then Ginsberg's campaign is better liked by Pete and others so he dumps it in the cab so his will be used. At least now Don will have something else to put in the portfolio.

# ¿ May 15, 2012 15:30

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Magic Hate Ball posted:

I think you can wrap up Lane v. Everyone Else in that moment when Don greets Lane and his clipboard separately ("Lane. Clipboard."). I don't remember the episode but it's when they have a meeting out in the hall, excluding Bert.

The meeting in "Bert's office"? Hehe.

# ¿ May 22, 2012 12:25

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

sportsgenius86 posted:

Wasn't Don the one who told Sal he should've hosed Garner?

Didn't Don also blame Sal and "you people" for that? I think he's bigoted/ignorant regarding gays, different time etc etc.

# ¿ May 29, 2012 18:54

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

anotherone posted:

I'm not an expert on mid-century accounting, so I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure they didn't actually borrow the $50k. It was not a loan. They got their credit line increased $50k. That's like the credit limit on your credit card, it's not cash.

The line of credit is from their bank, presumably Joan knows what bank that they use, so the worst that could happen is Joan will notice that the credit line is larger than it was. She wouldn't know that Lane got it increased unless she talks to the banker, and the banker thinks it was to woo Jaguar (which ultimately it was).

They only borrowed $8,000 for Lane's "bonus", and Don's going to pay that back.

But didn't they give bonuses to the non-partners using that credit line?

# ¿ Jun 7, 2012 21:21

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

All the guys just took the first Jaguar rep to a whorehouse this season. Knowing where to acquire women for clients, as gross as that is, clearly seems to be part of the job for an account man. "I know where you can find a woman like that," though, is not the same thing as actually being a pimp or Pete's weasel work on Joan.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2012 22:24

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Haha, Don: "We can do that??"

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 02:09

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

I thought that ending freeze was kinda hokey and Don is definitely gonna cheat. That fairy tale scene Megan was acting in, and Don walking away from it, I think says it all. Megan kind of lost his respect this episode I think, he was always slightly awed by her and when she threw spaghetti at the wall or stormed off over sherbet, even fearful of her, but now that he saw her drunk and grovelling and pathetic, he's gonna revert back to cheating Don.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 03:15

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Just realized Dow never got mentioned, kinda funny, I wonder if the next season will pick up there.

Someone said nothing terrible happened and Astroman already kind of countered that but I really have to say, yeah, I think pretty much everyone is in a worse place than they were when the season started.

Except Peggy. Peggy got to see dogs humping which should've hurt (pretty far from Paris!) but she still seemed satisfied with where she was... pretty sharp contrast to all the other Mad Men characters that just seem incapable of ever being happy or satisfied.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 03:23

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Tender Bender posted:

I think the posts people make about character motivations, particularly people breaking down Don and Megan's relationship, says a lot more about the posters than the characters.

Yeah, the season only ended with Don being offered a serious opportunity to cheat on Megan, why analyze their relationship? Says a lot imho...

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 05:00

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

beanieson posted:

Yea, that's what I figured. Seemed odd that she'd be hiding the Draper name but still making out with him on the set though. I guess the secrets out.

Well, but her showcase reel was made before that conversation and said Calvet.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 05:01

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

Tender Bender posted:

Interestingly this post says more about your reading comprehension than it does about me.

If you want to call out or respond to some posts then do it, your condescending aloofness isn't really contributing anything...

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 05:24

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# ¿ May 25, 2013 13:22

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 2003

CrazedEwok posted:

I'm also really wondering how this suicide guilt (double suicide guilt now) is going to affect Don as we move forward. That, paired with the last shot, probably means he's going to be entering a downward spiral again next season whereas he's been mostly flying straight this season.

Suicide guilt may have helped convince Don to watch Megan's reel and give her that part.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 16:49

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