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Mad Men

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I saw 'Mad Men' on Beeb 2 last ninght. Enjoyed it a lot, I think it's by one of the guys beheind the Soprano's (which, as we all know, was the best thing on telly in it's early series ;) ).

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Jesus Christ, Mad Men is awesome like nobody's business. Just finished the second season and can't wait for the third to begin.

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Jesus Christ, Mad Men is awesome like nobody's business. Just finished the second season and can't wait for the third to begin.

I picked up the first season on DVD after reading a big thing about it in the New York Times Magazine, and really really enjoyed it. Doesn't look like season 2 is out yet, but I'll definitely grab it when it is.

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I got Series One of Mad Men and onto Episode Four now. Really enjoying it so far.

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I just got my Mad Men Season 3 DVD in the mail. I love this show. If you like period pieces and character driven dramas and haven't watched this show yet, hop to it! Season 4 will be airing this summer! It's the only thing I watch on TV currently.

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I've seen the first two episodes of Mad Men. Someone had rented the DVD, so I used-up my free time of the day to watch. Quick thoughts:

The writing is very impressive. They know who these characters are and write them accordingly, even if the misognyism of everyone is a little heavy-handed in the first episode. I would have made one or two scenes a little more subtle, but for the most part I was very impressed. The reveal at the end - that Draper had a family - just made that character for me. He was impressive to begin with - he's the good guy, if an asshole - but that rounded him up a little for me.

Joan was another character who I found myself thinking about. Is she really helping Peggy? Why does she think the way she does and what brought her to this stage?

What I don't like, however, is that the characters seem to exist for one reason: their job. Let me explain: up until the moment one of them said, in the second episode, that he liked The Twilight Zone, I couldn't see many of the side characters as anything but Business Executives, that omnipresent suit that internet forumers like to blame for the death of all art (you know, The Man). I need something: do these people read books? Do they watch movies? Have they ever been bowling? Or do they just work all day, drink all night and rape the girl at the prom (which they half-jokingly imply they've done)?

Anyways, there's a lot to say about Mad Men's first two episodes, most of it good. Right now I've run out of time (ugh, final exams; the worst), but I'll post my thoughts if I feel strongly enough about them to share when I see the rest of the series. That won't be for a while, though, because this arrived in the mail, finally:

the-wire-box-set.jpg

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Is Mad Men still good? I'm usually averse to TV because I want a guarantee that everything ends before investing a million hours of my life into a show - hence why I skipped Lost, for example. However, I was a fan of the first three episodes and would like to continue watching it, but...yeah.

Also, is Boardwalk Empire good? What about Eastbound & Down?

I ask because this stuff has finally made its way to Arabic television. (I guess the world really is ending later today.)

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I've enjoyed Mad Men all the way through to the end of series 4, looking forward to five.

It does have a continuous storyline, but doesn't seem to do the same kind of things as BSG and Lost. It also never seems to feel like it's just meandering in the middle of a series.

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I've enjoyed Mad Men all the way through to the end of series 4, looking forward to five.

It does have a continuous storyline, but doesn't seem to do the same kind of things as BSG and Lost. It also never seems to feel like it's just meandering in the middle of a series.

Good to hear. I am a little apprehensive about the fact that it deals with the marketing world... I don't know if I feel like filling my free time with marketing after I spend all day with it.

I am heading up to Austin later today to do some recording for Hobo Lobo and after that I'll check out the new Werner Herzog blockbuster in all 3 dees. Anyone seen Cave of Forgotten Dreams?

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Anyone caught the 5th series of Mad Men yet? Does it live up to it's promise?

I'm only part way through season four myself, but a friend of mine just told me tonight that he was desperate for me to have seen the most recent episode of season five. So presumably there's something interesting going on.

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Nothing ever happens. Doesn't stop it being one of the best things on telly. Up there with Wire and Breaking Bad.

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So far, series five of Mad Men seems to be about tensions between the partners at SCDP. There are brewing threats, and some very deftly put together scenes. It is pretty good.

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Shit certainly got real in Mad Men this week.

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So Mad men is having quite the season!

Lane dead, Peggy gone

Makes you wonder who's next!

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So Mad men is having quite the season!

Lane dead, Peggy gone

Makes you wonder who's next!

Yeah, this was a crazy enough episode that I was surprised to find out it was the penultimate one. I sort of assumed it was the season finale what with the business with

Lane

.

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The Thumbs-talk is only the latest example in a long history of people praising Mad Men, but it is the talk that mad me finally sit down with it. I'm only on season 4 but here are some thoughts:

 

Seasons 1 exists on its own in a sort of comfortable tenuity. The show is still great but there are very few relationships that don't change drastically by seasons 2 and 3.

 

Season 2 is fantastic, my only (not even really a) complaint is that the Barrett storyline becomes so immediately grim and ugly in such a short amount of time. The episodes Flight 1, Three Sundays and a Night to Remember are some of my favorite from the whole show.

 

Season 3 has those great moments (the lawnmower, and the great season finale heist) mixed in with a lot of everybody being really sad all the time. Beyond that, Season 4 is a welcome change after all the longform arcs in Seasons 2 and 3. I prefer the more one-off episodes in season 4 and enjoy how many characters are starting to really get room to breathe.

 

In my age demographic, it's really hard to find anything to say that would convince anyone that Mad Men isn't the most boring thing in the universe. There's so much going on though, and overall I don't think I've ever seen a show with such an endlessly fascinating cast of people.

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Gosh, Mad Men. So many thoughts about what I saw, but I can't articulate anything holistically about the ending, the season and the show in general yet.

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Rewatching Mad Men and still can't believe how gorgeous the writing is. Character development is subtle and you can see it through not just witty, pithy dialogue, but the cinematography itself. Also never realized how much I'd enjoy a period show. This show is actually a work of art, every episode. It explores disconnection from society, unhappiness, happiness, relationships, aspirations, and the different values of the 60's and early 70's. You will fall in love with the characters and how shitty, good, and human they can be.

I haven't actually finished the series though, since Netflix only has the first part of the last season... Part of the reason I'm rewatching I guess, so that I can smoothly transition into finishing the series since it's been so long since I've watched.

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Rewatching Mad Men and still can't believe how gorgeous the writing is. Character development is subtle and you can see it through not just witty, pithy dialogue, but the cinematography itself. Also never realized how much I'd enjoy a period show. This show is actually a work of art, every episode. It explores disconnection from society, unhappiness, happiness, relationships, aspirations, and the different values of the 60's and early 70's. You will fall in love with the characters and how shitty, good, and human they can be.

I haven't actually finished the series though, since Netflix only has the first part of the last season... Part of the reason I'm rewatching I guess, so that I can smoothly transition into finishing the series since it's been so long since I've watched.

I did that quite recently and echo all your sentiments. On the off chance you don't know, the Thumbs did a podcast about watching the last six episodes, it's really good to listen along with.

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Rewatching Mad Men and still can't believe how gorgeous the writing is. Character development is subtle and you can see it through not just witty, pithy dialogue, but the cinematography itself. Also never realized how much I'd enjoy a period show. This show is actually a work of art, every episode. It explores disconnection from society, unhappiness, happiness, relationships, aspirations, and the different values of the 60's and early 70's. You will fall in love with the characters and how shitty, good, and human they can be.

I haven't actually finished the series though, since Netflix only has the first part of the last season... Part of the reason I'm rewatching I guess, so that I can smoothly transition into finishing the series since it's been so long since I've watched.

 

They're putting up the last few episodes of Mad Men on February 5th. I've started watching them since I got Mad Men Carousel by Matt Zoller Seitz for Christmas. He's one of my favorite critics working today, and he especially loves writing about Mad Men so it's a really great companion to the series.

 

Also going up on Netflix soon is Better Call Saul season 1.

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