Mad Men

[Brando]

One thing I'm taking into account when watching this season is that the writers can see the end coming. It's been stated that the next season will be it's last. I don't see Don ever finding Peace. I see him becoming more and more unlikable as the show continues. After each and every step Don seems to make to better life he slides back to his old self. The only thing that might save him if he gives up being Don and moves to cali to live as Dick.

The NYMAG recap mentioned how Don is interested in intellectual and sexually independent women. He's only interested in them as affairs cause he isn't willing to give them power over him.  I think they simplified Don's reasoning for being mad at Megan. It's simplified to say he just wants a stepford wife. It's because whenever he's given up control or power in a relationship with a women she has left him. Betty left Don after finding out who he really is. Megan left her job at the agency after Don helped got her a job in creative. Peggy left him in the same way. I'm surprised the recap didn't mention how Don after seeing Peggy went straight from the diner to the set. Last season, Don did all he could to make Megan into a Peggy clone. He goes to the set to find a clone of himself seducing Megan.

[©brad]

Up until last night I felt something has been off this season. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but last night the show went from crawling to a full-on sprint. The fifth episodes of each season are always propulsive. Same on Breaking Bad.

I'm not sure how I feel about the merger, which everyone saw coming a mile away. I was liking Peggy more as a competitor to Don. Certainly there will be all kinds of ego-colliding drama with this other agency coming in. I guess it was inevitable, but I didn't expect it so soon.

One thing that ran false for me is the Chevy pitch (which we conveniently never see). How can a client as big as GM hand over reigns of their account to two small agencies who on a whim decided to merge the night before? That is a huge business risk a big client would never take.

I could watch a series of just Megan's mom getting trashed on wine and bitching at people. She is so fun.

What do you guys think?

[Brando]

I never saw the merger coming. So it wasn't everyone. Maybe I'm the only one.

I loved everyone ganging up on Don. While everyone around him has grown and invested more into their lives and company, Don is still pulling the same shit from the beginning of the series. Then he was only hurting the company ran by him and two old rich men. Now he is hurting people like Joan. I know I'm not the only one who felt a little weird last season about the storyline of Joan and the Jaguar guy. I really enjoyed how it has continued into this season with the culmination of Joan finding out Don has cost her millions and having it out with him. What made Don Draper the hero in the beginning of the series is now making him the Anti-Hero cause everyone around him has grown and evolved except him. 

I loved Megan calling him Superman. He thinks of himself as a Superman who swoops in and saves everyone. It's not how other see him. Maybe they did earlier in the series. Now Pete and Joan don't see him that way. Peggy isn't all that excited about the merger and seeing Don with his huge grin on his face like he just saved the day.

How did Megan become so sweet and nice with such two horrible parents?

Roger used the recent death of his mother and it being mother's day to get sex and tips from a stewardess.

How can a client as big as GM hand over reigns of their account to two small agencies who on a whim decided to merge the night before? That is a huge business risk a big client would never take.

True but Don mentioned it was his job to convince GM that the merger was GM's idea. We didn't need to see it cause we've seen Don manipulate people in meetings before. While I don't work in the industry, for me it does come off as more believable if GM suggests the merger.

Don sold it as being tired of being the small agency that loses out to the bigger agency. I'm sure that's true but I think just as much of it is because Don is tired of being controlled by these small accounts like Jaguar and Baked Beans.

[Kal]

These past two episodes have been some of the best.

[polkablues]

In a more perfect world, the producers of the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey movie would watch this episode, tear up their scripts in despair, and jump out a high window.

[03]

the last two episodes are the actual beginning of this season in my eyes. i enjoyed some of the dreamy quiet episodes but ultimately i like this show for the humour and cleverness that this past two episodes showed. campbell is fucking hilarious, man. someone make a youtube compilation vid of him going 'bob!'

[diggler]

wtf

[Brando]

Last Night's Mad Men: The Vietnam Theory

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/20/mad_men_season_6_episode_8_the_crash_is_scdp_fighting_its_vietnam.html

[03]

that was hands down in top three best episodes ever.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

I love the yearly format-breaker. This one takes the cake.

[Just Withnail]

SPOILERS


My god the tap dance.

[03]

spoilers obvs;;;;;;;;;;;;;


-

so yeah im pretty sure everyone knows this is the best ep ever. can we please discuss it.
why do they not do this every episode. the reason i watch this show is because of eps like this.
and why was roger not in it that much bc his acid ep was also in aforementioned top three.
the black maid was an amazingly not boring sidestory that included his kids that are horrible to watch,
tapdance scene was hands down best scene of ep.

[©brad]

Anytime someone asks me if advertising is really like Mad Men I'm just going to send them that tap dancing scene.

This show can be more painful and anxiety-inducing than the most terrifying and violent moments of Breaking Bad, and that's not a criticism. What do we think is in store for Don come end of season? I'm guessing a heart attack although that almost seems too obvious. He is so lost, I can't imagine him sinking any lower without killing himself.

[Brando]

I thought the episode was amazing. I was actually surprised when I read the AV Club recap which mentioned there was some disdain by some for the episode. The AV Club article also seemed to be apologetic about giving the episode a good review.

The show has completely turned on Don. Betty is the most universally hated person on the show but she was completely in the right going off on both Megan and Don. When was the last time we were all on Betty's side against anyone?

So glad the thin and blonde Betty is back.

I loved the reveal when we realize the entire time Don had not been working on the Chevy account but rather coming up with a sales pitch to get back Sylvia. Sylvia had a great line about when getting involved in an affair you do it with someone who has as much to lose as you do so you can trust them. She's now realizing Don doesn't care for anything.

The episode was also one of the funniest in recent memory. Tap dancing, Chevy being misspelled, Don running around, the throwing of exacto knife, "are we Negros?" and more

The biggest thing I took from the episode which I haven't seen mentioned was about the soup ad going back to the previous decade. The ad is something Don worked on which was inspired by his relationship with the prostitute. It's nearly ten years later and Don is still dealing with the same shit. He is a man who can't evolve or change because his entire persona is false. Don Draper is like a parasite sucking away Dick Whitman. Don is able to draw on these memories, feelings and insecurities from Dick to create these ads but at the same time keeps the man from growing or getting past them. 

[polkablues]

Mark your calendars for the apocalypse, I just liked Betty Draper in an episode of Mad Men.