Mad Men Discussion Thread

[NotUrsula]

Yeah, that was a grade-A classic bender, all right, but I have a sinking feeling that he will go lower yet before we are done, and I have a feeling that it will be Joan or Peggy or both who will have to drag his sorry butt out of it. Don is not a functional drunk; there are flickering shades of Archie beginning to show through. (I think that having Doris the waitress call him Dick rather than Don was the thing that scared him the most -- not losing the day, but realizing that he had been careless with his identity. If the waitress knows, does the brunette know, too?)

Peggy's handling of the "pig" was priceless. Also, we know something else about our Peg -- she doesn't wear a girdle to work, and that was a rather daring thing in the office world of 1965.

I don't think that Life was known for clever ads before the Mikey campaign came out (1970). I don't remember ever eating it or noticing it before that, but after Mikey, it was in every house on the block.

The details were otherwise right at the Clio awards. Byrrh did win for a TV ad that night. It was also the year of the "Timex Torture Test".

 

[Mimi1965]

Thanks to all of you!
It completly went over my head that he went to bed Friday and woke Sunday!
What a bender

And i missed her calling him Dick-I wish we could re-watch episodes

 

[7165red]

Don had his first black out "Lost weekend". I hope he stops drinking, he's ready for AA.

 

[FloraFauna]

Wow, Betty showed a little maturity last night. That was a big surprise.

I didn't like Joan very much this episode. If the guys want to think of Peggy in a negative way for firing an employee, then so be it. I think Peggy handled herself well.

I enjoyed last night's episode a lot.

 

[jaoconnor]

I loved the journal format of last night's episode!

 

[ChicagoFitnessClub]

The last 2 episodes of Mad Men have been absolutely amazing.

 

[bicker]

I loved the journal format of last night's episode!

Mad Men takes a page from Grey's Anatomy.

 

[Mimi1965]

The transformation of Peggy from the first season is amazing

Alas-where Joan was the woman feared by all-she has become a laughingstock of the younger generation-think we might see more of that , I'm afraid.

 

[Pig Pen]

Poor Joan. I was talking about this exact same thing a week or so ago. She seems stuck in the 50s era while the rest of the office is moving into the "hip" 60s.

I hope Don gets his act together!

 

[gometros]

Mad Men takes a page from Grey's Anatomy.

Even Gray's was not the first to use that vehicle. There was a great M*A*S*H episode that used it.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I loved this episode.

Anyone else think Betty still has feelings for Don and might be regretting her decision? I think her real feelings came out at the restaurant. Of course I never could stand her new husband and her together so maybe I'm just hoping they get back together!

 

[bicker]

Even Gray's was not the first to use that vehicle. There was a great M*A*S*H episode that used it.

M*A*S*H used several unique narrative devices, over its run. I remember a couple of episodes that were done as documentaries, and one episode told from the single point-of-view of a patient. I don't recall, though, them using (specifically) breaking-the-fourth-wall narration by one of their major characters (but my memory may be faulty). Regardless, many other shows have used that precise device, before - Grey's surely didn't invent it!

 

[NotUrsula]

"Tuesday, February 12th. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of Robbery Division. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Ed Backstrom, Chief of Detectives. My name's Friday."

DA-da-DA-dum. Come on, didn't any of you kids ever watch Dragnet?

Actually, Weiner has been criticized in reviews for using the voiceover narration in this episode; some people call it lazy writing practice. (Also, they G-rated the NYAC pool -- in 1965 that was a men's club, and swimmers there didn't wear trunks.)

I like Don with Dr. Faye; she's like him, hiding a working-class background. (Perhaps a slightly shady one, if daddy "owned a candystore", which in NYC in that erea meant he was more than likely a bookie.)

 

[gometros]

M*A*S*H used several unique narrative devices, over its run. I remember a couple of episodes that were done as documentaries, and one episode told from the single point-of-view of a patient. I don't recall, though, them using (specifically) breaking-the-fourth-wall narration by one of their major characters (but my memory may be faulty). Regardless, many other shows have used that precise device, before - Grey's surely didn't invent it!

Narrative device - that's the term I was grasping for, thanks. I know there was one episode where Father Mulcahey was writing letters to his sister and I believe BJ or Hawkeye did a journal. It's my all-time favorite show, you would think I'd remember which one. I'll have to check. I have a book on M*A*S*H at home.

 

[gometros]

DA-da-DA-dum. Come on, didn't any of you kids ever watch Dragnet?

Actually, Weiner has been criticized in reviews for using the voiceover narration in this episode; some people call it lazy writing practice. (Also, they G-rated the NYAC pool -- in 1965 that was a men's club, and swimmers there didn't wear trunks.)

I like Don with Dr. Faye; she's like him, hiding a working-class background. (Perhaps a slightly shady one, if daddy "owned a candystore", which in NYC in that erea meant he was more than likely a bookie.)

I think bicker was referring to the narrative device of using a character writing a journal to tell the narrative. Dragnet did used voice over narration, but so did many shows (Wonder Years and Desperate Housewives are two that come to mind immediately.)

 

[Cindy B]

I find Dr. Faye very interesting. First, as another poster noted, she has an interesting past. I thought the "candystore" moment was very forthcoming as well as here letting loose in the phone booth in the beginning of the episode.

I found the fact that Ms. Blankenship carried 4 or 5 bottles of booze around the office very funny. (That just cracked me up!)

The journal narrative device could be considered lazy writing. It is great to finally "see" Don's thoughts.. but as a strong man in the 60's-- he would never actually speak those words.

I thought "good" girls never did what Bethany did.. way back when.. Bethany comes off as a perfect Barbizon girl.

Joan, well we all saw that coming. As the employees get younger and younger , she is aging herself out of the company. Of course she still is very attractive, but just not the "look" anymore. I had higher hopes for Joey-- but it turns out that he is just as much of a jerk as Tight Shirt Rizzo is.

 

[bicker]

Narrative device - that's the term I was grasping for, thanks. I know there was one episode where Father Mulcahey was writing letters to his sister and I believe BJ or Hawkeye did a journal. It's my all-time favorite show, you would think I'd remember which one. I'll have to check. I have a book on M*A*S*H at home.

I definitely remember, now, Father Mulcahey's letter home, and there may have also been a case where BJ wrote home to Peg, eh? Hazy memory.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think bicker was referring to the narrative device of using a character writing a journal to tell the narrative. Dragnet did used voice over narration, but so did many shows (Wonder Years and Desperate Housewives are two that come to mind immediately.)

Gidget. (The movie AND the TV series.) She was constantly doing the "Dear Diary:" thing.

In fact, I think there may have been a reference to it in "Summer Man". Don made a remark about sounding like a teenage girl, or something to that effect. The TV version of Gidget premiered in 1965, and Sally Field was on the cover of TV Guide the week before Don wrote these diary entries. (I'm thinking that Sally would have been a big fan of Gidget.)

 

[gometros]

I definitely remember, now, Father Mulcahey's letter home, and there may have also been a case where BJ wrote home to Peg, eh? Hazy memory.

Gidget. (The movie AND the TV series.) She was constantly doing the "Dear Diary:" thing.

In fact, I think there may have been a reference to it in "Summer Man". Don made a remark about sounding like a teenage girl, or something to that effect. The TV version of Gidget premiered in 1965, and Sally Field was on the cover of TV Guide the week before Don wrote these diary entries. (I'm thinking that Sally would have been a big fan of Gidget.)

Wow, great pick up on the Gidget connection. Btw, did Dobey Gillis also use the narrative? That really is pushing my memory.

I fear with these references to older shows, we are showing our age

I was just thinking as I was writing this, if I was going to compare Mad Men to any show from the 60s, it would be Bewitched. After all, Darrin was an ad man and Samantha was a witch

 

[NotUrsula]

Wow, great pick up on the Gidget connection. Btw, did Dobey Gillis also use the narrative? That really is pushing my memory.

I fear with these references to older shows, we are showing our age

I was just thinking as I was writing this, if I was going to compare Mad Men to any show from the 60s, it would be Bewitched. After all, Darrin was an ad man and Samantha was a witch

LOL, I can't take too much credit. I did remember Gidget's diary obsession, but the timing connection was dumb luck; when I Googled to confirm the diary memory, I ran across a webpage that had an image of the TV Guide cover -- dated May 28, 1965. (I always preferred Sally Field in the role -- Sandra Dee was just too earnest. Tee-hee.)