19 posts tagged “mad men”
Seeing Don & Betty all cozy is wonderful. But I worry that it won’t last. **frets**
I love the flashbacks! It’s always good to see the pieces of the puzzle that makes Don Draper. I love the way the scenes were shot as well, with Don in his kitchen some how a part of the flashback.
That painting in Cooper’s office was atrocious. Sensuality, my ass. It’s a giant octopus going down on a woman. Does that really belong in a professional office? Ugh.
Why the hell would you fire someone and NOT escort them out. I cannot believe Burt Peterson was allowed to rage through the office like that. That poor secretary whose belongings got knocked on the floor.
It’s good to see Pete & Trudy getting along so well. Again, I worry that I won’t last. Especially since Pete seems to be pretty close to the same sniveling ass that he was last season. I’m glad he pulled his self together at the end. Trudy is right; no one wants to hear his outrage.
I love how Pete was all nervous and babbling when meeting with Pryce about the promotion and Cosgrove was all nonchalant and self-assured. Interesting. Even more interesting later on…..
It is ridiculous how even when he’s not even trying, Don is pulling women. Damn! The notable thing was, he didn’t really seem that interested. At any moment it seemed as if he might end the encounter all together.
Oh, my goodness! Sal!! Oh my goodness! Sal! The fucking bellboy (or whatever) is coming on to you!! How did he know??!! Oh my goodness! OhmygoodnessOhmygoodnessOhmygoodnessOhmygoodnessOhmygoodness!!!! It’s really happening for you!!
Aaaaaand then the hotel fire alarm goes off! Damnit!! Cock-blocked!
Don looked so visibly shocked and, I don’t know, dismayed? When he saw Sal & the bellboy together. I was really worried that Don was gonna be disgusted or upset with Sal. (Please don’t be a bigot, Don, I love you!) I did love Don’s little “oh, yeah, that’s right” look at Sal when Sal told their client that he was married.
Did Joan plan to set up John Hooker or was that a pleasant outcome? I love that Mr. Pryce told him that he had to sit out with all the women.
I love how everyone wandered into Don’s office for a drink. Even Bert Cooper.
Awww, poor Sally! Poor, daddy-loving, will-need-lots-of-therapy Sally! I knew Sally would find something when she started going through Don’s suitcase. I think Don was a little stunned by how quickly he smoothed things over. Yay, Betty gave Sally a little stuffed Eeyore when she was born!
Where’s Duck?
I enjoyed the season premiere immensely. As always, there are so many layers to the seemingly simple stories shown here. I am happy that Don & Betty are still together and that Trudy & Pete seem much happier together. I don’t know if Roger is still with THAT PIECE OF SHIT, Jane, but he looks so damn SHARP in his suits. Go ‘head, John Slattery! I am concerned for Joan. She is obviously still with Dr. Fuckface. What will happen to my girl?
Favorite quotes:
My brother-in-law borrowed my suitcase to go to Puerto Rico. He never tires of putting his name on other people’s belongings. – Don to Sal, about the name on his suitcase
I keep going a lot of places and ending up somewhere I’ve already been. – Don, to the stewardess whose ass he tapped
Well, Shelly, it was real swelly. -- Sal
Well, our worst fears lie in anticipation. That’s not me, that’s Balzac. – Sal
I will always come home. – Don, to Sally
Favorite exchanges:
This place is a gynocracy. – John Hooker
[surprised] I hadn’t noticed. – Lane Pryce
Don Draper Gangsta Move of the Ep: I’m gonna go with Don subtly telling Sal to “limit his exposure”. I love that whole scene where Don says he wants to ask Sal something and he wants the truth. Poor Sal was so scared! Then Don starts talking about the account and never really asks Sal anything. “Limit your exposure.” But Sal hasn’t really had any exposure at all, has he?
You are Betty Draper.
Some call you cold. Your response? "My people were Nordic." Cold or not, you are constantly getting hit on. You like the attention as well as the perks it brings: A handsome family, a beautiful house and the envy of neighbors. Still, you're not exactly happy. You're confused and disappointed at the way things have turned out. But you've shown you have some fight in you, and you work hard to keep up appearances. How's therapy going?
Huh. I was expecting Peggy...or Sal.
If I tell you I am TOO EXCITED about the upcoming season 3 of Mad Men, would you believe me? Heh.
Last summer I fell in love with 2 shows: True Blood and Mad Med. I missed them all winter/spring long!
Now AMC has this "Mad Men Yourself" tool that is too fun! It's like being in a fancy store and trying on all the clothes you want. There's even snazzy, 1960s "bah-bah-bah" music playing in the background.
Click on the site toot sweet & play dress up!! Hee!
I like this one cuz I'm wearing a dress that looks like Miss Joan Holloway! But the background was so dark, you can't really see my hair too well. So I did another one! (Plus, I got to tweak a thing or two!)
Then I hit the pipe, er, tried some another style! Ooo, naughty!
On New Year's Eve, I was messing around online to keep myself up til midnight. I was also cooking. (BTW, I burned my black-eyed peas badly. How badly? I had to sit the entire pot outside on my back stoop before my smoke alarm went off! I think I'm madder that I ruined my good pot than I ruined my peas. I had some later at my friend's little get-together. My pork shoulder turned out WONDERFUL if I do say so myself!)
But while I was tooling around the internet, I started playing clips on YouTube. I was looking for Ledisi clips actually and started listening to Teena Marie, Angela Bofill and Phyllis Hyman. Phyllis was a truly talented singer; I still miss her.
So imagine my surprise when I checked back to blog posts from New Year's Eve 2007 and discovered this. Kinda sent chills down my back, ya know? Interesting. I also think it is funny that I declared 2008 "A Year Without Bullshit". The world is drowning in bullshit and some days it seems that I'm the main purveyor. Oh, well.
2009 has been good so far. I've decided to make some resolutions.....more on that later.
A Few of My Favorite Things from 2008 (in no particular order):
**President-Elect Barack Obama
**2008 was truly the Year of the Vampire for me! I became enthralled by the Twilight series this summer, moved onto the Sothern Vampire Mysteries novels and then to the TV series based on the books, True Blood. My 2 husbands really began to worry about me with all this vampire reading/watching going on. Hee!
**Two of my favorite TV characters came from True Blood. Pam, a vampire, wasn't on very often, but she was just what a vamp should be: sexy, mysterious, dangerous and ready with a quip! I hope to see more of her in Season 2 of the show.
Of course, the other was the daring, darling, dirty, dastardly, divine Lafayette Reynolds. I hope to see him in Season 2 as well.
**The 2-part Season 4 finale of House: "House’s Head/Wilson’s Heart". Truly two of the finest hours of television ever. It's wonderful when the writing, directing and acting all come together so well. Kudos to Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard and Anne Dudek. This clip is a summary of the 2 episodes to Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars".
**The Season 4 premiere of Supernatural: “Lazarus Rising”. They brought Dean back on the first episode? Really? And he doesn't know how or by whom he was brought back from hell? Sammy's been doing what since Dean's been in hell? WHO brought Dean back? REALLY? Niiiiice, Supernatural. I didn't even see that one coming. This clip is a summary of the episode to 3 Doors Down's "When I'm Gone".
**The Dark Knight....nuff said.
**Two music "finds": Jace Everett and Ledisi.
I "discovered" Jace Everett because his song, "Bad Things", is the theme song for True Blood. (See? It is the Year of the Vampire!) The song is a perfect fit for the show: gritty, steamy, fun and full of passion. He is very talented, seems to have a good sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously. (I read his MySpace blog.) I hope some label snatches him up and treats him right this time. Check out his website and MySpace page.
Ledisi is.......amazing. I have carted around her last 2 CDs to blast in my car all. the. time. She is a phenomenonally talented singer with soul, jazz and gospel all rolled up in her soul. It was with great reluctance that I put her Christmas CD away this week. The YouTube clips that I have posted don't even BEGIN to do her justice. Please check out her website and MySpace page.
**Saturday Night Live...it was funny and relevant and funny and biting and totally on-point again. And did I mention funny?
**The Daily Show/The Colbert Report. Oh Jon and Stephen, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....
**"Just Like You" by Keyshia Cole. This CD is another that lives in my car. Her first CD was pretty good, but this second one? Fantastic. Her hard upbringing and continuing struggles have been well documented on her reality show, The Way It Is. But this chick is TALENTED. As far as I'm concerned, she is the first R&B/hip-hop singer that I've heard that comes close to following in the footsteps of Ms. Mary J. Blige. And Mary is my girl. If Mary is the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, then Keyshia is the Princess. As good as she is now, she will be even better 5, 10 years froom now. Word is bond. Check out her website.
**Mad Men......nuff said. What I said earlier about the perfect storm of excellent writing, direction and acting? Add exquisite art direction and cinematography? This is what you get! WATCH THIS SHOW!
**Tina Fey....yay! From her TV show 30 Rock to her movie "Baby Mama" to her flawless Sarah Palin impression, Tina had it goin' on!! You go, girl!!
**“Spotlight” by Jennifer Hudson. I *heart* this song. (It goes in the Singles Hall of Fame with Ne-Yo's "Because of You".) Even though her CD was not as good as I had hoped or as good as this first single, I take my hat off to J.Hud. (And hugs to her as well as the tragedy that struck her family last year.)
**Cable TV, especially The Soup/Best Week Ever/vh-1 reality shows. Joel McHale is my new hero!!
Lastly, a final RIP for those that left us in 2008:
......as well as our loved ones that have "gone on".
What was the best TV show of 2008? The worst?
Of course, this is all subjective....
Best new show of 2008:
I didn't mean for this to take a week for me to post. I've been ill, I've been busy and I'm sad that the season is over. **sniff**
BETTY’S PREGNANT??!?!?????
Betty! WTF are you doing? Why are you giving Don such a hard time? And WTF are you doing with that guy? Getting drunk on your own power, huh?
Pete is going to be head of accounts? YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!
Don’s giving Pete compliments? Uh, is this some bizarre world? Ugh.
Don's letter to Betty: so simple, so beautiful. That's probably the most sincere & vulnerable he's ever been with her.
Father Gill, are you trying to pick Peggy up?
Pete leave Peggy alone. You don’t know anything or anybody. Shut the fuck up, you drunken fool!
OMG, PEGGY YOU’RE FUCKING TELLING PETE ABOUT THE BABY!!!
Pete, PLEASE shoot yourself with that shotgun. Please!
I fucking love this show! Just the simple gesture of Don wanting Betty to put her hand in his……I’m swooning right now. I wasn’t sure if she was gonna tell him about the baby or the…, er, booty call.
That was a looooong moment when Betty waited for Don's response to the baby. When she laid her hand into his, her look just said, "I love you even if you are a son of a bitch, and I can't go through this without you." His look said, "I'm sorry you had to carry this burden alone."
One of the beautiful things about this show is how much is conveyed by atmosphere, look and gesture. What a smart, clever, funny, sad, heart-breaking show this is!
Favorite quotes:
“The world continues without us. No need to take it personally.” –Don
“We don’t know what’s really going on. You know that.” –Don
Thoughts on this season/next season:
--What's gonna happen to Joan? She started out as a strong character in S1 and in S2 we saw some of her vulnerabilities. We even saw her start to consider possibilities outside of the (societal) box in which she was happy to stay. After realizing what is *really* out there and being engaged to a man that raped her, will Joan stay the course? Or will she orchestrate and execute an even better life for herself?
--I like the (non sexual) chemistry that Joan & Don have and I enjoyed the scene with the 2 of them and Peggy. It's nice to see a man at Sterling & Cooper show women genuine humor (not at their expense) and NOT be intimiddated/angered by their advancement (e.g. Peggy's office). It would be kinda cool if Don & Joan were platonic buddies. And if it made Roger mad in the process? GREAT!
--Where is Don & Betty's marriage going? Will they ever get to a place a place where they can be both honest AND comfortable with each other?
--Is Pete leaving his marriage? Will he want his son?
--Will THAT PIECE OF SHIT JANE use & abuse Roger?
I'll miss you till next summer, Mad Men!
Last week, Jon Hamm hosted Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, I missed it but thanks to the gloriousness that is the web, I got to see 2 Mad Men related skits from the show. HI-larious!!
I loved both of these clips! Jon Hamm has good comedic timing and kudos to Elisabeth Moss (Peggy Olson) and John Slattery (Roger Sterling) for surprising the audience with their skit participation.
Tomorrow, on The Simpsons annual "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween episode, the show will spoof Mad Men:
This is the second episode where Don spent all his time in California. It made his story seem surreal, especially with the flashbacks. It made me unsure of what I was seeing and what I was supposed to think. I’ve been confused by Don’s behavior these last 2 episodes. Every time something happened that seemed to remind Don of his family & responsibility, I think he’s going to go home and make another “go of it”. But he stays put!
Damn, January Jones looks good in the blue turtleneck!
Betty seems to overreact when she disciplines her kids. Uh, honey, Sally’s just doing what she sees you and Don do. That kid is gonna need SO MUCH therapy. She got punished Harry Potter style. (BTW, the little actress that plays Sally, Kiernan Shipka, is quite talented.)
Bert’s sister is named “Alice Cooper”? Awesome!
Ahhhhh! So Anna got the book! I love her! She is so laidback and cool. She has a real affection for Don and is nonjudgmental to boot. Everyone should have an “Anna” in their corner.
In his conversations with Anna, we see real emotion, the authentic part of Dick Whitman/Don Draper. It is glorious to see.
Poor Trudy! Hitched her star to that lame ass, puerile, pissant Pete.
Go, Peggy, go! You got the Popsicle account AND Freddy Rumson’s office!
Betty was just cruel to her friend, Sarah Beth. Asking about private school for Sally was just a pretense for the call. It was almost like she took pleasure in cutting Sarah Beth down. I’m glad that Sarah Beth hung up in Betty’s face.
Oh, Joan. Oh, Joanie. Oh. Where do I start? I know you’re marrying Dr. Harris because the clock is ticking on you and your bachelorette-ness. And he's handsome. And treats you well. And he's a doctor, fuhcryinoutloud. I understand that you act so docile around him because that is what was expected of women in 1962. I even understand why you fixed your face and went on to dinner with Dr. Fuckface. But you deserve so, so much better. The final humilation was that he raped you in the office, on the floor. Anybody could have walked in! For Joan to have to be under the thumb of a man so narrow-minded and insecure? Is more than I can bear to think about....
It makes me even madder at Roger's fucked up ass for ditching his wife of 30 years for THAT PIECE OF SHIT Jane instead of you. YOU could have been, should have been, the next Mrs. Sterling. You are too much woman for that weak, simple, territory-marking “man”, McRape-y. Ugh.
Hey! It’s Leo!
I’m glad Paul made it back from Mississippi in one piece. Harry continued his annoying streak. “What? You have your own office? You?”
Pete is a conniving little sniveling ass. Take your funky ass home, you dick! And apologize to the poor sap upon whose head you threw that turkey & plate. Ass!
Favorite quotes:
“I’m sorry. I don’t know whose eyes to look at.” –Roger, to Alice about the fox fur (with head!) she had around her neck
“I always thought that we met so we could make our lives easier.” –Anna, to Dick
“You have your children to think of.” –Alice
“I just have the one.” –Roger
“Really?” –Alice (Hee!)
“You don’t owe me anything.” –Anna, to Don (who has probably never heard that before in his life)
No Don Draper Gangsta Move of the Ep, since Don Draper wasn’t around. It was all Dick Whitman we saw this entire episode.
Next week is the season finale and I have no idea what's in store for the folks at Sterling Cooper. Watching tonight's ep, I could really see the change in appearance, demeanor & facial expressions between Dick Whitamn & Don Draper as well as the actress that played Anna. As always, Jon Hamm does an incredible job.
I'm intrigued by Don & Betty's journey this season, both together and separately. And please, help my girl Joan! She doesn't deserve to be treated like a piece of meat.
*As always, I encourage you to check out "what's alan watching" in my favorite links to get an excellent (and more coherent) review of this episode.*
