Any Mad Men Fans Here?

This is the last season, any thoughts?
What did you think of Don's confession about growing up in a whore house?
Why did they fire him do you think? Was it because he had a meltdown in front of the clients, or his background? Both?

I think the opening of the credits with Don falling is a foreshadowing. y/n?

Who is your favorite character? I love Roger Sterling, because he's so witty and the stuff that flies out of his mouth is so shocking for modern day viewers.

I love Joan also, for her character, and the fact she she is proud of her weight in real life.

Favorite quotes: (a few of them. There are so many

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Joan.
But that's life. One minute, you're on top of the world, the next minute, some secretary is running you over with a lawn mower.

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Roger after the accident
After the lawnmower accident) "Jesus, it's like Iwo Jima out there.

larious

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Roger
When God closes a window, he opens a dress

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pitbullgirl1965
Why did they fire him do you think? Was it because he had a meltdown in front of the clients

Yup. That was unforgivable. I was cringing in my seat.

I didn't like last season much, though. I'm really kinda sick of Don and his issues. And Megan! Oh gawd, how I hate her. And that little weasel Pete Campbell.

My favorite is Peggy. I also like Sally and Joan. I loved Sal, from the earlier seasons; I wish they would bring him back.

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Medusa
I didn't like last season much, though. I'm really kinda sick of Don and his issues

Ditto. What a self-absorbed, self-pitying POS. I've never really liked him, preferring Peggy, Joan, Roger ... I had a problem with Peggy and Ted this season. She seems to have become predatory. Pete Campbell - I felt some sympathy when he began the affair with Beth Dawes. He seemed to have come to some sort of revelation about his issues, but it didn't take long for him to shrink back into a self-serving slimy character.

After all the drama and passion between Don and Megan in S5, he clearly shows how bored he is with her in S6. It seems like once she decided on her independence; really putting an effort into her acting career (though Don gave her a leg up with the shoe commercial); Don decided to move on to a woman who would fawn over him and need him. Sylvia fit that requirement (she's another character I despised). The earlier seasons with Don's behavior toward Betty was pretty despicable. I know she was a shallow air head, but Don accusing her of leading on Roger, his remarks when she dared to wear a two piece bathing suit, his totally loathsome behavior when he found out that she had been romancing Henry .... gawd, that last stuff made me wish for a painful, humiliating death. AFAIC, any misfortunes Don has suffered - he deserves. What a bastard.

I'm glad that the show has given a boost to several of the actors. I had seen John Slattery in other smaller parts and always got the feeling that he would be awesome if he was given a larger role to play. He's directed several episodes of Mad Men, too.

Over all, I'm just glad that Mad Men was good tv. We gave up our satellite dish about 10 years ago because I just felt that there was nothing but crap on tv; not worth the $40-50/month we spent to access channels. I still catch shows like Mad Men on Netflix and Amazon, but at least it's something worth watching.

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Dorisan
Sylvia fit that requirement (she's another character I despised).

Urgh, me too! She was awful. I really hated that episode in which Don was keeping her in that hotel room like a slave/prisoner. That was just... sick.

Don liked Megan more when she was a temp secretary/nanny. I don't dislike Megan but the dynamics changed when she decided to hone her craft. Don was willing when it seemed to be bored housewife dilettante, but the more serious (and famous) she gets the more he resents her.

I loathed Sylvia but this was the character he wants....needy, dependent...but the sex slave shit was even too much for her needy ass. Betty was window dressing with no career (and seemed to resent it.) Don is happy when wearing the pants and cracking the whip. Megan is stealing his thunder.

Peggy is turning into the guys she works with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
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I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

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navi8orgirl
Betty was window dressing with no career (and seemed to resent it.)

I read a number of reviews where Betty's behavior since leaving Don was deemed incongruous.

Developing a more understanding (though still prickly) relationship with her daughter, showing concern for the Girl With the Violin (forget her name), becoming more perceptive and supportive of Henry .... I think Betty has just been given a chance to grow up.

She still has spurts of shallowness - the squawk (paraphrase) "Henry is running for office, you know!" when Oprah Winfrey (that came from an episode review - I guffawed) broke into Don's apartment. And I was all "wtf?" when she got coy with Henry and tried to tantalize him with a rape fantasy involving Girl With the Violin.

I still don't like her, but at least she's not Don's decorative Barbie anymore.

ETA: wow. An interesting analysis of Don Draper

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pitbullgirl1965

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Roger
When God closes a window, he opens a dress

A collection of Roger quotes. My mirthless coworkers don't understand why I'm over here, chuckling

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Dorisan

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pitbullgirl1965

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Roger
When God closes a window, he opens a dress

A collection of Roger quotes. My mirthless coworkers don't understand why I'm over here, chuckling

Roger is The Man. I'm echoing the Sylvia hate: she pretends to be Megans friend, and screws Don on the side, and then what really set me off: remember the scene where Megan is confessing to having an abortion?

Sylvia was a judgement, anti choice cow towards Megan. I was yelling at the T.V.

I kind of like Pete: he is progressive for his time with race relations. He's so oily and annoying it's rather amusing too.

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Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car.

Evan Davis

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Dorisan

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navi8orgirl
Betty was window dressing with no career (and seemed to resent it.)

I read a number of reviews where Betty's behavior since leaving Don was deemed incongruous.

Developing a more understanding (though still prickly) relationship with her daughter, showing concern for the Girl With the Violin (forget her name), becoming more perceptive and supportive of Henry .... I think Betty has just been given a chance to grow up.

She still has spurts of shallowness - the squawk (paraphrase) "Henry is running for office, you know!" when Oprah Winfrey (that came from an episode review - I guffawed) broke into Don's apartment. And I was all "wtf?" when she got coy with Henry and tried to tantalize him with a rape fantasy involving Girl With the Violin.

I still don't like her, but at least she's not Don's decorative Barbie anymore.

ETA: wow. An interesting analysis of Don Draper

(Sandy is the name of her.)
What was the purpose of the rape fantasy? Why did they put that in there? And the odd attachment to Sandy; did Betty identify with her? What could have been if she'd stayed single?

Was she trying to saver herself by running after Sandy? (btw one of the squatters was hot)
So how does the rape fantasy fit in? That was so bizarre, but the writers wouldn't just shove that in there for the thrill of it.

What an interesting assessment of Don Draper too! I'm going to miss the show damnit.

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Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car.

Evan Davis

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Medusa

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pitbullgirl1965
Why did they fire him do you think? Was it because he had a meltdown in front of the clients

Yup. That was unforgivable. I was cringing in my seat.

I didn't like last season much, though. I'm really kinda sick of Don and his issues. And Megan! Oh gawd, how I hate her. And that little weasel Pete Campbell.

My favorite is Peggy. I also like Sally and Joan. I loved Sal, from the earlier seasons; I wish they would bring him back.

Jesus yes, Sal! Remember the episode where he's acting out I think it was Bye Bye Birdie, and getting swisher by the second?
At first his wife is amused, then you can see her face start to twist with puzzlement. Great scene, as was the blow job scene.

Didn't they whore him out to a client and it back fired? D:

ETA: Sal ripping loose on Bye Bye Birdie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Rm3ZxOO4s

______________________________________________________
Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car.

Evan Davis

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pitbullgirl1965
(Sandy is the name of her.)
What was the purpose of the rape fantasy? Why did they put that in there? And the odd attachment to Sandy; did Betty identify with her? What could have been if she'd stayed single?

Was she trying to save herself by running after Sandy? (btw one of the squatters was hot)
So how does the rape fantasy fit in? That was so bizarre, but the writers wouldn't just shove that in there for the thrill of it.

The script alluded to Betty and Henry not consumating their relationship until marriage, or at least until they got to Reno. Remember the consultation in the lawyer's office where he said that a charge of adultery against Don wouldn't work because Betty would be at fault as well? Betty starts sputtering, Henry steps up, the lawyer apologizes profusely.

Betty didn't get a chance to see Henry's sexual side until way late in their relationship, it seems. I think she got a surprise at how the staid, polite gentleman liked his kink (or at least the definition of kink at that time). Having sex in the car in the garage, the later episode after she lost the flub - Henry pulled a jealous bull act after seeing another man ogle his wife, acting accusatory in the limo later and then ordering the driver to give them privacy so he (Henry) could have sex. Don never acted that inventive with Betty. In fact, it wasn't until the 'Don does Christian Grey' episode that he ever showed anything other than vanilla sex.

Early in the series, Betty and neighbor friend Francine discussed their marital duties (IIRC). Betty talked about "earning her keep." It may be that Betty still has that attitude, inflated by the fact that she bought the baggage of kids into her second marriage. She "earns her keep" by keeping the sex fresh and frisky, even if that means distasteful suggestions.

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pitbullgirl1965

(On Sal)

Didn't they whore him out to a client and it back fired? D:

ETA: Sal ripping loose on Bye Bye Birdie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Rm3ZxOO4s

Lee Garner, Jr made a pass at Sal in the film editing room. Sal turned him down, Lee demanded that Sal be fired.

Roger was a real bastard about that. I bet he would have pimped out his own daughter to keep the Lucky Strike account. It was his only reason for existence at Sterling-Cooper. He certainly didn't fight for Joan's honor when it came to the Jaguar account. When it came to preserving the agency, or his own skin, Roger could give a crap about anyone else but himself. Don was of the same mind, but I think he did sympathize with Sal's orientation, until it came to the point of affecting the agency.

I wish we had been given a better idea of what happened to Sal. Paul Kinsey was given a chance to come back for one last look at his pathetic existence. The last we saw of Sal, he was calling his wife from a payphone outside an obvious gay cruising area. I guess he thought "f* it" and just dropped the facade. Sal was always circumspect before that, turning down any connections with people at the agency (remember the out-of-town client who tried to seduce him at dinner?), but willing to get it on with a bell boy (I think that was what he was) at a hotel.

And yeah - the BBB reenactment. OMG

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Dorisan

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pitbullgirl1965

(On Sal)

Didn't they whore him out to a client and it back fired? D:

ETA: Sal ripping loose on Bye Bye Birdie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Rm3ZxOO4s

Lee Garner, Jr made a pass at Sal in the film editing room. Sal turned him down, Lee demanded that Sal be fired.

Roger was a real bastard about that. I bet he would have pimped out his own daughter to keep the Lucky Strike account. It was his only reason for existence at Sterling-Cooper. He certainly didn't fight for Joan's honor when it came to the Jaguar account. When it came to preserving the agency, or his own skin, Roger could give a crap about anyone else but himself. Don was of the same mind, but I think he did sympathize with Sal's orientation, until it came to the point of affecting the agency.

I wish we had been given a better idea of what happened to Sal. Paul Kinsey was given a chance to come back for one last look at his pathetic existence. The last we saw of Sal, he was calling his wife from a payphone outside an obvious gay cruising area. I guess he thought "f* it" and just dropped the facade. Sal was always circumspect before that, turning down any connections with people at the agency (remember the out-of-town client who tried to seduce him at dinner?), but willing to get it on with a bell boy (I think that was what he was) at a hotel.

And yeah - the BBB reenactment. OMG

It's easy to forget how self centered Roger is. One thing I like about Mad Men: it shows how contradictory people are: Pete is a little slime ball, but he's also surprisingly anti racist. Don is well Don, but yes, he didn't care about Sal being gay.
Yes, I remember the client hitting on him. And yes, I would love to know what happened to Sal

The Bye Bye Birdie scene is funny, but tragic: how unfair for Sal and his wife that he has to hide who he is. And oh my god, she was in shock after.
( I dislike the stereotype of gay men being Judy Garland Swishy type of men, but that's another topic

______________________________________________________
Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car.

Evan Davis

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pitbullgirl1965
It's easy to forget how self centered Roger is. One thing I like about Mad Men: it shows how contradictory people are: Pete is a little slime ball, but he's also surprisingly anti racist. Don is well Don, but yes, he didn't care about Sal being gay.
Yes, I remember the client hitting on him. And yes, I would love to know what happened to Sal

The Bye Bye Birdie scene is funny, but tragic: how unfair for Sal and his wife that he has to hide who he is. And oh my god, she was in shock after.
( I dislike the stereotype of gay men being Judy Garland Swishy type of men, but that's another topic

Even into the 6th season, when Pete had his ridiculous bachelor pad and was so callous toward his conquests (the blonde neighbor whose husband beat her up and hollered "she's your problem now, Campbell!") he still showed touches of decency. The episode where he tore into Harry over Martin Luther King was awesome. And even his reaction to his mother's (assumed) murder. It was kind of hilarious, and actually hard to find fault with Peter.

All that is why I enjoy the show and keep rewatching episodes (courtesy of Netflix and Winx DVD software I have all the episodes on my PC - shhhhh eyes2 ). The characters are complex. Sometimes you find them hilarious, sometimes you wish they'd fall in front of a train, many times they surprise you with an unexpected twist of personality. That is rare in tv, these days.

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Dorisan

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pitbullgirl1965
It's easy to forget how self centered Roger is. One thing I like about Mad Men: it shows how contradictory people are: Pete is a little slime ball, but he's also surprisingly anti racist. Don is well Don, but yes, he didn't care about Sal being gay.
Yes, I remember the client hitting on him. And yes, I would love to know what happened to Sal

The Bye Bye Birdie scene is funny, but tragic: how unfair for Sal and his wife that he has to hide who he is. And oh my god, she was in shock after.
( I dislike the stereotype of gay men being Judy Garland Swishy type of men, but that's another topic

Even into the 6th season, when Pete had his ridiculous bachelor pad and was so callous toward his conquests (the blonde neighbor whose husband beat her up and hollered "she's your problem now, Campbell!") he still showed touches of decency. The episode where he tore into Harry over Martin Luther King was awesome. And even his reaction to his mother's (assumed) murder. It was kind of hilarious, and actually hard to find fault with Peter.

All that is why I enjoy the show and keep rewatching episodes (courtesy of Netflix and Winx DVD software I have all the episodes on my PC - shhhhh eyes2 ). The characters are complex. Sometimes you find them hilarious, sometimes you wish they'd fall in front of a train, many times they surprise you with an unexpected twist of personality. That is rare in tv, these days.

Very rare, agree. Did you watch the TV series I'll Fly Away?I'll Fly Away
Watersons character is a Southern lawyer (named after a Confederate "hero") who is reluctantly pulled into fighting against Jim Crow laws via his maid.
(American laws encoding racism). The complexity of his character made the show.
People *are* a mix of contradictions, and we're never shown that in TV or in movies

The show is so good, that PBS bought the rerun rights to it a few years after it went off the air.
They'd never done that with a network tv series.

Thanks for the tip about the Winx DVD software. I just cut my cable off.

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Dorisan

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pitbullgirl1965
It's easy to forget how self centered Roger is. One thing I like about Mad Men: it shows how contradictory people are: Pete is a little slime ball, but he's also surprisingly anti racist. Don is well Don, but yes, he didn't care about Sal being gay.
Yes, I remember the client hitting on him. And yes, I would love to know what happened to Sal

The Bye Bye Birdie scene is funny, but tragic: how unfair for Sal and his wife that he has to hide who he is. And oh my god, she was in shock after.
( I dislike the stereotype of gay men being Judy Garland Swishy type of men, but that's another topic

Even into the 6th season, when Pete had his ridiculous bachelor pad and was so callous toward his conquests (the blonde neighbor whose husband beat her up and hollered "she's your problem now, Campbell!") he still showed touches of decency. The episode where he tore into Harry over Martin Luther King was awesome. And even his reaction to his mother's (assumed) murder. It was kind of hilarious, and actually hard to find fault with Peter.

All that is why I enjoy the show and keep rewatching episodes (courtesy of Netflix and Winx DVD software I have all the episodes on my PC - shhhhh eyes2 ). The characters are complex. Sometimes you find them hilarious, sometimes you wish they'd fall in front of a train, many times they surprise you with an unexpected twist of personality. That is rare in tv, these days.

This. MM and Breaking Bad are go-to watches because of the characters and the complexity of them (and their interactions.)

While Pete is oily, Roger is sleaze king. (I think I like Megan because she seems to be CF when it was not cool to be.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
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I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

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navi8orgirl
This. MM and Breaking Bad are go-to watches because of the characters and the complexity of them (and their interactions.)

While Pete is oily, Roger is sleaze king. (I think I like Megan because she seems to be CF when it was not cool to be.)

I'm trying to get myself into a mood to check out Breaking Bad. I'm just not into what appears to be real-life violence. That's why I wasn't able to watch many episodes of The Sopranos or Sons of Anarchy. Both shows are esteemed for their writing and acting, but the violence gives me more nightmares than any horror shows did when I was a kid.

Is BB comparable?

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Dorisan
I'm trying to get myself into a mood to check out Breaking Bad.

I watched all of Season 1 and started Season 2 and I still can't get into it. I keep hearing it's the greatest show EVAH, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe because it's a show by dudes, for dudes and about dudes? The only 2 female characters so far are a moo and a klepto.

ETA: And yes, Dorisan, it's pretty bloody violent.

BB is violent but has darkly comic moments. Strong females show up in the last two seasons....even mad moo shifts. If nothing else, it is worth watching for the incredible acting of Giancarlo Esposito. (Bob Odenkirk is hilarious too.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

Watched the 1st episode of S7.

Very off-kilter start to the last season. Had to *snicker* at Megan taking the wheel of the car rather than let Don drive. And him arriving at California all buttoned up and eastern-looking? He's been to CA a number of times. You'd think that after the "Tale of Two Cities" episode, he'd know better than to show up in a stuffy suit? A number of articles mentioned the overtones of Sharon Tate/Helter Skelter (Megan remarking at how sound travels in the canyons - anyone who saw the 1970s miniseries or read Bugliosi's book would catch that) makes you wonder if those murders are going to be a focal point in an episode.

If the season progresses in the same vein as EP1, I think the agency is going to go down the drain. Peggy should have taken over as creative director, as it appeared in the last episode of S6. And I had hoped that she had rid herself of that nasty building Abe pressured her to buy. She is not in a good place in her life, right now, same as Don. One promo picture had them sitting back-to-back at an airport. That seems sort of symbolic. In fact, none of the key SC&Partners people seem to be doing well at this point.

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navi8orgirl
BB is violent but has darkly comic moments. Strong females show up in the last two seasons....even mad moo shifts. If nothing else, it is worth watching for the incredible acting of Giancarlo Esposito. (Bob Odenkirk is hilarious too.)

Ooh, good to know - thanks! I guess I'll keep watching, then! (Esposito's the one on "Revolution" now, right?)

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A number of articles mentioned the overtones of Sharon Tate/Helter Skelter (Megan remarking at how sound travels in the canyons - anyone who saw the 1970s miniseries or read Bugliosi's book would catch that) makes you wonder if those murders are going to be a focal point in an episode.

There was a rumor that Megan was going to get killed off last season and it didn't happen, so maybe this is the one?

Yes, Esposito is in Revolution. He was fantastic in BB though he does not show up until the end of season 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."