Posts filed under 'mad men'
November 10th, 2009
Mad Men season three final recap [20:30m]:
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And just like that, season three of Mad Men is in the books.
After last week’s slightly disappointing episode, it’s safe to say the season three finale (”Shut the door. Have a seat.”) blew the podcast away. As the Movie Man says on the recording, Mad Men is typically a show about subtleties. That’s not the case this week, with the end of both the Draper marriage and Sterling Cooper.
That’s all I’m going to say in the text. You’ll have to listen to the podcast for the rest. But as Will says, this episode might have been the most satisfying season finale he’s ever seen.
November 2nd, 2009
Standard Podcast [28:11m]:
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A bit of a disappointing episode this week (titled “The Grown-Ups”) by Man Men standards as we answer the question: “Where were you when Kennedy was shot?”
We see Harry and Pete were discussing Pete’s future with Sterling Cooper (more on that later) when the news broke, which makes sense because Harry’s job requires a television at all times. Duck was in a hotel room waiting for Peggy to show up for a mid-afternoon hook-up. Don was arguing with Mr. Pryce about hiring an expensive replacement for Sal (who Don brutally fired a few episode’s before).
Every other character was busy leading their daily life. Especially Roger, whose daughter’s wedding wasn’t going to stopped for anything.
I don’t think anyone on the podcast thought this was a bad episode. It’s just a bit of a letdown after such a terrific show the previous week. “The Grown-Ups” had some nice touches, such as every ringing phone in Sterling Cooper shutting down in unison once the lines overloaded. And Jane’s line about never getting to vote for the handsome Kennedy was especially spot-on (the voting age was 21 at the time - Jane still was only 20).
But the Kennedy assassination has been covered to death and it’s not all that interesting to spend 30 minutes watching characters watch their televisions. Once news of the assassination broke, it was tough to find a character doing anything else.
In the previous two seasons of Mad Men, the finales were a bit of a let down after stunning set-ups the week before. Maybe we’ll get the opposite this year, especially with Betty’s telling Don she no longer loves him at the end of this episode. We see Roger get a little fed up with his bratty bride, calling Joan for solace at the end of the stressful wedding. And we have Pete and Trudy deciding it would be best for Pete to work for Duck.
As always, you can e-mail the show at podcast@rrstar.com or just comment on any of these posts.
*Production note
We use a two microphone system for these podcasts. Unfortunately, we had a connection problem with the microphone nearest to me and didn’t realize until the recording was over. As a result, my volume level is significantly lower than the Will and Sean. I’ll have this corrected in time for the finale.
October 26th, 2009
Register Star Podcast: Mad Men Episode 11 recap [23:01m]:
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After Betty unlocked Don’s secret desk drawer last week, Mad Men fans were bracing for the worst. How could this possibly end well?
Somehow, Betty defies all expectations and plays the situation perfectly. She consults a lawyer. She arrives home early to get the jump on Don. And she confronts him so tactfully that he has no choice but to spill the beans about everything. And I mean everything.
All the while, Don’s mistress patiently waits outside in the car for her weekend getaway. Betty doesn’t know she’s there. Don does, but he appears to completely forget.
I can tell you without any hesitation that not a single viewer forgot about her for one minute. After three seasons of watching, it’s safe to say last night’s episode was my favorite of the series. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. What do you think?
Highlights from the episode:
- Score two great episodes in a row for Roger. He had the opportunity to cheat on his bride and handled himself with dignity and class. If only Jane could’ve watched last week’s episode, as I suspect something major is going to down between her and Roger before the season ends.
- Joan whacks her rapist husband over the head with a vase. So he buys her flowers and tells her he’s going to buy her a new vase to replace it. Amazing.
- Still no sign of Sal, though AMC has a sneak peak on their Web site that hints at a possible Sal replacement.
Only two episodes left!
October 19th, 2009
Register Star Podcast: Mad Men Episode 10 recap [21:19m]:
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Lots to talk after this week’s episode of Mad Men, titled, “The Color Blue.”
After three seasons of wondering, Betty finally unlocks Don’s secret desk drawer. Inside are relic’s of his previous life, including the divorce certificate he needed from the previous Don Draper’s marriage in order to marry Betty the model all those years ago. Betty has all the pieces of Don’s double life right there in her hands, but she clearly doesn’t quite understand what it all means.
That being said, she is furious. She reacts with immediate (and lasting) anger and means to confront Don whenever he decides to come home later that night. Unfortunately for Betty, his affair with Sally’s former teacher means he doesn’t come home at all. She instead puts everything back as it was, leaving lots of setup for what’s sure to be a spectacular final three episodes of the season.
Elsewhere:
- We learn that Sterling Cooper is suddenly for sale on the eve of their 40th birthday, to the dismay of Mr. Pryce and the dismay of Mrs. Pryce
- At celebration party, we see just how polished Roger Sterling can be
- Kinsey realizes that there’s a lot he could learn from Peggy
- And poor Joan and Sal are no where to be seen
We’ll do the podcast right through the end of the season. All comments and e-mails (podcast@rrstar.com) are appreciated!
October 12th, 2009
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Back to a three-man podcast this week now that Driscoll has returned from his vacation. And boy, not a moment too soon.
Although loved by The Movie Man, I had a hard time enjoying this week’s episode (titled “Wee Small Hours”). It managed to make me mad at every character on the show, with the exception of Sal and possibly Harry. They’re all out for themselves, summed up best in Betty’s line to baby Eugene: “I want what I want when I want it.”
The fact that not everybody gets what they want makes the episode very dark. Lee from Lucky Strike wants Sal, gets rebuffed and fires him. Harry doesn’t want to make the wrong call on the situation, does nothing, and still manages to screw everything up. Connie wants the moon. Betty wants an affair.
And there’s not a redeeming moment in the episode for me. Damn you for giving in, Suzanne Farrell.
Here’s some other highlights of this week’s podcast:
- Don’s wilting under the pressure of Connie Hilton
- The tragedy that is Sal
- And the podcast’s general loathing of Betty Draper
October 5th, 2009
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Driscoll is on vacation this week, but we’re podcasting without him after taking last week off. And despite The Movie Man’s apparent amnesia for anything more than two days old, we manage to tackle episodes 7 (”Seven Twenty Three”) and 8 (”Souvenir”) in one convenient podcast.
You’ll notice a good 15-second pause after Will argues that Pete Campbell is a good guy early in the podcast. I’m thinking, “REALLY? Pete? A good guy? I’m not buying it.” However, I can’t come up with a good argument. I still can’t. So I’m asking listeners to help me out by responding to this question:
Is Pete Campbell a good guy, a bad guy or something else? Drop us a line at podcast@rrstar.com, or just comment on this post. We’ll talk about it in the next podcast.
Here’s some other highlights of this week’s podcast:
- Peggy’s shockingly dirty, dirty hookup with Duck
- Don’s apparent change of heart (and attitude) after signing his three-year contract
- And the evolution of Sally Draper
September 21st, 2009
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“He might lose his foot.” -Paul
“Right when he got it in the door.” -Roger
After the big scene ended in this week’s episode, “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency,” I sent a mass text to my friends that simply said: !!!
Most of the responses were varying degrees of, “I know!” Turns out, a few exclamation points were all I had needed to describe the best Mad Men episode of the season so far. Luckily for me, I have two podcast guests with larger vocabularies and a lot more to say.
Download the podcast above to listen to Will Pfeifer, Sean Driscoll and I go over the major plot points of the episode, including:
- The greatest lawnmower accident scene in television history
- Joan’s apparent last day at Sterling Cooper, and the demise of her new hubby’s New York surgical career
- An explanation for Sally’s recent behavior
- And the great reorganization of Sterling Cooper that results in nothing changing
We appreciate all the reader feedback we’ve been getting. It’s nice to get different takes on this show, especially when you’re trying to talk about so many different plots each episode. Keep the comments rolling!
September 14th, 2009
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For two weeks in a row, major news revolving around Betty fuels the plot of Mad Men.
This week’s episode, titled, “The Fog,” gives us the birth of baby Eugene. And after Betty’s seemingly endless pregnancy, we’re sure she’s happy to introduce him to the world (Although as Will points out, Betty doesn’t seem to be happy about anything these days, does she?).
This week’s episode features plenty of plot points, including:
- The groundwork for another potential Don Draper affair
- An awkward encounter for Pete and Peggy
- And the return of Duck, easily one of the most interesting characters on the show
We’re almost to the halfway point of season three. Drop us a line at podcast@rrstar.com if you have any questions or comments.
September 8th, 2009
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Happy Labor Day! Belated!
The podcast is back after this week’s highly eventful Mad Men episode, entitled “The Arrangements.” The big news is that Betty’s father has died, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t half a dozen other subplots worth discussing:
- Sal’s adorable wife Kitty realizing her marriage might not be what she thought it was
- Perhaps the dumbest client in the history of Sterling Cooper
- Peggy’s move to Manhattan
- and Don’s surprising lack of extramarital affairs these days
Next week’s podcast will post on Monday, as per usual. Drop us a line at podcast@rrstar.com if you have any questions or comments.
August 31st, 2009
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We’re at episode three of the season and find ourselves knee deep in character development. Mad Men is great for changing everything with very minimal plot change, and this episode takes full advantage.
Roger wears black face. Dr. Greg isn’t the catch he at first seemed. Betty is eying older men. In this podcast, we discuss all the little things bubbling just underneath the surface.
We’d love to hear your Man Men thoughts, as well as suggestions for the podcast. Drop us a line at podcast@rrstar.com.
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