Mad Men! (Read 2,171 times)

[Kpatch]

After more than a year's hiatus, Mad Men will be starting back up again with a new season on March 25th. This is the countdown thread. I know some of us are mad about Mad Men. It's really the only show besides Days that I watch with regularity.

Ready for Season 5?

[Tom Horton]

A co-worker and I were just talking about Mad Men and when it starts again - thanks for giving us the exact date! Can't wait!

[DancingDays]

I tried to get into that show, but just couldn't. I love the fashions, everyone looks so fantastic!!! But the eps I tried to watch just went soooooo slowly I couldn't help reaching for the remote. I hear it's pretty soapy and full of back-stabbing intrigue (and the super sexy Jon Hamm), but I just can't get into it.

[Tom Horton]

It's soapy but not in the sloppy, disjointed writing fashion of certain soap writers. It's a very smart show. Lots of dialogue that you really have to pay attention to because it won't seem to mean much at the time but will be central to events several episodes later ... and lots of subtle non-verbal communication that forces one to watch the screen rather than my usual habit of simultaneously doing one or two other tasks. The writers don't spell everything out for the viewers, they SHOW the characters, they don't TELL us about them.... and they are deep characters (well except for Betty Draper).

[MrsM]

I am about 5 episodes into the first season. I like it, hubby isn't real keen on it but he puts up with it. I don't think it met the expectations he had for it. So far I like it. Just a side note, Christina Hendricks is a knockout! I so wish that her body type was the norm in our society.

[Kpatch]

I got an email revealing the official Mad Men Season 5 poster. Don Draper. So debonair. Sigh.

[Kpatch]

I received an email with this trailer in it. The season premiere on March 25th is 2 hours. Yay. But it won't make up for the year-and-a-half long hiatus.

[Tom Horton]

Thanks for posting the preview JKJPatch - Can't wait!!

[Kpatch]

Ten Ways to Get Ready for the Mad Men Season 5 Premiere This Sunday

1. Get back up to speed with Mad Men's "Where Season 4 Left Off" video.

2. Learn what Season 5 has in store via behind-the-scenes video interviews with Jon Hamm, Vincent Kartheiser, Jared Harris, and series creator Matthew Weiner.

3. Click through 14 Season 5 Mad Men character portraits.

4. Find some last minutes ideas for premiere night with the Mad Men online party guide.

5. Create a new Mad Men avatar. Already have one? Give yourself a makeover.

6. Take a photo of yourself "Draping."

7. Decorate your Mac/PC with Mad Men Season 5 desktop wallpapers. Update your Facebook Timeline image, too.

8. Enter the Mad Men L.A. Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the Season 6 premiere.

9. Like Mad Men on Facebook; follow Mad Men on Twitter.

10. Sign up for the Mad Men Memo, a weekly newsletter that keep you up-to-speed on the series.

Mad Men Season 5 debuts with a special two-hour premiere on Sun., Mar. 25 at 9/8c.


Source: AMC blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/2012/03/get-ready-for-the-season-5-premiere.php

[Tom Horton]

^^ Fun ideas. I've been watching the ongoing marathon that they've been doing for months on Sunday mornings. I can't believe we are finally only 4 days away from new episodes.

BTW, one of Jordan's favorite new "toys" is a copy of Entertainment Weekly that his grandfather gave to him to tear up. It has a picture of Jon Hamm on the cover and no matter how many times I tried to tell Jordan all about Don Draper, he would just flip right past him - I don't think he's a fan. I thought for sure with his appreciation for Leonard Cohen's music that the child had good taste, but I guess you can't win them all.

[Tom Horton]

So what did you think of the season premiere?

[Kpatch]

My head is spinning a bit. I can't stand Megan. She is so nondescript and she's turning Don into a wuss. I loved Layne and Joan. Still love Peggy. I was really embarrassed for Don at the party, especially when Megan was singing her Zum Zum song. She doesn't get him at all. And cleaning in her underwear? That floor scene was pretty hot though.

What did you think?

[Tom Horton]

Peggy basically said the same thing about Don being a wuss: "I don't recognize that man, he's kind and patient". LOL, and I agree.

The zum zum dance was sexy but I was thinking the same exact thing - that Don was hating it because it was his wife in front of all of his colleagues. It reminds me of Roger "embarrassing" himself (as Don put it) with his young, ex-secretary wife. I don't dislike Megan, I'm not a fan but I like her so much better than Betty or any of those other idiots Don was dating that I guess I'm grading on a big curve. My impression of the "cleaning house in her underwear" scene was that it was a role play/kinky foreplay kind of thing that they've done before. I don't like Don acting this way but I'm not sure if Megan is to blame for it - Don's responsible for Don. He's just so weird though, it's unsettling. I feel like Peggy; I'm concerned for him. Why does he suddenly not care about work? That's not him at all.

The scenes at the end, with all the respondents to the ad they ran, hurt my heart.

One other impression from the episode - are they in the 70s now? The furnishings in Don's apartment seem like that era and the clothes are starting to look different.

[Tom Horton]

Something I did like that's kind of mean to like is what the relationship between Roger and Jane has become. After the zum zum song, Roger asked Jane why she doesn't sing like Megan, she responded by asking him why he doesn't look like Don.

[Kpatch]

I liked that bit of dialogue too, Kazz.

I don't think it's supposed to be the 70s yet. I think they would have mentioned that. Plus, once 1970 starts, we're going to see the women's movement and that doesn't seem to have hit yet.

Pete Campbell is so weird. He's on his own planet and is such a misogynistic jerk. But I like him anyway.