"Mad Men" on AMC (US) - (Spoilers Within)

[Lily Powers]

You may also be able to essentially watch DVR style without paying for a DVR... if your cable system offers "Free on Demand" within their On Demand menu. That's how my sister (who can't stay up late enough to watch live) has been watching: the new MM episodes show up on the AMC Free on Demand menu a day or two after the show premieres, and you can watch it - and fast-forward through the commercials - without paying for DVR.

It airs at 10 p.m. on the West coast, but we can catch it at 7:00 p.m. on the AMC HD channel (ch. #769 in our area via Comcast) instead of 3-hours later on ch. #69. It's kind of nice because we're not beholden to such a late night before the start of the work week and can enjoy dinner while we watch.

 

[AmateisGal]

That was a pretty exteme reaction to hashish - rather unbelievable, actually. But they're following a well-established trope:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarijuanaIsLSD

I was actually a little more concerned to see Pete toking up: he's already paranoid and thinks he's being unfairly persecuted. I don't know that you'd want to be magnifying those feelings!

I think he was just so disgusted that day that he figured he might as well see what this whole "getting high" thing was all about. He's been in a constant state of turmoil all season - his marriage, his relationship with his mother, his job, etc.

I still can't stand Pete. He is so smarmy.

 

[Fading Fast]

I think he was just so disgusted that day that he figured he might as well see what this whole "getting high" thing was all about. He's been in a constant state of turmoil all season - his marriage, his relationship with his mother, his job, etc.

I still can't stand Pete. He is so smarmy.

Pete is every bad trait from every bad person I've ever known. Credit to his acting ability that he hasn't become a cliche'; somehow despite being an agglomeration of every horrible characteristic a person can have, he still comes off - most of the time - as three dimensional. That said, I am waiting for people to start physically hitting him, since logic and reason never penetrate his anger-fueled brain and his fierce temper causes him to verbally abuse almost everyone almost all the time. He is the exception to the rule: I hate violence, but can't wait 'till someone else hits him (someone has already if memory serves).

 

[AmateisGal]

Pete is every bad trait from every bad person I've ever known. Credit to his acting ability that he hasn't become a cliche'; somehow despite being an agglomeration of every horrible characteristic a person can have, he still comes off - most of the time - as three dimensional. That said, I am waiting for people to start physically hitting him, since logic and reason never penetrate his anger-fueled brain and his fierce temper causes him to verbally abuse almost everyone almost all the time. He is the exception to the rule: I hate violence, but can't wait 'till someone else hits him (someone has already if memory serves).

Yes. Lane Price (Pryce?) decked him last season. That was awesome.

 

[Doctor Strange]

That was a great moment when Lane fought Pete!

Roger: "I know cooler heads should prevail... but am I the only one who wants to see this?"

I think they've done something quite remarkable with Pete over the run of the series. He's such a miserable weasel, so selfish and superior, so sleazy, such an awful person. Yet there are times when he's been more forward-thinking and open-minded than the rest of the execs. They've even managed to make him sort of sympathetic at times (for example, I thought his scenes with Beth in last year's finale were very moving). And let's face it, until he blew it this season by trying to replicate Don's duplicitous life circa 1960, he always had Trudy's devotion... and she's arguably the nicest character on the show. That's gotta count for something...

 

[Fading Fast]

Yes. Lane Price (Pryce?) decked him last season. That was awesome.

Good memory and yes that was awesome. I really enjoyed Lane Pryce's character - in addition to decking Pete, when all the partners left the original firm to start a new one after it was bought by the British firm, Lane told his imperious British boss on the phone, effectively, we quit, ---- you, but in a very professional British way and, if memory serves, he closed with a "happy Christmas," wish which was perfectly delivered as in I know and am glad this will not make your Christmas happy. Also, kudos to the writers for getting that "happy," not "merry" is how it is said in the UK.

 

[Young fogey]

GREAT catch on 'marijuana is LSD'. Weiner should have known better.

Of course I remembered the fistfight too. Well written and acted. Poor Lane. More of a man than Pete yet not an alpha. His post-fight rush and non-alpha lack of emotional control made him lunge at Joan in an uncool way; Joan, cool and in control most of the time (very masculine really, though she's ferally sexy), wasn't fazed, and was nice enough not to humiliate him either.

Yes, quitting the British firm by phone and the fight were Lane's finest moments.

Ditto on Pete being three-dimensional. Trudy, Megan, and Ken are the nicest main characters.

Ditto too on Pete being the story of a lesser man trying to imitate Don.

Update: Now we know. One of my theories about Bob was right. (Possible Big Historical Event tie-in next year: Bob at Stonewall, in NYC.) Don's busted. The lying was disappointing; how dumb does he think Sally is? (He was desperate and panicked.) She's not stupid, but if she were as grown-up savvy and evil as most of the other characters, she wouldn't have blown up and instead would have blackmailed her daddy (maybe next episode), which would puzzle and piss off Betty (and Megan), who'd think Don was spoiling Sally/trying to buy Sally away from Betty.

 

[AmateisGal]

Ooohhhh. Don got caught - by his daughter, no less. Great acting on Jon Hamm's part in the immediate aftermath of that.

Weiner said that he wasn't necessarily sure that Bob Benson was gay, but just that he was expressing an essence of true love toward Pete. Anyway, interesting take on that whole thing.

I'm eager to see how they wrap up the season - only two more episodes left.

 

[Young fogey]

Ooohhhh. Don got caught - by his daughter, no less. Great acting on Jon Hamm's part in the immediate aftermath of that.

Weiner said that he wasn't necessarily sure that Bob Benson was gay, but just that he was expressing an essence of true love toward Pete. Anyway, interesting take on that whole thing.

I'm eager to see how they wrap up the season - only two more episodes left.

Peggy + Ted.

What was implicit with Joan and Bob will be shown: they're friends, she knows his secret and she will protect him. (The way the cast and crew of 'Bewitched' protected Dick Sargent at the time.)

Sally + Mitchell, radicalizing her (ugh) even though he saved his ass by joining the military.

Don and Roger will remain nearly intact from 1960 but I miss Don's hat of course.

Betty will be pregnant by Don and of course Henry won't know it's not his.

Don + Sylvia continuing? I don't know. She's probably too spooked from Sally catching them. But she just can't stay away from him.

Yeah, Sally will blackmail Don.

Megan will remain unaware and will stay for now.

Nixon wins. Roger and Bert have a drink to celebrate.

Blowback from Don helping Mitchell: an FBI agent tracks him down for what he did in Korea. (Maybe a story line next season.)

 

[Kirk H.]

Peggy + Ted.

What was implicit with Joan and Bob will be shown: they're friends, she knows his secret and she will protect him. (The way the cast and crew of 'Bewitched' protected Dick Sargent at the time.)

Sally + Mitchell, radicalizing her (ugh) even though he saved his ass by joining the military.

Don and Roger will remain nearly intact from 1960 but I miss Don's hat of course.

Betty will be pregnant by Don and of course Henry won't know it's not his.

Don + Sylvia continuing? I don't know. She's probably too spooked from Sally catching them. But she just can't stay away from him.

Yeah, Sally will blackmail Don.

Megan will remain unaware and will stay for now.

Nixon wins. Roger and Bert have a drink to celebrate.

Blowback from Don helping Mitchell: an FBI agent tracks him down for what he did in Korea. (Maybe a story line next season.)

Or all of Don’s hard living catches up with him and he has a major heart attack and needs major heart surgery. Of course Sylvia’s husband is the one doing the surgery. Imagine, there is Don laid out on the operating table. The Doctor places the mask over Don’s face and says “Ok Don, I need you to start counting backwards from 100” Don starts counting and when he gets to 95 the Doctor says “By the way, how long have you been sleeping with my wife” and at that point Don goes under…….

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Don getting caught by his own daughter. Holy crap! I did not see that one coming!

 

[AtomicAnnie]

Ooooo, that's GOOD. You should be a soap opera writer!

 

[Fading Fast]

Don getting caught by his own daughter. Holy crap! I did not see that one coming!

That was a shocker - an absolute shocker - and Jon Hamm did an awesome job acting after that scene: his face showed true fear in a way he never did before in the show. His half anger / half pleading through-the-door attempt to talk to his daughter was more fantastic acting. Sally holds a lot of cards and seems potentially intelligent and mature enough that she might use this to twist Don around. Being raised by Betty and Don does not make for a well adjusted, happy, moral adult, but it does teach one emotional blackmail and manipulation.

 

[Young fogey]

That was a shocker - an absolute shocker - and Jon Hamm did an awesome job acting after that scene: his face showed true fear in a way he never did before in the show. His half anger / half pleading through-the-door attempt to talk to his daughter was more fantastic acting. Sally holds a lot of cards and seems potentially intelligent and mature enough that she might use this to twist Don around. Being raised by Betty and Don does not make for a well adjusted, happy, moral adult, but it does teach one emotional blackmail and manipulation.

Exactly. Except he's really afraid when he thinks the feds are onto him for being Dick Whitman on the run.

 

[Doctor Strange]

This was THE game-changing moment of the season: Don seriously wounds pretty much the only person he truly loves, and devastates both himself and Sally. (Since Don can't get over having watched his stepmother and Uncle Mac in the whorehouse as a kid, imagine how deeply he feels this hurt!) A great, Emmy-worthy performance by Jon Hamm in that last act. And it finally paid off all the time we seemingly wasted with Don and Sylvia/Arnold throughout the season.

Whether Megan and Arnold will deduce (or be told) what went on remains to be seen (as does what it will mean to both marriages), but I think it's a safe guess that this is the event that will finally push Sally into full-on teenage rebellion next season. She's gonna be a total hippie chick, using the passion and cleverness she got from Don with the icy containment and self-assurance she got from Betty to strike out on her own. (Once again, I predict that she'll be going to Woodstock with Glen in the final episode!)

 

[Fading Fast]

Exactly. Except he's really afraid when he thinks the feds are onto him for being Dick Whitman on the run.

Good point.

 

[Young fogey]

This was THE game-changing moment of the season: Don seriously wounds pretty much the only person he truly loves, and devastates both himself and Sally. (Since Don can't get over having watched his stepmother and Uncle Mac in the whorehouse as a kid, imagine how deeply he feels this hurt!) A great, Emmy-worthy performance by Jon Hamm in that last act. And it finally paid off all the time we seemingly wasted with Don and Sylvia/Arnold throughout the season.

Whether Megan and Arnold will deduce (or be told) what went on remains to be seen (as does what it will mean to both marriages), but I think it's a safe guess that this is the event that will finally push Sally into full-on teenage rebellion next season. She's gonna be a total hippie chick, using the passion and cleverness she got from Don with the icy containment and self-assurance she got from Betty to strike out on her own. (Once again, I predict that she'll be going to Woodstock with Glen in the final episode!)

Right. I think his confession to Megan about fatherhood was describing him before we knew him. Don has loved his kids as long as we've known him.

Probably true of Sally, only she might go with Mitchell.

 

[MrBern]

FYI, a certain costume choice has fueled theories of one character's eventual murder.
Matt Weiner gives an answer:
http://gawker.com/matthew-weiner-kills-the-internets-favorite-mad-men-co-513496809

 

[Young fogey]

FYI, a certain costume choice has fueled theories of one character's eventual murder.
Matt Weiner gives an answer:
http://gawker.com/matthew-weiner-kills-the-internets-favorite-mad-men-co-513496809

Good. Thanks. Megan Draper's one of only three really nice main characters, the others being Trudy Campbell and Ken Cosgrove.

 

[Worf]

Whew.... Don, Don, DONALD!!!! Well he couldn't help gettin' busted. It was in the script, and usually Don's a "players player" if you know what ah mean. But I must admit his s**t's gettin' a bit raggedy round the edges.

Worf