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Jim Miles

By Jim Miles
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11 Herbs 'n' Spices

11 Herbs 'n' Spices

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Posted

I'm loving this season, just as I did the previous two. A notable highlight for me was Don's "Limit Your Exposure' tagline / advice. Something we haven't had for a while is one of Don's soliloquies in a creative meeting. Loved those although I guess they were bordering on becoming parodic, say like JD's daydreaming in Scrubs.

I think that I've become so accustomed to Mad Men's subtleties that episodes like the last two seem almost heavy handed e.g. Betty's dream sequences and this week's shenanigans in the office. Then again, Don has had the odd dream / flashback himself.

Also, there were some great shots in week's ep. I really liked when the top level management / owners were addressing the office and it cut to the dapper lot standing by their desks. Speaking of which, it was great to see the unflappable Roger starting to get somewhat irked by the new Brit buyers.

I need to go back and rewatch the last couple of eps as there's a few things I didn't get the significance of. What was Don sketching during the reshuffle meeting? And in last week's ep, why did the prison guard look uncomfortable as he passed Don in the hospital corridor?

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11 Herbs 'n' Spices

11 Herbs 'n' Spices

Posted
Posted

Turns out when my phone synced this morning, it copied Mad Men over :D Watched that bit again during lunch, and I think you're right. It looks likes Don sketched the American flag, although I wouldn't say that was childish, more an act of defiance, if a somewhat discrete one. I guess he couldn't just up and leave the meeting as he did during the conserving resources one last week.

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ngchol

ngchol

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Posted
I need to go back and rewatch the last couple of eps as there's a few things I didn't get the significance of. What was Don sketching during the reshuffle meeting? And in last week's ep, why did the prison guard look uncomfortable as he passed Don in the hospital corridor?

I think he was embarrassed about over-sharing with Don. The AMC discussions are good for this kind of thing - most small-but-important details are picked up and discussed there.

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  • 3 weeks later...
11 Herbs 'n' Spices

11 Herbs 'n' Spices

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This week's ep was great in how we saw different character's frustrations (Don's curtness with his creative team, Betty's almost childish strop at the fundraiser, Roger's annoyance about being left on the sidelines in regards to Hilton's business etc).

Really felt for poor Sal but the way in that the whole situation came about was one of the few times this show seemed to fall on a contrivance.

I love how this show deals with time passing, using historical events as time stamps.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Vin

Vin

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Posted
so - erm - it's quiet in here??

Can I take it that like me, most people have watched the first 3-4 of Series 3 and - erm - been a bit underwhelmed??

Hells no.

It's too fine a show to digest and discuss instantly after broadcast. To date, it's some of the finest telly that I've ever witnessed.

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ngchol

ngchol

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I think that may just have been the best episode ever. The acting was just extraordinary, especially from January Jones - her facial expressions and tone of voice when

Don was confessing about his past were so subtle - compassion, sadness, anger. It would have been easy to do cold, unblinking hatred but this was so much more special.

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hub2

hub2

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I think Mad Men has to be the best written TV show since The Wire - just started watching FlashForward and you realise just how spoiled you are by the writing, performances and subtlety of Mad Men. I loved this season.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Cuttooth

Cuttooth

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Woah, what's this thread doing all the way back here with an episode this good?

The JFK episode is something I've been looking forward to with a morbid fascination and it delivered with a brilliant episode, which in all honesty I thought might have been handled terribly when the wedding date was set at 22nd November earlier in the season.

I remember reading an opinion that the uncertainty of life during the Cuban Missile Crisis episode reminded them of the days following 9/11, and the comparisons were easy to see here too. I loved how Don was almost lost without the ability to keep things calm around him, and with Betty's revelation the finale is shaping up to be incredible.

Apologies if these spoiler tags are unnecessary!

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Foxworth

Foxworth

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Oh these last two episodes have just been fantastic. The acting in last weeks and then this one. Nothing was over played, was superbly acted and I think the real fear/anger in the scenes came through. I really want to go into more detail here but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is an episode or two behind. Just fantastic. It really cements the quality of this show.

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11 Herbs 'n' Spices

11 Herbs 'n' Spices

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Oh man, that was an amazing finale. Not a cliffhanger in the traditional sense but I can't wait to see where they take it next season.

A few truly sad scenes offset nicely with the perfect amount of levity. Pryce's sign off to St John. Sterling, Joan and Peggy at the desk looking quite the family unit.

Kinda wanted them to hire Sal though.

:(

Yeah, his omission was a surprise at first. I thought he was a shoe in as they currently have no Art Director. I guess Don will be in the acting position with assistance from Peggy. However, bear in mind that Lucky Strike is their largest account (I think). They can't really risk upsetting them again after last time.

Roll on Season 4 :(

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Cuttooth

Cuttooth

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Yeah, his omission was a surprise at first. I thought he was a shoe in as they currently have no Art Director. I guess Don will be in the acting position with assistance from Peggy. However, bear in mind that Lucky Strike is their largest account (I think). They can't really risk upsetting them again after last time.

Yeah that'd probably be a big factor in him not being involved. They could always hide him away in the hotel closet when they come visit SCDP HQ. :(

It'd just suck if the last we saw of Sal, who I've always liked, is him calling his unknowing sham wife while going cruising in a park after being betrayed for keeping his sexuality that he's struggled to deal with out of his workplace.

Much like how it would have sucked if the last we saw of Joan was her possibly being made to move because of her dick husband's failures.

One thing I was surprised to see omitted from this season was any development on the Peggy 'n' Pete lovechild front. I guess that was just done and dusted last season. Speaking of Peggy, not much happened with her this season, in the second half at least. But her scenes with Don in the finale were truly superb, so at least there's that.

I can't wait to see what happens with this fledgling business and the divorce.

Roll on season four indeed. :(

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11 Herbs 'n' Spices

11 Herbs 'n' Spices

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I'm sure we'll see Sal in some form next season. Who knows, maybe Garner will lose his position at Lucky Strike somehow. As you say, Sal deserves better than his send off.

As for Pete and Peggy's baby, I think that's been resolved as much as it needs to be really. We saw that the two still have an uncomfortable air between them earlier in the season. I think Pete is happy not to rock the boat with Trudy (especially now) and that ultimately he was happy to find out he wasn't firing blanks.

I wonder how far the next season will jump ahead. It can;t be more than a couple of years as that will put them firmly in the mid 60s. Also, I'd really like to see

the formative period of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Something that really bothered me in the finale –

why did Betty leave the kids at home with the maid? Isn;t she going to be in Reno for 6 weeks, meaning over Christmas? Or is it a case of just going there to gets things started, come back home then return to Reno in the New Year?

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Foxworth

Foxworth

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Superb finale to cap off a superb season. Incredibly exciting too and the scene

where Don drags Betty out of bed to confront her is probably going to win Jon Hamm that Emmy. Kinda wanted them to hire Sal though.

:(

Yeah that scene was truly amazing! Its so sad to think we have to wait another 9 months until we get to see any more. 13 episodes is not enough for this show. The only downside to the season was the lack of depth to some characters storylines namely Peggy and Pete but hopefully with this new set up it may change it up a bit and tighten the show just a touch. An outstanding piece of USTV.

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Duckula

Duckula

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Something that really bothered me in the finale –

why did Betty leave the kids at home with the maid? Isn;t she going to be in Reno for 6 weeks, meaning over Christmas? Or is it a case of just going there to gets things started, come back home then return to Reno in the New Year?

Because she's not a very good mother?

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  • 2 months later...
pledge

pledge

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The trailer on BBC4 seems spoilertastic. There's stuff in there which happens fairly near the end.

They showed a fair few things that were surprises such as Peggy smoking, and the out of control tractor was one of the biggest wtf moments aired last year. At least they didn't show him getting run over

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