The Mad Men Thread

[AnnIQ Edison]

It's interesting that Don is essentially repeating his life from his first marriage. He meets the model when he's at the bottom of the firm (with Megan it was as a new firm), they have a happy start where Don feels like he's started anew, business picks up with the firm, he gives his wife what she wants and suddenly he feels incomplete again, reverting to his promiscuous ways.

Man, I love this show.

[supergrass]

I got the feeling at the end we were supposed to think "Oh Don, at it again..." with the same smile he wore. But I like the change in him this season and his marriage to Megan. Although it's been clear for a while that there's work-Don and happily-married-Don who he has to choose between, he can't be both - although thinking about it he rarely truly excels at being happily-married-Don even when trying.

Still it was a fitting ending considering the previous two episodes were so eventful.

I wonder how far they'll jump ahead for the next season. Long enough for Peggy to land a couple big accounts and be a success, or long enough for Pete to end his marriage? It would be a shame to merely be informed of all this happening off-screen, but I enjoy when they jump a year or two to watch the subtle differences as the 60s progress.

[Guest mr. potato head]

It's interesting that Don is essentially repeating his life from his first marriage. He meets the model when he's at the bottom of the firm (with Megan it was as a new firm), they have a happy start where Don feels like he's started anew, business picks up with the firm, he gives his wife what she wants and suddenly he feels incomplete again, reverting to his promiscuous ways.

Man, I love this show.

When it comes to Megan, I think Don's realized that she's not what he thought she was, with the commercial (and his befuddlement at why she'd want to be in it) as the final piece of the puzzle. Instead of being some magical creature who values artistic merit and creativity above all, really she's just a normal girl who wants to be on TV.

[AnnIQ Edison]

I saw it more as him liking the independent and determined Megan over the one who just wants to get on TV and will try anything to get it.

[supergrass]

I thought the idea of the advert wasn't too bad until I saw the outfit and the set, it all looked quite cheap. Given that the girl who does shoe adverts rarely goes on to anything of note, she could yet end up back in advertising, unless she's burnt that bridge with Don.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

I think Don married Megan because she wasn't Betty. She had all these maternal aspects that just made him happy and was in this weird place and thought he had found the combination of somebody with Betty's looks, Peggy's creative drive and the motherly nature that he never had growing up. Then, when it turns out she didn't like advertising and wanted to be an actress and stooped to using him to get a part in a commercial, it's the realization that Megan isn't what he thought she was. He used his pull to get her the job in the commercial because his nature is to make his women happy. But then..he just leaves and ends up in a bar and that old itch to step out on his marriage is back and might finally win out. Honestly, I think the only woman who make Don Draper and Dick Whitman happy is Joan or Peggy.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Honestly, I think the only woman who make Don Draper and Dick Whitman happy is Joan or Peggy.

Not entirely sure I agree with you, but even if it that is true and he is able to actually obtain either of them, I bet the novelty would wear off just as fast.

[GoGo Yubari]

Honestly, I think the only woman who make Don Draper and Dick Whitman happy is Joan or Peggy.

The former I'd give a slight possibility to. The latter no, not a chance. If Don understood Peggy he wouldn't have literally thrown money in her face.

Also "his nature is to make his women happy" sort of makes me laugh. Don spent the entire season reacting against everything Megan wanted because it didn't fit into his vision for what he thought the relationship was. It was only after the conversation with Peggy at the movie theatre where he realized that he was doing the same thing to Megan that he did to Peggy, and the end result with Peggy was that she quit SCDP and joined the closest thing they have to a worst enemy. (And also the conversation with Megan's mom where it became blatantly clear that the alternative "nurse her through this and she'll be your happy little housewife forever" option would have produced the same thing it did with Betty.)

[zero]

Don only likes the beginning of things, just like Fay said.

He's like the vast majority of people who say, "I'm going to write a novel!" or to 99% of the diaries sitting in the Dome. It's why advertising is the only thing that's ever left him fulfilled, because it's short and sweet. You create a campaign, it runs, it's brilliant, you create a new campaign or move onto a new client, repeat.

It's how he looks at his relationships. Whether it's Betty, Megan, or the affair(s) of the season, they're each a short story and when it's outlived what he perceives as "the run," it's time to find something new, create a new campaign.

Don thought Megan was an artist, and I'm sure it's no coincidence that his first affair we saw on the show - the first woman we saw him with on the show - was also an artist. Don perceives himself as an artist, but it turns out, Megan's more of a Pete Campbell. She values art, but she'll do what has to be done to succeed, and Don doesn't operate that way, which is why he was the only one to speak up for Joan during the indecent proposal.

No woman will ever satisfy Don. He may eventually settle because he's so terrified of being alone, but he'll always be the guy that believes happiness is the moment before you want more happiness.

[Jimmy]

This is my new laptop background. Mad Men better be back next year, I don't think I can take another extra half-year between seasons like they did this time around.

Thank you for that, mine too now. Really liked the low key kind of episode and the ending was fantastic. Want the next season now.

[supergrass]

It's just a shame Bert has his shoes on. I assume he'll one day be buried in a nicely carpeted coffin with no need for footwear (perhaps leaving Campbell to be the C in SCDP, or whatever the name is by name).

[Vamp]

I loved how, aside from the obvious meanings of the final song choice, it played on a scene earler in the series where Don was reading a Bond book. It's really the subtle touches that make the show.

[GoGo Yubari]

I loved how, aside from the obvious meanings of the final song choice, it played on a scene earler in the series where Don was reading a Bond book. It's really the subtle touches that make the show.

And also as I read in a review, the movie that Don and Peggy had both gone to see at the same time was

Pretty clear allusion to what goes on in Mad Men in that trailer.

[Vamp]

I loved how, aside from the obvious meanings of the final song choice, it played on a scene earler in the series where Don was reading a Bond book. It's really the subtle touches that make the show.

And also as I read in a review, the movie that Don and Peggy had both gone to see at the same time was

Pretty clear allusion to what goes on in Mad Men in that trailer.

Really? I didn't pick up on that at all, that's brilliant.

[Froot Loop]

Stumbled across this, it's brilliant:

[GoGo Yubari]

Season six premiere is set for April 7th, and it will be two hours long.

Here's some stuff we know about season six thusfar.

[Jimmy]

Sweet! That's great timing cos Walking Dead will finish around then and I'll have Mad Men to go alongside Community. Can't wait for this to be back.

[GoGo Yubari]

Sweet Jesus did I miss this show. Even more than I missed Game of Thrones, as I quickly realized.

BERT PETERSON

HARRY'S HAIRCUT

STAN RIZZO

PEGGY'S DON DRAPER VOICE :w00t:

THE CAROUSEL :w00t:

[livid]

Sweet Jesus did I miss this show. Even more than I missed Game of Thrones, as I quickly realized.

BERT PETERSON

HARRY'S HAIRCUT

STAN RIZZO

PEGGY'S DON DRAPER VOICE :w00t:

THE CAROUSEL :w00t:

I wouldn't go so far as to say I missed it more than Game of Thrones because hell, I just finished last season yesterday but I am glad it's back too.

Stan's giddyness when talking about death and Don's Hawaii pitch was great.

And while it's not surprising, it was nice to see Peggy succeed especially in such a Don-like way.

[Josh]

God, that was terrific. I love the tone that's been set for the season.

I loved, loved, loved Don's non-verbal reaction to "Quite a spread you got here."