Mad Men

[fashionista-ta]

yes, she's been wearing face and neck prosthetics to make her appear heavier than she is. Betty/January is quite a polarizing figure to Mad Men fans...some say she's a bad actress and that's why Betty is so wooden, other's say her behavior is a result of being an infantilized 50's housewife. I think it's a bit of both, but my main problem is that I just don't care about Betty and I think that's mostly down to JJ. It's also clear that the writers don't seem to put much stock into her character and her storylines, especially since the divorce, often seem sloppy and as if they were afterthoughts. She wasn't even a part of the show, the role itself was a bit of an afterthought, so that may be something to do with it. Maybe Matthew Weiner/the writers are regretting her very existence. The whole fascination she had this episode with the Sandy character was, for me, unfounded and a bit unsettling.

I also agree about the aesthetics!! They were one of the main things that I loved about the show, and I just am dreading the future of the show which will take place in the early 70's. The show just looks so different and I'm just not feeling it.

Ummm ... you're telling me that if you had a minor child whom you know is motherless and unmoored and lying about what's going on in her life under your roof, and you know for a fact she has run away to a dangerous place, you would just say oh well, and go on with your day? To me her concern is completely founded. I don't know anything about the storyline, where the girl's father is, the other relatives ... but I certainly wouldn't have stopped at that--and she may not either. What I found most interesting is what she did with the violin--I found that a bit difficult to interpret at first.

 

[kokobombon]

^now that you mentioned Sandy... who is she? I couldn´t remember who she was during the entire episode :/
I thought it was funny that the girl´s 15 and she was smoking in front of Betty in that nonchalant way

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ seems to be a friend of Sally's ...

 

[lucy92]

if betty had brought the violin home, people would have suspected something was up...

i think everyone used to smoke in those days.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Yes, I figured it was because of Sally that she left it.

There was an ashtray on the kitchen table ... I can't remember the last time I saw that Even a lot of pretty hard-core smokers only smoke outside now.

 

[kokobombon]

^^Yeah, everyone smoked. Even Betty did when she was pregnant. I also remember Sally running around with a clear bag on her head and Betty scolded her because of the dry cleaning... I think it´s funny to see those -now rare- moments, specially on tv.

So this Sandy girl, this was her first appeareance?

 

[SlovesNY]

^Yes I think so, or at least I can't remember seeing her or even hearing her name in the previous season.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Possibly a plotline is needed to get the show to California, where the action was ...

 

[roisin]

Ummm ... you're telling me that if you had a minor child whom you know is motherless and unmoored and lying about what's going on in her life under your roof, and you know for a fact she has run away to a dangerous place, you would just say oh well, and go on with your day? To me her concern is completely founded. I don't know anything about the storyline, where the girl's father is, the other relatives ... but I certainly wouldn't have stopped at that--and she may not either. What I found most interesting is what she did with the violin--I found that a bit difficult to interpret at first.

Yes, Sandy was never on the show before.


What I was referring more to as unfounded and unsettling was her jealousy towards the girl, especially the attention she was apparently getting from Henry. And her attempt at humor/shock with the talk of gagging the girl and r*ping her. It made me feel uncomfortable, even more than I did regarding her relationship with Glen in previous seasons. Based on what we've seen from Betty in the previous 5 seasons, she is not all there mentally and this was just more proof of that in my opinion. The girl is obviously representative of Betty herself, but unlike Betty, Sandy is not willing to live as a complacent suburban housewife. As Betty has little to no maternal instincts and is basically an overgrown child herself, I find it hard to believe that she follows Sandy to the city out of concern. Perhaps she's changing this season, as her new hair colour would suggest, which in my opinion was more because she got her feelings hurt when the squatters insulted her and her bottled hair color, but I'm still suspicious. This does appear to be a season of change, so maybe there is still hope for her. We'll see.

 

[roisin]

Bumping this thread

I feel like the show has picked up in the last few episodes. Absolutely loved the image of Don eavesdropping while Peggy gave her pitch.

 

[KateTheGreatest]

Yeah, the last episode was better than the previous ones ... I used to love Don but he's crossed the line this time, with Megan. I mean ... he's the one to talk? And she's been such a good wife, I felt so sorry for her
I also felt bad for Joan and what was said about her ... It was true but still way too harsh.

 

[kokobombon]

The thing with Don and Megan, I think it was the macho thing that was going on at the time. Every guy on the show has affairs like it´s no big deal... watching the show with our modern povs I can´t help but feel irritated at his reaction but I wonder how someone from that time would react... remember Pete´s wife reaction? she was outraged that he was careless.

I felt bad for Don when he heard Peggy steal his line

Jessica Pare with the maid wig reminded me of Liv Tyler

I couldn´t stop ogling at the outfits, the set, the rich colors. It´s so beautiful! I want Megan´s cream w/brown trimmings coat

 

[iluvjeisa]

What the twirp said about Joan was disgusting, he would not have his job if it wasn't for her.

Don is just repeating himself, caught in the madonna/wh*re complex to a ridiculous extent. The only way for Megan to salvage this is by either cheating on him or accepting the orgy invites from now on. Find her inner Jerry Hall.

 

[lizbabe09]

I do feel really bad for Megan and I almost hope Don gets screwed over for being such a douche, but I love the chemistry between him and the actress that plays Sylvia. I haven't liked any of his mistresses since Rachel (was that season 1?)

I hope we get to see more Betty/Sally/Joan and Peggy. I'm also glad Dawn finally has a story line. I'm excited to see what they're going to do this season because isn't supposed to be '68? A lot happened that year.

 

[newprincesita]

^^Last Season Megan behaved quite douchey herself by snubbing the TV commercial from her friend. I think they deserve each other. Peggy is getting to my nerves also.

 

[iluvjeisa]

^It wasn't great of Megan to do that....but it's nowhere near what Don is doing to her right now.

That said, I do like Sylvia's and Don's interaction, wonder where it will go. Poor Megan is certainly not the new kid on the block anymore, no longer the fresh faced lovely everyone envies. Indeed, if feels like there's room for another one of those stunning, fresh women. Anything known about the casting for the season? Any new arrivals?

 

[newprincesita]

Megan started sleeping with Don knowing he was in a relationship of sorts.....nobody's an angel in this show. Yesterday's episode was disturbing....very few of them was capable of actually feeling anything about MLK or about anything else than their personal interests...

 

[iluvjeisa]

^It was another bad episode. The whole MLK thing felt decidedly forced. There's definitely something off about the show at this point. Interesting note - Pete was the one showing some emotion about it and also feeling with the family of MLK and with the lost opportunities that this man had with his family - obviously that was about his own problems at home as well, but the fact remains that Pete was able to relate to MLK in a deeply personal way, which few of the other people did.

I don't know what they are doing with this show, but they are destroying it. It's not as aesthetically pleasing - some people might blame that on 1968 as a fashion year but I say that is BS. It is seemingly fragmented - it doesn't seem that there is enough unity in the story line. It's too much disjointed personal stuff....I wish they would have more ad campaign / business stuff.

And what is up with January Jones - why do they keep making her frumpy and boring? Those prosthetics, seriously...

One good thing about the show: The new actor for Bobby - Mason Vale Cotton - finally he got some more time to shine.

 

[lizbabe09]

^I agree, I wasn't a big fan of this episode. I had high hopes for this season, and was curious about how they would focus on MLKs death but was very disappointed. It would have been a great opportunity to use Dawn and really focus on what was happening but instead we got everyone else's perspective and their concerns about riots (which while legitimate, just doesn't seem as important.)

I was surprised that Pete told Harry off and while I do think he was just projecting his personal problems, I did realize he is one of the more progressive characters on the show. Like a few seasons ago when he suggested they place ads (I forget for what) in Ebony magazine. Everyone quickly shut down the idea but it's interesting to see that side of him.

It might be a stretch, but I hope that the conversation between Don and Bobby, when Bobby was afraid of something happening to Henry, isn't some sort of hint that something will happen, especially now that he's looking into running for senate (?).

Finally, actually hearing Don admit to not having loved his children in the beginning was kind of insane. I mean, I know he's not a great dad, but I never thought that he didn't love them. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be sympathetic and be happy that he's realizing he does in fact love them, or be completely horrified by it.

sorry this is so long!

 

[iluvjeisa]

Another lacklustre episode...