Mad Men on AMC • Fifth Season Thread

I think Megan's probably a decent person. She occupies a completely different paradigm to Don though, and I'm not sure their attraction is a great deal more than an intense sexual one.

Nah Don sees Megan as some kind of perfect mother Maria von Trappe anti-Betty figure as well, I think? Probably a load of issues around Anna's death in there as well. Either way that's probably not the way Megan sees herself, or Don's kids for that matter.

I couldn't work out whether or not Megan is any good at her job - I'm thinking yes but everyone including Peggy ignores that because she's the boss's wife...

Don sees Megan as some kind of perfect mother Maria von Trappe anti-Betty figure as well, I think?

Yeah I think you're right, but he's projecting massively there. She's not particularly maternal, she just has fun hanging out with the kids (who by the way seemed kind of wary of her in this ep). That's certainly a step up on Betty though.

Yes! I'm just ranting at this point with my impressions as I remember them since I just watched this before bed last night. Front-loading the new Pete/Roger dynamic in the first episode of the season was clever. I can't believe Roger fell for the Staten Island prank.
x-p

It's interesting that the Don/Megan dynamic is similar to something I saw with one of my friends recently. Don's attention is hard to keep in that he has seemed to need to challenge himself from all aspects in the past -- being energetic at work, holding down the checklist of wife/kids, and the string of affairs. Last season was mostly that falling apart in his home life. Now, he's got all three in one situation -- a woman who has the energy level he has (or did have, since he's now "old") who is also his home life (with all the conflict, since Don's personal life is supposed to have a dignified pretense), and a workplace where he's now disconnecting due to multiple factors but widely because Megan is there, too.

I'm assuming he hasn't had any affairs since getting with Megan (certainly not much chance to with them working together) but who knows.

I doubt it. Probably part of why he's so run down is he doesn't have as much "Don time," which was partly used in the past for affairs but he also seems like kind of a dude who needs space.

I think that's a big part of the reason he was so irked by the surprise party.

Also have they ever even hinted about Joan having a bit of a thing for Don before?

The scene that convinced me the show will never go down that road was the two of them in the hospital waiting room after the office party lawnmower incident. It's been a long time since I've seen that ep, but it signified to me then and there that it's a completely platonic relationship built of mutual respect.

not so sure. joan had a line about being sad at missing seeing don's blushes during megan's dance.

doesn't say much, everyone thinks don is handsome

It was something like "I can only imagine that man becomes more handsome when he's blushing," which falls in line with the mutual respect thing imo. They're the king and queen of their little work world and they each know it (Joan had some doubt when she saw the ad in the paper, but Lane put things right).

you guys are basically shipping right now

Crazy there isn't a Mad Men porn yet.

took me three seconds
http://cover6.cduniverse.com/CDUCoverart/Adult/Large/Front/51/8250451.jpg

poor phrasing perhaps

i hope you at least rewound

Huh, these porn parodies are usually better at making sure the costumes are somewhat accurate.

haha ya that dude

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1h6q1pYDJ1qju80b.gif

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/jon-hamm-i-hated-working-in-porn-16134851.html

Whatever happened to the great porn names? 'This isn't [x]: An XXX Parody' is so disappointing.

ya its crazy to me that as soon as those porn parodies seemed to get really popular they just dispensed with the hilarious names

starring

don dripper
joan hollowaaaay down
pegging olson
butt cooper

loling at the simplicity yet hilarity of "butt cooper"

Rogerer Sterling

Roger Sperming

^ win

I LOVE the cheesy mid-sixties fashion! I also LOVE Megan and I wanted to hold her tightly after she got all sensitive. And then when she dommed Don.

I also HATE Harry Crane and I am glad Don hates him, too.

Spermling, surely.

harry crane is the best.

Harry Crane is the best at being the worst. I think that's why he is beloved.

i really miss paul and sal. will we ever see them again?

I also HATE Harry Crane and I am glad Don hates him, too.

^^^this. lots of horrible things happen to people on this show, I wish more of them happened to Harry, who is loathsome in every way.

he's just so hopeless. so fantastically hopeless.

he's a coward, a lech, an idiot, and with no skills/attractive traits into the woodchipper with him

he's no worse than 90% of the other guys on this show. he just is not attractive.

90% of the other guys are immoral, predatory, racist, cruel, vindictive, whatever but they are also all smarter and/or more creative than he is. he's just a lump.

Harry's the closest thing to an IRL unlikeable, trying too hard, weak officeworker, which is why I love him. He's note-perfect.

how long until one of the characters murders someone?

Who's the guy in the Palm Beach golf-type outfits in the office? He must do his job really well to get away with that, or it's just a way for Banana Republic to have a casual line for summer. On a related note, loved Don's mustard raincoat.

http://www.insound.com/madmen/

he's just so hopeless. so fantastically hopeless.

Yes, he seems too pathetic to hate.

Who's the guy in the Palm Beach golf-type outfits in the office?

stan rizzo (jay r. ferguson), new art director brought in last year iirc. gets away with it due his role, i suppose.

Yeah, I've supposed that as well.

he's a coward, a lech, an idiot, and with no skills/attractive traits into the woodchipper with him

― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 18:45 (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

When he gets into his sixties he runs for to become 2012 Republican nominee for Presidency

Crane's passive aggressive cowardice and SELF IMPORTANT attitude is SO annoying. He's always crowing about how he's THE HEAD OF HIS DEPT, ETC but I have yet to see him to do anything worthwhile. He definitely slimmed down (not sure if that was purposeful) AND I thought for a moment when he arrived at Don's party, that he was now single. But it seems no. He's just a philandering creep (who's not hot enough to do as much philandering as he'd like).

Also I am really starting to love Layne.
He was REAL CHUFFED as being seen as a gentleman.

The wallet incident made me uncomfortable -- was he taking it because he didn't trust the cabdriver or because he was thinking about stealing the money/perving over pictures? Him being racist would seem worse to me than just being sort of desperate.

it could be racism. i was wondering that too. also, most cabbies aren't exactly rolling in the dough - that might be more to do with it? (or not)