Mad Men II: A Man For All Seasons

[Irvine511]

"best TV show ever" -- i dunno, we're lucky to have a few to pick from, but i think you have to give credit to The Sopranos -- in 1999 David Chase more or less created the template of the anti-hero, novelistic television series, and used the creative freedom allowed to him on HBO to ignore the conventions of regular, adult, 10pm dramas (i.e. ER or NYPD Blue) and truly expand the boundaries of what television can do (which is not be "television" and instead create 13-hour mini-movies like chapters in a novel).

that said, what makes me particularly sad about the end of Mad Men is that it does seem like there's nothing much, dramatically, there to take it's place. House of Cards is a hoot, but it's the most unrealistic of any of the serious dramas i can think of. i've started watching Bloodlines on Netflix, and that's really pretty good ... but beyond that ... i can't think of anything of the same quality. when Breaking Bad ended, at least i still had Mad Men. but now, i feel adrift.

 

[Irvine511]

also, i think Don is going to survive the final episode.

 

[deep]

what will happen with Don? it seems like there are 2 options.
he will either disappear completely, that is what he set out to do.

or go completely against his character and want to be there for his kids since Betty is dying. This just doesn't ring true for me at all. His kids are better off with Henry. And he can play dad for short periods like he has been doing all their lives.

on a side note they have killed off most all of Don's relationships, Betty, Rachel, Mrs Drapper, hippy girl from first episode. Megan and the Doctor's wife, he is dead to them. I think killing Betty was closing the door so we would not hope for a Pete - Trudy type reconciliation.

 

[deep]

that said, what makes me particularly sad about the end of Mad Men is that it does seem like there's nothing much, dramatically, there to take it's place. House of Cards is a hoot, but it's the most unrealistic of any of the serious dramas i can think of. i've started watching Bloodlines on Netflix, and that's really pretty good ... but beyond that ... i can't think of anything of the same quality. when Breaking Bad ended, at least i still had Mad Men. but now, i feel adrift.

I really have to dig to find decent dramas too.

The last season of House of Cards was pretty flat. Kind of a chore to watch it all. I have one episode left of season 4 of The Killing. Not that good at all. I haven't tried Bloodlines yet.

I will tell you I have been watching quite a bit of really good European dramas. I have watched most of them on a public t v affiliate. MHZ on my cable provider or online. Borgen is top notch. Like a Danish House of Cards, but believable. Much more solid that House of Cards. Spiral is a great French police/ legal series. Please don't think of the American network crap. Just started In the Face of Crime. German series with police and Russian mob. good stuff. On Netflix you might enjoy Rita, it a Danish dramedy? pretty good. The opening song is still stuck in my head.

 

[iron yuppie]

Mad Men is the best TV I have ever seen by a fair margin. It is genuinely artistic in that it goes well beyond raw entertainment - it has given me perspective on my own life in several ways. The philosophical dimension is intense but not pretentious, and the realism has kept me invested in the characters in a way no other show has.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I'm really not sure what's on offer after Mad Men. House of Cards was fun for a while, but it's really nothing much.

Been rewatching Deadwood.

 

[Irvine511]

I'll reiterate that I have high hopes for "Bloodlines."

 

[No spoken words]

House of Cards being mentioned in the same breath as Mad Men is a bit of a joke.

The Americans is probably the best show on TV now, or at least my favorite, but nobody watches it so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

Rectify is brilliant too, but in a very different way than most TV shows we're used to.

 

[Lila64]

I'll reiterate that I have high hopes for "Bloodlines."

I really liked Bloodlines. Binged on that last month.

I've been watching some of the marathon this weekend. Currently on 'Time & Life'.

 

[Irvine511]

House of Cards being mentioned in the same breath as Mad Men is a bit of a joke.

The Americans is probably the best show on TV now, or at least my favorite, but nobody watches it so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

Rectify is brilliant too, but in a very different way than most TV shows we're used to.

I'll assume The Americans gets better? We watched the pilot and it seemed pretty trashy, which is fine, but not in a way which made us want to watch it again. However, there are people who hold your opinion so we're considering making the commitment.

I can't believe I forgot: Transparent. Easily the best series I've seen this year. Aching and sad and funny and beautiful and filled with contemptible people. And Judith Light.

Louie and Amy Schumer are doing great work, but those are comedies.

I'll say it again: Transparent.

 

[U2inUtah]

Well this is it guys. Sad to see this one end.

Luckily Mad Men has great rewatchability

 

[No spoken words]

I'll assume The Americans gets better? We watched the pilot and it seemed pretty trashy, which is fine, but not in a way which made us want to watch it again. However, there are people who hold your opinion so we're considering making the commitment.

I can't believe I forgot: Transparent. Easily the best series I've seen this year. Aching and sad and funny and beautiful and filled with contemptible people. And Judith Light.

Louie and Amy Schumer are doing great work, but those are comedies.

I'll say it again: Transparent.

I enjoyed Transparent but also grew a little weary of everyone but Tambor's character after a while. There were elements in it that hit home big time, though, namely just how very Jewish the family was. Could not put it up there with the other shows mentioned in here but I liked it.

I liked the Americans from the jump so hard for me to say it gets better. It gets....different, let's say. I mean, I know folks that got bored of it, too, so again, very subjective stuff here.

Just as long as we all stop mentioning House of Cards in here as some sort of great show, I'm happy.

 

[deep]

Dont know if I can find an East Coast feed
or just wait 3 ,hours

 

[Irvine511]

I enjoyed Transparent but also grew a little weary of everyone but Tambor's character after a while. There were elements in it that hit home big time, though, namely just how very Jewish the family was. Could not put it up there with the other shows mentioned in here but I liked it.

I liked the Americans from the jump so hard for me to say it gets better. It gets....different, let's say. I mean, I know folks that got bored of it, too, so again, very subjective stuff here.

Just as long as we all stop mentioning House of Cards in here as some sort of great show, I'm happy.

I view HOC as beautifully made high camp. It's so silly.

Also, there are shots of my neighborhood in the opening.

 

[No spoken words]

HOC looks wonderful, there is no doubt about it. And it's camp. And it's silly.

And it's also just not that good.

Seeing your neighborhood is always fun, though.

 

[deep]

All true.


I hope some of you get to chance to watch Borgen.

 

[PhilsFan]

Well those men sure were mad.

 

[monkeyskin]

Last look in here before I watch the finale later.

Just to add to the discussion of post-Mad Men dramas, I honestly haven't watched anything that measures up to it. Not yet, anyway. But we still have The Americans, Rectify (thanks NSW), Hannibal, Orange is the New Black and The Knick. Waiting on season 2 for both True Detective and Fargo to see if they can sustain their initial levels of quality.

I loved Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle was middling.

Is Bloodline really worth watching? I'm skeptical of the creators following Damages, and I don't think Netflix' binge model will help to fix their shortcomings.

 

[No spoken words]

Agreed re: Mozart....I wanted to like it because I love backstage dramas but it was too silly too often.

And, YES to The Knick, how could I forget.

 

[deep]

Still an hour and 15 until west coast.
thanks for no big spoils.

 

[littleheartsuitcase]

Because there really wasn't anything to spoil. Oops, spoiler alert?

I was underwhelmed.

 

[deep]

Penny Dreadful is a hell of a lot of fun
Also , Vera Famiga - Bates Motel is a gas.

 

[PhilsFan]

I loved it.

 

[Irvine511]

Took a moment, but I give it a thumbs up. In fact, I feel like someone just gave me some very good news!

The co-opting and commodification of the 60s during the 70s gave us the 80s.

Very much a Sopranos hat tip, too.

 

[namkcuR]

Thumbs sideways. I liked it for everyone but Don.

 

[littleheartsuitcase]

Thumbs sideways. I liked it for everyone but Don.

Same here.

I didn't want him to die, but...WHAT? lol

I think this just furthers my theory that Don reinvents himself as Rev. Gary Wayne Richard Wayne.

 

[bono_212]

Well, I ended up watching most of this half season, and almost none of the rest of the show, which is something I've never done before, so yay that I fought against my OCD a little, I guess? But boo, since I had no idea what was going on?

Anyways, I enjoyed the ending pretty well, because I get the impression that he had a very nice ending, if I'm interpreting what happened correctly.

Spoiler

I'm guessing he accepted himself as Don and went back to work on Coke with Peggy and got the idea for one of the most famous commercials of all time from the Hippie commune, thus the smile at the end and the commercial?

HOC looks wonderful, there is no doubt about it. And it's camp. And it's silly.

And it's also just not that good.

Boo.

 

[LemonMelon]

Spoiler

I'm guessing he accepted himself as Don and went back to work on Coke with Peggy and got the idea for one of the most famous commercials of all time from the Hippie commune, thus the smile at the end and the commercial?

Spoiler

I agree.

1. Sound effect of lightbulb going off.

2.

I don't believe in coincidences with these costume designers.

Show begins with tobacco advertising, ends with Betty getting cancer.

Coke has been Don's white whale for a while now, show ends with him co-opting a movement to create his masterpiece through Coke.

It's a really good ending, I think.

 

[LemonMelon]

The first two films of Harris & Olsen:

http://vid993.photobucket.com/albums/af52/nataliasc/MrParksWebsite-TheSimpsonsZincFilm.mp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWmVA4wXT4M

 

[No spoken words]

Spoiler

I laughed out loud the second the Coke commercial started playing. I mean, I guess there are other interpretations but my immediate thought was that he went right back and that's his Ad.