Lately I've really had the urge to re-watch the earlier seasons.

Maybe when this one ends I will.

MISS BLANKENSHIP?!

Was really hoping something more would happen when Sally told Don she hates living with Betty. Perhaps in the future.

And - SOOOO glad Joan and Roger and coming together again - even if she's resisting it. All that will change when Craig doesn't come back.

Tough episode for Sally. But running away from home, asking to live with Don--you had to see this coming. But I still think it's possible that she could end up living with him. I think it would come down to a falling out between her and Betty, and Betty sending her to live with Don. Besides, she makes amazing rum french toast!

Little Sally's got a fierce temper, doesn't she?

What's the deal with Don writing this narrative of his thoughts? Was it inspired by Roger's memoirs? I must have missed something because I don't know why this started.

So, Joan's going to end up having Roger's baby, isn't she?

Looking at next week's previews, I think the Lucky Strike is about to hit the fan.

Lisa, I think Don started writing down his thoughts to take some of the focus off drinking. He started the same time he started swimming, I think it's all just to get things out of his system and vent by methods other than drinking too much. This episode he hardly had any drinks (other than some rum-flavored french toast, which sounds amazing).

The entire Blankenship experience was been awesome. Somewhat sad to see it end, but hope that girl that helped Sally up and subbed for Blankenship becomes Don's new secretary. She seems like a young Joan.

I like how Peggy is so comfortable with her lesbian friend (Joyce?) that she can just lick her in the office. How progressive!

Betty is so hatable now that I'm starting to like her. When she's just sitting in the lobby, smoking a cig with those gloves on, you can tell she just doesn't give a fuck. Even the insincere, "Oh, Sally, I was so worried about you," was perfect. I think her situation at home is going to blow up before this season ends. It has to.

Lastly, Dr. Faye is an idiot. That's not lasting much longer.

Can't say I was 100% shocked with Blankenship. Once they actually started making the character more than a one note joke by giving her a background with Cooper, it seemed like the only plausible thing was that she was eventually going to have to die. Weiner is very skillful and I felt something was up when they went out of their way to show them doing the crossword together.

Methinks this season marks the end of Bert. Either he retires or he passes on and this was the catalyst. He's proven himself to be just about worthless other than keeping Roger in check, which would be the set up for Roger to have an absolutely outstanding season next season.

Where the hell is Pete. It feels like in 3 episodes all he's said is "I didn't know we had a snack machine"

I think the introspection/writing/less drinking etc stems from the loss of his friend. I was imagining that he was writing to Anna as a sort of way to keep her with him. He wants to be the person that she liked. Not the drunk guy that bangs his secretary and is a "bad person".

I love Sally...huge crush on her character. Innocence and sophistication perfectly blended.

The actress doing Sally is doing a fantastic job but I can't say I "like" her.

Last night she was doing a dead ringer impersonation of Betty. She is her mothers daughter. Some of those interactions could have been between Don and Betty in season 1 instead of between don and Sally.

Since I can't stand even the site of Betty anymore, I can't like a character that resembles her so much. Mark my words, a hissyfit will come where Don tells her shes no better than her mother, and the breakdown of Sally Draper will hit rock bottom.

The actress is doing a fantastic job though.

Right, good point. I think he may regret not being a little closer with Anna before she passed away, too. As far as what we see, he didn't seem to be in contact with her very often besides sending her money and visiting a couple times through the four seasons.

I agree on all points.

My liking her is more related to my entertainment, not whether she is personally appealing. And I love Betty for the same reason. Like Toph said. She's so bad, she's good!

So true that Betty doesn't care. Betty only said something because she thought everyone was watching her. Otherwise, she regards Sally as little more than a nuisance to be endured. Betty would love to dump Sally on Don if the opportunity presents itself. I see their home situation blowing up, too.

Blankenship was so funny. I'm going to miss her. For the laughs, of course. Peggy's the one who's really going to experience the upheavals of the 60s.

I've been contemplating a recipe for rum french toast since last night. Well, it wouldn't be complicated, would it? Just add rum to taste. On this forum, that would be dangerous.

That's interesting. I felt she was acting just like Don.

Betty doesn't know what she wants. Sally knows exactly what she wants. And Betty would never run away, she'd never take a chance. Not without a safety net. Like she did with Henry. Sally challenged her father. Just like Don challenges everyone around him. The way I see it, Sally is Don's girl, not Betty's. That's why Betty and Sally don't get along.

I dunno, Sally was looking up at her dad being defiant and her manurisms and speech patterns were like they had her study Betty. She likes Don because she's not living with him. He gets to be the hero because he's in the city, he's her dad, they never see him, and when they do they get pizza, take out, go to shows and the zoo.

Let Sally live with Don for a month and Sally all of a sudden wouldn't want to live with either of them.

edit: fwiw I asked my wife while we were watching the episode if she felt Sally was acting like a mini Betty and she agreed. I dunno how to explain it, there was just something in the line delivery, it was uncanny to me.

I know exactly what she's going through with the struggles of dual custody, as I've been through that horror. I can't really say she's like either of the characters, but more a person who really just doesn't have a "home." Luckily I got along with my mom and my stepdad, so this show didn't mirror my childhood, but Sally misses the life she had when it was stable (even though behind the scenes it was far from it). It doesn't help that her mom is a total bitch, and her Dad spoils her.

Mad Men tonight.

I think this is the episode when Lucky Strike falls. The ? is, will Roger go out with them?


And xcdude, I get it now what you're saying about Sally. *sigh* Poor kid. She is soooo going to Woodstock. At best. Altamont, at worst.

Edit: A little piece from a UK paper about the detail of the Mad Men set. They're on season 3 overseas.

omgomgomg joan's preggo. omgomgomg with rogers baby.

edit: AND SALLY'S GOING TO SEE THE BEATLES!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

OMFG! DON DON'T BLOW THIS ONE!!1!!

Sally (and I) will never forgive you!

Yowza! Layne's got "jungle fever".

What took them so long to incorporate the Playboy Club into the Mad man's routine?

That was about as intense of a first 15 minutes as a show can have.

OMGOMGOMG JOHN PAUL GEORGE AND RINGOOOOOOOOO!!! AT SHEA!

But dude, the government may be onto Don!

Umm, thumbs down for the Don panic attack. Not down.

It's fine, Don. Just kill Pete. It's time and necessary.

*whew* WTF just happened?

Literally, they lost two massive accounts and Layne is going back to Britain after getting bitchslapped by his dad.

Figuratively, Don's entire existence is FRAGILE!!

I would say Layne should grow a pair and tell his dad he's a grown-ass man--but, oh yeah, he's British! LOL

I'm starting to think that killing Pete isn't such a bad idea.

Well it was bound to happen, after almost two seasons of knocking her down Weiner finally gave Betty an episode where she wasn't reprehensible and actually likeable. It was nice seeing her smile about the Beatles and keeping Don's secrets.

I have a bad feeling that Sterling might actually kill himself. Last week I thought he was just being an idiot but he's already been on a downward spiral. I don't think he's capable of dealing with failure or uncertainty...

This would also lead to Joan having the baby and not only having her husband be gone BUT Roger as well.

It would be enough for Cooper to step away too, we already know he doesn't want to go to another funeral and Roger being gone just might set him off.

Yeah, I'm thinking Joan kept the baby, too. Maybe that will give Roger something to look forward to? I think Roger is too vain to kill himself. But after a few too many drinks, anyone is capable of anything. Pete is definitely going to hand him his ass next week after Roger chewed him out.

And it was nice to see Betty, and Sally, happy about something. But the questions surrounding Don's identity looms over everything. It compromises everyone around him. He dodged a bullet this time. His panic attack was hard to watch.

Think about what Weiner has done here.

Some might disagree with me, but Pete went from being the most unlikeable guy on this show to probably being the most likeable, or at the very least respectable.

Something is looming with Harry Crane by the way. I'm really not sure where they are headed with it, but they keep giving clues here and there that something is up. When Don and the gang find out sometime within the next 3 episodes, we will find out with them and be just as floored as they are.

I don't think it will be as simple as getting into tv and leaving because he's too easily replaced there and that would be the very least of their problems.

Wait, why is Pete likable? Because he's obsessed with his job and moving up? I don't hate Pete or anything, but all he cares about is himself. You know that he's just going to hold this over Don's head to further his own career. I kind of agree with him being respectable, in the sense that he works very hard and is good at what he does. He seems to be one of the only characters with his shit together.

At the end of the season, I have a feeling that the only SCDP employees still standing will be Pete, Don, and Peggy (and hopefully Joan). If you think about it, they're the core of the agency anyway. Roger, with every cigarette and glass of straight vodka, is getting closer and closer to his (unfortunate) demise. I think it will happen before this season ends.

Also, the reason they show Harry Crane is probably to remind us what a useless idiot he is. I don't think people in the office care what Harry Crane does, hopefully he jumps off a bridge.

In my business Pete would be in deep shit for not broadcasting loudly to EVERYONE that the US GOVERNMENT will be doing a background check and it could affect their ability to win this business.
At best it was naive to think this was not worthy of emphasizing considering how detailed he appears to be.

Forgetting Don (which he did), at that time basically every male was in the military on some level and could have had a dishonorable discharge or even worse...they could have had some communist leanings since that was such a hot zone back then still. You know those creative types are all red on the inside! Hell...one of Joanie's previous abortions (assuming of course) might be considered "un-American".
Poor communication. I guess he doesn't use email effectively.

As for Harry...they are slyly pointing out that he runs off to Cali at every drop of news...insinuating that it's because he loves it there so much...not so much for the better of the business. Either he brings in the biggest nut of the business to save the day...or he bolts for the TV business and leaves them hanging.

As you said, he's the only one on the show with his shit together. He of course cheated on his wife but I believe those days are over.

Maybe likeable was a wrong word but Don DESERVES for Pete to hold this over his head. He just cost him a 4 million dollar account. An account that could have helped greatly in lightening the blow that Lucky Strike will be.

This is the second time this season, and I noticed and reviewers point out, that Weiner has actually had us side with Pete.

Think about it, two years ago if you were told you would agree with pete during an outburst from Roger, or actually think he is doing the right thing over Don, you'd laugh and think it was ludicrous. Pete is no longer the sniveling little jerk he once was.

He might be kind of a jerk, but if I wanted to have a successful business and you gave me the choice between Don, Roger and Pete, I'd choose Pete every time. Nothing he's ever done has ever jeopardized the business.

Let's look at it, Don's past would basically make him unhireable and destroy the business. if it came out they'd lose every account. SCDP is in this predicament because of Roger. Bert didn't even want to sell Sterling Cooper in the first place, Roger convinced him and he regretted it ever since. The sale lead to them almost being sold again, but then they started a company that solely relied on his one account and he lost it.

For once Pete is 100% correct and he doesn't even know about Roger yet. Don and roger are holding him down and hurting all the innocent people around them.

and I agree, Harry is either going to save SCDP in the end, or he's going to jump ship and just add another piece to the pile.

It's funny I never thought of this before, but it makes sense.

'Mad Men"s Sally Draper Not Allowed To Watch The Show

Best line in the article: "I'm very method when I'm on set" This kid is dedicated. Props to you, Ms. Shipka.

It also says there's a lot more coming in regards to Sally. Stay tuned.

from above article



This wording makes it sound WAAAAAAAAAY worse than it was...

I mean, that's exactly what it was.

to play semantics, she got caught fondling herself by a friends mother, she wasn't sitting in front of the girls mother and fondling herself

I'll back you up in this street fight, SATS.

word!

Just watched last week's episode(finally!!) and all I can say is HOLY FUCKING SHIT. Not ONE scene wasn't holy-shit worthy in some way. Mother of God tonight's gonna be good.

The British pimp hand is strong.

Oh my god.

So this was the 11th episode in the season. That means the season finale is in 2 weeks? Man this season went by fast.

As for the episode, damage control sucks, and I'm honestly not sure if they are going to make it. Next weeks episode should be the standard set up for the finale, then BAM we are hit with greatness. Don't really have much to say about the last episode because I just didn't get the sense of urgency I think they were trying to convey.

The biggest shock this episode delivered for me was that there are only two episodes left. Waah!

I understand what you mean about not feeling a sense of urgency. Then again, we knew this was coming. This felt anti-climatic. But one thing is for sure...THE PLAYA IS BACK, BABY! Oh, Don. You can't help yourself, can you?

Quite right, old chap.

Click to view attachment

Haha, totally! They said "two episodes left" and I think I literally shrieked "whaaaaat?!?!? NOOOOOOO!!!"

But I don't think Don was being too much of a player. I don't think Meghan was about to take no for an answer. I admire that in a woman.

Great episode.

And most of all I'm thrilled they didn't show ANYTHING from the finale even in the preview - it was just clips from this season. I don't want to know anything going in so I can enjoy it "fresh" ...

Draper is a genius, loved the NYT move.

I had a feeling Burt would end up walking out on the company but I had no idea it would be because of something like that. Calling Don a monster, wow.

They left the door open for him to possibly cool down and come back, but i think we really might have seen Burt for the last time, at least as a partner.

Plus it makes sense, Peggy was absolutely right about changing the name, I have a feeling we'll see that happen next week because they have to take Cooper off anyway and this time they'll probably be one of the first to name their ad agency instead of using the owners names.

I guess Sterling isn't going to off himself now? He seemed fine, or at least somewhat rebounded from his last couple of episodes. Unless they want us to think that? I dunno Perhaps without Cooper babysitting next season will be Roger's big blow out year before it comes to some kind of tragic demise, either heart attack or suicide.

That freakin kid with Sally creeps me out. Always has, always will.

Seriously. Hopefully they work with the American Cancer Society and shove it up every other ad agencies asses.

Next week there should be fireworks and I'm excited.

omg guys are you PUMPED or WHAT???

Shit is going down tonight.