Mad Men
Recaps

Hello to Sterling, Cooper, Draper and Pryce. Goodbye to Mad Men as we know it.

A new company, a new family arrangement and a new direction for Don Draper were all the focus of the show's season three finale. We've recapped "Shut the Door. Have a Seat" in full and share our opinion on it below...

How do those that criticized the show's early-season pace fell now? Creator Matthew Weiner always said he was laying the seeds for more dramatic action all along - and it all paid off this week. There wasn't a single dull moment, as it almost felt like a different series entirely, with a couple laugh-out loud lines and a quick pace that found Don and Roger making like Rusty and Danny Ocean.

The season was clearly building to these little conversations/recruitment pitches.

Don's previous outbursts at Peggy, for example, set the stage for both their conversations in the finale: the initial, terse exchange in which she stood up for herself; and the subsequent apology, in which Don channeled Dick and was as vulnerable as we've ever seen him in a professional setting.

Pete, meanwhile, just wanted to be praised by Don, his father figure. After being disappointed so greatly in the opening scene by the man that referred to him as a son, Don didn't hesitate to come through for Campbell when needed.

Let's tackle the rest of this recap/review via a series of pressing questions:

• Will the remnants of Sterling Cooper find their way back into the new agency? Like Bobby and Sally's reaction to their parents separating, the show depicted both sides of this professional "divorce," making us wonder if we'll ever see Ken and his haircut again.
• No way it works out between Betty and Henry, right? Right?!?
• Will Sal join Sterling, Cooper, Draper and Pryce? How many others were hoping he'd be called in to open the art department's door last night?
• How far into the future will season four jump? Here's to hoping we see a lot of the new company developing, as well as Betty realizing that Henry is just another self-created ideal of the man with whom she wants to be.

More than any episode of memory, the Mad Men quotes were incredibly funny this week. We've listed a few below and invite discussion on your favorites...

Roger: Peggy, can you get me some coffee?
Peggy: No. | permalink

Roger: How long do you think it'll take us to be in a place like this again?
Don: I never saw myself working in a place like this. | permalink

Roger: You're not good as relationships because you don't value them. | permalink

Don [to Betty]: You're a whore. You know that? | permalink

Don: I want to build something of my own. How do you not understand that? | permalink

As soon as it became clear that the third season of Mad Men was based in 1963, fans have been curious about how the show would handle the JFK assassination.

Months ago, creator Matthew Weiner said: "The Kennedy assassination is very well-trod territory, and I just don't see myself adding [anything] new to that."

He clearly changed his mind, as "The Grown-Ups" dealt entirely with this historical tragedy. Follow the preceding link for a recap, and read on for our detailed review of developments from it...

Weiner was in an unenviable position here: you can't avoid the event entirely, nor can you only mention it in passing. The only way to tackle the assassination is head-on; which is what took place in "The Grown-Ups," but in a rather disappointing fashion.

As most Mad Men fans agree, last week's episode was likely the best in series history. We can't be alone in wishing this week's installment had given us more insight into how Betty and Don moved on - or failed to - following his Dick Whitman admission. The couple seemed to be on the right path at the trick-or-treating conclusion to "The Gypsy and the Hobo."

It makes sense that brief reconciliation wouldn't have lasted... but it would have been nice to have seen it actually fall apart. Instead, viewers were thrust into one of the biggest events in U.S. history, a difficult backdrop to use against the Draper's marital problems, considering the state of mourning every citizen felt during this time. Life goes on, even when a President is killed, we understand.

But Betty went from almost forgiving Don last week, to practically accepting a proposal from Henry last night - and fans scarcely got to view any interactions between the couple in between. That's very un-Mad Men like.

That said, the simple line "I don't love you" was startling to hear from Betty, and creates a myriad of questions heading into next Sunday's season finale: is this really the end of the Draper marriage? If so, will Betty actually end up with Henry? How will the show handle that relationship in the future?

Those are issues for next week. These are the Mad Men quotes we loved from last night:

Betty: I want to scream at you for ruining all this. Then, you tried to fix it and there's no point. | permalink

Roger: No one else is saying the right thing about this.
Joan: You're really upset.
Roger: What's that about?
Joan: Because there's nothing funny about this. | permalink

Don: Everything's gonna be fine.
Betty: How do you know that?
Don: You'll see. | permalink

Don: Why are the kids watching this?
Betty: What am I supposed to do, Don? Am I supposed to keep it from them? | permalink

What's your name?
Donald Draper. But it used to be Dick Whitman.

It was the conversation we never thought would take place on Mad Men. But it was also the anchor of the scene that highlighted "The Gypsy and the Hobo," possibly the best episode in the history of this great show.

Follow the link above for a full recap of events from the hour, and read on for our take on it.

This week's episode showcased our favorite characters, acting like the polar opposite of everything we're used to. There was Roger Sterling, entertaining a former lover by getting drunk and acting like a jerk (okay, we're used to that), but then turning down her advances.

Was this because he's actually in love with Jane, or because he admits this woman broke his heart many years ago? Either way, this was a soft, vulnerable side that viewers rarely see. Even the phone call he placed on behalf of Joan seemed to be made with nothing but benevolent motives. Talk about a change!

Joan, of course, finally stopped playing the role of submissive housewife. Hitting your husband over the head with a vase is always a good way to force him to notice you; and to join the army, apparently. We don't see this ending well for Greg, and we can't say we're bothered by that fact.

Then there was Don and Betty - and the talk. Earlier in the episode, Don had told a client that the only way to improve her product's image was to change its name. It's a message he knows from experience. But he was finally confronted about his former life as Dick Whitman, as Betty forced a confession out of her husband.

Continue Reading...

How do you know the color blue that you see is the same color blue as seen by everyone else?

It's an old, philosophical (some would say, annoying) question that kicks off the latest Mad Men episode, aptly titled "The Color Blue." What relevance does it play during the episode?

Almost every character is forced to see an individual in a different light than previously imagined.

There's Pryce and his realization that his British bosses aren't remotely interested in Sterling Cooper as anything but a profit maker; there's Paul and his solemn discovery that, yes, Peggy is better at her job than he is.

And, of course, there's Betty. Poor, no-longer-innocent, overgrown child Betty. She always knew Don had secrets, but she never would have guessed the major one would be a previous marriage. To read how she comes across this information, follow our link to this week's episode guide.

Viewers know that Betty hasn't uncovered the exact secret Don has been keeping from the world, but that doesn't change the tension that now exists between her and her husband. We can't wait to see how this plays out.

Lastly, there's Don, forced to see himself in a worse light, as he watches how much Suzanne cares about her brother. Contrast this with the fact that Don drove his own sibling to suicide.

Can Don compartmentalize this reminder of his early let downs, as he does for everything else? He's sure gonna try. But will changing circumstances allow him to?

Below, we've collected a few of the top Mad Men quotes from the episode:

Kinsey: I had a great idea and I lost it.
Don: I hate when that happens. | permalink

Cooper: I didn't get to where I am by dwelling on the past. | permalink

Don: People may see things differently, but they don't really want to. | permalink

People often get fired for being gay.

Last night on Mad Men, however, Sal basically got fired for not being gay.

It was an action-filled hour, as Don had an affair; Betty came close to one; and one of our favorite characters lost his job. Read a full recap of "Wee Small Hours" right now.

Among our favorite Mad Men quotes from the night were:

Sterling: You're gonna use your dying breath to tell Don to fix this. | permalink

Harry: I'm not gonna panic and do something stupid like I usually do.
Kinsey: That's a good start. | permalink

Connie: I want a Hilton on the moon. That's where we're headed. | permalink

Don Draper: Give me more ideas to reject. | permalink

At various points or moments in our lives, we've all tried to be someone else.

But on this week's episode of Mad Men, that desire was more pronounced than ever; various characters, unhappy with their real lives, attempted to step into different shoes, if only for a weekend, a job or a vacation.

How did these transformations turn out? Read our recap of "Souvenir" for the answer.

When in Rome, act like other people, right Betty and Don?

There was surprising sex and a major mugging this week on Mad Men, a pair of dramatic events that are likely to have an impact on Peggy and Don, respectively.

The latter was also forced to confront his future and actually sign a contract to remain at Sterling Cooper, something he desperately wanted to avoid.

By the end of the episode, however, he had no choice. How was Don blackmailed into signing this deal? And why does he no longer wish to speak to Roger Sterling?

Our recap of "Seven Twenty Three" has the answers.

From Don to Betty to Roger, here's a look at a few of our favorite Mad Men quotes from the installment:

Don: They want me, but they can't have me.
Betty: You're right. Why would I think that has anything to do with me? | permalink

Duck [to Peggy]: I was just thinking of all the days I walked by you and didn't even notice. How is that possible? | permalink

Peggy [to Pete]: Stop barging in here and infecting me with your anxiety. | permalink

Roger: I watched the sunrise today. Couldn't sleep.
Don: How was it?
Roger: Average. | permalink