Because Mad Men is such a great series overall, and because its off the air for three-quarters of every year, its always exciting to come back to it for the start of a new season. But the new setting, and the possibilities it creates for the show and its characters, has me feeling particularly thrilled to be back in Don Drapers world of booze, cigarettes and meditations on what people want and how to sell it to them.
Cornballer said:- Elizabeth Moss interview with the Onion A|V Club *some spoilers*
- Sepinwall's S4 review *minor spoilers*
Any word on if Betty gets hit by a pipe in the first five seconds of the new season?
Cornballer said:
Hollywood Reporter said:One surefire sign of a television series in its prime comes when an episode's plot and subplots dovetail so stylishly that it's difficult to tell which is which.
People Weekly said:Season 4 launches with an episode focused on TV's most mysterious ad executive-and since Jon Hamm's watchful yet charismatic performance makes the show tick, that's excellent.
Maureen Ryan said:Don has shed some secrets, but the more he puts himself on the line, the bigger chance there is for failure. And when it comes to showing how complicated people fare under pressure, the sterling Mad Men has few peers.
Ken Tucker said:I can assert that the series has benefited artistically from the business decision that concluded last season. In shuttering Sterling Cooper and launching SCDP, the show is immediately jazzed by the renewed energy and willfulness that often accompanies a start-up.
Variety said:This hour finds the cast in fine form, but the most interesting crumb to emerge might be Weiner's apparent rumination on the program's success and--speaking through his protagonist--his own heightened profile since the series took off.
And where everyone assumed that Don would take advantage of his divorce to more fully indulge his wandering eye, he instead has adopted a darker, more solitary existence, and one that allows Hamm to find disturbing new depths in a character we thought we knew everything about by now.
Amir0x said:You guys are crazy about Betty. She is a fantastically written character, and definitely an object of her time just like the rest of the cast. I would not want the show without Betty.
Amir0x said:She is still all those things? What does SNL have to do with the portrayal of her character?
Amir0x said:She is still all those things? What does SNL have to do with the portrayal of her character?
ConfusingJazz said:That she is actually just a terrible actress, and that the writers got lucky that despite this, her terribleness works well with how they wanted her character to be.
She makes me feel sympathy for Don Draper for God's sake, and Don Draper is a douche to her.
Amir0x said:I don't know about her relative talent in other arenas, but she has done a damn fine job in the role on the show. Some of the scenes would have had their power completely removed if January Jones had missed the right notes, and she never did.
Particularly impressive was the episode in which she confronted Don finally over the divorce from his other wife/his name/etc. The way she played that scene was fucking pitch perfect. The lingering after her husband so he can't "escape", the mixture of contempt and pity... the perfect dose of anger.
I don't know how much she sucked in SNL, but she has certainly not sucked in Mad Men. She has played the role exactly as written, and the role itself is of considerable depth and nuance.
ConfusingJazz said:Meh, I just don't like the character. Hell, I even turned out to start liking Pete, and I have the background of hating the actor since Season 4 of Angel.
If you want to know the general consensus for January Jones on SNL, google "January Jones SNL" The reviews are fantastically painful.
devilhawk said:But, but SNL!
ITA.BenjaminBirdie said:But, again, it's irrelevant. It doesn't matter how badly she sucked on SNL. I've seen tons of SNLs with spectacular actors that were pure shit. It sounds to me like you just had an opinion of her work on Mad Men and used the SNL performance as ballast for your argument, not that you saw her on SNL and then finally realized she was a bad actress on the show.
She's not. Betty Draper is a woman of that era, in a marriage with a man like Don Draper. January Jones plays the role that was written for her to fucking perfection.
Cornballer said:"Very good, happy Christmas!" :lol :lol :lol
I've become quite a fan of Old Fashioneds thanks to Mad Men.Diseased Yak said:Side note: I literally can NOT watch this show without a scotch or bourbon in my hand. For real.
BertramCooper said:I've become quite a fan of Old Fashioneds thanks to Mad Men.
Comments like this explain a lot. :lolBlader5489 said:Though I have to admit that my ability to invest in him diminishes a bit with each season, though that probably has to do with him becoming more his own character and less of a vehicle to project myself onto.
Amirox said:You guys are crazy about Betty. She is a fantastically written character, and definitely an object of her time just like the rest of the cast. I would not want the show without Betty.
She's an ice princess and a bored house wife, but pretty nearly all her fears were realized and much of the seasons she spent being fairly pissed off. And she tries to shoot the neighbors birds. I mean, a great character period.
So much agreement with what both of you said. She may very well be a terrible actress in any other role, but this role suits her to a tee and Betty is a necessary part of the shows fabric in exploring the time period.BenjaminBirdie said:Betty Draper is a woman of that era, in a marriage with a man like Don Draper. January Jones plays the role that was written for her to fucking perfection.
:lolSpotless Mind said:I hate the cult of fans behind this show rooting for Don to be a misogynistic, womanizing asshole.
GQman2121 said:
"Do what I say."
I'm not so sure how people project all their hate on a character like "betty" in a show like mad men - where most of the characters are generally assholes anyway. Which is what makes them fascinating to watch, and it's the same thing with betty.brianjones said:i've never had a problem with betty but I'm not surprised to find people hate her after reading all the nonsensical hate arguments against skylar in the breaking bad threads.
giga said:I don't think anyone is rooting for him to be misogynistic, but hate is a pretty strong word for a television show. I just love drama. And the hate for Betty has nothing to do with Don's honesty towards her--at least not for me.
tabsina said:I still don't understand what he was doing in this scene.. but I was expecting him to do it to Betty around the same time as when he called her a whore..
BenjaminBirdie said::lol
Exactly. If SNL dictated performance than every single album on Earth would be written by Garth & Kat.
(I'd kind of like that, actually)
AMC, which airs the Emmy-winning drama, and Lionsgate, which produces it, currently have a license agreement that runs for five seasons (Season 4 premieres Sunday). But they've started talking about extending the deal through at least a sixth season, according to Variety.
I don't see this being an issue. Betty was never very connected to the world of Sterling Cooper in the first three seasons yet remained an integral part of the show throughout.Cornballer said:Slate's TV club starts up again with some thoughts before S4. Good question about Betty - how are they going to keep her involved this season?
Not everyone can be as awesome as Jon Hamm at comedy.ConfusingJazz said:I would go back to defending my position, but I am lazy. However, I didn't mean for my entire argument to rest on SNL, just that she was terrible on it.
Hahahah! Fuck yeah! Man, that part was so great. :lolpurg3 said:Very good, Happy Christmas
Best fucking part of the episode :lol
He's the only man I will ever have a man-crush on.BertramCooper said:Not everyone can be as awesome as Jon Hamm at comedy.
Hamm is such an amazing actor. It's hard to believe it took him this long to be found, especially when he's also ridiculously good looking.
also, maybe crazyHahahah! Fuck yeah! Man, that part was so great. :lol
Just finished Season 3. I hope Don ends back up with Suzanne. She's hot as hell!
God. I love this show. I love AMC.
Yeah, she definitely gave off some crazy stalker vibes. I hope she doesn't return. That whole subplot was a bore and the weakest part of the season._dementia said:also, maybe crazy
Man I really should go back and watch that arc because at the time I did not understand what was happening AT ALL. :lolgiga said:Suzanne? Hell naw, that girl had the crazy eyes.
It's all about Joy.