The Collaborators take place with the Tet offensive and the Pueblo crisis as the backdrop. They were dark days for the US and A and the crisis with North Korea fits our own dark times as well. That was an acutal crisis featuring Kim Jong-unfunny’s grandfather Kim IL Sung as opposed to a repeat of the same old “North Korea has nukes, the sky is falling” crisis we’ve lived through before. Kim shoulda let Rodman write him some new material instead of just copying the Worm’s bad hairdo… The whole episode is about crossing lines and bringing betrayal uncomfortably close … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Munich, Roosters, and Tet

Season 5 of Mad Men was a wild ride but the finale was a bit of a soft landing. I say that not as a criticism, I disagree with the members of the MM punditocracy who think it was a let down after the previous two uber eventful episodes. How could they have possibly topped Lane’s suicide, Joan’s acceptance of the indecent proposal and Peggy’s departure? They could not. Instead, they summed up the season and circled back to the premiere. I, for one, was captivated by this coda. On to my usual random and discursive comments: The Title: There … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: The Phantom

I’ve had a case of writer’s block the last few weeks but Season-5 of Mad Men continues to be exceptional so I’m going to throw some verbiage against the wall and see what sticks. First, a few comments on The Other Woman aka Campbell’s Indecent Proposal. Pete The Pimp: Not only is Campbell sleazy, he’s a slippery weasel. (Apologies to A’s weasels.) The way he circled back to pimping Joanie was nearly as bad as the idea itself. Lane, however, had a better pitch and helped to finally land the Jaguar account as well as landing Joan in bed with … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Catching Up

I loved the latest episode, Christmas Waltz. It had a Season1 or 2 feel with the return of Kinsey and the flirtfest between Don and Joan. All it lacked was the return of my homeboy, Bryan Batt, as Sal. I have renewed hope that he’ll be back, perhaps in time for the company Easter egg hunt or something… Lane Returns: I’m not quite sure what to make of this sub-plot. I know he has that stiff upper lip thing going on but if he’d gone to Don or Roger, he might not have had to resort to embezzlement. Hell, Roger … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Hare Kinsey

Dr. A and I saw the Burton/Depp Dark Shadowsreboot on the very day th is Mad Men episode aired. The movie had 2 good acts and a semi-crappy third act but how can one not love a movies that uses Jeepster? This may have been lesser Tim Burton but lesser Burton is still pretty good. I’ll let him keep his troll doll… Mad Men’s Dark Shadows had considerably more depth and showed our man Don at both his best and his worst. Roger’s comeback continues and he had the best line about the Manischevitz people: “Fiddler on the Roof: audience … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Dark Shadows