What do I know...since I had three GTI's and a MINI Cooper S, I am a trolling, trendy, hipster doofus

Nobody snuggles with Max Power. You strap yourself in and feel the "G"s!

Those little criticisms aside, I really like the show. I love the sets and overall mood and feel. I think the producers absolutely nailed it. Much of the culture that we see as so archaic now continued to exist well into the 80s. Smoking and drinking in the office. Desks without computers on them (gasp! ). Even the pregnant woman who continues to smoke. Some of that stuff isn't as ancient as some people think.

I also think that it's very well cast. The guy who plays Don Draper had a recurring role on The Unit (played the liberal lawyer who defended the Army deserters for those who watch that show). He's absolutely perfect. Just looks and acts the part so well. His boss (gray hair, far left in picture) is excellent too. Hell... They're all good. They all remind me of the various "grown ups" from my own childhood.

The only one I can't figure out is the new secretary (yellow sweater). My god she's an ugly little thing. I don't get her appeal at all. Now that redhead... WHOA! Hellooooooooo Ginger!

Modified by Seabird at 9:17 AM 8-13-2007

Quote, originally posted by Seabird »

The only one I can't figure out is the new secretary (yellow sweater). My god she's an ugly little thing. I don't get her appeal at all. Now that redhead... WHOA! Hellooooooooo Ginger!

I think they are setting her up for the eventual plastic-surgery-to-be-more-attractive episode. Because I don't think her nose and ears are that big in real life.

Nah... I think she's going to be hired away by a still unknown Gene Roddenberry for a role in an upcoming science fiction series that he's writing.

Quote, originally posted by Seabird »

Now that redhead... WHOA! Hellooooooooo Ginger!

Those of us who watched Firefly know her as Mrs. Reynolds.

OMG that is Saffron!!!1 I totally didn't pick that out!!

Pete is Connor from Angel.

She played Zoe Bartlett - the President's daughter in West Wing.

I think her look is part of the "simple girl from Bayshore trying to make it in the big city" premise.

I can't wait until the big city corrupts her.

She already put her ankles in the air for Pete the night before his wedding. I don't think she's as innocent as you all imply.

I don't know where Bayshore is, but I guess the implication is that it's a bit provincial - even if it is technically part of NYC. My experience with small town girls is that they can be just as ho-ish (if not more so), than any girl from the Big City. Think about it... What else is there to do in a place like that?

Sorry - it's Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

My premise is that it's the early 60's and the real purpose of her job in the big city is to marry one of the executives and move out to the country and be taken care of. Although she seems naive, she knows what's needed to bag her MRS degree.

whoa..that is a good plan. haha.

Hmmm... This could get corny soap opera-ish if the producers aren't careful.

After watching the last episode, I am concerned that the Don Draper character might get tiresome. He's suppose to be smooth and mysterious; a man of few words. But his interaction with Adam (step brother?) seemed forced and unnatural. Maybe his reaction will be explained as the plot is further developed.

Predictions:
Don Draper is really Dick, and he stole Lt. Donald Draper's identity in a battlefield dogtag swap to escape his brutal home life. His double life goes deeper than having a girl in the city.
Don's boss is going to die somehow - bleeding ulcer, heart attack, suicide.
Pete's going to steal Peggy's copy and take credit for it. No surprise there.
We find out that Salvatore (the art director) is closeted.

Quote, originally posted by Seabird »

I really enjoy it, despite its contrivances.

I agree, but I think it was an attempt to set the tone in just one episode so I'll cut the writers some slack. (I'll tune out if it continues, though.) It was pretty contrived, though. Pregnant lady smoking? Check. Polio kid? Check.

Modified by sharkracer at 9:48 AM 9-3-2007

Yep... I'm hoping that they're just developing the setting and characters. I didn't work out the dogtag swapping bit, but it makes sense. I see Roger's dying (or leaving the firm for health reasons) too. Ditto Pete's stealing Peggy's copy, and Salvatore being gay. Artistic guy with a slight lisp?

this scene right here blew me away. don draper is the man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2bLNkCqpuY

this show is fantastic. absolutely brilliant

can definitely see a lot of parallels with the sopranos though (psychiatry, double lives, affairs, balancing 'work' and family, etc, etc), so it's not surprising to see the same guy with his hand in both.

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whoa that scene was pretty powerful, and the red head with the big hoots, bathe her and bring her to me

Modified by Bustov at 12:27 PM 7-13-2008

twitter.com/tomcummings

She is a lot cuter than they make her out to be on the show...

That being said, shes got nothing on the other redhead...

crap, i missed it! forgot to set the tivo

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i dvr'ed last nights and watched it before i went to bed.

i don't know if i was tired or not, but what Don said at the end of the episode completely went over my head. that music though, damn it works

pretty slow, but they left alot of potential for the season to pick up quickly

Standard Definition, the tired enemy of High Definition (HD). Having just watched season 1 on an upconverting DVD player, watching season 2 in lousy TV resolution was painful, like having lost one (not both ) of my contact lenses.

Quote »

i don't know if i was tired or not, but what Don said at the end of the episode completely went over my head. that music though, damn it works

Same here. I suspect it has to do with Frank O'Hara's poetry. I need to rewatch the episode to hear if Don was quoting from it or not.

Meditations in an Emergency

Quote »

pretty slow, but they left alot of potential for the season to pick up quickly

Oh yes, they have sown quite a few seeds. spoilers - highlight to read Don's going downhill physically and culturally (from smooth operator to "dammit, Viagra doesn't exist yet" old fart). Too soon to say if his job performance will do likewise... but Sterling Cooper's relevance to the changing world is definitely coming into question. Betty Draper is gaining self-confidence, and an evil streak to match. Salvatore's making more room in his "closet." Pete Campbell's impotence apparently knows no bounds - wouldn't it be sick if he and his wife adopt, and unknowingly get the love child he fathered with Peggy Olson?

And do you think he sent the book (poem) to Rachel Menken?

it does look really good in HD.

betty and the head office girl (joan?) look real good in HD! that redhead is just crazy smoking hot. she could take me straight to hell

AMC has an HD channel? Not on DirecTV, anyway.

Quote »

betty and the head office girl (joan?) look real good in HD! that redhead is just crazy smoking hot. she could take me straight to hell

She even looks good in SD on an HDTV Roger Sterling, you (wuz) da man!

They do. And this just made me realize that I'm not sure if i DVR'd the right channel

Still haven't caught the first episode, so thanks for hiding the spoilers guys

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I went in manually and found it on AMCHD and set up my series recording that way.

Don't thank us. There wasn't much to tell

Great show overall, love the richness in the characters. Being in advertising and design that aspect of it is very interesting to me and I almost wish there was more of it and less of the soap opera.

The redhead is stunning.

Love seeing the layers peeled off of Don Draper/Dick Whitman.

I'm dying to know the details of Peggy's life in that 14 month span between Seasons 1 and 2! Was she committed? Did she give the baby up or was it taken from her? What's going on in her head?

I agree the sexism was a bit ham fisted in the beginning but they seem to have evened it out a bit.

Overall really enjoying the show, wish I got the HD feed!