SPOILERS BELOW
The first two seasons of Mad Men were great; mysteries, inappropriate comments, drinking like fish throughout the workday - fabulous.
But now, as we near the end of the 3rd season, it's unclear what the point is anymore. We get it: suburban life is stifling and the Mad Men early-60s society is on the brink of dramatic change (possibly?). Don Draper is a mean, womanizing bastard who occasionally cuts someone down in a funny way. He's hot; we get it.
I was excited by Betty's discovery last week, only for it to go nowhere. There's the hope she'll confront Don, or at least have another tryst in the bathroom of some NYC bar again, but so what?
The episodes this season have been meandering and incomplete, and it seems like the writers/directors/producers are self-consciously trying to create a meditative or contemplative atmosphere in the show that simply falls flat.
The show gets a lot of accolades, but in the third season it is truly about nothing. Aside from the fabulous Joan, who cares about these people? They are all awful. They've completely ruined the Peggy story-arch by having her screw Ducky... that was so pathetic.
I'm hoping for a comeback, but expecting to be disappointed over the next month!
4 comments:
Okay, so I'm going to chalk it up to your being involved with much headier things, like law school and job hunting and whatnot... this season is TOTALLY amazing. Talk about layers, good god. I think that you need to come here over the holidays, and we need to sit by the fireplace and sip high ABO drinks and watch again, but with commentary and discussion (and Joosh's surprising insights). Because it is really intense and packed full of nuance and interestingness.
Sometimes I do think it's too subtle (and yes, a few eps have been - gasp - a little boring), but when all the goodness packed therein started getting unpacked, little by little, oh god it is soooooo good. There are still pieces that I'm wiggling around like a loose tooth, images from some of the (again, admittedly a little boring and/or confusing) first few episodes (Betsy's dream sequences in the hospital? Mama nursing/comforting the battered black man? HELLOOOO?!? WTF?) but seriously, so so so much going on.
Like right now, how we're seemingly plodding toward the JFK assassination (on the weekend of Roger's daughter's wedding, if I'm not mistaken from an earlier shot of her wedding invite?) and how Roger's "the one" was Joan (sad face) and he's being relegated into the shadows of the company and how we're watching Peggy turn into the next gen/cusp of post feminism version of Don and watching her oh-sorry-you're-a-few-years-too-late-for-the-realizing-of-all-your-potential counterpart in Joan.... so. effing. fascinating.
That is to say: I, um, respectfully disagree.
We will definitely have to dissect, cuz I feel like we are watching two different shows... But last week's episode was great, which gave me hope for the last two remaining this season.
I was thrilled when Joan broke that vase over jackass's head and that Betty confronted Don. Thank Jesus, because Betty's pouty bullshit was not cool.
And Peggy. I was very excited about this character initially but now I'm worried about where it's going.
I'm concerned she's headed in the cliched direction of a lot of women who worked in professions dominated by men (such as law), who "blazed a trail" on their own and despite the tidal wave of bullshit they had to endure to succeed, they pressed on... only to achieve success and hit middle-age with a ton of resentment toward younger women coming up in the profession who they think have it easier than they did.
I don't like to buy into this stereotype because it feeds the double-standard where a successful, persistent, no-nonsense woman is a "bitch" while a man with the same qualities is a "leader."
Nevertheless, I worry that her character, like many of them, are cliches and caricatures and while I get that they are all realizing their lives are devoid of meaning but they are caught up in the trappings of a society they think they want to be a part of, or believe they should be a part of, only for it all to unravel either in small ways or in big ways, I'm still left wondering what the point of watching it is.
valid points, all, my dear. touche, touche. tbd&d (determined & discussed), preferably over a martini-shaped drink or two. clink!
From your lips to the Cocktail God's ears!!
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