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Buzz In: What Did You Think of the First New Mad Men Episode?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:00:18 -0700

I won't post any spoilers here, of course, but for those who did watch the season three premiere of Mad Men, we have got to talk about it. What did you think?!

Photo courtesy of AMC

TV Tonight: Mad Men Season Three Premiere!

BuzzSugar — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:30:21 -0700

At long last, fellow Mad Men fanatics, the third season is about to begin. I'm so excited for tonight I practically have butterflies.

So much happened last season - and especially in the final episode (babies! confessions! merger!) - I feel like I need to take deep breath and steady myself before diving into another one. This is not exactly light television, which is why Mad Men is one example of TV becoming more and more like film in quality and depth. While I love that about the show (it's a huge reason why I tune in, though Jon Hamm's handsome face is also a reason), I also know that watching this show regularly is an emotional and mental investment (at least for me).

But I've missed Don, Betty, Peggy, Pete and the rest of the swanky folks at Sterling Cooper, so it'll be great to see them onscreen again, in all their dapper finery. What are you most looking forward to seeing in tonight's premiere? What do you hope to learn or see? And what did you score on my Mad Men quiz?

Photo courtesy of AMC

Catch All the Best Picture Nominees in One Day

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:30:57 -0800

Just like last year, AMC theaters across the country are devoting a day to this year's Oscar nominees for Best Picture. On Saturday Feb. 21 (which is the day before the Oscars), for 30 bucks you can watch each of the nominated films back-to-back and receive a large popcorn with unlimited refills. To find out which theaters are participating, click here. This is the kind of event that makes me swoon. Add in a cocktail service and some cheesecake and I think that might be heaven itself. Though I guess it's also a really long day of sitting and staring at stuff.

The schedule below is the same nationwide, and the times are local:
Milk - 10:30 a.m.
The Reader - 1:05 p.m.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 3:45 p.m.
Slumdog Millionaire - 7:15 p.m.
Frost/Nixon - 9:45 p.m.

Do you think that's the best way to order that lineup? Could - or will - you make it through a full day of movies like this?

Source and source

Mad Men Rundown: Episode 13, "Meditations in an Emergency"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:30:16 -0700

The storm clouds swirled on this week's exciting season finale of Mad Men. As the terror of the Cuban missile crisis thrums below the surface, everyone copes with the prospect of the end of the world in his or her own way. The entire episode has a nihilistic vibe to it, with characters weighing each moment against the idea that it could be their last.

But worrying isn't just for global affairs: the ad men of Sterling Cooper are also fretting about big changes a little closer to home. If you know what I mean and want to chat about it, read more.

While the men in the office are riveted by the TV set, following every move President Kennedy makes, they are also concerned about the big merger. How will it work? Will anyone get fired? Meanwhile, Peggy and Betty each use impending doom to confront and attempt to make peace with their own issues. It's a doozy of an episode and plenty entertaining, even if it may be one of the gloomiest ever.

Betty Draper: The night opens with Betty at her doctor's office gazing at a picture of deer. An interesting image for a woman about to find out she's pregnant and immediately inquire about an abortion. From there we travel with Betty on the kind of cathartic journey that's been bubbling up in her for two seasons now. She smokes, she drinks, she broods - even when Don shows up with his tail between his legs, she doesn't skip a beat. When he tells her he had to get away for a while to think she responds flatly, "Must be nice, needing time and just taking it, all on your own terms." Oh, snap. Take that, Don. And then she drops the kids off with Don and has sex with a stranger at a bar. I got the sense that she finally understands her own discontent. She seems to place the source and no longer feels like she's the one going crazy. She takes control. It's an extremely satisfying finale to Betty's story this season (though maybe misguided). What do you think?

Peggy Olson: Peggy also faces her past head-on this episode (amazing what the threat of nuclear war will do for one's emotional development, isn't it?). Father Gill lays a humongous pile of guilt and shame onto Peggy, hoping she'll make things right with God ("Don’t you understand that this could be the end of the world and you can go to hell?"). I half expected Peggy to mumble something like, "Thank you Father" and shuffle away - but she doesn't! She stands up for herself and her ideas: "I can't believe that’s how God is." She's bright and perky when Don returns, informing him right away that she landed the Popsicle account. Later, when things get really dark, she responds to Pete's declaration of love (also: OMG Pete declares his love!) with the truth about his baby. The look on Pete's face is priceless when she confesses her entire ordeal and how a piece of her is gone forever. And now Pete's the one crying and Peggy is calm and resigned.

A few more thoughts:

I am curious about Pete giving Don a heads-up about Duck becoming president of the new merged Sterling Cooper. In the previous scene between Pete and Don, Don gives Pete some new respect for handling things in Don's absence. Perhaps Pete feels like he's closer to Don's level and gives him the information about Duck because, as he says, he'd want to be in the know if he were in Don's place. It's an interesting change of pace, the two of them on the same team.
There's something comforting about Joan and Don back together in the office. Like the old Mad Men coming full circle. I liked Don's line to Joan about Peggy, "So, other than her office and new haircut is there anything else I need to know about?" (Also, again with a cute dress on Peggy! Love it.)
Isn't it just like Don to get to drop out of work for three weeks and when you return you've made half a million dollars? Oh, and your wife takes you back after years of cheating and lying. Life goes well for that guy.
I thought Betty and Francine's conversation about the possibility of Betty having an abortion was fascinating. Even though it's illegal, the women still talk about it as a viable alternative.
I love the scene in which the guys corner Lois the phone operator and pump her for information. Can you imagine people listening in on your office calls?! I think the ominous way she delivers the news is so perfectly gossipy: "There are definitely going to be
some . . . redundancies."
What did you think about Don's letter to Betty? Romantic? Sweet? Too little, too late?
And how about Duck? After all that work on the merger and then he flips out when Don stands up to him.

So, we aren't left with too many crazy cliffhangers this time around, which is kind of nice. The biggest one is Don's future at the agency. It will be interesting to see what goes on with Pete's marriage, and the dynamics between Pete and Peggy in the office should be pretty awkward going forward. Season three will be interesting! What did you think of the finale? Is it a depressing episode or a hopeful one? Was it as exciting as you hoped or a let down?

Photos courtesy of AMC

Mad Men Rundown: Episode 12, "The Mountain King"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:35:28 -0700

A lot went down in this week's episode of Mad Men, which makes sense as next week will mark the conclusion of season two (boo!). However, despite some character story lines progressing along, this episode doesn't offer many clues as to how Betty and Don will resolve their marital issues.

We do learn a bunch of stuff about other characters, though, including the fact that Pete is violently opposed to adoption and poor Joan is caught up in a terrible relationship with a wretched man. And while Don's away in California indulging in a mother of an identity crisis, Peggy's slowly but surely proving herself to be the brightest star in the office. So much to talk about! Let's get started, just read more.

Don Draper: Whoa. Talk about getting some answers. We finally learn the identity of the mysterious woman who showed up at Don's car dealership job in a flashback a few episodes back. She's the real Don Draper's wife! (And I so called it, as soon as I understood who she was, that she's the person to whom Don mailed the Meditations in an Emergency!) Turns out the two struck a deal that was financial as well as emotional. The "real" Mrs. Draper allowed Don to live as her legal husband until, of course, he met Betty. The flashback where he comes home to tell Mrs. Draper about the beautiful model he wants to marry is a nice glimpse into his early feelings for Betty, and I loved that dopey grin on his face as he described Betty to Anna. I can't decide if Anna (Mrs. Draper) is a force for good in Don's life or a kind of enabler. On the one hand, the little family they form together is sweet, but on the other hand she offers rationalizations like this one after he finally admits he's ruined everything by lying to Betty: "You love her. You don't have to tell her everything." I think I get what she's saying, but hopefully Don won't take this to mean that he doesn't have to be honest with Betty.

Peggy: Peggy continues to be the character I enjoy rooting for the most. Even though we know she's made some bizarre, confused decisions in the past, she still seems to be the most well-adjusted, rational person in the office. The way she lands the popsicle account is brilliant and I love watching how quickly she's become one of the guys (in their own way they seem to accept now that she's reaching their level, professionally) and they respect her. I also really enjoyed her exchange with Joan. It seems they've realized that they both struggle to stay afloat in a man's world. The cherry on top of last night? Peggy landing her own office. Hurray! When Pete is curious how she landed such a sweet situation she deadpans, "I’m sleeping with Don. It’s really working out.” Sassy, funny, upwardly mobile Peggy? Yes, please!

More thoughts:

OMG, Sally Draper smoking is so disturbing but I laughed out loud. It's heartbreaking to hear her tell her mom that daddy left because Betty is "mean and stupid." Ugh! That kid is going to be a handful as a teenager, especially if she (crossing fingers!) becomes some kind of '60s hippie activist. Probably won't be able to stick her in a closet then!
For some reason Ken's contribution to the popsicle campaign brainstorm made me laugh: "In Vermont we made our own ice cream. It was a pain in the ass."
OK, Pete's reaction to the adoption agency is crazy! After he screams "Hells bells Trudy! That's final!" and tosses dinner over the balcony, I loved how Trudy put him in his place: "You don't speak to me that way!"
Aaand. . . Daddy pulls the Clearasil campaign from Pete, who is too stubborn to back down and keep the business for Sterling-Cooper. I'm amazed that Pete's personal issues cause a client to withdraw, and Pete doesn't seem to care much about it.
Let's get the terrible scene with Joan and her fiance out of the way. Just, ugh. I could hardly stand to watch that go down in Don's office. I've never felt as sympathetic toward Joan as I do now. How soul-shattering was it that they went straight to dinner afterwards (though she left the flowers on the desk, which seems like even more heartbreaking symbolism)? She cannot marry that jerk.
One of the funniest lines to me was when Anna comments on Don's crush on Betty: "Look at you. You're in the lavender haze." Ha! People in the '60s used funny phrases.
Betty's call to Sarah Beth is also insane! Sarah Beth accuses Betty of encouraging her affair with Arthur and Betty shoots back that there's a difference between "wanting and having." It's an intense scene that makes Betty look like the puppet master over these people as a way of working out her own desires. Maybe?
Cooper's sister Alice is fabulously powerful as a character and I enjoyed her back-and-forth with Roger. She appears to convince Cooper of agreeing to the merger. And does it seem darkly foreshadow-y when she says something in the beginning about letting Roger Sterling die in the arms of a 20-year-old? Anyway, next week the staff is going to flip out! I can't wait.

What did you think of this episode? Are you sad we're nearly done with season two? Remember to chime in with your expectations for season three!

Photos courtesy of AMC

Mad Men Rundown: Episode 11, "The Jet Set"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:43:50 -0700

This week's Mad Men episode has got to be the most bizarre yet. I was looking forward to Don and Pete's trip to L.A. (especially for the fashion and sets!) but did not see Don's little sojourn into an eerie little "family" coming. The mood in L.A. is surreal and exotic, with the figures around Don often moving around him in slow motion, making his departure from the realities and responsibilities of his life all the more creepy.

Back in New York, Roger and Jane get extremely serious and move their relationship to the next level even as Roger stares down what I'm guessing will be a nasty divorce. Also, Peggy gets a mini-makeover, Bob Dylan is the hot concert ticket in town, and someone comes out of the closet in the Sterling-Cooper break room. Ready to chat about this fascinating episode? Just read more.

Don Draper: Do we even call him Don still?! By the end of the episode he is speaking as Dick Whitman. . . but I'm getting ahead of myself. Los Angeles is, as expected, totally awesome in terms of a new swinging set of people and fabulous fashion. There's an interesting scene in the poolside bar when Don thinks he sees Betty but it turns out to be some other blonde. Pete's digging the pool scene but Don cracks the whip and makes him work only to ditch him later for a young (really young), mysterious woman named Joy who hangs out with a Count named Willy. Um, yeah. The Palm Springs abode is a den of temptations and offers Don a chance to indulge in a life without strings attached - even Joy explains she wouldn't expect him to be faithful sexually. The song at the end of the episode has the lyrics, "What'll I do?" and the sight of Don's luggage arriving on a quiet Draper doorstep makes me feel ill about what his choice might be.

Peggy Olson: Aw, Peggy. She's getting more respect at the office in some ways but we finally see how confused she is about other aspects of life, like men. It's interesting to compare the sophisticated way Jane uses her sexuality at such a young age to dazzle Roger and Peggy's innocent question, "I don't know why I pick the wrong boys. What's wrong with me?" I love her budding friendship with Kurt ("I fix you") and love her haircut even more. Of course, Pete notices her new 'do as soon as he returns. I hope Kurt helps Peggy become less insecure and I hope the Mad Men folks give her a cute straight boy to go to concerts with soon.

Some more thoughts:

How's this for coming out of the closet in the office during the early '60s? "I make love with the men, not the women." It was an awesome moment followed by homophobic slurs and jokes (once Kurt left the room, of course). Poor Sal's face broke my heart in two.
Duck's fighting for his life and drinking again. He's been a truly sad and pathetic character thus far so I'm glad to see him find his mojo in the firm. I find his desire to take over Sterling-Cooper very interesting. With three weeks to go you know things are going to get nuts now that this little plot has been seeded.
The staging of the scenes in this show is so magnificent sometimes. I was struck by the final shot of Don from behind, sitting on the couch in Palm Springs with his arm draped along the top of the couch - a replica of the black silhouette we've come to associate with the show.
In both Don and Roger's scenes the women's ages come up. They're really young. I have to admit this skeeves me out, big-time.
Back in L.A. I noted the scene where Joy asks Don if he's ever had Mexican food and he says no. In this day and age, I can't imagine a world where Americans have never heard of Mexican food! And frankly, that's not a world I want to live in. Mmm. . . burritos.
I still love the business-related scenes where the creatives brainstorm around brands like Right Guard. It's so hilarious to hear them position these products at this early stage ("Men will be men," and "Women smell bad, too").
The episode opens on a pretty chilling scene: Don and Pete watch a scientist gleefully explain America's new missiles, excitedly talking about limiting second strike capabilities via total annihilation of cities. If I had to sit through that presentation I might have hopped in a car to Palm Springs with a total stranger too, truth be told.
So, ew. Joy is Willy's daughter and he is quite involved in her sex life. Creeps-ville!
How amazing is it going to be when Joan finds out about Jane and Roger?!

What did you think of last night? Was it weird to not see Betty at all while Don is off in the Garden of Eden with a 21-year-old? And who did he call in the end? Do you think Roger will go through with this marriage to Jane? Or will the divorce get too expensive?

Photos courtesy of AMC

Mad Men Rundown: Episode 10, "The Inheritance"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:36:52 -0700

As is often the case with Mad Men, the title of the episode is perfect. This week's installment has little Sterling-Cooper stuff and tons of richly layered, sad, prickly family issues dealing with difficult moms, sick dads, unknown heirs and lonely little boys. We don't see too much of our main man, Don Draper, this week, and I longed for more Joan, Roger and Peggy, but this episode is just as sad, disturbing and well-written as any of them.

To talk about this week's new developments, read more.

Betty Draper: Betty's whole storyline this week is so fascinating and layered. She basically has issues with all three of the male characters in her life this episode. Her father, Gene (who actually bears a resemblance to McCain, in my opinion), has suffered a stroke and is starting to mix things up, mistaking Betty for her mother. The scene at the dining room table when he grabs Betty's breast is staggeringly sad, but Betty doesn't even miss a beat. She's shaken, but doesn't react negatively toward her father at all. She and Don go to see her father together, and she decides to sleep with Don while they're there, but kicks him out again once they return home ("Nothing's changed. We were just pretending."). It seems like all Betty craves sometimes is a little truthfulness. When Viola states simply that Gene is "very, very sick," Betty is relieved that someone is finally admitting it. Later, the boy with the crush on Betty, Glen Bishop, shows up in the Draper kids' playhouse and Betty brings him inside, where he takes Betty's hand and says he came there to rescue her. When Betty calls his mother to pick him up, he glares at Betty and says, "I hate you." As Sally Draper stared at her mother, I couldn't help but wonder what she's learning from Betty, and what Betty learned from her family.

Pete Campbell: Speaking of inheriting things, Pete and his brother Bud are sifting through what their father left them (or, more accurately, what he didn't leave them), while Pete and Trudy discuss adoption. Pete and Bud talk about kids and toast to "the end of the line," but of course, they're not the end of the line because Pete actually does have a child. I look forward to the scene when Pete discovers that Peggy had his kid. Pete can be such a prick ("Why do you insist on making me angry before I go to bed?"), but seeing the way his mother treats him certainly explains a lot. Again, what he "inherited" from that family has seriously informed the person he is now. When his mother snidely dismisses adoption ("You're pulling from the discards"), it almost seems like Pete becomes more sold on the idea because his mother disapproves of it.

Some more thoughts:

More heirs/inheritance stuff: Harry Crane's baby shower! During which he wears a giant yellow bonnet. I love that the cake reads "Congratulations! It's a Crane!" and I find it hilarious that they give him Lucky Strikes as a gift to celebrate the birth of a baby. Oh, and Mr. Cooper poking his head in to just say "happy birthday"? Priceless.
Trudy's line to Pete completely melted my heart: "We're not related by blood and you love me." It struck me as the sweetest, most beautiful argument for adoption there is.
So Kinsey is going down South to register voters, taking a stand with Sheila and waxing philosophic on the bus ride there: "Advertising, if anything, helps bring on change. Consumer has no color." I am loving this Sheila. She is no-nonsense and strong, calling Kinsey out when the need arises.
When Don scoffs at Kinsey and Pete for not having read Peggy's write-up about their trip to L.A., he jokes, "Maybe I should send her." For a moment Peggy looks so hopeful! Also, I love that her outfits are getting cuter. That fitted, black-and-white number is fantastic.
At one point Gene snaps at Don that he has everything and acts like it's nothing. "My daughter's a princess, you know that?" It makes me wonder if this is what's going on with Betty, that she was a princess to her father, and a perfect wife to her husband. But now her father is starting to slip away, and she's realizing her husband was not so perfect. Helen Bishop's comment to Betty seems significant: "The hardest part is realizing you're in charge."
Fun fact: The boy playing Glen is Marten Holden Weiner, the son of Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner.
It made me laugh when Pete told Bud to get back the money their father gave to Lincoln Center. Bud: "You can't take a donation back!"
Pete seems like such a little boy sometimes; he just has no filter. Like when he says to Peggy, "I hate my mother. What do you think of that?"
I like that Betty confides in Helen Bishop, finally telling another woman that Don's not living in the house anymore. It's good that Betty can talk to a female her own age about these things.
Smoking on planes! I forgot that this was ever something people did. This episode included little of Don's story, but I liked that it ends with him gazing out the airplane window, sunlight gliding up his face.

What did you think about "The Inheritance"?

Photos courtesy of AMC

Mad Men Rundown: Episode Nine, "Six Month Leave"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:30:39 -0700

Any Mad Men episode with a lot of Roger Sterling in it is going to be among my favorites and that's a big reason why this first new episode after the show's big Emmy wins did not disappoint. There's a moment at a gambling club when a young woman approaches Roger and Don and asks if they're winners. His response is classic Roger: "Uh, losers tonight but winners in general." Another reason why this episode was good? That would be Betty's bone-chilling spiral into crazy-town, made even creepier with the suicide of Marilyn Monroe lurking in the background. The symbolism of Monroe's untimely death is rich with meaning and I can't wait to chat more about that after the jump.

It isn't just the ladies who have had it up to here with their lot in life. Apparently, despite the fact that they've long been having their cake and eating it too, the men are also feeling trapped. Roger and Don, in a scene that makes them out to be even bigger jerks than I thought possible, talk each other into a midlife crisis together. All of this combined with the sad and pathetic ending of one man's career at Sterling Cooper made for a very dark episode indeed. Ready to chat about it? Just read more.

Betty Draper: One of the bestselling novels of 1962 was Katherine Anne Porter's Ship of Fools, a totally depressing take on basically the whole world and human nature - which is exactly what Betty's in the mood to read! She's so out of it that she can hardly interact with her children. She roams around the house like a zombie, half-heartedly taking on a home improvement task or just falling asleep in the middle of the day face down on her couch. When Don finally pays a visit their exchange is filled with contempt for each other. Don tells her he's not going to talk her into anything and she spits right back at him, “I thought you could talk anyone into anything." Yes! Betty is not backing down and it seems like with each episode she sees more clearly the true identity of the man she married (even though, sadly, she doesn't even know the half of it).

Don Draper: Don's weird moral relativism and rationalizations are just making his character more unsettling than ever. There is this icky sense of entitlement that oozes out of the man and it's only made worse by his chauvinism. Can you tell he's really ticked me off? During his bonding session with Roger after they fire Freddy "that guy who played the symphony on his pants zipper" Rumsen, he confides that he doesn't feel badly at all for what he's done to Betty, that he's actually just relieved. And then, in the most nihilistic moment of the night, he waxes philosophic about what it is to live life: "You don't know how long it's going to be, but you know it's got a bad ending." Good grief, that's depressing. Where is that ray of sunshine Father Gill when you need him? Oh, and later Mona comes storming into Don's office, accusing him of making Roger leave her! Wow.

Some more thoughts:

I know this sounds kind of strange at this juncture but you know what flashback I would love to see? Don and Betty falling in love. I think it would be striking to see how far they've strayed from whatever first bonded them together.
Marilyn Monroe's death affects the women in the office differently than the men. Joan has to sneak into Roger's office for some alone time due to the emotional weight of it. The men, on the other hand, are hardly sympathetic. Don's reaction is basically, "Suicide is disturbing," while Roger comforts Joan with, "She was a movie star that had everything and everybody, and she threw it away."
Don seems impressed when Peggy points out the obvious: that the Playtex ads they never ran in which they divided women into two groups (Jackie Kennedys and Marilyn Monroes) would have had to have been pulled in light of Marilyn's death.
Tellingly, Joan explains to Roger that Marilyn's death was because "this world destroyed her." There's so much in that line, isn't there? Especially since Joan herself has been referred to as the Marilyn "type."
The "Freddy's a drunk and peeing himself" scene was terribly awkward and horrifying. I mean, yes I laughed, but it was just so gross. And then the sloshing noise his shoes made on his way out of the office? Ew! However, some of the Freddy jokes around the office are pretty good ("He's a real whiz in advertising!").
Somehow this display of drunkenness is considered over the line, and Roger decides Freddy must be fired. Kind of amazing considering that office is filled with people who don't have a problem drinking before noon, but OK.
The hypocrisy gets even richer when Roger and Don tell Freddy he needs to "dry out," only to follow up with a farewell boozeathon in an underground gambling club.
What's up with Don's secretary? Is she flirting with him? She buys him shirts (and did you notice the Mencken's bag?)! She seems to annoy everyone, and then in the end Don wants her gone.
So, Don punches Jimmy. This took me by surprise and I felt badly for Jimmy.
Peggy gets her promotion but it doesn't feel very good since it's only because of Freddy's departure. All's fair in advertising, though. It makes me wonder if a man in Peggy's position would feel half as conflicted. Isn't it amazing that Peggy was once Don's secretary? I kind of forget that these days.

What do you think about last night's episode? Was it as depressing for you as it was for me? Are you mad or glad Betty passed the hot horse guy onto her friend? Do you think she has bigger and better ways to get even with Don than something as predictable as sleeping with a younger guy? Do you feel sorry for Mona? As a matter of fact, do you feel sorry for all the women of the early '60s?

Photos courtesy of AMC

These Mad Men Illustrations Are the Bee's Knees

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:30:12 -0700

Caught wind of this yet, Mad Men fans? You are in for a fantastic treat. New York-based illustrator Dyna Moe has created a series of images depicting Mad Men characters and scenes which you can download as wallpaper, or buy certain prints of here. According to the Flickr page, Moe started the whole thing when she designed a Christmas card for Rich Sommer (who plays Harry Crane) to send to his co-workers last season. From there a whole series of illustrations ensued. Moe notes that she bases the look on illustrators "who did advertising and commercial art" during the era in which the show is set.

My favorites include the ones above as well as "Insulting the Utzes" and "What'll It Be, Daddy?" (Sally Draper's Cocktail Cheat Sheet) which is, um, actually going to be really helpful when it hangs in my kitchen.

Is This Season of Mad Men Better Than the First?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:30:15 -0700

There was no new Mad Men episode to recap this week but there was still plenty to talk about given the splash the AMC original series made at the Emmys! I was dubious at first about the show's second season, what with the leap forward in time and all the unanswered questions, but the further in we get the more exciting it all becomes.

What do you think so far? Is this season of Mad Men topping the first?

Photo courtesy of AMC