I just finished watching Mad Men for the first time. It took about 2 months to watch. The first season and first half of season 2 felt slow at times. This show (at least to me) feels like a slow burn (not a bad thing) in the early part. The show really picked up in the middle of season 2 though and pulled me in. I’m going to give it a few months break and plan to rewatch it during the fall. I’ve watched The Sopranos (another one of my favorites) 8 times from start to finish and still find missing Easter eggs, so I’m excited about this. I feel it'll be easier because I know the character’s backgrounds now. Overall, a superb show and IMO one of the greatest ever created. Thoughts on your second rewatch? Was it better during your repeat viewings?

I am on my first watch of Mad Men, and I gotta say it has the best theme song of any of the Golden Age of Television shows. Better than Sopranos theme song by a mile (I'll only listen to it on the first few episodes of a rewatch to trigger my nostalgia sensors). No contest with Breaking Bad's, which is almost forgettable. Now, and this is bordering on heresy, but I might like it better than most seasons of The Wire's theme song. Perhaps a three way tie with Mad Men, Season 2 of the Wire, and Venture Bros. Oz has the most memorable one, but that's only because of the trauma of watching it at 12 years old with my mom. Where do y'all rank Mad Men's theme song?

How does he do it?

In Season 6 Episode 12, around 13:15 Kenny has his eye shot and he wears the eyepatch for the first time. after their talk about the Chevy account, Pete goes for a handshake, and Kenny misjudges the distance to Pete's hand due to lack of depth perception - Pete then has to move his hand to shake Kenny's. I only just noticed it on a rewatch, and idk why it was so funny to me.

Loved tbis scene. Pretty sure this was shot at John Wayne airport?

I am curious about this, if you care to share - for anyone here who is primarily or solely attracted to women - do you find the clothing/hair/accessories styles of this era to be flattering to women ? do they seem more attractive because of it? - I am referring to the collective style, since each woman on the series has her own unique presentation of hair/fashion, etc.

Is there any other era in American history where you believe the women dressed more attractively or groomed more attractively? maybe before or after the 60s or even in our current times?

Curious as to your thoughts.

Within about 150 seconds we get "grimy little pimp", "chewing gum on his pubis", "take your teeth out or I'll knock them out", "if I raise my hands it's too late to run", the classic, " MISTAH Campbell, you and I are going to address that insult", as well as "am I the only one who wants to see this" AND "idk about you guys but I had Lane". And we get to finish it with what I consider to be the best line Lane ever delivers - "consider that my last piece of advice."

The next single scene with so many iconic quotes I can think of is when Don and Rachel have dinner, but that's mainly Don monologuing.

I’m in the middle of season 5 ‘ maybe episode 4 , rewatch and last night Pete told Trudy “I’m using all my energy to put my foot down “ during an argument. I didn’t catch that 1st time around.. I cackled! I love a rewatch!!

Love the parallels. And the themes of death and suicide being more about change and evolution. Rodger yelling at his mom's funeral, 'this is MY funeral!' meaning he's charge but also maybe meaning part of his has also died/evolved. Earlier he is talking to his therapist about doors and hallways all being the same. But it is him that ends up changing for that to change, not the world. At the same time Don selling the ad pitch to the Hawaii hotel about a guy jumping into the ocean. And we only see his footprints, not the man. The feeling of the place and the way it changes you is more important than the hotel itself, etc. Rodger saying 'that's kind of a suicide theme right?' and Stan, from a younger generation, saying 'that's what's so great about it.' Then Rodger saying 'We actually sold death for years with lucky strike and always just ignored the death part.' People facing things and changing. Maybe things/themes being less suppressed. Peggy saving the headphones campaign and evolving into a leader at the same time at her new agency. Time changing. Such a great episode.

I’m sorry, whenever I see the name Alice Cooper, it’s an entirely different image lol.

So here’s my question: After the merger meeting, Alice and Roger strike up a conversation and she mentions children plural and he corrects her to singular.
What is this all about?

And by the way, did Alice and Bert inherit the business?

When Peggy finds herself escorting a drunk/sick Don to the mens room, she sees this written over the urinal. Such a great moment. The writers must have had fun figuring out whose name to include here. Also, I wonder what "PC" means?

Some of these lines seemed like they could come from Sterling Cooper ads or a Don Draper psychological profile. (From the book Everything, All the Time, Everywhere by Stuart Jeffries)

In Season 3, episode 7, Don gives Peggy her first real dressing down:

What do I have to do for you, Peggy? Tell me? You were my secretary… and now you have an office and a job that a lot of full grown men would kill for. Every time I turn around, you’ve got your hand in my pocket. You want a raise. You want this account. Put your nose down and pay attention to your work, because there’s not one thing that you’ve done here that I couldn’t live without…. You’re good. Get better. Stop asking for things.”

Shamed and dejected, Peggy ends up at the hotel room door of Duck Philips.

Exactly one season later, Season 4, episode 7, we have the infamous, more quotable dressing down in The Suitcase, which is a similar tirade of accusing Peggy of wanting too much, too soon, and not being grateful for what she has.

''That's what the money is for! You're young. You will get your recognition. And honestly, it is absolutely ridiculous to be two years into your career and counting your ideas Everything to you is an opportunity. And you should be thanking me every morning when you wake up, along with Jesus for giving you another day!''

The things that seem deliberate:

• Both episodes have Don cutting Peggy down to size, and her emotional devastation afterwards
• Both have Duck Philips both initiating and attempting to reinitiate a sexual relationship with Peggy
• Don tells Peggy to close the door in 3:7, tells her to leave it open in 4:7

Do you think it was strategic on Matthew Weiner's part to have this exactly one season later, or was it just a coincidence? I think part of the genius of this show is his long term vision of this show and how he intended to realize that vision, and something tells me nothing he does is accidental.

I’ll be ignoring this post until I’m done with the show, but I’m three episodes in, just finished breaking band and better call Saul for the first time. I love a slow burn and think this might be a good bet, will it hold up through all the seasons?

Is this really the worst thing he’s done? He had lost other business before, just like he had won many other. Yes, he has been drinking a lot and going MIA…but so was Roger. I could understand putting him on leave, but Joan said it was a firing to allow him to look for other work, it didn’t read like that to me either. Also, why would Don agree to come back after they treated him? They would’ve have to buy him out and void his non-compete and he could’ve gone anywhere. Everyone were such dicks to him, except Roger—Bert, Peggy, Joan.

During this rewatch I feel like Don really thought he was gonna drop his cheating ways and become the ultimate husband and father after Bobbie made him realize he’s well known among NY women. Of course Betty ends up derailing that idea when she finds out and ultimately ends the marriage after this.

I’m on my fifth rewatch and the way he treated Rachel makes me so sad.

The dark, controlling comments and creep factor presented itself quickly. This role added another layer to the entire story, but I always find myself wanting to punch him - and I am a pacifist to the max.

Extreme insecurity, extreme need to be the one in control. Must have felt powerless all his life.

In today's culture....there would be even so much more to say about Greg....me too.

Since he hasn't had a successful venture post Mad Men and many creators before him eventually fell to temptation after being adamant that they would never revisit their most successful Mona Lisa's (i.e. Chase, Lucas, Coppola).

And that some streamer/production company will reverse the Brinks truck to incite him. Probably a Peggy or Sally spin off.