The best things in life may be free, but we've to to pay Father Time almost a year before we see how the '60s close out. Ugh.
Three Up
1. Roger Sterling. Roger is put on the defensive when he learns of the Cutler-led lawsuit against Don for breach of contract (Cutler didn't tell him and Joan, who knew about it, didn't tip him off). He confronts Cooper about this, and gets a lesson on leadership from him about it. Which is good thing, as Cooper dies at home right after the moon landing. Roger get to the office and meets with Joan and Cutler, and Cutler is ready to use Cooper's passing to force Don's ouster. Roger finds the silver lining, though, by meeting with the exec from McCann who talked to him in the steam room and sets up a deal where McCann will buy a majority stake in SC&P, but only if they get the entire team that won Chevy - including Don and Ted, who wants out of advertising. Roger presents the offer to the partners, and once he explains the money people will make he gets everyone on board. Even Cutler, who Roger hoped to push out only to see him stay due to the money. Roger will lead the new subsidiary, taking on that leadership role that Cooper didn't see him in.
2. Peggy Olsen. The Burger Chef pitch is happening while this is going on, and Don pushes Peggy to make the pitch given the turmoil at work so she'll be sure to keep the account if he is forced out. She's doubtful that she can do it, but of course she nails it and the firm wins the account. Peggy is ready to stand on her own two feet, though how she'll fit in with Don and the return of Ted (I'm assuming Lou's contract will be terminated, though having him around to kick at would be entertaining).
3. The SC&P Partners. Are now rich. Or more rich. Joan can finally afford to move out of the Village (assuming she wants to), and Pete can get the hairplugs he needs (his glee at learning how much he stands to earn is hilarious).
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. She's home for the summer and working as a lifeguard, and gets a bonus when a friend of Betty's comes by to visit with her family - including a hunky college-aged son. Sally shows interest - she wears lipstick to lifeguard, and she apes the older boy's cynicism at the moon landing - but she winds up kissing the younger, nerdy brother, and after he leaves she gets to light up and enjoy a smoke with the knowledge she's got power. She is a frightening amalgam of her parents.
Three Down
1. Bert Cooper. Song and dance aside, he's still dead. Too bad, too, as even though we didn't see much of Bert he was always fun in a racist, crazy old man sort of way.
2. Don Draper. For a man who now gets to keep his job and make millions for the privilege, Don's in an odd position as the half-season ends. He's clearly in the doghouse with Joan and Cutler, neither of whom are likely to forgive him for past transgressions (even if Don's agreement to the deal finally gets Joan the payday she missed from the company going public). His position as creative director is still unclear, now that Ted is sticking around and Peggy is proving her worth. His marriage is over, which learns over the phone with Megan, and then at the end of the episode he has a hallucination or vision or something where Bert Cooper sings "The Best Things in Life Are Free" to him. Whatever clarity that may have come from the McCann buyout is gone now thanks to Don's subconscious. Or a blood clot.
3. Harry Crane. His failure to sign the partnership agreement means he's going to miss out on the McCann payday, and he's probably not going to have a deal once it's done. That's why you don't act like a partner until you are one, dummy. Looks like that divorce is back on the fast track!
Honorable Mention: Jim Cutler and Ted Chaough. While both were enriched by the McCann deal, neither man gets what he wants. Cutler started the episode angling to have Don removed as part of his vision for the future of the company, while Ted (after a semi-meltdown with some guys from Sunkist) wanted out altogether. As it ends, Cutler is still around but will be second-fiddle to Roger and loses Harry as a potential partner ally. Ted opts to stay as well after Don sells him on being able to just be creative and not deal with business (which is Don selling Ted the position Don wants). Ted relents on that and so everyone can get their payday, but his comment that a five year contract would cover the rest of his life is ominous.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "The Strategy"
Three Up
1. Peggy Olsen. The team is getting ready to pitch Burger Chef, and Peggy presents a mom-based strategy that everyone loves. Pete and Lou love, it too - but want Don to pitch it, saying Peggy would be better introducing Don and presenting the emotional response. They say it's Peggy's call, but we're pretty clear what the class is supposed to be. Peggy asks Don, but then he says he's been considering a kid-oriented angle. This sets Peggy to doubting the strategy, and she spends most of the weekend trying to come up with a new one. Don shows up eventually, and she demands that Don thinks out loud so to how he'd save things. He does this, and they eventually land on a new strategy, one of anyone eating at Burger Chef being family. It's not all fun and games along the way - along with all the self-doubt, we learn that Peggy has turned 30 and kept it secret - but she has a nice moment with Don as they dance, which struck me as Don giving his blessing to Peggy's first big campaign.
2. Don Draper. Don's role in the firm is still very murky - he's still overshadowing Peggy and is stuck under Lou - but during the episode he works through the issues to get to a point where Peggy is standing on her own two feet with an idea she's behind. His role in marriage is also murky - Megan is in for a visit, and while she's happy to be home and with Don, there's still some tension as to their bicoastal arrangement. There's vague agreement about a vacation away from both New York and LA, but they're still unstable. Still, Don is in a better place at the end of this episode than he's been in the past.
3. Harry Crane. He's not in the episode, but at the end he gets a reward when he's made a partner. It's not unanimous - both Roger and Joan are very strongly against it - and it's done as part of a cover strategy for the loss of Chevy (more PR touting their computer and Harry). Cutler is the one who suggests it, of course, thinking it'll help his secret war to take over the firm.
Honorary Mention - Trudy Campbell. Really, this is just for getting to see Alison Brie again, but she does get to tell Pete off a bit when he visits while in New York and says her dating is immoral because she's a mom. It is a little obvious that she planned a date for the same day that Pete was coming out to visit Tammy, but anytime Trudy puts Pete is his place is something.
Three Down
1 Pete Campbell. Pete returns to New York with Bonnie in two, both having inducted the other into the Mile High Club. Pete's very happy with the Burger Chef pitch and is behind the idea of Don doing it. Things take a turn when he heads out to Cos Cob - without Bonnie - to see Tammy. Which he does - though she's very shy around him - but then Trudy is out, and he decides to wait for her. She was on a date, so he's there for a while. When she does return he gives her the business about "forgetting" his visit and the morality of her dating. He surmises she's got feelings for him She's very clear that they are getting a divorce and that he's no longer part of the family. In a bad mood, Pete buries himself in work and ignores Bonnie (bad idea). She winds up flying back to California by herself (on the same flight as Megan, though they don't seem to know each other). He then has to accept the changes to the Burger Chef campaign. At one point Bonnie says she doesn't like Pete in New York, and it does seem to cause him no end of problems.
2. Bob Benson. Bob's in New York with some Chevy execs, and gets to have a late night visit with one of them to pay bail. Turns out the exec propositioned an undercover cop - male - and then got roughed up in the cells. The two talk in the cab about the temptations of New York - they both know about the other, unclear if they've ever been involved - and the exec drops a bombshell - Chevy is moving the advertising in house, meaning SC&P is out of a job. But he hastens to add that Bob is well-liked at Buick, and he'll likely wind up there. This leads Bob, at the end of his visit with Joan and family, to propose to her. She turns him away, saying he shouldn't be with a woman. When did Joan learn that he was gay? Bob says GM expects their people to be a certain way, and that as a couple they'll have each other to lean on. Joan still declines, saying she's holding out for love, even if she never finds it. She's also stunned at the Chevy news, which doesn't help Bob. So while he may find a soft landing at Buick (and may even land them with SC&P), he's in a bit of a pickle if he can't find a beard.
3. Roger Sterling. Roger has a cryptic conversation in a steam room with an exec from another agency, involving SC&P's going after fast food and Philip Morris (while having Don Draper as an albatross around its neck). Roger has a similar conversation with Cutler, who tells Roger to think less about Don and more about the company. So while he's mulling this, he learns at a partner meeting that Chevy is out. He catches on that Joan knew about this, and stalks out at the double whammy of that and partner Harry Crane. Joan follows, and he gives her a ration about not getting a head's up when he finally pieces things together. The other exec is concerned about losing Buick to SC&P as GM liked their work on Chevy and are likely to bring Bob Benson in-house. Roger at least got that by the end - but still has to see Harry at partner meetings.
Honorable Mention - Bonnie Whiteside. She takes her vacation to New York and has to spend most of that time by herself while Pete moons over his lost family and buries himself in work. She even has to wash her feet after learning you don't wear sandals to walk around Manhattan. In a way it'd be best if she got off the Pete Campbell train now, but it is too bad that she had to waste her vacation on his disaster of a trip back.
1. Peggy Olsen. The team is getting ready to pitch Burger Chef, and Peggy presents a mom-based strategy that everyone loves. Pete and Lou love, it too - but want Don to pitch it, saying Peggy would be better introducing Don and presenting the emotional response. They say it's Peggy's call, but we're pretty clear what the class is supposed to be. Peggy asks Don, but then he says he's been considering a kid-oriented angle. This sets Peggy to doubting the strategy, and she spends most of the weekend trying to come up with a new one. Don shows up eventually, and she demands that Don thinks out loud so to how he'd save things. He does this, and they eventually land on a new strategy, one of anyone eating at Burger Chef being family. It's not all fun and games along the way - along with all the self-doubt, we learn that Peggy has turned 30 and kept it secret - but she has a nice moment with Don as they dance, which struck me as Don giving his blessing to Peggy's first big campaign.
2. Don Draper. Don's role in the firm is still very murky - he's still overshadowing Peggy and is stuck under Lou - but during the episode he works through the issues to get to a point where Peggy is standing on her own two feet with an idea she's behind. His role in marriage is also murky - Megan is in for a visit, and while she's happy to be home and with Don, there's still some tension as to their bicoastal arrangement. There's vague agreement about a vacation away from both New York and LA, but they're still unstable. Still, Don is in a better place at the end of this episode than he's been in the past.
3. Harry Crane. He's not in the episode, but at the end he gets a reward when he's made a partner. It's not unanimous - both Roger and Joan are very strongly against it - and it's done as part of a cover strategy for the loss of Chevy (more PR touting their computer and Harry). Cutler is the one who suggests it, of course, thinking it'll help his secret war to take over the firm.
Honorary Mention - Trudy Campbell. Really, this is just for getting to see Alison Brie again, but she does get to tell Pete off a bit when he visits while in New York and says her dating is immoral because she's a mom. It is a little obvious that she planned a date for the same day that Pete was coming out to visit Tammy, but anytime Trudy puts Pete is his place is something.
Three Down
1 Pete Campbell. Pete returns to New York with Bonnie in two, both having inducted the other into the Mile High Club. Pete's very happy with the Burger Chef pitch and is behind the idea of Don doing it. Things take a turn when he heads out to Cos Cob - without Bonnie - to see Tammy. Which he does - though she's very shy around him - but then Trudy is out, and he decides to wait for her. She was on a date, so he's there for a while. When she does return he gives her the business about "forgetting" his visit and the morality of her dating. He surmises she's got feelings for him She's very clear that they are getting a divorce and that he's no longer part of the family. In a bad mood, Pete buries himself in work and ignores Bonnie (bad idea). She winds up flying back to California by herself (on the same flight as Megan, though they don't seem to know each other). He then has to accept the changes to the Burger Chef campaign. At one point Bonnie says she doesn't like Pete in New York, and it does seem to cause him no end of problems.
2. Bob Benson. Bob's in New York with some Chevy execs, and gets to have a late night visit with one of them to pay bail. Turns out the exec propositioned an undercover cop - male - and then got roughed up in the cells. The two talk in the cab about the temptations of New York - they both know about the other, unclear if they've ever been involved - and the exec drops a bombshell - Chevy is moving the advertising in house, meaning SC&P is out of a job. But he hastens to add that Bob is well-liked at Buick, and he'll likely wind up there. This leads Bob, at the end of his visit with Joan and family, to propose to her. She turns him away, saying he shouldn't be with a woman. When did Joan learn that he was gay? Bob says GM expects their people to be a certain way, and that as a couple they'll have each other to lean on. Joan still declines, saying she's holding out for love, even if she never finds it. She's also stunned at the Chevy news, which doesn't help Bob. So while he may find a soft landing at Buick (and may even land them with SC&P), he's in a bit of a pickle if he can't find a beard.
3. Roger Sterling. Roger has a cryptic conversation in a steam room with an exec from another agency, involving SC&P's going after fast food and Philip Morris (while having Don Draper as an albatross around its neck). Roger has a similar conversation with Cutler, who tells Roger to think less about Don and more about the company. So while he's mulling this, he learns at a partner meeting that Chevy is out. He catches on that Joan knew about this, and stalks out at the double whammy of that and partner Harry Crane. Joan follows, and he gives her a ration about not getting a head's up when he finally pieces things together. The other exec is concerned about losing Buick to SC&P as GM liked their work on Chevy and are likely to bring Bob Benson in-house. Roger at least got that by the end - but still has to see Harry at partner meetings.
Honorable Mention - Bonnie Whiteside. She takes her vacation to New York and has to spend most of that time by herself while Pete moons over his lost family and buries himself in work. She even has to wash her feet after learning you don't wear sandals to walk around Manhattan. In a way it'd be best if she got off the Pete Campbell train now, but it is too bad that she had to waste her vacation on his disaster of a trip back.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "The Runaways"
Three Up
1. Don Draper. A call from his "niece" Stephanie reveals that she's pregnant, in LA, and needs money. Don sends her to Megan, and plans to head out to California that night, but is delayed when Lou throws a tantrum. When he does get out there he's out of sorts, as Stephanie has already left. He then has to suffer through a party Megan is throwing for her acting class, when who wanders in but Harry Crane (who didn't know whose party he was going to with an actress he's helping to "find an agent"). Don manages to cockblock Harry by dragging him out to a bar, and in return Harry lets him in on a secret overture Lou and Jim are making to Philip Morris. Don uses this to crash a meeting and either leverage his experience with tobacco to improve his station or get him out of the firm entirely. In between, he gets to have a three-way with Megan and her friend Amy. Some flashes of the old Don, certainly.
2. Stan Rizzo. While at the copier Stan finds artwork for a comic called "Scout's Honor" that Lou created. Stan spreads this around the creative staff and it develops into a running joke - until Lou overhears the joking while in the men's room. This leads to a confrontation where Stan pretty much gets to call Lou and idiot and still not get fired. Lou's response - make everyone stay late - is pretty bush league, and doesn't change the fact that Stan's assessment of Lou's idea is spot on.
3. Sally Draper. Sally winds up at Henry and Betty's after she seems to have broken her nose sword fighting with golf clubs. Betty sends her to her room, which is just fine with Sally. It also sets up a nice scene with her and Bobby where she allays his fears that Henry and Betty will get divorced - he overheard a fight of theirs - and apologizes for not being around to help him handle the stress of it all. She even ditches her plan to run away back to school so she can stay with him (as long as he doesn't wet the bed). And her nose wasn't broken after all!
Honorable Mention - Harry Crane. Harry's surprise at finding Don at the party is pretty funny, as he's clearly scared that Don will out Harry's hanky panky with his actress friend. His profession of respecting Don seems a little self-serving, but I do think he's sincere about trying to help Don by letting him know about Philip Morris. That it may also be self-serving - Harry doesn't seem to like the direction the firm is heading in, and maybe sees a shakeup as a way to finally get a partnership - is a bonus.
Three Down
1. Michael Ginsberg and/or Peggy Olson. The computer is causing problems for Ginzo, as the humming seems to be doing something to his already unstable mind. At one point he goes out to the computer and sees Lou and Jim having a conversation in the computer room - on a Saturday - and Ginzo immediately understands the problem. The computer is turning everyone homo. He goes to Peggy's home to let her know, and at some point decides the only way to protect himself is to jump Peggy. Peggy fends him off pretty easily, and he leaves without complications. Those come on Monday, when he goes to Peggy's office, says he has feelings for her, and that the data streaming into his head was causing the problem. He's solved that problem by opening the "valve" to let the data out. The valve is one of his nipples, which he's cut off and put into a box as a present for Peggy. She reacts to this better than expected - initial disgust, but she reins it in enough to have Ginzo take a seat while she goes out to call for an ambulance. Kind of sad that this is how Ginzo may go out. Maybe we'll visit him at whatever facility takes him in.
2. Betty Francis. There's a neighborhood party going on (an around the world sort of thing), and Betty steps in it with the neighbors Henry barely knows by voicing a hard-line position on Vietnam that's at odds with the party line voiced by Nixon (and by extension, Henry). That leads to a fight where Henry tells her to stop thinking. So she's already feeling marginalized when Sally shows up and Betty does her usual mother of the year routine. Even so, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for Betty, who is still trying to figure out what to do with her life while being bossed around by Henry and continuing to fail with her kids.
3. Megan Draper. Megan takes the news about Stephanie coming over pretty well, and the two get along at first - though Megan's first comment about Stephanie is how pretty she is - but Megan turns on a dime when Stephanie mentions that she knows all of Don's secrets. While Stephanie is quick to add that she and Don never did anything (what with her being his "niece"), it's obvious that Megan is jealous of Stephanie because she really does know Don better than Megan does. Megan cuts Stephanie a check and sends her packing for Oakland, but the visit causes a distance between Megan and Don for his entire visit, outside of the threeway. When Don announces he has to leave early due to work - and this after finally talking to Stephanie - Megan is even madder than before, as she is reminded that other things and people will come before her with Don.
Honorable Mention - Lou Avery. He'd rank higher, between the lame "Scout's Honor" and even lamer rant about it to the creative team and Don hijacking the meeting with Philip Morris, but as most of it just underscores the dickishness that we already knew about Lou he just gets the honorable mention.
1. Don Draper. A call from his "niece" Stephanie reveals that she's pregnant, in LA, and needs money. Don sends her to Megan, and plans to head out to California that night, but is delayed when Lou throws a tantrum. When he does get out there he's out of sorts, as Stephanie has already left. He then has to suffer through a party Megan is throwing for her acting class, when who wanders in but Harry Crane (who didn't know whose party he was going to with an actress he's helping to "find an agent"). Don manages to cockblock Harry by dragging him out to a bar, and in return Harry lets him in on a secret overture Lou and Jim are making to Philip Morris. Don uses this to crash a meeting and either leverage his experience with tobacco to improve his station or get him out of the firm entirely. In between, he gets to have a three-way with Megan and her friend Amy. Some flashes of the old Don, certainly.
2. Stan Rizzo. While at the copier Stan finds artwork for a comic called "Scout's Honor" that Lou created. Stan spreads this around the creative staff and it develops into a running joke - until Lou overhears the joking while in the men's room. This leads to a confrontation where Stan pretty much gets to call Lou and idiot and still not get fired. Lou's response - make everyone stay late - is pretty bush league, and doesn't change the fact that Stan's assessment of Lou's idea is spot on.
3. Sally Draper. Sally winds up at Henry and Betty's after she seems to have broken her nose sword fighting with golf clubs. Betty sends her to her room, which is just fine with Sally. It also sets up a nice scene with her and Bobby where she allays his fears that Henry and Betty will get divorced - he overheard a fight of theirs - and apologizes for not being around to help him handle the stress of it all. She even ditches her plan to run away back to school so she can stay with him (as long as he doesn't wet the bed). And her nose wasn't broken after all!
Honorable Mention - Harry Crane. Harry's surprise at finding Don at the party is pretty funny, as he's clearly scared that Don will out Harry's hanky panky with his actress friend. His profession of respecting Don seems a little self-serving, but I do think he's sincere about trying to help Don by letting him know about Philip Morris. That it may also be self-serving - Harry doesn't seem to like the direction the firm is heading in, and maybe sees a shakeup as a way to finally get a partnership - is a bonus.
Three Down
1. Michael Ginsberg and/or Peggy Olson. The computer is causing problems for Ginzo, as the humming seems to be doing something to his already unstable mind. At one point he goes out to the computer and sees Lou and Jim having a conversation in the computer room - on a Saturday - and Ginzo immediately understands the problem. The computer is turning everyone homo. He goes to Peggy's home to let her know, and at some point decides the only way to protect himself is to jump Peggy. Peggy fends him off pretty easily, and he leaves without complications. Those come on Monday, when he goes to Peggy's office, says he has feelings for her, and that the data streaming into his head was causing the problem. He's solved that problem by opening the "valve" to let the data out. The valve is one of his nipples, which he's cut off and put into a box as a present for Peggy. She reacts to this better than expected - initial disgust, but she reins it in enough to have Ginzo take a seat while she goes out to call for an ambulance. Kind of sad that this is how Ginzo may go out. Maybe we'll visit him at whatever facility takes him in.
2. Betty Francis. There's a neighborhood party going on (an around the world sort of thing), and Betty steps in it with the neighbors Henry barely knows by voicing a hard-line position on Vietnam that's at odds with the party line voiced by Nixon (and by extension, Henry). That leads to a fight where Henry tells her to stop thinking. So she's already feeling marginalized when Sally shows up and Betty does her usual mother of the year routine. Even so, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for Betty, who is still trying to figure out what to do with her life while being bossed around by Henry and continuing to fail with her kids.
3. Megan Draper. Megan takes the news about Stephanie coming over pretty well, and the two get along at first - though Megan's first comment about Stephanie is how pretty she is - but Megan turns on a dime when Stephanie mentions that she knows all of Don's secrets. While Stephanie is quick to add that she and Don never did anything (what with her being his "niece"), it's obvious that Megan is jealous of Stephanie because she really does know Don better than Megan does. Megan cuts Stephanie a check and sends her packing for Oakland, but the visit causes a distance between Megan and Don for his entire visit, outside of the threeway. When Don announces he has to leave early due to work - and this after finally talking to Stephanie - Megan is even madder than before, as she is reminded that other things and people will come before her with Don.
Honorable Mention - Lou Avery. He'd rank higher, between the lame "Scout's Honor" and even lamer rant about it to the creative team and Don hijacking the meeting with Philip Morris, but as most of it just underscores the dickishness that we already knew about Lou he just gets the honorable mention.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Upfronts 2014; The CW
And to end the week, The CW and its fare for teens and tweens.
What's Cancelled? The most notable cancellation was for The Carrie Diaries, though not unexpected. Also cut was The Tomorrow People, which I think punches the netlet's ticket for trying to adapt a British series and failing.
Starting this Fall
Monday - Starts off with the relocated vampire spin-off The Originals and is followed by new show Jane the Virgin, in which a Hispanic woman who is saving herself for marriage is accidentally inseminated during a doctor's visit and is now carrying the baby of the "reformed playboy" who owns the hotel where Jane works. This sounds like a slightly edgy Lifetime movie more than an actual series. I'm also not sure how these two shows go together.
Tuesday - The Flash fulfills the show based on a comic book quota that's in place this year. With this and Arrow in place, you get the sense that the CW may be to DC what ABC has become for Marvel. This is followed by Supernatural.
Wednesday - Arrow leads into The 100. And while it may be a little on the nose, would it be better to have the two comic book shows on the same night and The 100 paired with Supernatural?
Thursday - The Vampire Diaries lead into Reign. OK, new plan, pair Reign with The 100 for a night about past and future Earth.
Friday - A new and encore episode of Whose Line is it Anyway?leads into yet another season of America's Next Top Model. J Alexander returns, which may be the only reason to tune in.
Saturday and Sunday - local programming, which is still the best idea the network ever had.
And then at midseason
Hart of Dixie returns - maybe she's the one who accidentally knocked up Jane? - as does Beauty and the Beast, and two new shows are available:
iZombie is also based on a comic book, in which a teenage girl tries to balance a normal life with being a zombie. She's passing as human (calling her undead look goth) and has a job with access to fresh brains (coroner's office). Now if she can just find a date for prom!
The Messengers- some sort of pulse knocks out a group of people, who awaken with superpowers and some sort of mystical connection to each other. This may also be the start of the events in Revelation that lead to the Rapture. Somehow, Tim Kring is not involved.
Outlook
The CW is gonna CW. As much as the network talks about being inclusive of more viewers, this is still a lineup that skews young, if not so obviously female anymore. It's a good thing they have a solid lineup of returning shows, as anything that isn't The Flash sounds a little dodgy.
What's Cancelled? The most notable cancellation was for The Carrie Diaries, though not unexpected. Also cut was The Tomorrow People, which I think punches the netlet's ticket for trying to adapt a British series and failing.
Starting this Fall
Monday - Starts off with the relocated vampire spin-off The Originals and is followed by new show Jane the Virgin, in which a Hispanic woman who is saving herself for marriage is accidentally inseminated during a doctor's visit and is now carrying the baby of the "reformed playboy" who owns the hotel where Jane works. This sounds like a slightly edgy Lifetime movie more than an actual series. I'm also not sure how these two shows go together.
Tuesday - The Flash fulfills the show based on a comic book quota that's in place this year. With this and Arrow in place, you get the sense that the CW may be to DC what ABC has become for Marvel. This is followed by Supernatural.
Wednesday - Arrow leads into The 100. And while it may be a little on the nose, would it be better to have the two comic book shows on the same night and The 100 paired with Supernatural?
Thursday - The Vampire Diaries lead into Reign. OK, new plan, pair Reign with The 100 for a night about past and future Earth.
Friday - A new and encore episode of Whose Line is it Anyway?leads into yet another season of America's Next Top Model. J Alexander returns, which may be the only reason to tune in.
Saturday and Sunday - local programming, which is still the best idea the network ever had.
And then at midseason
Hart of Dixie returns - maybe she's the one who accidentally knocked up Jane? - as does Beauty and the Beast, and two new shows are available:
iZombie is also based on a comic book, in which a teenage girl tries to balance a normal life with being a zombie. She's passing as human (calling her undead look goth) and has a job with access to fresh brains (coroner's office). Now if she can just find a date for prom!
The Messengers- some sort of pulse knocks out a group of people, who awaken with superpowers and some sort of mystical connection to each other. This may also be the start of the events in Revelation that lead to the Rapture. Somehow, Tim Kring is not involved.
Outlook
The CW is gonna CW. As much as the network talks about being inclusive of more viewers, this is still a lineup that skews young, if not so obviously female anymore. It's a good thing they have a solid lineup of returning shows, as anything that isn't The Flash sounds a little dodgy.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
2014 Upfronts: CBS
As we've gotten used to, a fairly stable fall offering for CBS, but with one major addition that should shake things up.
What's Cancelled?
The only show that got axed that wasn't clear a while ago was The Crazy Ones. Which is kind of too bad, thought it was OK from what I saw of it.
Starting this Fall
Monday- big news here is that The Big Bang Theory will (temporarily) kick off the night before moving back to Thursday at the end of October. At that point 2 Broke Girls returns. Mom moves to 8:30, and at 9 we have Scorpion, about a group of genius misfits who help solve crimes using their massive brains. But because they suck at real life the mom of a gifted boy helps them cope with feelings and other icky stuff. This is apparently "inspired by a true story," curious as to how far the true story deviates from the show.
The night ends with a relocated NCIS: Los Angeles.
Tuesday - NCIS leads into the new NCIS: New Orleans. I assume I can skip the plot description. The evening ends with Person of Interest, so a nice night of people getting shot at.
Wednesday - Survivor leads into Criminal Minds which leads into a new drama, Stalker, which follows a unit of the LAPD that investigates... stalkers. Just in case one hour a week of Law & Order: SVU wasn't enough for you.
Thursday - FOOTBALL. CBS now has a slate of Thursday night games, which will also air on the NFL Network. It's not quite the deal that NBC has where they can flex games into the night (not surprisingly, given that it's a different day and during the first eight weeks of the season), but given the apparently limitless appetite for the NFL this should give CBS a huge boost early in the fall.
Once football is over, The Big Bang Theory moves back to kick off the night, followed by The Millers, Two and a Half Men, The McCarthys, and Elementary. The McCarthys tells the story about a "loud and sports-crazed" Boston family where the one unathletic son is tabbed by his dad to be his assistant basketball coach. The son, who is gay, just wants to move away and find a partner, but feels compelled to take the job. News flash: not everyone who lives in Boston is Irish. Also, the son could just as easily stay in the city, find a guy, and get married while also being a basketball coach. Ugh.
Friday - the final big move is that The Amazing Race will move here from its long-held Sunday slot. I really don't like this, but do at least appreciate that my DVR won't cut it off due to football or NCAA basketball overruns. Hawaii 5-0 and Blue Bloods return.
Saturday - Crimetime Saturday and 48 Hours, which at least gives us a break from reruns and sports.
Sunday - 60 Minutes leads into the new show Madame Secretary, where Tea Leoni plays the new Secretary of State, who, in a shocking turn of events, has to balance her work and home life. This is followed by The Good Wife and CSI. At some point CSI will give way to CSI: Cyber, about a group that investigates crime that is planned/starts/somehow involves the Internet. Patricia Arquette is the only cast member I've seen mentioned, so I kind of hope this is just an hour of her sitting in front of her computer. Gripping!
And then at midseason
At some point Mike & Molly, The Mentalist, and Undercover Boss will all return. There are two new shows as well:
Battle Creek features mismatched cops, played by Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters, fighting crime in the titular Michigan city. Duhamel is apparently an FBI agent who takes on Winter as his partner, which makes me wonder how a city cop can just become an FBI agent, but I'm thinking too much about this.
The Odd Couple is the latest reboot of the quintessential TV show about mismatched guys. Matthew Perry stars as Oscar, which is funny as I think of him as a Felix.
Outlook
The rich get richer, as even if the new fall shows tank the presence of football will keep ratings up, and the return of so many known shows in the spring should keep CBS at or near the top.
What's Cancelled?
The only show that got axed that wasn't clear a while ago was The Crazy Ones. Which is kind of too bad, thought it was OK from what I saw of it.
Starting this Fall
Monday- big news here is that The Big Bang Theory will (temporarily) kick off the night before moving back to Thursday at the end of October. At that point 2 Broke Girls returns. Mom moves to 8:30, and at 9 we have Scorpion, about a group of genius misfits who help solve crimes using their massive brains. But because they suck at real life the mom of a gifted boy helps them cope with feelings and other icky stuff. This is apparently "inspired by a true story," curious as to how far the true story deviates from the show.
The night ends with a relocated NCIS: Los Angeles.
Tuesday - NCIS leads into the new NCIS: New Orleans. I assume I can skip the plot description. The evening ends with Person of Interest, so a nice night of people getting shot at.
Wednesday - Survivor leads into Criminal Minds which leads into a new drama, Stalker, which follows a unit of the LAPD that investigates... stalkers. Just in case one hour a week of Law & Order: SVU wasn't enough for you.
Thursday - FOOTBALL. CBS now has a slate of Thursday night games, which will also air on the NFL Network. It's not quite the deal that NBC has where they can flex games into the night (not surprisingly, given that it's a different day and during the first eight weeks of the season), but given the apparently limitless appetite for the NFL this should give CBS a huge boost early in the fall.
Once football is over, The Big Bang Theory moves back to kick off the night, followed by The Millers, Two and a Half Men, The McCarthys, and Elementary. The McCarthys tells the story about a "loud and sports-crazed" Boston family where the one unathletic son is tabbed by his dad to be his assistant basketball coach. The son, who is gay, just wants to move away and find a partner, but feels compelled to take the job. News flash: not everyone who lives in Boston is Irish. Also, the son could just as easily stay in the city, find a guy, and get married while also being a basketball coach. Ugh.
Friday - the final big move is that The Amazing Race will move here from its long-held Sunday slot. I really don't like this, but do at least appreciate that my DVR won't cut it off due to football or NCAA basketball overruns. Hawaii 5-0 and Blue Bloods return.
Saturday - Crimetime Saturday and 48 Hours, which at least gives us a break from reruns and sports.
Sunday - 60 Minutes leads into the new show Madame Secretary, where Tea Leoni plays the new Secretary of State, who, in a shocking turn of events, has to balance her work and home life. This is followed by The Good Wife and CSI. At some point CSI will give way to CSI: Cyber, about a group that investigates crime that is planned/starts/somehow involves the Internet. Patricia Arquette is the only cast member I've seen mentioned, so I kind of hope this is just an hour of her sitting in front of her computer. Gripping!
And then at midseason
At some point Mike & Molly, The Mentalist, and Undercover Boss will all return. There are two new shows as well:
Battle Creek features mismatched cops, played by Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters, fighting crime in the titular Michigan city. Duhamel is apparently an FBI agent who takes on Winter as his partner, which makes me wonder how a city cop can just become an FBI agent, but I'm thinking too much about this.
The Odd Couple is the latest reboot of the quintessential TV show about mismatched guys. Matthew Perry stars as Oscar, which is funny as I think of him as a Felix.
Outlook
The rich get richer, as even if the new fall shows tank the presence of football will keep ratings up, and the return of so many known shows in the spring should keep CBS at or near the top.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Upfronts 2014: ABC
If nothing else, ABC's quick hook makes for fun upfront recaps. So here we go again!
What's Cancelled?Everything. OK, maybe not everything but a lot of things. Trophy Wife, Super Fun Night, Suburgatory, and The Neighborsall got the axe, as did anything that was mid-season that's not Resurrection.
Starting this Fall
Monday - Dancing With the Stars leading into Castle. Easily their strongest night of the week.
Tuesday - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. moves back and hour to open up the first hour for two new sitoms. The first is Selfie, which by name alone makes me hope it gets cancelled during its first episode. It's about a woman who is Internet famous and realizes she'd rather be an actual person, and hires a guy to help her. It's apparently based on My Fair Lady, and as much as one may like Karen Gillian and John Cho, they aren't exactly Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
That leads to Manhattan Love Story, about the start of a relationship where we can apparently hear the couple's thoughts. I think. Can't say I care.
The night closes with Forever, the story of an immortal medical examiner who uses his current cases to try to discover why he hasn't died. We're apparently not done with TV shows about people who can't die.
Wednesday - mostly returning shows (The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, and Nashville), with the new sitcom Black-ish at 9:30. It's about an African-American family whose dad (Anthony Anderson) is concerned that he's assimilated too much. Helping him address this is his father (Laurence Fishburne). Worried about the potential for devolving into cliche, but given who is involved there's hope.
Thursday - Grey's Anatomy moves to 8 - too early! - and is followed by Scandal and the new drama How to Get Away with Murder. The latest from Shonda Rhimes, it's about a law professor (Viola Davis) who gets involved with four of her students in applying what they learn in class to real life cases. Kind of meh, though having Viola Davis around is promising.
Friday - Last Man Standing returns, leading into Cristela, about a woman whose six year law school career is finally leading to a big job. But at what cost to her ethnic identity? Not feeling it. Shark Tank and 20/20 finish the night.
Saturday - college football
Sunday - America's Funniest Home Videos, Once Upon a Time, Resurrection, and Revenge all return. A good night of shows that are still growing.
And then at midseason
OK, I'm not going to go through all of the shows. Most notable are:
American Crime - a killing with racial overtones begins to tear a town apart. Some notable names here (Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton), making this the show that will probably get the biggest push.
Galavant - a musical about a knight who loses his princess and is going to get her back. Just goofy enough to work? Alan Menken is involved, so the songs should be pretty good.
Marvel's Agent Carter - ABC's required new show based on a comic book, the former girlfriend of Captain America has to balance a reduction in work now that men are coming back from WWII, the occasional secret mission, and her newly single status. This will work well once something gets cancelled and they can put it after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Secrets & Lies - a man (Ryan Phillipe) discovers a dead boy and is arrested for the killing. He has to prove his innocence while the investigator on the case (Juliette Lewis) starts to reveal the town's... secrets and lies. It's apparently based on Australian show, even if sounds like a neatened up version of Twin Peaks.
The Whispers - aliens have invaded, but are using children to unwittingly set things up for their final assault. I actually like this twist for what is a pretty hoary subject.
Outlook
Not sure some of the time slot moves are going to work - well, Grey'sat least - and there's enough high concept stuff here to be worried about midseason shows sticking around as well.
What's Cancelled?Everything. OK, maybe not everything but a lot of things. Trophy Wife, Super Fun Night, Suburgatory, and The Neighborsall got the axe, as did anything that was mid-season that's not Resurrection.
Starting this Fall
Monday - Dancing With the Stars leading into Castle. Easily their strongest night of the week.
Tuesday - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. moves back and hour to open up the first hour for two new sitoms. The first is Selfie, which by name alone makes me hope it gets cancelled during its first episode. It's about a woman who is Internet famous and realizes she'd rather be an actual person, and hires a guy to help her. It's apparently based on My Fair Lady, and as much as one may like Karen Gillian and John Cho, they aren't exactly Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
That leads to Manhattan Love Story, about the start of a relationship where we can apparently hear the couple's thoughts. I think. Can't say I care.
The night closes with Forever, the story of an immortal medical examiner who uses his current cases to try to discover why he hasn't died. We're apparently not done with TV shows about people who can't die.
Wednesday - mostly returning shows (The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, and Nashville), with the new sitcom Black-ish at 9:30. It's about an African-American family whose dad (Anthony Anderson) is concerned that he's assimilated too much. Helping him address this is his father (Laurence Fishburne). Worried about the potential for devolving into cliche, but given who is involved there's hope.
Thursday - Grey's Anatomy moves to 8 - too early! - and is followed by Scandal and the new drama How to Get Away with Murder. The latest from Shonda Rhimes, it's about a law professor (Viola Davis) who gets involved with four of her students in applying what they learn in class to real life cases. Kind of meh, though having Viola Davis around is promising.
Friday - Last Man Standing returns, leading into Cristela, about a woman whose six year law school career is finally leading to a big job. But at what cost to her ethnic identity? Not feeling it. Shark Tank and 20/20 finish the night.
Saturday - college football
Sunday - America's Funniest Home Videos, Once Upon a Time, Resurrection, and Revenge all return. A good night of shows that are still growing.
And then at midseason
OK, I'm not going to go through all of the shows. Most notable are:
American Crime - a killing with racial overtones begins to tear a town apart. Some notable names here (Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton), making this the show that will probably get the biggest push.
Galavant - a musical about a knight who loses his princess and is going to get her back. Just goofy enough to work? Alan Menken is involved, so the songs should be pretty good.
Marvel's Agent Carter - ABC's required new show based on a comic book, the former girlfriend of Captain America has to balance a reduction in work now that men are coming back from WWII, the occasional secret mission, and her newly single status. This will work well once something gets cancelled and they can put it after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Secrets & Lies - a man (Ryan Phillipe) discovers a dead boy and is arrested for the killing. He has to prove his innocence while the investigator on the case (Juliette Lewis) starts to reveal the town's... secrets and lies. It's apparently based on Australian show, even if sounds like a neatened up version of Twin Peaks.
The Whispers - aliens have invaded, but are using children to unwittingly set things up for their final assault. I actually like this twist for what is a pretty hoary subject.
Outlook
Not sure some of the time slot moves are going to work - well, Grey'sat least - and there's enough high concept stuff here to be worried about midseason shows sticking around as well.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Upfronts 2014: Fox
Fox also went today, and if NBC putting dramas before 10pm on Thursdays threw you, you may want to prepare for the new Fox Sunday.
What's Cancelled? Nothing surprising. Dads finally got the hook, as did mid-season comedies Enlisted and Surviving Jack. Almost Human got dropped a few weeks ago, everything else was known before that. And American Dad is moving to TBS.
Starting this fall
Monday - Sleepy Hollow returns (still kind of astounded that this caught on, but that's the risk you take when you snark on TV shows based on a PR blurb and nothing else), with the new show Gotham as its lead in. Gotham tells the story of the future police commissioner James Gordon, and his experiences fighting crime and corruption in a pre-Batman Gotham City. Hard to see this one failing, unless it pisses off the Batman fanboys in some way.
Tuesday - New Girl and The Mindy Project return, with new lead in Utopia, which takes 15 people and puts them in some isolated location to form their own society, and you can watch along both on the show and 24/7 online. I don't think I can quantify how disinterested I am in this show.
Wednesday - Hell's Kitchen leads into Red Band Society, about a group of kids who become friends while staying in the same pediatric ward. The narrator is in a coma. This can't be as depressing as I'm making it sound, can it? We should at least be happy Fox didn't pair this with Master Chef Junior.
Thursday - Bones returns for its 84th season, followed by Gracepoint, an American version of the British crime series Broadchurch. Kudos to Fox for getting David Tennant to star, but why not just seek out/Netflix the already excellent original series?
Friday - Master Chef Junior leads into more Utopia.
Saturday - sports
Sunday - Animation no longer dominates, as live action programming returns to Sunday night for the first time in forever. Brooklyn Nine-Nine moves in between The Simpsons and Family Guy, which is followed by Mulaney, a show about a stand-up comic who is trying to get his career going while also writing for an aging comedy legend played by Martin Short. Meh.
And then in midseason
We know American Idol will be back, as will The Following and Glee, which for the first (and last) time will start late. Several new show are also available:
Backstrom - Rainn Wilson stars as a darkly comic detective who returns to Portland's major crimes division after being transferred as punishment for his ways. I'd be less optimistic about something that reads like House for cops if it weren't for Wilson and the possibility of channeling that odd Dwight Schrute energy in a new direction.
Bordertown - the latest attempt to examine Anglo-Hispanic relations in a comedic setting. This one takes place in a town near the US-Mexico border, which I suppose is better than the "there goes the neighborhood" vibe of some past shows. Still not that interested.
Empire - this drama set against the backdrop of a music label and the jockeying by the sons of its founder has a lot of big names attached - Lee Daniels, Timbaland, Terrence Howard, among others - could be the most promising of the bunch.
Heiroglyph - set in ancient Egypt, a convicted thief is plucked from his cell to find out who stole an important scroll - but to do so he has to navigate all of the palace intrigue, etc. If nothing else the setting is original.
The Last Man on Earth - Will Forte is, literally, the last man on Earth. Watch him die of food poisoning in episode 4 when he eats some bad canned corn!
Whispering Pines- an FBI agent (Matt Dillon) is looking for a missing FBI agent (Carla Gugino) and after a car accident ("accident"?) wins up in the Whispering Pines hospital - from which he may never get out. A ton of big names (Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis, Terrence Howard again, among others), and there's a lot of promise here. It also looks like a limited 10 episode run, which will keep things from getting too drawn out.
Weird Loners - four romantically challenged strangers wind up living in the same building and get involved in each others' lives. Sounds a little New Girlish to me, with less adorkability.
Outlook
Questionable. Not a fan of most of the new fall shows, but there's enough there between returning shows and some of the mid-season shows for Fox to not backslide. I think.
What's Cancelled? Nothing surprising. Dads finally got the hook, as did mid-season comedies Enlisted and Surviving Jack. Almost Human got dropped a few weeks ago, everything else was known before that. And American Dad is moving to TBS.
Starting this fall
Monday - Sleepy Hollow returns (still kind of astounded that this caught on, but that's the risk you take when you snark on TV shows based on a PR blurb and nothing else), with the new show Gotham as its lead in. Gotham tells the story of the future police commissioner James Gordon, and his experiences fighting crime and corruption in a pre-Batman Gotham City. Hard to see this one failing, unless it pisses off the Batman fanboys in some way.
Tuesday - New Girl and The Mindy Project return, with new lead in Utopia, which takes 15 people and puts them in some isolated location to form their own society, and you can watch along both on the show and 24/7 online. I don't think I can quantify how disinterested I am in this show.
Wednesday - Hell's Kitchen leads into Red Band Society, about a group of kids who become friends while staying in the same pediatric ward. The narrator is in a coma. This can't be as depressing as I'm making it sound, can it? We should at least be happy Fox didn't pair this with Master Chef Junior.
Thursday - Bones returns for its 84th season, followed by Gracepoint, an American version of the British crime series Broadchurch. Kudos to Fox for getting David Tennant to star, but why not just seek out/Netflix the already excellent original series?
Friday - Master Chef Junior leads into more Utopia.
Saturday - sports
Sunday - Animation no longer dominates, as live action programming returns to Sunday night for the first time in forever. Brooklyn Nine-Nine moves in between The Simpsons and Family Guy, which is followed by Mulaney, a show about a stand-up comic who is trying to get his career going while also writing for an aging comedy legend played by Martin Short. Meh.
And then in midseason
We know American Idol will be back, as will The Following and Glee, which for the first (and last) time will start late. Several new show are also available:
Backstrom - Rainn Wilson stars as a darkly comic detective who returns to Portland's major crimes division after being transferred as punishment for his ways. I'd be less optimistic about something that reads like House for cops if it weren't for Wilson and the possibility of channeling that odd Dwight Schrute energy in a new direction.
Bordertown - the latest attempt to examine Anglo-Hispanic relations in a comedic setting. This one takes place in a town near the US-Mexico border, which I suppose is better than the "there goes the neighborhood" vibe of some past shows. Still not that interested.
Empire - this drama set against the backdrop of a music label and the jockeying by the sons of its founder has a lot of big names attached - Lee Daniels, Timbaland, Terrence Howard, among others - could be the most promising of the bunch.
Heiroglyph - set in ancient Egypt, a convicted thief is plucked from his cell to find out who stole an important scroll - but to do so he has to navigate all of the palace intrigue, etc. If nothing else the setting is original.
The Last Man on Earth - Will Forte is, literally, the last man on Earth. Watch him die of food poisoning in episode 4 when he eats some bad canned corn!
Whispering Pines- an FBI agent (Matt Dillon) is looking for a missing FBI agent (Carla Gugino) and after a car accident ("accident"?) wins up in the Whispering Pines hospital - from which he may never get out. A ton of big names (Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis, Terrence Howard again, among others), and there's a lot of promise here. It also looks like a limited 10 episode run, which will keep things from getting too drawn out.
Weird Loners - four romantically challenged strangers wind up living in the same building and get involved in each others' lives. Sounds a little New Girlish to me, with less adorkability.
Outlook
Questionable. Not a fan of most of the new fall shows, but there's enough there between returning shows and some of the mid-season shows for Fox to not backslide. I think.
Upfronts 2014: NBC
It's upfront week for the broadcast networks, as they tout next year's lineup in the hopes of selling all that precious ad time as soon as possible for as much money as possible. NBC, the doormat who managed to be the number 1 network at some point this season, got to go first.
What's Cancelled? In case you were off the Internet last week, the most notable cancellation for NBC is Community. And if you were off the Internet because electricity no longer works, you've been saved as NBC also axed Revolution.
Everything else that got whacked was either a mid-season replacement, a planned short run (Dracula), or had been cancelled a while ago.
Starting this Fall - here's your night-by-night schedule.
Monday - The Voice leads into The Blacklist. You should get used to seeing a lot of The Voice, as it will run twice during the season. The Blacklist will also get the post-Super Bowl slot.
Tuesday - The Voice results show, then a one-hour sitcom block, with Chicago Fire capping the night. The sitcom block has a new show, Marry Me, leading into the return of About a Boy, which seemed to disappear after its heavy promotion during the Olympics but apparently did enough to earn a second season.
Marry Me is about a couple who, botching their first attempt at an engagement (he planned to do it after a vacation, she slams him after they get back because she thought he'd pop the question on vacation), decide not to do it until everything is just right. Can't say I'm particularly interested, but it apparently involves a variety of people from Happy Endings, which enough people seemed to like that this may work.
Wednesday - A trio of dramas, as The Mysteries of Laura leads into Law & Order: SVU and Chicago PD. Laura is about a NYPD detective (Debra Messing) who is great at work but can't keep things together at home. Oh, and at some point her soon-to-be (maybe) husband winds up being her boss at some point. Ugh.
Thursday - The Biggest Loser and Parenthood bookend two new sitcoms that make me wonder if the cancellation of Community was premature. Bad Judge starts Kate Walsh as the titular bad judge, though the bad refers to her wild personal life (and occasional idiosyncracies behind the bench). Then some 8 year old kid shows up and may just be what causes her to settle down. So really, About Another Boy.
A to Z follows the wacky dating hijinx of a guy (Andrew) and a woman (Zelda) who meet thanks to an online dating error. He's a romantic! She's the practical one! Wacky! I would watch this only if Andrew, played by Mad Men's Ben Feldman, played the character as a modern day Ginzo.
Friday - Dateline, Grimm and Constantine, the latter based on the Hellblazer series by DC Comics. Get used to seeing comic book properties among new series, by the way.
Saturday - reruns
Sunday - football.
And then at mid-season
The big move is The Blacklist going from Monday at 10 to Thursday at 9, putting a stake right though the Thursday comedy block's heart. Taking its place on Monday is State of Affairs, which sees Katherine Heigl play a CIA analyst who puts together the president's daily intelligence briefing. She was also once engaged to the president's son. The president is played by Alfre Woodard, and I can only hope this thing gets retooled for her.
Replacing Parenthood at midseason is Allegiance, a broadcast network version of The Americans, but set in the present. Timely, I suppose, and the presence of Hope Davis is heartening. Maybe the best thing to happen here would be for this show to spur interest in the FX show.
There are several unscheduled shows, including returners like Parks and Rec and Hannibal (and the Heroes reboot, as much as no one seems to be looking forward to it). Among the new shows not yet scheduled:
Aquarius - David Duchovny stars as a 1960s cop investigating disappearances linked to a small-time cult led by a guy named Charles Manson.
Emerald City - a gritty reboot of Gone With the Wind, straight from the Once Upon a Time playbook.
Mission Control- a sitcom set in the 1960s about a female engineer trying to work within the boy's club that is NASA.
Mr. Robinson - musician turned substitute teacher uses music to inspire his students. It's the School of Rock adaptation we've never been waiting for! Craig Robinson stars, in case you were wondering how they came up with the name.
The Odyssey - the lives of three strangers collide with unexpected results. It's the Traffic adaptation we've never been waiting for! I'm not even going to try to explain it here, the synopsis made my head hurt.
One Big Happy - friends decide to start a family, but just as the woman discovers she's pregnant the guy announces he's married his recently-acquired girlfriend - who the female friend does not like. Another spin on Modern Family, though having Ellen Degeneres as an executive producer can't hurt.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - a woman recently freed from living in a cult for 15 years (played by Ellie Kemper) decides to stay in New York after a Today appearance and rents a room from a Broadway wannabe. I'd be less interested in this if it wasn't from Tina Fey. I'm actually a little surprised it didn't get on the fall schedule, but you can also see where this and Parks and Rec could make a nice hour once something gets cancelled.
Outlook
Not the worst that NBC has ever thrown at us. Still, I get the feeling that they're going to ride football and The Voice as hard as possible and just hope for the best with everything else.
What's Cancelled? In case you were off the Internet last week, the most notable cancellation for NBC is Community. And if you were off the Internet because electricity no longer works, you've been saved as NBC also axed Revolution.
Everything else that got whacked was either a mid-season replacement, a planned short run (Dracula), or had been cancelled a while ago.
Starting this Fall - here's your night-by-night schedule.
Monday - The Voice leads into The Blacklist. You should get used to seeing a lot of The Voice, as it will run twice during the season. The Blacklist will also get the post-Super Bowl slot.
Tuesday - The Voice results show, then a one-hour sitcom block, with Chicago Fire capping the night. The sitcom block has a new show, Marry Me, leading into the return of About a Boy, which seemed to disappear after its heavy promotion during the Olympics but apparently did enough to earn a second season.
Marry Me is about a couple who, botching their first attempt at an engagement (he planned to do it after a vacation, she slams him after they get back because she thought he'd pop the question on vacation), decide not to do it until everything is just right. Can't say I'm particularly interested, but it apparently involves a variety of people from Happy Endings, which enough people seemed to like that this may work.
Wednesday - A trio of dramas, as The Mysteries of Laura leads into Law & Order: SVU and Chicago PD. Laura is about a NYPD detective (Debra Messing) who is great at work but can't keep things together at home. Oh, and at some point her soon-to-be (maybe) husband winds up being her boss at some point. Ugh.
Thursday - The Biggest Loser and Parenthood bookend two new sitcoms that make me wonder if the cancellation of Community was premature. Bad Judge starts Kate Walsh as the titular bad judge, though the bad refers to her wild personal life (and occasional idiosyncracies behind the bench). Then some 8 year old kid shows up and may just be what causes her to settle down. So really, About Another Boy.
A to Z follows the wacky dating hijinx of a guy (Andrew) and a woman (Zelda) who meet thanks to an online dating error. He's a romantic! She's the practical one! Wacky! I would watch this only if Andrew, played by Mad Men's Ben Feldman, played the character as a modern day Ginzo.
Friday - Dateline, Grimm and Constantine, the latter based on the Hellblazer series by DC Comics. Get used to seeing comic book properties among new series, by the way.
Saturday - reruns
Sunday - football.
And then at mid-season
The big move is The Blacklist going from Monday at 10 to Thursday at 9, putting a stake right though the Thursday comedy block's heart. Taking its place on Monday is State of Affairs, which sees Katherine Heigl play a CIA analyst who puts together the president's daily intelligence briefing. She was also once engaged to the president's son. The president is played by Alfre Woodard, and I can only hope this thing gets retooled for her.
Replacing Parenthood at midseason is Allegiance, a broadcast network version of The Americans, but set in the present. Timely, I suppose, and the presence of Hope Davis is heartening. Maybe the best thing to happen here would be for this show to spur interest in the FX show.
There are several unscheduled shows, including returners like Parks and Rec and Hannibal (and the Heroes reboot, as much as no one seems to be looking forward to it). Among the new shows not yet scheduled:
Aquarius - David Duchovny stars as a 1960s cop investigating disappearances linked to a small-time cult led by a guy named Charles Manson.
Emerald City - a gritty reboot of Gone With the Wind, straight from the Once Upon a Time playbook.
Mission Control- a sitcom set in the 1960s about a female engineer trying to work within the boy's club that is NASA.
Mr. Robinson - musician turned substitute teacher uses music to inspire his students. It's the School of Rock adaptation we've never been waiting for! Craig Robinson stars, in case you were wondering how they came up with the name.
The Odyssey - the lives of three strangers collide with unexpected results. It's the Traffic adaptation we've never been waiting for! I'm not even going to try to explain it here, the synopsis made my head hurt.
One Big Happy - friends decide to start a family, but just as the woman discovers she's pregnant the guy announces he's married his recently-acquired girlfriend - who the female friend does not like. Another spin on Modern Family, though having Ellen Degeneres as an executive producer can't hurt.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - a woman recently freed from living in a cult for 15 years (played by Ellie Kemper) decides to stay in New York after a Today appearance and rents a room from a Broadway wannabe. I'd be less interested in this if it wasn't from Tina Fey. I'm actually a little surprised it didn't get on the fall schedule, but you can also see where this and Parks and Rec could make a nice hour once something gets cancelled.
Outlook
Not the worst that NBC has ever thrown at us. Still, I get the feeling that they're going to ride football and The Voice as hard as possible and just hope for the best with everything else.
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "The Monolith"
Three Up
1. Jim Cutler. While we don't see much of Jim, the events of the episode help build his position in the office. It opens with an announcement about the computer that he championed, which gets media behind him. He seems to miss the mark when trying to bring Ted back to New York to work on landing a new national account, but wins by supporting Ted's idea to give it to Peggy and then having Don wind up on her team. Any potential fallout there helps Jim, as he's either supported success or gets to blame former SCDPers if things go south.
2. Pete Campbell. He's responsible for getting a crack at Burger Chef, as he runs into one of their execs, a former Vicks man, while out to dinner with girlfriend Bonnie. He also learns that things back in New York changed when his soon to be father-in-law had a heart attack. He's OK, but you can see Pete's taken aback by the news, suggesting he's still thinking about Trudy and Tammy on some level. Finally, this new account would not run through Bob Benson, so it's an even bigger win where Pete's concerned.
3. Freddie Rumsen. He only shows up in the last quarter of the episode - Don calls him to go to a Mets game, Freddie takes him home because he's three sheets to the wind. The next morning, Freddie gives Don a talking to, using his experience to help Don figure out that it's time to play ball with the partners if he wants a crack of getting back to where he was. It's also a rare instance of true friendship between ad men.
Honorable Mention - John Mathis. He's on the Burger Chef account as well and quite pleased to be there, apparently unaware of the larger issues of how the team was set up. He'll write tags all day and be happy to do so! Too bad he's about to be crowded out by whatever Don comes up with.
Three Down
1. Roger Sterling. So that brunch with Margaret where she forgave him has finally led to where we thought it would - she's run off to join a commune, leaving husband and child behind. Roger gets Brooks to go up to get her, but he winds up in jail. So Roger and Mona go up, and while Roger tries to understand what's going on - he stays overnight after Mona gives up trying to talk reason - he falls short after Margaret (now Marigold) wanders off in the night to hump one of the commune's men. Roger tries to physically force her to leave, which results in a savage dressing down from Margaret about his absentee parenting. And he gets mud on his suit, which I suppose will dry up on his walk back to town.
2. Don Draper. He's back but isolated - he doesn't get the memo about the computer, and he's frozen out of partner meetings due to the rules set up for his return. Don hits bottom when he finds out he's working for Peggy and then gets shot down by Bert after suggesting their computer company could become a client. So Don looks to get below the bottom by getting tanked in his office, which is when he calls Freddie to go to the Mets game. Things turn around at the end, with Don working on his tags for Peggy. He's down but working back up.
3. Peggy Olsen. Good news to start for Peggy - she gets a shot at a national account and a $100/week raise. The price, of course, is that Lou saddles her with Don, which effectively get him out of his hair and potentially may see him gone for good if he implodes (almost, Lou!). Peggy broods about this all episode, but in a small talk with Joan gets some good news when Joan suggests that the partners probably didn't even think about anything when they set the team up, never mind sabotage (I'm pretty sure Ted was working off of residual guilt when he suggested Peggy, though). The bonus comes on Monday morning, when she stops in to see Don and he says he'll get his tags to her by lunch. Things are looking up for Peggy, too.
Honorable Mention - Lloyd Hawley. The owner of the company that's installing the computer, he and Don strike up a bit of a friendship, to the point where Lloyd seeks advertising advice from Don. This is what gets Don to propose new business to Bert, who shoots it down as a violation of rules. Don later drunkenly accuses Lloyd of being in cahoots with everyone else. Lloyd has no idea what he's talking about. Welcome to SC&P, Lloyd. Hope they paid you in advance!
1. Jim Cutler. While we don't see much of Jim, the events of the episode help build his position in the office. It opens with an announcement about the computer that he championed, which gets media behind him. He seems to miss the mark when trying to bring Ted back to New York to work on landing a new national account, but wins by supporting Ted's idea to give it to Peggy and then having Don wind up on her team. Any potential fallout there helps Jim, as he's either supported success or gets to blame former SCDPers if things go south.
2. Pete Campbell. He's responsible for getting a crack at Burger Chef, as he runs into one of their execs, a former Vicks man, while out to dinner with girlfriend Bonnie. He also learns that things back in New York changed when his soon to be father-in-law had a heart attack. He's OK, but you can see Pete's taken aback by the news, suggesting he's still thinking about Trudy and Tammy on some level. Finally, this new account would not run through Bob Benson, so it's an even bigger win where Pete's concerned.
3. Freddie Rumsen. He only shows up in the last quarter of the episode - Don calls him to go to a Mets game, Freddie takes him home because he's three sheets to the wind. The next morning, Freddie gives Don a talking to, using his experience to help Don figure out that it's time to play ball with the partners if he wants a crack of getting back to where he was. It's also a rare instance of true friendship between ad men.
Honorable Mention - John Mathis. He's on the Burger Chef account as well and quite pleased to be there, apparently unaware of the larger issues of how the team was set up. He'll write tags all day and be happy to do so! Too bad he's about to be crowded out by whatever Don comes up with.
Three Down
1. Roger Sterling. So that brunch with Margaret where she forgave him has finally led to where we thought it would - she's run off to join a commune, leaving husband and child behind. Roger gets Brooks to go up to get her, but he winds up in jail. So Roger and Mona go up, and while Roger tries to understand what's going on - he stays overnight after Mona gives up trying to talk reason - he falls short after Margaret (now Marigold) wanders off in the night to hump one of the commune's men. Roger tries to physically force her to leave, which results in a savage dressing down from Margaret about his absentee parenting. And he gets mud on his suit, which I suppose will dry up on his walk back to town.
2. Don Draper. He's back but isolated - he doesn't get the memo about the computer, and he's frozen out of partner meetings due to the rules set up for his return. Don hits bottom when he finds out he's working for Peggy and then gets shot down by Bert after suggesting their computer company could become a client. So Don looks to get below the bottom by getting tanked in his office, which is when he calls Freddie to go to the Mets game. Things turn around at the end, with Don working on his tags for Peggy. He's down but working back up.
3. Peggy Olsen. Good news to start for Peggy - she gets a shot at a national account and a $100/week raise. The price, of course, is that Lou saddles her with Don, which effectively get him out of his hair and potentially may see him gone for good if he implodes (almost, Lou!). Peggy broods about this all episode, but in a small talk with Joan gets some good news when Joan suggests that the partners probably didn't even think about anything when they set the team up, never mind sabotage (I'm pretty sure Ted was working off of residual guilt when he suggested Peggy, though). The bonus comes on Monday morning, when she stops in to see Don and he says he'll get his tags to her by lunch. Things are looking up for Peggy, too.
Honorable Mention - Lloyd Hawley. The owner of the company that's installing the computer, he and Don strike up a bit of a friendship, to the point where Lloyd seeks advertising advice from Don. This is what gets Don to propose new business to Bert, who shoots it down as a violation of rules. Don later drunkenly accuses Lloyd of being in cahoots with everyone else. Lloyd has no idea what he's talking about. Welcome to SC&P, Lloyd. Hope they paid you in advance!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Field Trip"
Three Up
1. Don Draper. It's not all sunshine for Don, as a trip to California to buck up Megan (at the behest of her agent) goes completely sideways when he tells her the truth about work. The ensuing fight, however, clarifies for Don that he needs to get back in the game, so he gets an offer from a competing firm that leads to a return to SC&P, albeit under strict conditions (including reporting to Lou, which I thought my be a deal breaker). While this may not be the best thing for him in the long run, in the now Don is back where he identifies with what it is to be Don Draper. That's probably going to have to be enough for the time being.
2. Peggy Olsen. Still chafing under Lou's cardigan-wearing tyranny, now notable for his lack of push to get anyone nominated for Clios, she seems to react positively to Don's return, but manages to burn him later by saying he's not been missed (a sentiment not fully shared by the rest of creative, though Rizzo is on the fence). Not sure how she'll react to Don's return, but she's likely gained an ally that she's not had in the office, well, ever.
3. Harry Crane. Harry has to respond to a client's question about computer-driven market data and replies with how SC&P is just as good - if not better - in that department. Of course it's all lies, as the firm has to farm out their computer needs to someone else. His prevarication does get Cutler to call Harry the most dishonest person he's met, but it does show Harry in a more competent light as he was able to talk the client down and then impress upon a partner the importance of supporting the media division. Sadly for Harry, Cutler uses the computer as an argument against bringing Don back. Roger also make an off the cuff statement that Harry is gone, so maybe this isn't going to go so well for him as first thought.
Honorable Mention: Francine Hanson. Francine is back! She's working at a travel agency three days a week now, and stories of the office are just the thing to get Betty worked up about what she's doing with her life. Francine should show up to sow the seeds of discord more often.
Three Down
1. Betty Francis. So in response to her coffee date with Francine, Betty decides to chaperone a field trip that Bobby's class is taking to a farm. And Betty does well for a while, making small talk with Bobby on the bus, connecting with another chaperone, and even tasting milk fresh from the cow. Things go south when Bobby trades her sandwich for some gumdrops. I mean, Bobby may have thought she wasn't going to eat (having flashbacks to fat Betty, I suppose), but it's still a stupid thing to do. What's stupider, though, is Betty forcing Bobby to eat the gumdrops while she sits there and smokes disapprovingly. Her snit lasts the rest of the day, and pretty clearly crushes Bobby. In a conversation with Henry later she asks why the children hate her, and when Henry deflects by pointing out Gene is sleeping in her arms she just says it's a matter of time. Good that she recognizes the problem, I suppose, but it'd be helpful if she actually tried to do something about it.
2. Megan Draper. The return to constant rejection is not sitting well with Megan, who took to arranging an "accidental" meeting with a casting director so she could plead to redo a reading for a part. Her agent is concerned and calls Don to see if he can calm her down. This leads to a surprise trip to LA and the talk that may have ended their marriage. A later phone call may have repaired some of the damage, but Megan's trust in Don is pretty severely broken. That he's now going back to work in New York rather than moving out to LA as originally promised isn't going to help.
3. Lou Avery. We'd already seen the new depths that Lou could go to before Don showed up at the office and ran into him, putting Lou in panic mode. He angrily reminds Cutler about his contract and gets to chew out the creative staff for talking to Don. Which should make for a very comfortable work environment now that Don is back. I can't believe that Lou thinks he can actually supervise Don, but he's just egotistical enough that it could be the case. I'm looking forward to seeing how Don tortures Lou.
Honorable Mention: Gumdrops. Few things have looked less appetizing than when Bobby started to choke down those gumdrops. Tough enough market for a legacy candy, but throw that in and what chance is there of a comeback?
1. Don Draper. It's not all sunshine for Don, as a trip to California to buck up Megan (at the behest of her agent) goes completely sideways when he tells her the truth about work. The ensuing fight, however, clarifies for Don that he needs to get back in the game, so he gets an offer from a competing firm that leads to a return to SC&P, albeit under strict conditions (including reporting to Lou, which I thought my be a deal breaker). While this may not be the best thing for him in the long run, in the now Don is back where he identifies with what it is to be Don Draper. That's probably going to have to be enough for the time being.
2. Peggy Olsen. Still chafing under Lou's cardigan-wearing tyranny, now notable for his lack of push to get anyone nominated for Clios, she seems to react positively to Don's return, but manages to burn him later by saying he's not been missed (a sentiment not fully shared by the rest of creative, though Rizzo is on the fence). Not sure how she'll react to Don's return, but she's likely gained an ally that she's not had in the office, well, ever.
3. Harry Crane. Harry has to respond to a client's question about computer-driven market data and replies with how SC&P is just as good - if not better - in that department. Of course it's all lies, as the firm has to farm out their computer needs to someone else. His prevarication does get Cutler to call Harry the most dishonest person he's met, but it does show Harry in a more competent light as he was able to talk the client down and then impress upon a partner the importance of supporting the media division. Sadly for Harry, Cutler uses the computer as an argument against bringing Don back. Roger also make an off the cuff statement that Harry is gone, so maybe this isn't going to go so well for him as first thought.
Honorable Mention: Francine Hanson. Francine is back! She's working at a travel agency three days a week now, and stories of the office are just the thing to get Betty worked up about what she's doing with her life. Francine should show up to sow the seeds of discord more often.
Three Down
1. Betty Francis. So in response to her coffee date with Francine, Betty decides to chaperone a field trip that Bobby's class is taking to a farm. And Betty does well for a while, making small talk with Bobby on the bus, connecting with another chaperone, and even tasting milk fresh from the cow. Things go south when Bobby trades her sandwich for some gumdrops. I mean, Bobby may have thought she wasn't going to eat (having flashbacks to fat Betty, I suppose), but it's still a stupid thing to do. What's stupider, though, is Betty forcing Bobby to eat the gumdrops while she sits there and smokes disapprovingly. Her snit lasts the rest of the day, and pretty clearly crushes Bobby. In a conversation with Henry later she asks why the children hate her, and when Henry deflects by pointing out Gene is sleeping in her arms she just says it's a matter of time. Good that she recognizes the problem, I suppose, but it'd be helpful if she actually tried to do something about it.
2. Megan Draper. The return to constant rejection is not sitting well with Megan, who took to arranging an "accidental" meeting with a casting director so she could plead to redo a reading for a part. Her agent is concerned and calls Don to see if he can calm her down. This leads to a surprise trip to LA and the talk that may have ended their marriage. A later phone call may have repaired some of the damage, but Megan's trust in Don is pretty severely broken. That he's now going back to work in New York rather than moving out to LA as originally promised isn't going to help.
3. Lou Avery. We'd already seen the new depths that Lou could go to before Don showed up at the office and ran into him, putting Lou in panic mode. He angrily reminds Cutler about his contract and gets to chew out the creative staff for talking to Don. Which should make for a very comfortable work environment now that Don is back. I can't believe that Lou thinks he can actually supervise Don, but he's just egotistical enough that it could be the case. I'm looking forward to seeing how Don tortures Lou.
Honorable Mention: Gumdrops. Few things have looked less appetizing than when Bobby started to choke down those gumdrops. Tough enough market for a legacy candy, but throw that in and what chance is there of a comeback?
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "A Day's Work"
Three Up
1. Joan Harris. Turns out Joan's involvement with the shoe company last week was a part of something bigger - she's been juggling accounts and personnel work, and just when the latter is proving difficult Cutler shows up and suggests she choose one over the other. It's not a hard choice - Joan packs her things and moves upstairs, opening up room for...
2. Dawn Chambers. Dawn's been juggling working for Lou Avery and covering for Don, and when those two ships collide - Sally comes to the office and finds out Don's not there anymore - she takes a ration from Lou. This turns out to work in Dawn's favor, as (a) she gets to tell Lou off when he asks to have her moved, and (b) she winds up in Joan's old office after a brief stint out front.
3. Sally Draper. Sally goes into the city for the funeral of a roommate's mother, and loses her purse. She goes back for it, and that's how she winds up stopping by the office. She then goes to Don's apartment, but never confronts him about his job, leading to a later confrontation when she calls him out. Don eventually explains what happened, and they wind up getting past things, sort of. In the end she even says she loves him.
Honorable Mention: Michael Ginsburg. He's only in one scene, but has the best line of the night, in reference to Peggy's Valentine's Day plans. "She has plans, look at her calendar: February 14th, masturbate gloomily."
Three Down
1. Peggy Olsen. Besides the burn that Ginzo puts on her, Peggy winds up in a misunderstanding over some roses sent to her secretary, Shirley. Peggy thinks they're for her, and Shirley never gets a chance to correct her. Peggy believes they're from Ted, and spends most of the episode trying to tell Ted off, indirectly. Eventually Shirley tells Peggy about the flowers, which Peggy takes as a humiliation and asks Joan to move Shirley off her desk. In the end, masturbating gloomily would have been a step up.
2. Roger Sterling. Roger gets into something with Cutler over new business the LA office landed, and is outvoted. He ends the day discovering that Joan is moving in next door as an account rep, and on the way down is stuck in the elevator with Cutler, who says he hopes Roger would never be an adversary, but in a way that makes it clear that Cutler is an adversary. Back to the free love and acid?
3. Lou Avery. Continues to be a colossal dick, which will make his eventual comeuppance that much sweeter.
Honorable Mention: Bert Cooper. Also proves himself to be a dick, but in a low key way when he asks Joan to move Dawn off of front reception because she's black. I hope he steps on a thumbtack.
1. Joan Harris. Turns out Joan's involvement with the shoe company last week was a part of something bigger - she's been juggling accounts and personnel work, and just when the latter is proving difficult Cutler shows up and suggests she choose one over the other. It's not a hard choice - Joan packs her things and moves upstairs, opening up room for...
2. Dawn Chambers. Dawn's been juggling working for Lou Avery and covering for Don, and when those two ships collide - Sally comes to the office and finds out Don's not there anymore - she takes a ration from Lou. This turns out to work in Dawn's favor, as (a) she gets to tell Lou off when he asks to have her moved, and (b) she winds up in Joan's old office after a brief stint out front.
3. Sally Draper. Sally goes into the city for the funeral of a roommate's mother, and loses her purse. She goes back for it, and that's how she winds up stopping by the office. She then goes to Don's apartment, but never confronts him about his job, leading to a later confrontation when she calls him out. Don eventually explains what happened, and they wind up getting past things, sort of. In the end she even says she loves him.
Honorable Mention: Michael Ginsburg. He's only in one scene, but has the best line of the night, in reference to Peggy's Valentine's Day plans. "She has plans, look at her calendar: February 14th, masturbate gloomily."
Three Down
1. Peggy Olsen. Besides the burn that Ginzo puts on her, Peggy winds up in a misunderstanding over some roses sent to her secretary, Shirley. Peggy thinks they're for her, and Shirley never gets a chance to correct her. Peggy believes they're from Ted, and spends most of the episode trying to tell Ted off, indirectly. Eventually Shirley tells Peggy about the flowers, which Peggy takes as a humiliation and asks Joan to move Shirley off her desk. In the end, masturbating gloomily would have been a step up.
2. Roger Sterling. Roger gets into something with Cutler over new business the LA office landed, and is outvoted. He ends the day discovering that Joan is moving in next door as an account rep, and on the way down is stuck in the elevator with Cutler, who says he hopes Roger would never be an adversary, but in a way that makes it clear that Cutler is an adversary. Back to the free love and acid?
3. Lou Avery. Continues to be a colossal dick, which will make his eventual comeuppance that much sweeter.
Honorable Mention: Bert Cooper. Also proves himself to be a dick, but in a low key way when he asks Joan to move Dawn off of front reception because she's black. I hope he steps on a thumbtack.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Time Zones"
Well, it's the start of the first half of the last season of Mad Men, and we've moved into 1969. How's that working out?
Three Up
1. Joan Harris - After listening to Ken complain about how he has no help, Joan freelances a meeting with Butler Shoes, a client who is planning on taking their advertising in-house. With some help from a surprisingly non-lecherous professor, she gets information which helps turn the company's director of marketing around, to the point where he's asking her for advice. Ken calls her out on it, but it's a good step forward for Joan given how she's been marginalized in the past.
2. Megan Draper - Now set up in LA and still married to Don, she's living in the hills and just got a callback for a pilot being shot for NBC. Things aren't perfect - her career has clearly receded since leaving New York, and she's got some anxiety stemming from Don's part-time presence, but things seem to be moving forward for her - except there's some talk about "fixing her teeth," which is blasphemy.
3. Pete Campbell - Of everyone who's decamped to LA, Pete seems to be reacting to it the best. He hates the city (flat, ugly, brown air) but loves the vibe. He's tan, dressed for tennis and has hooked up with a comely real estate agent (who will hopefully get him out of his apartment overlooking the tar pits soon). I'd rank Pete higher if I didn't expect him to Campbell it all up in short order.
Honorable Mention: Margaret Sterling - She invites her father to brunch, where she forgives him for everything. He forgives her back, only getting that she's on some sort of spiritual quest late in the conversation. She seems happy, thus the honorable mention, but I do fear that she's hooked up with some sort of cult.
Three Down
1. Peggy Olsen - Peggy did not get the head of creative position once Don was cashiered, and is now the senior person under some guy named Lou who is both lousy at his job and has all the gaiety of an impacted wisdom tooth. On top of work problems Peggy is now the landlady for the building she bought with Abe, meaning she's stuck in dangerous territory with tenants who send their kids to yell at her about their toilet. Oh, and Ted is back from LA for a visit, which just adds to the problems in both personal and professional areas. Peggy breaks down at the end of the episode, realizing just how isolated she is.
2. Don Draper - Don's "bicoastal" now, visiting Megan on weekends and such while "working" in New York. That "working" is doing freelance work with Freddie Rumson, who is the public face of the team when making pitches (their pitch for a watch company is the account that Peggy and Lou square off on for most of the episode). Don seems to have some positives here - he rebuffs a woman on the plane with whom he easily could have hooked up, for example - but at the end, sitting alone on his balcony in the cold, we get the bookend of isolation to Peggy. He's married, is getting some work done, but is essentially on his own.
3. Roger Sterling - Roger has turned his hotel room into some sort of commune/ashram/love-in, based on the number of nude people (and their various states of consciousness) in the room when his daughter calls to arrange brunch. His return from brunch shows that Margaret's forgiveness has sparked something in him, suggesting that all the free love and acid he can get isn't going to fulfill him.
Honorable Mention: Ken Cosgrove - it's only been two months since the last episode, so that eye patch may not be permanent, but its appearance does make me nervous. Ken is not having a very good time at work - he's the head of accounts in New York, has to juggle Detroit and LA and has little help - which given his ambivalent nature about his job must be killing him (I'm also guessing that Dave Algonquin hasn't had much time to write). I'd rank Ken higher if they didn't play him for comedy based on his newly limited eyesight.
Three Up
1. Joan Harris - After listening to Ken complain about how he has no help, Joan freelances a meeting with Butler Shoes, a client who is planning on taking their advertising in-house. With some help from a surprisingly non-lecherous professor, she gets information which helps turn the company's director of marketing around, to the point where he's asking her for advice. Ken calls her out on it, but it's a good step forward for Joan given how she's been marginalized in the past.
2. Megan Draper - Now set up in LA and still married to Don, she's living in the hills and just got a callback for a pilot being shot for NBC. Things aren't perfect - her career has clearly receded since leaving New York, and she's got some anxiety stemming from Don's part-time presence, but things seem to be moving forward for her - except there's some talk about "fixing her teeth," which is blasphemy.
3. Pete Campbell - Of everyone who's decamped to LA, Pete seems to be reacting to it the best. He hates the city (flat, ugly, brown air) but loves the vibe. He's tan, dressed for tennis and has hooked up with a comely real estate agent (who will hopefully get him out of his apartment overlooking the tar pits soon). I'd rank Pete higher if I didn't expect him to Campbell it all up in short order.
Honorable Mention: Margaret Sterling - She invites her father to brunch, where she forgives him for everything. He forgives her back, only getting that she's on some sort of spiritual quest late in the conversation. She seems happy, thus the honorable mention, but I do fear that she's hooked up with some sort of cult.
Three Down
1. Peggy Olsen - Peggy did not get the head of creative position once Don was cashiered, and is now the senior person under some guy named Lou who is both lousy at his job and has all the gaiety of an impacted wisdom tooth. On top of work problems Peggy is now the landlady for the building she bought with Abe, meaning she's stuck in dangerous territory with tenants who send their kids to yell at her about their toilet. Oh, and Ted is back from LA for a visit, which just adds to the problems in both personal and professional areas. Peggy breaks down at the end of the episode, realizing just how isolated she is.
2. Don Draper - Don's "bicoastal" now, visiting Megan on weekends and such while "working" in New York. That "working" is doing freelance work with Freddie Rumson, who is the public face of the team when making pitches (their pitch for a watch company is the account that Peggy and Lou square off on for most of the episode). Don seems to have some positives here - he rebuffs a woman on the plane with whom he easily could have hooked up, for example - but at the end, sitting alone on his balcony in the cold, we get the bookend of isolation to Peggy. He's married, is getting some work done, but is essentially on his own.
3. Roger Sterling - Roger has turned his hotel room into some sort of commune/ashram/love-in, based on the number of nude people (and their various states of consciousness) in the room when his daughter calls to arrange brunch. His return from brunch shows that Margaret's forgiveness has sparked something in him, suggesting that all the free love and acid he can get isn't going to fulfill him.
Honorable Mention: Ken Cosgrove - it's only been two months since the last episode, so that eye patch may not be permanent, but its appearance does make me nervous. Ken is not having a very good time at work - he's the head of accounts in New York, has to juggle Detroit and LA and has little help - which given his ambivalent nature about his job must be killing him (I'm also guessing that Dave Algonquin hasn't had much time to write). I'd rank Ken higher if they didn't play him for comedy based on his newly limited eyesight.
Monday, April 07, 2014
How I Killed Your Mother
I stopped watching How I Met Your Mother some time ago, and the apparently disappointing finale aired a couple of weeks ago, but I still wanted to discuss one of the more entertaining theories I saw in relation to it: that Ted Moseby killed the mother so he could wind up with Robin.
It seems unlikely - Ted doesn't exactly seem like the murdering type - but we know nothing about his life between his meeting the mother and his 2030. Years of being stuck with the "wrong" woman and seeing how the "right" woman was in a doomed marriage may have spurred him to action.
Also, we got very little information about the mother, which you could take as Ted trying to avoid uncomfortable questions about the mother's passing. He would obviously talk up Robin given his plan to win her back, but it conveniently gives the kids something else to think about.
Also, given the job prospects for architects, it may be that Ted needed to bump off the mother for insurance money. Not sure how much insurance a bass player carries, but every little bit helps.
Of course, this theory ignores one obvious fact: Ted would probably kill himself by accident if he tried to take out the mother. He'd spend all sorts of time being wishy washy about it and forget that he poisoned the food he just ate.
Still, I'd like to think this theory has legs, if only to make Ted more interesting in the aftermath of the show than he ever was during it.
It seems unlikely - Ted doesn't exactly seem like the murdering type - but we know nothing about his life between his meeting the mother and his 2030. Years of being stuck with the "wrong" woman and seeing how the "right" woman was in a doomed marriage may have spurred him to action.
Also, we got very little information about the mother, which you could take as Ted trying to avoid uncomfortable questions about the mother's passing. He would obviously talk up Robin given his plan to win her back, but it conveniently gives the kids something else to think about.
Also, given the job prospects for architects, it may be that Ted needed to bump off the mother for insurance money. Not sure how much insurance a bass player carries, but every little bit helps.
Of course, this theory ignores one obvious fact: Ted would probably kill himself by accident if he tried to take out the mother. He'd spend all sorts of time being wishy washy about it and forget that he poisoned the food he just ate.
Still, I'd like to think this theory has legs, if only to make Ted more interesting in the aftermath of the show than he ever was during it.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
For Old Blogs That Be Forgot
I've been pretty neglectful of the blog of late, so in these last minutes of 2013 I figured I'd write about the new shows I've picked up for the year. Which is pretty easy, actually, as the only new show I'm watching is The Blacklist, which I've enjoyed for something that's been sort of silly in that overhyped international treachery sort of way that 24 employed so often. James Spader's been fun to watch, and there have been some interesting villains of the week (favorite so far: Robert Sean Leonard as a biotech genius turned mass murderer). I do like that they're taking their time with the standing plot lines (the basis of Reddington's interest in Liz Keen, the potential secret history of her husband, and the identity of the people who are watching the Keen house).
I did try watching Marvel's Agents of SHIELD but couldn't get into it. Not sure if it's because I'm approaching it as an outsider (having not read the comics or seen the movies) or because it's all a bit too ludicrous. Still, I didn't hate it, and hope it sticks if for no other reason to keep networks open to this sort of programming.
I have also seen a couple of episodes of The Crazy Ones and The Millers. I feel like I like the former more than the latter, but haven't quite gotten motivated to follow either.
We did also watched a couple of episodes of Genealogy Roadshow, a PBS series that takes the Antiques Roadshow approach to finding out if everyday people are related to someone famous, or someone involved in a major historical event. I found it a little glib, between the host (who adds nothing but a layer of unctuousness) and the genealogists who don't always explain their findings that well or in enough detail for my taste. This needs a serious retooling before I'd watch it again.
The last new show I'll mention isn't something I watch specifically for me. It's Peg + Cat, a PBS animated show from the Fred Rogers Company that follows a girl (Peg) and her cat as they have math and science-related adventures. It's a very different series than Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and offers some amusement for adults from the catchy songs to witty asides. This may actually be the best new show I've seen in 2013.
Oh, and I did watch the live version of The Sound of Music. Audra McDonald deserved better.
Anyway, happy New Year! Hopefully more posting in 2014.
I did try watching Marvel's Agents of SHIELD but couldn't get into it. Not sure if it's because I'm approaching it as an outsider (having not read the comics or seen the movies) or because it's all a bit too ludicrous. Still, I didn't hate it, and hope it sticks if for no other reason to keep networks open to this sort of programming.
I have also seen a couple of episodes of The Crazy Ones and The Millers. I feel like I like the former more than the latter, but haven't quite gotten motivated to follow either.
We did also watched a couple of episodes of Genealogy Roadshow, a PBS series that takes the Antiques Roadshow approach to finding out if everyday people are related to someone famous, or someone involved in a major historical event. I found it a little glib, between the host (who adds nothing but a layer of unctuousness) and the genealogists who don't always explain their findings that well or in enough detail for my taste. This needs a serious retooling before I'd watch it again.
The last new show I'll mention isn't something I watch specifically for me. It's Peg + Cat, a PBS animated show from the Fred Rogers Company that follows a girl (Peg) and her cat as they have math and science-related adventures. It's a very different series than Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and offers some amusement for adults from the catchy songs to witty asides. This may actually be the best new show I've seen in 2013.
Oh, and I did watch the live version of The Sound of Music. Audra McDonald deserved better.
Anyway, happy New Year! Hopefully more posting in 2014.
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Bring Out Your Dead, 2013-14
Another year, another attempt to win the Ted Marshall Open TV Dead Pool. Here's my entry, in order of bonus points I get if the show is cancelled/does not air after the end of this season (you get 20 points if the show is cancelled plus whatever bonus points you assign to the show):
10: How I Met Your Mother. Probably the easiest pick in the bunch, as it's been no secret that this is the show's final season.
9: Nikita. Also an easy choice, as this show is also in its last season.
8: Dads. Chosen because I don't think I've read a single positive word about the show. The ratings tend to reflect this, though Fox's Tuesday night seems to be tanking across the board.
7: Sean Saves the World. Also got very little positive press, though its premiere outpaced Parks and Recreation, which makes me sad.
6: Lucky 7. ABC's lottery winner drama was the first show to get cancelled this season, which I think makes this the first time that a show was cancelled before I could write about my entry.
5: Betrayal. The third time is not the charm for ABC's single-word named prime time soaps, as the rating suggest that this show will meet its end well before Revenge or Scandal.
4: Super Fun Night. I went with this as the description sounded ridiculous, although it's not exactly a show meant to appeal to my demo. As it stands reviews have been mixed at best, and ratings for its debut were disappointing given it had Modern Family as a lead-in.
3: We Are Men. This show should be something I'd gravitate to, but I'm wary of sitcoms based around men being manly men, as they all tend to suck and get cancelled. This attempt may go the same way, as its debut landed it in 4th place for its timeslot.
2: Back in the Game. My entries usually get taken out by a sitcom renewal, and this may be the one that gets me this season. I thought the story seemed kind of light, but the show seems to be settling in behind The Middle.
1. Enlisted. A military-based Fox sitcom about brothers serving on the same base while most of their unit is serving abroad. I don't often take mid-season shows, but this one seems like something that would get stuck somewhere to fill time and then get cancelled. On the other hand, I should have trusted my instinct and gone with the Ironside reboot here, as that seems terrible.
In fact, Ironside was one of the three shows that were among the top 10 shows picked by entrants that I did not pick. The other two are Trophy Wife and The Goldebergs, both on ABC's doomed Tuesday. It was an odd night to begin with, trying to balance Marvel's The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with these two sitcoms and Lucky 7. And now the whole night seems to be imploding. Maybe ABC should have held on to the Dancing with the Stars results show?
10: How I Met Your Mother. Probably the easiest pick in the bunch, as it's been no secret that this is the show's final season.
9: Nikita. Also an easy choice, as this show is also in its last season.
8: Dads. Chosen because I don't think I've read a single positive word about the show. The ratings tend to reflect this, though Fox's Tuesday night seems to be tanking across the board.
7: Sean Saves the World. Also got very little positive press, though its premiere outpaced Parks and Recreation, which makes me sad.
6: Lucky 7. ABC's lottery winner drama was the first show to get cancelled this season, which I think makes this the first time that a show was cancelled before I could write about my entry.
5: Betrayal. The third time is not the charm for ABC's single-word named prime time soaps, as the rating suggest that this show will meet its end well before Revenge or Scandal.
4: Super Fun Night. I went with this as the description sounded ridiculous, although it's not exactly a show meant to appeal to my demo. As it stands reviews have been mixed at best, and ratings for its debut were disappointing given it had Modern Family as a lead-in.
3: We Are Men. This show should be something I'd gravitate to, but I'm wary of sitcoms based around men being manly men, as they all tend to suck and get cancelled. This attempt may go the same way, as its debut landed it in 4th place for its timeslot.
2: Back in the Game. My entries usually get taken out by a sitcom renewal, and this may be the one that gets me this season. I thought the story seemed kind of light, but the show seems to be settling in behind The Middle.
1. Enlisted. A military-based Fox sitcom about brothers serving on the same base while most of their unit is serving abroad. I don't often take mid-season shows, but this one seems like something that would get stuck somewhere to fill time and then get cancelled. On the other hand, I should have trusted my instinct and gone with the Ironside reboot here, as that seems terrible.
In fact, Ironside was one of the three shows that were among the top 10 shows picked by entrants that I did not pick. The other two are Trophy Wife and The Goldebergs, both on ABC's doomed Tuesday. It was an odd night to begin with, trying to balance Marvel's The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with these two sitcoms and Lucky 7. And now the whole night seems to be imploding. Maybe ABC should have held on to the Dancing with the Stars results show?
Monday, October 07, 2013
Catching Up
So with summer gone and the new TV season starting up, a quick look back on what I wasted my time with over the past few months:
Under the Dome - we're about halfway through this, and I'm not particularly impressed. Too exposition-heavy, odd moments of illogic (a meningitis outbreak that can be cured in hours using one dose of antibiotics, no one finds that strange?), and not particularly great acting (though the guy playing James "Junior" Rennie could probably make a career out of playing sociopaths). But it's interesting enough for a summer series, I suppose. It is picking up a bit now that the thing that's apparently causing the dome has been discovered.
Hell's Kitchen/MasterChef - I found the former more watchable this time around if only for the casting of perhaps the most incompetent group of one gender in the show's history (the men, who proved almost incapable of winning a team challenge). The latter is much more watchable this time around, not sure if it's the contestants or the (relative) streamlining of the tryouts. It's not the Walmart product placements or the Glee-themed episode, which pretty much proved that Jane Lynch will appear in anything (as if Celebrity Game Night didn't do that already).
Masterpiece - after working through Mr. Selfridge (kind of not worth it, unless 14 episodes of Jeremy Piven given license to overact is your kind of thing), we got what appears to be the last season of Inspector Lewis (boo) and the first season of Endeavor, a Morse prequel series that I've enjoyed quite a bit. Neither have particularly long runs (3 and 5 episodes respectively, I think), so easy to cover if you're so inclined.
The Killing - you may have noticed that I tailed off of the weekly coverage, thanks in part to a move and in part to the show not really having three characters who have an "up" episode every week. Turns out the show's been cancelled (for good this time), which isn't helping me finish the season. Don't think I'll miss the show per se, but I will miss Joel Kinnaman's performances as Stephen Holder. Here's to hoping he gets the higher profile role he deserves, but soon.
American Ninja Warrior - modeled after a Japanese show, it features a variety of folks (many of whom are either rock climbers or devotees of Parkour/freerunning) trying to conquer obstacle courses in the hopes of conquering the final one (which has never been done). It's not something we'd have tuned into, but the oldest boy found it one rainy weekend afternoon and it quickly became his program of choice. I fear future trips to the park will be ruined as he finds that none of them have a salmon ladder or warped wall. Also problematic is the change from G4 to Esquire Network, as the show went off air for a few weekends, but it appears to be back, for better or worse.
Under the Dome - we're about halfway through this, and I'm not particularly impressed. Too exposition-heavy, odd moments of illogic (a meningitis outbreak that can be cured in hours using one dose of antibiotics, no one finds that strange?), and not particularly great acting (though the guy playing James "Junior" Rennie could probably make a career out of playing sociopaths). But it's interesting enough for a summer series, I suppose. It is picking up a bit now that the thing that's apparently causing the dome has been discovered.
Hell's Kitchen/MasterChef - I found the former more watchable this time around if only for the casting of perhaps the most incompetent group of one gender in the show's history (the men, who proved almost incapable of winning a team challenge). The latter is much more watchable this time around, not sure if it's the contestants or the (relative) streamlining of the tryouts. It's not the Walmart product placements or the Glee-themed episode, which pretty much proved that Jane Lynch will appear in anything (as if Celebrity Game Night didn't do that already).
Masterpiece - after working through Mr. Selfridge (kind of not worth it, unless 14 episodes of Jeremy Piven given license to overact is your kind of thing), we got what appears to be the last season of Inspector Lewis (boo) and the first season of Endeavor, a Morse prequel series that I've enjoyed quite a bit. Neither have particularly long runs (3 and 5 episodes respectively, I think), so easy to cover if you're so inclined.
The Killing - you may have noticed that I tailed off of the weekly coverage, thanks in part to a move and in part to the show not really having three characters who have an "up" episode every week. Turns out the show's been cancelled (for good this time), which isn't helping me finish the season. Don't think I'll miss the show per se, but I will miss Joel Kinnaman's performances as Stephen Holder. Here's to hoping he gets the higher profile role he deserves, but soon.
American Ninja Warrior - modeled after a Japanese show, it features a variety of folks (many of whom are either rock climbers or devotees of Parkour/freerunning) trying to conquer obstacle courses in the hopes of conquering the final one (which has never been done). It's not something we'd have tuned into, but the oldest boy found it one rainy weekend afternoon and it quickly became his program of choice. I fear future trips to the park will be ruined as he finds that none of them have a salmon ladder or warped wall. Also problematic is the change from G4 to Esquire Network, as the show went off air for a few weekends, but it appears to be back, for better or worse.
Sunday, July 07, 2013
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing, "Head Shots"
Three Up
3. Ray Emery. His attempt at making a connection with Hill, and then taking the pill so Becker will stop beating Hill, shows that he still can feel and connect. The only problem is that it allows others to manipulate you and derail your attempts to manipulate others. Emery will figure out a way to get back at Becker, but for now Emery has to reflect on the fact that all of his beatings and injuries at the hands of his father and various gangs may not have made him the hardened character he tries to be.
Honorable Mention: Mama Dips. The (manager? owner? madame?) of the Queens Motel, she quickly finds herself on the wrong side of the law when Holder is able to connect the motel to the sex tapes and get a warrant. Things get worse when it's found that she has a warning buzzer to the hidden room where the taping took place. She's putting on a brave face for the cops - saying she's the voice on the tapes, and where is the soda she was promised? - but you have to think she's lying to cover for someone who can do her real harm. She is, at least, entertaining about it.
1. Goldie Willis. He's not in the episode much, but he makes maximum use of his time. He leads Holder and Reddick (who are staking him out) to the retaining pond where all the bodies were discovered and throws a makeshift press conference with his mom at his side. He claims he is not the serial killer (giving the killer the media-friendly nickname of the Pied Piper) and that the cops aren't even telling anyone about Kallie being missing and likely with the actual serial killer. This causes the expected problems with the Seattle police, and indirectly reunites Linden and Holder. Which may not be the best thing for Goldie in the long run (they'll figure out if Goldie's involved well before Reddick ever would), but for now it throws the heat off of him.
2. Sarah Linden. Is back partnering with Holder after Goldie's press conference and a chance to dish back to Reddick what he's been dishing to Holder (and presumably others) about her. She's also able to make some connections that help her and Holder figure out who is making the sex tapes in the motel (more of whom anon). She's not made the leap she most wants - connecting all of this to the Emery killing - but she's back with her partner and making headway.
3. Francis Becker. Emery continues to manipulate things on the cell block - he doesn't obey the junior guard's order to take antibiotics, and is developing a friendship with his chatty block-mate, Hill. None of this is to Becker's liking, so he invites the junior guard home for dinner (they're both working double shifts, Becker's house is closer to the prison, and the junior guard doesn't really want to go home). There Becker's wife and son quickly give a picture of how unpleasant life is at casa Becker, and Becker quickly gets the other guard to admit that Emery didn't take his medicine. Becker then kills two birds with one stone by beating Hill until Emery takes the pill. Hill tries to get Emery to not give in, but he does. So Becker's back in charge, for now at least, though Emery's unlikely to be done challenging authority (he's acknowledged that the system has already bested him, so what does he have to lose?) and Becker's wife is pretty clearly willing to give the younger guard some of what Becker's not been around the house to get (by which I mean sex). So, like Goldie, this may just be a short term win.
Honorable Mention: Bullet. She's still working with Holder on finding Kallie, and is able to give him information that leads to the raid on the motel. She also shows how deeply protective she is of her fellow street kids when she goes with Twitch to the park to score, because she knows what a bad idea that is and that Twitch will need someone there, if just to pick up the pieces. We see more of what's behind Bullet's brave face in this episode, and it shows that there is a difference between her and the other street kids, even if she has to hide that to survive.
2. Sarah Linden. Is back partnering with Holder after Goldie's press conference and a chance to dish back to Reddick what he's been dishing to Holder (and presumably others) about her. She's also able to make some connections that help her and Holder figure out who is making the sex tapes in the motel (more of whom anon). She's not made the leap she most wants - connecting all of this to the Emery killing - but she's back with her partner and making headway.
3. Francis Becker. Emery continues to manipulate things on the cell block - he doesn't obey the junior guard's order to take antibiotics, and is developing a friendship with his chatty block-mate, Hill. None of this is to Becker's liking, so he invites the junior guard home for dinner (they're both working double shifts, Becker's house is closer to the prison, and the junior guard doesn't really want to go home). There Becker's wife and son quickly give a picture of how unpleasant life is at casa Becker, and Becker quickly gets the other guard to admit that Emery didn't take his medicine. Becker then kills two birds with one stone by beating Hill until Emery takes the pill. Hill tries to get Emery to not give in, but he does. So Becker's back in charge, for now at least, though Emery's unlikely to be done challenging authority (he's acknowledged that the system has already bested him, so what does he have to lose?) and Becker's wife is pretty clearly willing to give the younger guard some of what Becker's not been around the house to get (by which I mean sex). So, like Goldie, this may just be a short term win.
Honorable Mention: Bullet. She's still working with Holder on finding Kallie, and is able to give him information that leads to the raid on the motel. She also shows how deeply protective she is of her fellow street kids when she goes with Twitch to the park to score, because she knows what a bad idea that is and that Twitch will need someone there, if just to pick up the pieces. We see more of what's behind Bullet's brave face in this episode, and it shows that there is a difference between her and the other street kids, even if she has to hide that to survive.
Three Down
1. Danette Lutz. The mother of the year campaign kicks into high gear
when Linden stops by again to ask Danette if she's seen Kallie, and in
revealing that Kallie's been hooking gets the response from Danette that
it's a phase and she'll grow out of it (which makes one wonder how
Danette conceived Kallie in the first place). Danette also admits that
she locked Kallie out of the trailer the night she disappeared, an act
which finally seems to work a chink in Danette's armor (something the
sex tape didn't even seem to do). The capper is that Danette's boyfriend
is none other than the man behind the sex tapes, Joe Mills (who Kallie
previously said creeped her out and whom Lyric has provided certain
services for in the past). There is like not a single choice Danette has
made that's working in her favor.
2. Twitch. One clean drug test before moving to L.A., but Twitch's PO has some bad news - he failed his last test. That, of course, is a lie, but the PO knows how to rig the system to his own advantage. Which, in this case, is teaching Twitch a lesson by sodomizing him in the back of his car. Clearly, there are issues here, but we don't dwell on them but instead see that Twitch (who is not into dudes) is driven right back to heroin due to this. He later goes out to a park to score and gets beaten by some punks for his trouble. Lyric tells him that she'll nurse him back to health, so if nothing else he still has the love of a girl that he doesn't really deserve.
2. Twitch. One clean drug test before moving to L.A., but Twitch's PO has some bad news - he failed his last test. That, of course, is a lie, but the PO knows how to rig the system to his own advantage. Which, in this case, is teaching Twitch a lesson by sodomizing him in the back of his car. Clearly, there are issues here, but we don't dwell on them but instead see that Twitch (who is not into dudes) is driven right back to heroin due to this. He later goes out to a park to score and gets beaten by some punks for his trouble. Lyric tells him that she'll nurse him back to health, so if nothing else he still has the love of a girl that he doesn't really deserve.
3. Ray Emery. His attempt at making a connection with Hill, and then taking the pill so Becker will stop beating Hill, shows that he still can feel and connect. The only problem is that it allows others to manipulate you and derail your attempts to manipulate others. Emery will figure out a way to get back at Becker, but for now Emery has to reflect on the fact that all of his beatings and injuries at the hands of his father and various gangs may not have made him the hardened character he tries to be.
Honorable Mention: Mama Dips. The (manager? owner? madame?) of the Queens Motel, she quickly finds herself on the wrong side of the law when Holder is able to connect the motel to the sex tapes and get a warrant. Things get worse when it's found that she has a warning buzzer to the hidden room where the taping took place. She's putting on a brave face for the cops - saying she's the voice on the tapes, and where is the soda she was promised? - but you have to think she's lying to cover for someone who can do her real harm. She is, at least, entertaining about it.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Geroni-no
We weren't even 24 hours clear of Don Draper showing his kids the whorehouse where he grew up when the latest Internet theory about Mad Men hit the ether: Don Draper is D.B. Cooper. And while this is much more cogent than all of the Megan Draper as Sharon Tate nonsense, how likely is it that Don will end the series by going into free-fall over the Pacific Northwest? Let's unpack this theory.
All of the airplane imagery points to this. Yes, airplanes feature prominently in the show. But this is also the period where air travel began to open to the masses, and you see the start of the growth curve in air operations.The 1950s and '60s also saw double digit growth in US commercial aviation. As mentioned on the show, having an airline in one's portfolio, even a regional airline like Mohawk, was second only to a car company in terms of profitability and status. It would be unusual if an airline didn't figure prominently in the show.
Air imagery in other areas worked to drive other plot points. Having Pete's father die in the American Airlines Flight 1 sets up a decade of failure for Pete. Ted Chaough's plane gives him a form of power over Don (remember how nervous Don was during their flight) and furthers Ted's relationship with Peggy when they're socked in during a visit to Ocean Spray. And North American Aviation served as a wedge between Pete and Don due the background check Don would need.
I'm thinking all of this is selection bias. If you want Don to be D. B. Cooper, you're going to start seeing planes everywhere, and give them more significance than intended.
Did this season really mirror the first season? Critical to this theory is that this past season brought characters back to season 1, and as season 2 started with the AA1 crash, this final season would also include a historically pertinent airline-related story line. I think there is something to this season sending characters towards their origin, but with a significant difference:
The shedding of Don Draper. There's the idea that Don has been shedding his assumed identity since Anna's death in season four, and there's something to that. He was up front with Megan about who he was, and he's made references to growing up on a farm and in Pennsylvania. But it could be that the shedding and the death references - from the Royal Hawaiian ad to Don winding up in that pool in the Hollywood hills - were showing Don where he was heading if he did not open up. Which leads to...
The two Don Drapers print ad. My interpretation of the ad, then, is that the Don with his back to us is the Don we've seen up to now, protecting his fake identity and heading the "one way" that path leads (to the cops who are arresting him, or waiting for someone to claim his body after he jumps from his apartment balcony?). The Don that's facing us is looking askance at that Don, and is being led in a different direction by the woman whose hand he's holding. It could be Megan leading Don to California (by way of separation and firing), Sally leading Don to be more open about his past, Betty leading Don to realize his emotional deficits, or even Joan leading Don to realize that his impulsive decisions cause more harm than good (I'd list a Peggy variant here, but Peggy would only wear something that sheer for Ted). The ad, then, rather than showing a Don who is disappearing, is showing a Don who is taking a different path (or is showing Don 1.0 disappearing to allow Don 2.0 to emerge).
But Don looks like D. B. Cooper! And acts like him! Well, they do dress similarly, and both keep their hair slicked, but it's hardly an unusual look for the period. And I really don't think the Cooper sketch looks much like Don at all. As for how the two men act, based on the accounts of the skyjacking both are cool under pressure. But is it enough to get Don to skyjack a plane? It seems like a bridge too far. Also, would Don ever cut his bourbon with soda? In any case, whatever similarities the two men have, I think there's still a major obstacle to this theory.
The Cooper skyjacking took place in 1971. While I don't think it's a stated parameter, Mad Men is about the '60s. It starts in March 1960 and uses historical events to anchor the timeline or directly influence the plot. Jumping into the 1970s would be a disruptive narrative shift out of tone with the rest of the series. It's much more likely that the series would tie its end to something like Altamont, the concert whose violence and disorder is informally considered the end of the '60s. But even if we overlook this, there would still be a lingering question.
Why would Don hijack an airplane? The piece suggests that both Don and Cooper exist in an isolated emotional state, and that both need to do something dramatic just to feel something. That's possible (though it's a complete assumption with regards to Cooper, and suggest a deeper void in Don than we've seen), but it would completely go against Don's nature to disappear in such a public fashion. He's much more likely to take a cue from his Royal Hawaiian poster and disappear into the sea, literally or figuratively. Assuming he's cashed out of his partnership, he'd have enough money to live on if he chose to disappear for good.
We have no idea what sort of Don Draper - if any - we're going to wind up with at the end of Mad Men, but I think the signs point more towards Don 2.0, a synthesis of Dick Whitman and Don Draper whose ultimate disposition will be written in this final season.
All of the airplane imagery points to this. Yes, airplanes feature prominently in the show. But this is also the period where air travel began to open to the masses, and you see the start of the growth curve in air operations.The 1950s and '60s also saw double digit growth in US commercial aviation. As mentioned on the show, having an airline in one's portfolio, even a regional airline like Mohawk, was second only to a car company in terms of profitability and status. It would be unusual if an airline didn't figure prominently in the show.
Air imagery in other areas worked to drive other plot points. Having Pete's father die in the American Airlines Flight 1 sets up a decade of failure for Pete. Ted Chaough's plane gives him a form of power over Don (remember how nervous Don was during their flight) and furthers Ted's relationship with Peggy when they're socked in during a visit to Ocean Spray. And North American Aviation served as a wedge between Pete and Don due the background check Don would need.
I'm thinking all of this is selection bias. If you want Don to be D. B. Cooper, you're going to start seeing planes everywhere, and give them more significance than intended.
Did this season really mirror the first season? Critical to this theory is that this past season brought characters back to season 1, and as season 2 started with the AA1 crash, this final season would also include a historically pertinent airline-related story line. I think there is something to this season sending characters towards their origin, but with a significant difference:
- Don is cheating on his increasingly restless young wife, but with Megan the cheating isn't serial (as far as we know it's limited to Sylvia), and her restlessness is as much about her career than it is about her marriage.
- Peggy's feeling for Ted are much deeper that what she had for Pete, and has now become incredibly relevant at work as she's the highest ranking creative person in New York (for now, at least)
- Joan has more real power at work as a partner, but has less influence based on the open secret of how she earned her partnership and on her stagnant career path (compare her position to Peggy's).
- Pete's knowledge of Bob's identity has done more to actively hurt him than his knowledge of Don's identity. By not exposing Bob, Pete lost the Chevy account, lost his mother to Bob's partner in crime, and is heading to California in whatever counts for shame in his head.
- Betty looks like her old self, but now has a protector-husband in Henry, enjoys the glamor of being a politician's wife, and is even Sally's preferred parent.
- Duck Phillips is "around," but is unlikely to still be around once a new creative person is installed at SC&P. His initial meeting with Pete makes it clear that his work as a headhunter fits him better than advertising ever did.
- The agency is Sterling Cooper & Partners. And the partners may be making all the difference here. If it were just up to Roger and Bert, they may have found a way to keep Don on board in the wake of the Hershey's pitch. But you throw in Pete (who has never liked Don), Joan (who is likely still angry with Don for firing Jaguar), Cutler (who was suggesting a coup back when Don and Roger were in California), and Ted (whose relationship with Don is, at best, rocky), and Don's ouster is much easier to rationalize.
The shedding of Don Draper. There's the idea that Don has been shedding his assumed identity since Anna's death in season four, and there's something to that. He was up front with Megan about who he was, and he's made references to growing up on a farm and in Pennsylvania. But it could be that the shedding and the death references - from the Royal Hawaiian ad to Don winding up in that pool in the Hollywood hills - were showing Don where he was heading if he did not open up. Which leads to...
The two Don Drapers print ad. My interpretation of the ad, then, is that the Don with his back to us is the Don we've seen up to now, protecting his fake identity and heading the "one way" that path leads (to the cops who are arresting him, or waiting for someone to claim his body after he jumps from his apartment balcony?). The Don that's facing us is looking askance at that Don, and is being led in a different direction by the woman whose hand he's holding. It could be Megan leading Don to California (by way of separation and firing), Sally leading Don to be more open about his past, Betty leading Don to realize his emotional deficits, or even Joan leading Don to realize that his impulsive decisions cause more harm than good (I'd list a Peggy variant here, but Peggy would only wear something that sheer for Ted). The ad, then, rather than showing a Don who is disappearing, is showing a Don who is taking a different path (or is showing Don 1.0 disappearing to allow Don 2.0 to emerge).
But Don looks like D. B. Cooper! And acts like him! Well, they do dress similarly, and both keep their hair slicked, but it's hardly an unusual look for the period. And I really don't think the Cooper sketch looks much like Don at all. As for how the two men act, based on the accounts of the skyjacking both are cool under pressure. But is it enough to get Don to skyjack a plane? It seems like a bridge too far. Also, would Don ever cut his bourbon with soda? In any case, whatever similarities the two men have, I think there's still a major obstacle to this theory.
The Cooper skyjacking took place in 1971. While I don't think it's a stated parameter, Mad Men is about the '60s. It starts in March 1960 and uses historical events to anchor the timeline or directly influence the plot. Jumping into the 1970s would be a disruptive narrative shift out of tone with the rest of the series. It's much more likely that the series would tie its end to something like Altamont, the concert whose violence and disorder is informally considered the end of the '60s. But even if we overlook this, there would still be a lingering question.
Why would Don hijack an airplane? The piece suggests that both Don and Cooper exist in an isolated emotional state, and that both need to do something dramatic just to feel something. That's possible (though it's a complete assumption with regards to Cooper, and suggest a deeper void in Don than we've seen), but it would completely go against Don's nature to disappear in such a public fashion. He's much more likely to take a cue from his Royal Hawaiian poster and disappear into the sea, literally or figuratively. Assuming he's cashed out of his partnership, he'd have enough money to live on if he chose to disappear for good.
We have no idea what sort of Don Draper - if any - we're going to wind up with at the end of Mad Men, but I think the signs point more towards Don 2.0, a synthesis of Dick Whitman and Don Draper whose ultimate disposition will be written in this final season.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "In Care Of"
Three Up
1. Ted Chaough. Ted finally makes the leap with Peggy, showing up at her place after she comes home from a date, confessing his feelings and winding up in bed. Peggy talks him into going home afterwards (he apparently always goes home when he works late), saying she's willing to wait for Ted as he figures out how to best end things at home. But when he gets in bed with Nan you can see the realization that he can't leave. Ted basically begs Don to let Ted go to California, and while Don says he needs the move as badly as Ted does, but Don later relents and says Ted should go (not that Don has much of a choice, as we'll see). Ted gets a lot of anger from Peggy, but in the end he's doing the right thing, getting out of a situation that he knows will hurt more people than help.
2. Peggy Olsen. Peggy forces the issue with Ted by getting dolled up for a date and then making sure he sees her before she leaves (Peggy adjusting her dress to show more cleavage may be the least Peggy Olsen-thing I've ever seen her do). Her protestations to Ted about not wanting to be "that woman" in his marriage belie the fact that she wants him and is willing to wait for him to become free, and her anger towards Ted when he says he's going to California is palpable. But after Don gets the boot, she winds up in his office going over work. It's not officially her office, but Peggy is staking claim to it and a new level of importance in the New York office. Even if the guy Duck brings is becomes her nominal boss, Peggy's going to be an integral part of the firm going forward.
3. Bob Benson. Bob shows he can give as well as he gets by ending Pete's tenure with Chevy almost as soon as it starts. Knowing that the apparent death of Pete's mom will put Bob under even more pressure, Bob uses the Chevy guys' love of their cars against Pete, whose driving acumen is limited at best. With Pete now shuffling off to California, and Ken unlikely to take Chevy back, Bob is in position to be the top guy on Chevy. On the personal front, he's also managing to be the main man in Joan's life, even if she only refers to Bob as a buddy. Bob's the one carving turkey on Thanksgiving, and he's not letting Roger scare him off. Curious to see how all this plays out; will Duck give his info on Bob to other people at SC&P, and is Bob sincerely interested in Joan?
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. Things are not going well for Sally at Miss Porter's, as she gets suspended after buying beer for classmates and getting drunk. So she'll be home for Thanksgiving, on top of which she has a summons to give a statement over the burglary case (her phone call with Don over this is, at best, frosty). But things might be in for a change when Sally sees the dilapidated house where Don grew up. As the first thing Don has really told Sally (or any of the kids) about his life, you can begin to see the wheels working in Sally's head, as to why her dad is hiding stuff about his past. Not sure if he'll make a full confession, but it's at least an opening for Sally if she wants to rebuild her relationship with Don.
Three Down
1. Pete Campbell. Pete, now on the Chevy account, learns just before a trip out to Detroit that his mother has gone missing at sea, falling overboard during a cruise with Manolo, whom she married on board. Pete and Bud have a chance to pay for an investigation that will almost certainly see Manolo found guilty, though they apparently have a price at which they'll let things lie. Pete uses this to continue his threats towards Bob, which Bob deftly turns around by having Pete try to drive a Camaro in front of the Chevy guys. Pete promptly backs into a display and is off the account. In the end Pete winds up going out to California to set up SC&P's Los Angeles office, either free of his burdens or abandoning his family depending on your point of view.
2. Megan Draper. After an entire season where she tries to get Don back, she finally gives up trying after he tells her they're not moving to California. He doesn't explain it well, and his attempt to soften the blow by trying redefine their union as "bicoastal" doesn't cut it. So she's lost her husband and her job, and is moving to L.A. mostly on the hope of getting work.
3. Roger Sterling. There are some good moments for Roger - he gets invited to Joan's for Thanksgiving, giving him some time with their son, but he's only there because his daughter has frozen him out as he won't put any more money in her husband's trucking business. He also gets to have it out with Bob over Joan, but his attempts to intimidate Bob don't quite work as Bob winds up at Joan's for Thanksgiving as well. And he also has to be in on Don's ouster, choosing the business over friendship (though their friendship has never really fully come back from the falling out a few seasons ago).
Honorable Mention: Dorothy Campbell. She may have loved the sea, but she probably loved being not dead better. Or at least assumed dead; I would love it if she turned up next season after wandering around Martinique for six months or so with no idea of who she is or what happened.
One ?
1. Don Draper. So how is it that you can wind up in the drunk tank, lose your wife, and lose your job, and not have it turn out to be a down episode? It happens when the things that lead to these setbacks may, in the long run, be the best thing for you. Not so much the drunk tank - as much as it gives Don another clue that he needs to cut of the sauce, it also opens him up to being discovered for who he really is - but the rest of it. During a pitch to Hershey's that is going quite well, Don comes clean with them about his personal story (which he wove into his pitch), telling all assembled about his actual childhood. This goes over about as well as you'd expect, and in its immediate aftermath is when Don tells Ted he can go to California (an act that causes him to lose Megan). In some respect, Don sacrifices himself to prevent Ted from going down the same road that Don's traveled.
When Don loses his job, it's ironic that he gets Fred Rumsoned for something he did when not drunk (he had that drink beforehand, but I don't believe he was actually drunk for the pitch). And as mad as Don was for being ousted, it does help give him the freedom that someone like Pete only thinks he's getting.
And when we see Don bring the kids to the house where he grew up, and we see Sally look at Don in a way that's questioning and a little understanding, we begin to see that for all of the trouble opening up has caused Don, it's also starting to give him back his family. It will be interesting to see how far his opening up will take him.
1. Ted Chaough. Ted finally makes the leap with Peggy, showing up at her place after she comes home from a date, confessing his feelings and winding up in bed. Peggy talks him into going home afterwards (he apparently always goes home when he works late), saying she's willing to wait for Ted as he figures out how to best end things at home. But when he gets in bed with Nan you can see the realization that he can't leave. Ted basically begs Don to let Ted go to California, and while Don says he needs the move as badly as Ted does, but Don later relents and says Ted should go (not that Don has much of a choice, as we'll see). Ted gets a lot of anger from Peggy, but in the end he's doing the right thing, getting out of a situation that he knows will hurt more people than help.
2. Peggy Olsen. Peggy forces the issue with Ted by getting dolled up for a date and then making sure he sees her before she leaves (Peggy adjusting her dress to show more cleavage may be the least Peggy Olsen-thing I've ever seen her do). Her protestations to Ted about not wanting to be "that woman" in his marriage belie the fact that she wants him and is willing to wait for him to become free, and her anger towards Ted when he says he's going to California is palpable. But after Don gets the boot, she winds up in his office going over work. It's not officially her office, but Peggy is staking claim to it and a new level of importance in the New York office. Even if the guy Duck brings is becomes her nominal boss, Peggy's going to be an integral part of the firm going forward.
3. Bob Benson. Bob shows he can give as well as he gets by ending Pete's tenure with Chevy almost as soon as it starts. Knowing that the apparent death of Pete's mom will put Bob under even more pressure, Bob uses the Chevy guys' love of their cars against Pete, whose driving acumen is limited at best. With Pete now shuffling off to California, and Ken unlikely to take Chevy back, Bob is in position to be the top guy on Chevy. On the personal front, he's also managing to be the main man in Joan's life, even if she only refers to Bob as a buddy. Bob's the one carving turkey on Thanksgiving, and he's not letting Roger scare him off. Curious to see how all this plays out; will Duck give his info on Bob to other people at SC&P, and is Bob sincerely interested in Joan?
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. Things are not going well for Sally at Miss Porter's, as she gets suspended after buying beer for classmates and getting drunk. So she'll be home for Thanksgiving, on top of which she has a summons to give a statement over the burglary case (her phone call with Don over this is, at best, frosty). But things might be in for a change when Sally sees the dilapidated house where Don grew up. As the first thing Don has really told Sally (or any of the kids) about his life, you can begin to see the wheels working in Sally's head, as to why her dad is hiding stuff about his past. Not sure if he'll make a full confession, but it's at least an opening for Sally if she wants to rebuild her relationship with Don.
Three Down
1. Pete Campbell. Pete, now on the Chevy account, learns just before a trip out to Detroit that his mother has gone missing at sea, falling overboard during a cruise with Manolo, whom she married on board. Pete and Bud have a chance to pay for an investigation that will almost certainly see Manolo found guilty, though they apparently have a price at which they'll let things lie. Pete uses this to continue his threats towards Bob, which Bob deftly turns around by having Pete try to drive a Camaro in front of the Chevy guys. Pete promptly backs into a display and is off the account. In the end Pete winds up going out to California to set up SC&P's Los Angeles office, either free of his burdens or abandoning his family depending on your point of view.
2. Megan Draper. After an entire season where she tries to get Don back, she finally gives up trying after he tells her they're not moving to California. He doesn't explain it well, and his attempt to soften the blow by trying redefine their union as "bicoastal" doesn't cut it. So she's lost her husband and her job, and is moving to L.A. mostly on the hope of getting work.
3. Roger Sterling. There are some good moments for Roger - he gets invited to Joan's for Thanksgiving, giving him some time with their son, but he's only there because his daughter has frozen him out as he won't put any more money in her husband's trucking business. He also gets to have it out with Bob over Joan, but his attempts to intimidate Bob don't quite work as Bob winds up at Joan's for Thanksgiving as well. And he also has to be in on Don's ouster, choosing the business over friendship (though their friendship has never really fully come back from the falling out a few seasons ago).
Honorable Mention: Dorothy Campbell. She may have loved the sea, but she probably loved being not dead better. Or at least assumed dead; I would love it if she turned up next season after wandering around Martinique for six months or so with no idea of who she is or what happened.
One ?
1. Don Draper. So how is it that you can wind up in the drunk tank, lose your wife, and lose your job, and not have it turn out to be a down episode? It happens when the things that lead to these setbacks may, in the long run, be the best thing for you. Not so much the drunk tank - as much as it gives Don another clue that he needs to cut of the sauce, it also opens him up to being discovered for who he really is - but the rest of it. During a pitch to Hershey's that is going quite well, Don comes clean with them about his personal story (which he wove into his pitch), telling all assembled about his actual childhood. This goes over about as well as you'd expect, and in its immediate aftermath is when Don tells Ted he can go to California (an act that causes him to lose Megan). In some respect, Don sacrifices himself to prevent Ted from going down the same road that Don's traveled.
When Don loses his job, it's ironic that he gets Fred Rumsoned for something he did when not drunk (he had that drink beforehand, but I don't believe he was actually drunk for the pitch). And as mad as Don was for being ousted, it does help give him the freedom that someone like Pete only thinks he's getting.
And when we see Don bring the kids to the house where he grew up, and we see Sally look at Don in a way that's questioning and a little understanding, we begin to see that for all of the trouble opening up has caused Don, it's also starting to give him back his family. It will be interesting to see how far his opening up will take him.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "The Quality of Mercy"
Three Up
1. Sally Draper. Turns out that part of Sally's processing of catching Don with Sylvia Rosen is that she now wants to go to boarding school, apparently an extension of her blowing off weekends in the city. Betty takes her to an interview and overnight at Miss Porter's School, where Sally is saddled with two students who demand smokes or booze to ensure they say good things about Sally. She has neither, but is able to call in Glenn Bishop and a friend of his, and they bring booze and weed. There's a bump in the road when Glenn's pal Rollo tries to move in on Sally, but she gets Glenn to intercede, which he does buy beating Rollo about the head and torso (which makes Sally very happy, not sure if it's because she likes Glenn or likes that she can manipulate him). In any case, it turns out that Sally's in if she wants, and in the end Betty even lets Sally try a cigarette, which leads Sally to note that Don has never given her anything. So even with the win, there's still a pretty big hole there.
2. Pete Campbell. Pete finally gets his shot at Chevy, taking over for Ken after his latest injury at the hands of the GM guys in Detroit. Problem is that he's saddled with Bob Benson, but Pete has a stroke of genius: he calls Duck to see if he can find a spot for Bob at another firm (and with good timing, as Pete's mom is still seeing Manolo). Duck passes on some interesting info on Bob, which Pete (using his experience with Don as a guide) uses to keep Bob around, but out of Pete's business (so to speak). He also gets Manolo out of the picture. He's still Pete at times, but it's a good week for him, relatively.
3. Betty Francis. Her phone call to Don about Sally shows some of the flirty aftermath of Don and Betty's hook up, which is a nice softening of Betty's usual bitchiness. She's very good with the woman at Miss Porter's School, and when she learns that Sally is in is reasonably proud (though she wants more details from Sally). Betty is surprised when Sally says Don has never given her anything, but I think there's some part of her that's happy to hear that Sally's giving attitude in equal amounts.
Honorable Mention: Ken Cosgrove. Odd to be considered a winner when you've been shot in the face, but getting out of traveling to Detroit while staying on the account in New York makes this an overall win (especially if Ken gets to keep that eye that's under the patch).
Three Down
1. Ted Chaough. Ted's interest in Peggy is obvious to pretty much everyone, as she can do no wrong when pitching ideas. They also take in Rosemary's Baby together, though an awkward encounter with Don and Megan (who are at the same theater) leads to an even more awkward explanation of why Ted and Peggy are at the movie (they claim it's for an ad, which is true enough for cover). When Ted plans to spend three times the approved budget on a TV ad (putting the firm's money on the line, as he's not yet run the extra cost by the client), Don gets involved by making a (not particularly) oblique reference to Ted and Peggy when trying to explain the extra money. When Don comes up with a different reason, it spares Ted (and gets him more money), but in the end Ted is furious with Don for outing him and Peggy. Oh, and Ted also gets to yell at Don when it turns out the firm is going to go with Sunkist, forcing them to drop Ocean Spray (Harry Crane is involved, but the money is also too good to pass up).
2. Don Draper. Don's been guilt drinking, and actually agrees to stay home when Megan notes his deplorable condition. That's when he hears from Harry about Sunkist, which Don tells Harry to cancel, but changes his mind when he begins to see how Ted is around Peggy. This winds up being Don's main issue for the episode, cock-blocking Ted by bringing in Sunkist and ratting Ted out about the over-budget TV ad. In the end he tells Ted off and says he's not thinking clearly, but it's clear that Don's actions are not coming solely from concern for the firm. As bad as Ted takes it Peggy takes it worse, as she sees it as Don's continuing war with Ted and his continued meddling with Peggy. If you want to be charitable, you could argue that Don is doing this to keep Ted from making the same mistakes Don has made, but I don't think Don would act like that. In the end, Don winds up curled up on his office couch, probably reflecting on how screwed up things are for him at home and at work.
3. Bob Benson. Bob gets assigned to Pete as part of his Chevy team, and while Pete tells him to keep his distance it looks like Bob will do the Bob thing. Or at least he would if Duck hadn't discovered that Bob's story - education, work, family - is all crap. The best that Duck can tell is that Bob is from West Virgina, was a manservant to a wheel at Brown Brothers Harriman, and has managed to get work only at places dumb enough to not ask many questions (hello, SC&P!). But Bob gets to stay on after Pete confronts him, and even with conditions it's a better deal than getting turfed out. It's a setback in Bob's plan to do whatever it is he's planning to do.
Honorable Mention: Megan Draper. Remember when Betty said the worst way to get Don is to show that you love him? Megan tries very hard to get Don healthy and interested, but by the end of the episode Don is sitting in the dark living room, drinking and watching TV, rather than come to bed with Megan. She's getting closer to prove Betty right with every passing week.
1. Sally Draper. Turns out that part of Sally's processing of catching Don with Sylvia Rosen is that she now wants to go to boarding school, apparently an extension of her blowing off weekends in the city. Betty takes her to an interview and overnight at Miss Porter's School, where Sally is saddled with two students who demand smokes or booze to ensure they say good things about Sally. She has neither, but is able to call in Glenn Bishop and a friend of his, and they bring booze and weed. There's a bump in the road when Glenn's pal Rollo tries to move in on Sally, but she gets Glenn to intercede, which he does buy beating Rollo about the head and torso (which makes Sally very happy, not sure if it's because she likes Glenn or likes that she can manipulate him). In any case, it turns out that Sally's in if she wants, and in the end Betty even lets Sally try a cigarette, which leads Sally to note that Don has never given her anything. So even with the win, there's still a pretty big hole there.
2. Pete Campbell. Pete finally gets his shot at Chevy, taking over for Ken after his latest injury at the hands of the GM guys in Detroit. Problem is that he's saddled with Bob Benson, but Pete has a stroke of genius: he calls Duck to see if he can find a spot for Bob at another firm (and with good timing, as Pete's mom is still seeing Manolo). Duck passes on some interesting info on Bob, which Pete (using his experience with Don as a guide) uses to keep Bob around, but out of Pete's business (so to speak). He also gets Manolo out of the picture. He's still Pete at times, but it's a good week for him, relatively.
3. Betty Francis. Her phone call to Don about Sally shows some of the flirty aftermath of Don and Betty's hook up, which is a nice softening of Betty's usual bitchiness. She's very good with the woman at Miss Porter's School, and when she learns that Sally is in is reasonably proud (though she wants more details from Sally). Betty is surprised when Sally says Don has never given her anything, but I think there's some part of her that's happy to hear that Sally's giving attitude in equal amounts.
Honorable Mention: Ken Cosgrove. Odd to be considered a winner when you've been shot in the face, but getting out of traveling to Detroit while staying on the account in New York makes this an overall win (especially if Ken gets to keep that eye that's under the patch).
Three Down
1. Ted Chaough. Ted's interest in Peggy is obvious to pretty much everyone, as she can do no wrong when pitching ideas. They also take in Rosemary's Baby together, though an awkward encounter with Don and Megan (who are at the same theater) leads to an even more awkward explanation of why Ted and Peggy are at the movie (they claim it's for an ad, which is true enough for cover). When Ted plans to spend three times the approved budget on a TV ad (putting the firm's money on the line, as he's not yet run the extra cost by the client), Don gets involved by making a (not particularly) oblique reference to Ted and Peggy when trying to explain the extra money. When Don comes up with a different reason, it spares Ted (and gets him more money), but in the end Ted is furious with Don for outing him and Peggy. Oh, and Ted also gets to yell at Don when it turns out the firm is going to go with Sunkist, forcing them to drop Ocean Spray (Harry Crane is involved, but the money is also too good to pass up).
2. Don Draper. Don's been guilt drinking, and actually agrees to stay home when Megan notes his deplorable condition. That's when he hears from Harry about Sunkist, which Don tells Harry to cancel, but changes his mind when he begins to see how Ted is around Peggy. This winds up being Don's main issue for the episode, cock-blocking Ted by bringing in Sunkist and ratting Ted out about the over-budget TV ad. In the end he tells Ted off and says he's not thinking clearly, but it's clear that Don's actions are not coming solely from concern for the firm. As bad as Ted takes it Peggy takes it worse, as she sees it as Don's continuing war with Ted and his continued meddling with Peggy. If you want to be charitable, you could argue that Don is doing this to keep Ted from making the same mistakes Don has made, but I don't think Don would act like that. In the end, Don winds up curled up on his office couch, probably reflecting on how screwed up things are for him at home and at work.
3. Bob Benson. Bob gets assigned to Pete as part of his Chevy team, and while Pete tells him to keep his distance it looks like Bob will do the Bob thing. Or at least he would if Duck hadn't discovered that Bob's story - education, work, family - is all crap. The best that Duck can tell is that Bob is from West Virgina, was a manservant to a wheel at Brown Brothers Harriman, and has managed to get work only at places dumb enough to not ask many questions (hello, SC&P!). But Bob gets to stay on after Pete confronts him, and even with conditions it's a better deal than getting turfed out. It's a setback in Bob's plan to do whatever it is he's planning to do.
Honorable Mention: Megan Draper. Remember when Betty said the worst way to get Don is to show that you love him? Megan tries very hard to get Don healthy and interested, but by the end of the episode Don is sitting in the dark living room, drinking and watching TV, rather than come to bed with Megan. She's getting closer to prove Betty right with every passing week.
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