Mad Men

I love this show. That is well documented. I've watched it from the first season. And, yes, I do feel somewhat superior about this. I saw the pilot. I stumbled on it on a Thursday night during season one when AMC was replaying previously shown episodes. I don't know if I stumbled on it during the first week, but I did see the pilot. I was hooked. The style. The acting. John Hamm. I began reading about it. I began watching it. And I distinctly remember when a thunderstorm knocked out my cable during the season one finale... I missed the second half. Luckily, AMC was still showing each episode twice a week.

Anyway, season five just finished. This was the season that almost wasn't. And you know what? I loved it. I mean loved it. I thought it was one of the best seasons of any television show ever. I understand some of the criticism that each episode was too thematic, that each episode focused on a character or theme or whatever. I don't care. I think it was well done. As mentioned in this season wrapping article from the AV club said, there were times it almost spun out of control, like The Other Woman, which, honestly, was the episode that both upset me and sucked me in the most. There was part of it that felt like a betrayal to these characters, yet true to them. It shows Peggy standing up for herself when she needed to. It showed Joan being treated in a way that insulted me as a woman and her behaving in a way that was both upsetting yet understandable.

Do I need to recap it? Simply put, SCDP pimped out Joan. Now, Joan is a grown up and makes her own decisions, so, yes, she made the decision. But this was the first time in a long time, if ever, I seriously talked back to my television during a fictional program. When Pete went to Joan with his bullshitty proposal, I flipped off the TV. And this episode haunted me. It kept me awake, just thinking about it. The bad thing about this show being on a Sunday night is that I stay up thinking about it, mulling over the plot points and characters. And on Monday, I read everything I can about it.

One thing I have always loved about this show is how they handle social change. Social change happens in the background, because that is usually the way it works. Sure, some people are down in the trenches, but even during a tumultuous time like the late-1960s, change happened while most people were living their lives. And before that, the assassination of JFK happened while everyone was living their life. And just like most major national events, the news trickles in and different people hear about it at different times in different ways. The lack of black characters has been one of the biggest criticisms, I think, but like change, I think the portrayal correct for these people in this geographic location, in this situation. Granted, I wasn't alive yet, so what do I know?

What I liked about this season was that it felt transitional. The year? 1967. They're moving from mid-60s to the late-60s. Vietnam is beginning to build. The Beatles moved from bubble gum pop to Revolver. (And I don't care what anyone says, the use of Tomorrow Never Knows was fucking brilliant.) To me this season saw these characters move from what they knew and safe or normal to the unfamiliar. Roger did LSD, opened his mind, and got divorced. Joan dumped the jackass of a husband, and do what she needed to do to take care of herself, and yes, that included some not-so-comfortable things. And she did this so she could take care of her and her son without help from Roger, her ex-husband or her mother. Lane, well... Lane tried to live up an ideal that was only real in his head. And he couldn't. Pete's weird. Pete has always been weird. Pete has always been a dick. Pete has always felt inadequate to others. And now Pete has been emasculated and has lost his mojo by moving to the 'burbs.

Don went somewhat straight. He had Megan (who, as a character, I ended up liking so much more than I thought) and then he lost Megan when she left SCDP. And, I think, looked very young. That isn't a bad thing, but she is just starting her life and Don is established. Since so much of this season is about the clash of multiple generations, using Megan's aspirations of being an actress is a way to show just how young she is.

Peggy. I have a soft spot for Peggy. And this was Peggy's Season. Peggy left. Peggy striking out on her own was magnificent. It was heartbreaking. It was liberating. And seeing her in her red power suit, even if she looked a bit uncomfortable, in the season finale, was pretty awesome. And, yes, Peggy, you have indeed come a long way, baby.

Other things: I loved seeing a bigger role for Sally. I loved seeing Roger's sense of humor. And Roger on LSD was pretty spectacular. Harry got creepy. I don't remember Harry being that creepy in the past. They way he kept talking about his wife, I assumed at some point we were going to find out that she left him and he was talking shit to make it seem like she was still there. I want to see more of Stan Rizzo. And, yes, I even liked the addition of Ginsberg.

And while the season finale was somewhat slow compared to the rest of the season, I loved the cut to black when the young woman in the bar asked Don if he was a lone. And you know what? I liked the pace of the season ender. Why? Because the shows leading up to it were hectic. And strange. And unfamiliar. Kind of like the 60s. And then there was some calm while people can catch their breath. Little do they know what 1968 will hold and how much more things will change.

What's Making Me Happy This Week

Stealing this from both the Pop Culture Happy Hour and Mary.

Mad Men. If you aren't watching this, you are missing out on some of the best television on TV right now. And before you say something stupid like, "Given what's on TV right now, that's not saying much," let me just say this: Shut up. This season of Mad Men, each show has been better than the last. Also, if you are watching it and not following the discussion over at Slate's TV Club, please start.

This Post on NPR: Wanted: Mavericks and Missionaries to Solve Mississippi's MD Shortage. I went to the Mississippi coast a few months after Hurricane Katrine hit Mississippi and Louisiana. After seeing that, I decided to donate money instead of buying presents for my family. I looked at what people lost and thought, "We have everything. We need nothing." I sent money to the Mississippi Library Commission, a children's center on the coast, and an organization for volunteer fireman. The reaction from my family was so great, I did it again the next year. The next year I sent a check to a Jonestown, Mississippi health clinic. Why? After seeing the documentary short Bodies and Souls at my local film festival, I had the same feeling I had after seeing the MS coast after Katrina: We don't need anything. I put a check in a card, mailed it with a note saying it was sent in the name of my family. A few days after Christmas, I received a phone call from a doctor at a Mississippi Delta health clinic. He told me he wanted to thank me personally for the check I had sent. They didn't get a lot of support from the community. When he opened up my card, he had to leave the room in order to regain his composure. I was flabbergasted. My phone number wasn't listed. And while it probably wasn't too difficult to track me down, it still took some effort. But we talked for a bit. He told me he had grown up there but went to med school and had done his residency in the Midwest, but he was really happy to return to his home and help his community--much like those in this NPR story. This all happened almost six years ago. My mom sent a check to the same place last year and it was returned. I fear the clinic closed. Some days I question whether the clinic that received the check was the one featured in the film, as the doctor didn't seem to have any clue what I was talking about when I mentioned it. But you know what? I don't care. It went to an organization that needed it and it made a difference. Even now, I get a little choked up when I think about it.

Stephen Colbert's Speech at Time's 100 Most Influential Shindig. If you haven't read this yet, read it now. Thank me later. Best parts? Colbert's comments on the Koch brothers and Cardinal Dolan.

Vegetarian Pho Starter from Pacific Foods. I have no clue how this tastes, but I was happy to find it. I love pho. We have many pho places in town and I have my favorites. But sometimes I feel like throwing some rice noodles in some broth with tofu and veggies and having some pho. I found what I would call pho bouillon cubes at one of the local Asian grocery stores... but it's all in Vietnamese. I assume you just throw it in a pan with some water, but I've still never made it. So finding premade pho broth? This makes me happy.

Two Random Pop Culture Things

Did you see the finale of Project Runway Allstars? Or are Mary and I the only people watching it? Anyway, if you aren't watching it, you missed Austin Scarlett describing his final collection.

"It's a story of a vampire from the 18th century who has lived for many hundreds of years and now resides in Williamsburg and occasionally borrows her clothes from her hassidic dandy friends."

You can watch it on Hulu. Fast forward to about 11:34 to see Austin describe his collection. It is the best most awesome yet totally ridiculous description ever. Kind of like Austin. And I mean that in the best possible way.

And I give you... Mad Men: The Game (in the style of old Nintendo). This is so addictive. If you look carefully, you will even see the lawnmower.