I just binge watched Mad Men

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YouBet
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In reply to State of Texas • 10:30a, 8/15/26
AG
State of Texas said:
Mad Men and Justified are 1 and 1 for me. Last season of MM kind of tapered off, but I love re-watching them both.

I can't imagine watching the whole series in a week. I'd at least want to savor it a little while longer.


90-92 hours of TV in one week. So he watched it 13 hours every day.

I'm not sure how that's even possible. I'm retired and that sounds daunting.

I call b.s.
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torrid
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10:31a, 8/15/26
AG
I didn't find Justified until a few years after it ended. That surprises because though I knew of the series and watched FX regularly, I don't think I ever saw an episode when first run. Wound up being one of my favorite shows.

Omitting that turd of a comeback mini-series a couple of years ago.
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Jetpilot86
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In reply to torrid • 10:38a, 8/15/26
AG
torrid said:
Shumba said:
Totally. Between Mad Men and Community, she was the best thing on the screen for me.

G.L.O.W.

You're welcome.

I was trying to remember where I saw her first.
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In reply to Bunk Moreland • 12:19p, 8/15/26
AG
Bunk, we've got the same top three. I also liked you on Treme.
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12:34p, 8/15/26
AG
Soft spot characters were Don's kids. Kind of provided a window into how some of the kids of the 1960s and 1970s ended up with rough family situations that perpetuated some of the negatives (and positives) of GenX.
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RightWingConspirator
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12:36p, 8/15/26
AG
I'd recommend Better Call Saul. I enjoyed it just as much as I did Breaking Bad. The next I'd recommend is The Shield. It's every bit as good if not better than The Wire.
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TCTTS
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In reply to Bull Meachem • 4:34p, 8/15/26
AG
Bull Meachem said:
Mad Men was really great TV, though not my favorite ever. The attention to detail was something. My wife grew up in NY and the home Betty and Don owned was exactly like her grandmothers. From the sitting room to the dining room to the kitchen to the drink cart. It was almost as if it had been filmed in their house and based on how they lived.

Justified
Deadwood
The Americans
Billions


Fun fact: a house here in Pasadena was used to shoot the exteriors of Don & Betty's home, and I live about five minutes away from it. It's also right around the corner from the house in Father of the Bride. Then, a few blocks away from both, is the house used in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. That whole part of town is crazy iconic/picturesque.
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fav13andac1)c
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In reply to InternetFan02 • 8:42p, 8/15/26
AG
InternetFan02 said:
The Suitcase is still my favorite episode and I rewatch about once a year when I want to feel some nostalgia like pain from an old wound.

Wondering if that episode stands out during a full throttle first time binge or gets lost in the shuffle. I think it's right at the halfway point of the series.


Watching Mad Men right now, and it's a testament to the show that you can see the showdown being led up to almost from when Peggy becomes a copywriter. There are so many little moments that seem insignificant but inform Peggy and Don's relationship to the point that their actions and conversations in the Suitcase make perfect sense. One of the best shows of all time.
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Pahdz
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9:55p, 8/15/26
Probably say this at least once or twice a week to my wife or someone at work

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GreasenUSA
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11:40p, 8/15/26
AG
I thought Billions was a ton of fun, and I could see most fans of Mad Men enjoying it.

But it was mostly a guilty pleasure. Quality-wise, it's trash tv compared to Mad Men.
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ElephantRider
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In reply to Bunk Moreland • 11:38a, 8/16/26
AG
Bunk Moreland said:
Pete's story gets better with every re-watch. Even in the early seasons when I used to hate him I now find some sympathy for him.

Harry's gets worse.


I said the same thing about Harry the last time I watched it.
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fav13andac1)c
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9:49p, 8/16/26
AG
Wrong thread
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TCTTS
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1:32a, 8/17/26
AG
Obviously Mad Men is streaming on HBO, but just FYI, for those who have YouTube TV, they have a channel called "AMC Stories" that basically runs Mad Men 24/7. Or, rather, they'll run through the entire series three or four times in a row, then they'll go through a couple other AMC series all the way through, then back to Mad Men running 24/7 three or four times in a row, rinse and repeat. And when Mad Men is running, it's one of my go-to background channels.

Anyway, I've been catching a few season five/six episodes in the background this weekend, and two things have stood out...

- Stan is one of the most underrated characters on the show.

- Roger's seething hatred for Harry is never not hilarious.
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YouBet
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8:43a, 8/17/26
AG
Almost forgot about Roger....is there a more do nothing job anyone has ever had? He was partner / owner and literally did nothing. Just went to work where he would smoke, drink, and just hang out.

What a job.
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bonfarr
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In reply to YouBet • 8:51a, 8/17/26
AG
YouBet said:
Almost forgot about Roger....is there a more do nothing job anyone has ever had? He was partner / owner and literally did nothing. Just went to work where he would smoke, drink, and just hang out.

What a job.


He owned the relationship with Lucky Strike that paid their bills. Once they lost that he knew his usefulness was gone and he started dropping acid.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this post reflect the opinions of Texags user bonfarr and are not to be accepted as facts or to be taken at face value.
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ElephantRider
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8:51a, 8/17/26
AG
Despite his numerous flaws as a person, Roger Sterling has always been one of my favorite tv characters.
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YouBet
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In reply to ElephantRider • 9:02a, 8/17/26
AG
ElephantRider said:
Despite his numerous flaws as a person, Roger Sterling has always been one of my favorite tv characters.


He had some awesome lines.
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EclipseAg
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In reply to ElephantRider • 10:27a, 8/17/26
AG
ElephantRider said:
Despite his numerous flaws as a person, Roger Sterling has always been one of my favorite tv characters.

Perfect casting, too. John Slattery was born to play Roger Sterling.
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Agristotle
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In reply to EclipseAg • 11:36a, 8/17/26
AG
Slattery originally auditioned for the Don Draper role.
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ElephantRider
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In reply to EclipseAg • 11:40a, 8/17/26
AG
EclipseAg said:
ElephantRider said:
Despite his numerous flaws as a person, Roger Sterling has always been one of my favorite tv characters.

Perfect casting, too. John Slattery was born to play Roger Sterling.


I can't even begin to imagine anyone else in that role. The whole show was very well cast.
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bonfarr
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11:53a, 8/17/26
AG
Of all the characters I have the most sympathy for Sal Romano. It sucks the way he was shown the door over Lee Jr. most of the other characters that left had a cameo later in the series but we never saw Sal again.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this post reflect the opinions of Texags user bonfarr and are not to be accepted as facts or to be taken at face value.
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EclipseAg
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In reply to Agristotle • 12:15p, 8/17/26
AG
Agristotle said:
Slattery originally auditioned for the Don Draper role.

Now that you mention it, I remember reading that somewhere. The skill that casting directors have to "see" an actor as someone else has always fascinated me.
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Chipotlemonger
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In reply to bonfarr • 12:18p, 8/17/26
AG
bonfarr said:
Of all the characters I have the most sympathy for Sal Romano. It sucks the way he was shown the door over Lee Jr. most of the other characters that left had a cameo later in the series but we never saw Sal again.

I always wondered if there was no cameo (like with some other characters) just simply due to the actor moving on to other things. The few cameos I can remember were well done and didn't always feel shoehorned in at bad spots. I feel that some shows could mess that up pretty badly.
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Agristotle
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In reply to EclipseAg • 2:00p, 8/17/26
AG
Slattery was very funny about it. He said soon as he saw Hamm he knew he was cooked
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ElephantRider
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8:55a, 8/20/26
AG
Speaking of Hamm and Slattery...they both appear as "themselves" in this movie that recently came out. Haven't seen it yet, but I'm a big David Wain fan so it's on my to-do list.

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Diggity
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In reply to TCTTS • 9:34a, 8/20/26
AG
TCTTS said:
Even weirder? That was showrunner Matthew Weiner's kid.

Weiner, who was born in 1965, basically took his mommy issues out on Betty for seven seasons, basing the character loosely on his own mother - and she was easily, for me, the worst character on the show. Or, rather, she was effectively written to be just that, and played fantastically by January Jones to be just that as well.

In other words, Weiner wrote the character as a way to explore / vent about his own mother, then cast his own son to essentially want to get with her.

Uncomfortable, indeed.

He learned from the best, as this was pretty much the David Chase formula in Sopranos.
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MSFC Aggie
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11:26a, 9/9/26
AG
I've always wanted to do the Mad Men binge, and thanks to this thread, I finally started and just finished season 1. But I have to admit, I found the first season to be a bit meh. Does it get better? Or since I feel that way about season 1, should I just stop now?
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Zombie Jon Snow
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In reply to Bunk Moreland • 11:49a, 9/9/26
AG
Bunk Moreland said:
I liked the ending. Mostly for the non Don characters. Dons arc could have ended after handing off his keys and Buddy Holly playing. But remembering back during that era of TV and online commentary week to week, it was fun to see him get to the Coca Cola ad.

I've also watched this show 9 or 10 times all the way through and I feel different feelings for various characters every time. Which is the hallmark of a great show imo.

It's top 3 with the Wire and Sopranos. All 3 very different shows. BB is a nat's ass below and then there's a tier of about 10 shows that are awesome. Fargo, The Shield, Deadwood, Justified, etc


Similar but

Sopranos
Breaking Bad
The Wire
Game of Thrones
Justified
Peaky Blinders
Mad Men
Deadwood
The Americans
LOST
Stranger Things
The Crown
Downton Abbey
Fargo
Westworld
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to MSFC Aggie • 12:04p, 9/9/26
AG
MSFC Aggie said:
I've always wanted to do the Mad Men binge, and thanks to this thread, I finally started and just finished season 1. But I have to admit, I found the first season to be a bit meh. Does it get better? Or since I feel that way about season 1, should I just stop now?


I think most people who really got into the show got into it pretty quickly in the first season. To follow a 7 or 8 season character study, you kind of have to enjoy the ambience and vibe, and the subtle changes over time. That might be a little more difficult for a binge watch.
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Shelton98
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In reply to MSFC Aggie • 12:54p, 9/9/26
AG
MSFC Aggie said:
I've always wanted to do the Mad Men binge, and thanks to this thread, I finally started and just finished season 1. But I have to admit, I found the first season to be a bit meh. Does it get better? Or since I feel that way about season 1, should I just stop now?

I couldn't get through season 1, so it's probably not for me.
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TCTTS
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In reply to MSFC Aggie • 2:21p, 9/9/26
AG
MSFC Aggie said:
I've always wanted to do the Mad Men binge, and thanks to this thread, I finally started and just finished season 1. But I have to admit, I found the first season to be a bit meh. Does it get better? Or since I feel that way about season 1, should I just stop now?


It gets better / livelier / more fun and dramatic for sure. Especially the deeper it gets into the '60s (finally ending in '69). In fact, seasons 4 through 7 almost feel like a different show, for a multiple reasons, and when I rewatch the show, those are the seasons I go back to the most.

That said, I was hooked after the first season, so it simply might not be for you. Also, just FYI, season two is probably my least favorite. Still damn good, just the least memorable overall. But seasons three, four, and five? They're some of the best television of all time. Just absolutely incredible, IMO, and when the show really started to take off, become part of the zeitgeist, and cement itself among the best ever.
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