[Television] Mad Men

There have been quite a few over the season, first one that pops into mind was their arguement after the Cool Whip skit, right after Megan had quit.

 

Finally caught up, and tonight's episode was the first I watched live. Psyched for the season finale, but I feel like the season reached it's dramatic peak with this episode and next week will be more wrap/clean/set up.

 

I don't mean to say I saw it coming, but we all saw it coming.

But Mad Men is the only show that would fake us out with the Jaguar failing to start, lure us into a false sense of resignation with the quick scene in the office and follow through with the gut punch.

 

Good call.

 

Wow this was probably the most intense episode of the series, and it's season finale yet. This show is great.

 

Wow, good call on the suicide. Looks like our boy Lane Pryce is no more. I'm pretty sad to see him go.

However he did have that awesome parting comment on Joan, "I suppose you rather I imagine you bouncing in the sand in some obscene bikini".

Quote of the season.

 

Damn, 'that scene' was intense. Because this show is fairly subdued those moments usually carry a lot of weight. This has been another great season; too bad we're at the finale.

Also, Weiner's kid has a really awkward delivery of his lines.

 

rest in peace Lane

 

Was it ever explained how he got in such dire financial straits? Was it a supposed case of the maid's house always being the dirtiest one: the bookkeeper's own financial house in shambles? It always seemed arbitrarily forced in earlier this season by the writing, when all of a sudden he started having financial difficulties with his son's tuition.

He was a great character, though. He was no Don Draper, and he knew it. Joan wouldn't have him, wouldn't steward him through his own mid-life crises (and she took charity on everyone else). He was an entirely self-aware character, cognizant of his own shortcomings; he knew he would never be the better man/Draper.

Draper looks down on him for one indiscretion? Pryce forged one check; Dick Whitman forged his entire life.

 

Fantastic episode last night, this season has been full of really impressive episodes. Can't wait to see the finale.

 

Lane's financial trouble built up over time (he remarked on this during his confrontation with Don last night); he was not compensated when the other partners broke away from PPL to form SCDP and he gave $50,000 of his own money to the firm after Lucky Strike left the agency.

However, the main crux of this season has been his tax issues in the UK (I had to look up all of this so it made sense, don't worry). At the time, the UK apparently levied a very large tax (I've read up to 90%) that inspired, among other things, The Beatles' "Taxman" and, unfortunately, a helplessness in Lane. His own pride wouldn't allow him to ask the other partners for help and he instead turned to forging Christmas bonus checks.

His boilerplate suicide note means that his secret embezzlement only lives on in Don. The other partners, or perhaps only Bert, believe that Don wrote the check against their wishes. Don can't reveal that he discussed the situation with Lane, prior to the suicide, as it would reveal that he didn't come to the other partners and may have helped pushed the emotionally unstable Lane to suicide (the final push was the Jaguar purchased by his wife).

Has anybody else been reading the AV Club recaps after each episode? They're very good and don't have the annoying tone of Grantland's.

 

Thanks, dumbartonbase; it's hard to remember there was a time before supply side taxation policies.

I don't read it religiously, but yeah, I find the Onion AV Club's writing on most shows to be quite insightful.

 

What a great fkn show...awesome episode last night...stupid Jaguar not starting lol...still weird to see it all go down like this as I liked Lane...Can't wait till next week...

 

I read a car aficionado who said that any car with a covered exhaustion will not start, maybe someone else can confirm this.

I think Don handled it in a very acceptable manner, from a professional standpoint that's the best thing he could do for everyone involved. Let's also not forget that Don is a self-made man, he's earned everything he's attained professionally. Lane broke the most essential rule of his job, if for example it were Pete forging the checks, just keeping him away from them could be the only solution needed.
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I think Lane would not have taken his life without the burden of guilt he got from being offered that position -was it a union?- and the car his wife bought, and with all hell breaking lose in the same day. I think it is also important to remember that he burned his bridges in England in order to create the new agency, this adds tremendously to his feelings of isolation and on having arrived at a dead end.

Lane's death made this the most emotionally draining episode that I can remember of, I immediately played Radiohead's videotape which intensified the feeling.

I hate the episode previews, they never give a thing away so I have no idea what the finale will bring us. Is the old ambitious Don really back? Can Joan really handle the work Lane did? Don and Megan could be put to the ultimate test if she lands a part and has to go away. It seems creepy Ben is being groomed to be Sally's bf, at least he won over the cool parents. What else will come out of the blue? can't wait.

 

Knockout episode after knockout episode the entire season. I don't know whether the extended time Matthew Weiner got because of the contract issues helped him come up with such a fantastic bunch of episodes. If that is the case, more contract negotiations and delays please!

Great ****in show!

 

true that, not sure how your gonna top a in-office sucide

 

It took me about 2 months of blu ray watching and saving new episodes on dvr but I've finally come to where the season finale will be my first live episode. What an awesome journey this show is. It's going to be weird having to wait a year to find out what happens next.