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Mad Men (AMC) TV Show • Page 27

Discussion in 'Entertainment Forum' started by Melody Bot, Jan 11, 2016.

  1. Jake Gyllenhaal

    Wookie of the Year Supporter

    “In the following episode, the character Don Draper will be committing infidelity. In context, infidelity was quite common in the 1960s”
     
  2. Nathan

    Always do the right thing. Supporter

    Yeah the disclaimer makes sense for works that were embracing racist tropes, not one simply depicting them.
     
  3. Morrissey

    Trusted

    Mad Men did such a good job with building characters and their motivations, but Lane Pryce's death feels like a cheap way to get rid of a character who they ran out of storylines for. His tax problems come up pretty suddenly, and of all characters Lane feels like the person least likely to be irresponsible with money.
     
    Jake Gyllenhaal likes this.
  4. Dinosaurs Dish

    Prestigious Prestigious

    I never took it as him being irresponsible with money but that his character/upbringing wouldn’t allow him to speak up when pouring all his money into the company made him broke.

    He operated at a loss for years, his pride made him keep it a secret, and then the embarrassment of possibly getting caught stealing seemed less than just asking for help.

    As far as ending his character, is there a reason you think it’s because they ran out of storylines? An interview or something?
     
  5. Morrissey Sep 29, 2020
    (Last edited: Sep 29, 2020)
    Morrissey

    Trusted

    I just happen to be watching the episode.

    You have listed the reasons the show gave, but it all comes so suddenly. When he comes home from being fired, he is distraught that his wife bought a Jaguar, which implies that they had some money. Of course, wives were less likely to be partners in a relationship back then, but his wife did feel more of an equal to him than most of the other wives.

    Mad Men was incredibly consistent with keeping its main cast together. They found ways to write Ken back into the show and concocted an entire merger to bring back Peggy to the firm. The only regulars that left the show were Paul and Salvatore, while they found ways to keep bringing back Duck Phillips or Glenn. Lane had a lot of great moments, but it was hard for them to do much more with him because he doesn't really meet with clients or do anything outside of the office.
     
  6. Dinosaurs Dish

    Prestigious Prestigious

    All interesting points that I don’t necessarily disagree with and I recently watched that season as well.

    They did have money but it’s because he stole it from the company. Don is covering what he stole but he knows that he’s not going to be able to make money any time soon and that he’d have to go back to England. I think part of him puking in that scene is the overwhelming realization and embarrassment of it all hitting him in waves.

    I still don’t feel that they ran out of storylines. There’s plenty of characters that don’t leave the office that remained as well. Maybe he was ready to leave the show? I don’t know, but regardless, I think they did a good job planting the seeds of his money issues and shame and it all came together well in the end.
     
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  7. VanMastaIteHab

    Trusted Prestigious

    ^I agree with most of that, but I’m not sure I would say it came up suddenly. They spent almost the entirety of season 5 building to it.

    If anything I might say it felt like the show “wanted” to do a suicide storyline and Lane just made the most sense. So it could feel cheap in that way.

    Edit: was pointing to Morrissey’s post, not the one above
     
  8. Morrissey

    Trusted

    Part of it comes from making the rare show that doesn't involve massive amounts of violence. The Sopranos or Breaking Bad or The Wire can refresh their cast over time because of the nature of their stories, but Mad Men can't have characters being killed off in every episode.

    Around the same time as Lane's death, they also had a hard time keeping Betty involved. It comes around near the end, but Henry is generally boring and Sally begins overshadowing everyone else in that subplot.
     
  9. Dinosaurs Dish

    Prestigious Prestigious

    That’s a good point. And making up something about him having to move back home or a heart attack or whatever would seem cheap.
     
  10. Cameron

    FKA nowFace Prestigious

    Yeah like Van said, that whole season had a lingering foreshadow of death. Don looking down the elevator shaft, the tea leaves/Betties cancer, the noose Don draws etc. It was definitely building to it, but I actually agree that at the time it seemed more forced for it to be Layne. Given what we knew about him yes his pride would most certainly keep him from asking for help. Though he always seemed to be the more knowledgeable partner in terms of money handling. He had some fantastic scenes in that last season too. Signal 30 is great. If anything they should have leaned more in that perhaps he was more homesick/his marriage was making him depressed. It seemed more believable to me. In a previous season he had already expressed how he was having marital problems.
     
    VanMastaIteHab likes this.
  11. Morrissey

    Trusted

    There is a lot of variation in the quality of facial hair. Stan looks much better with a beard, and the earlier episodes where he does not happen feel bizarre. By contrast, Michael Ginsberg looks like he is wearing a Halloween costume with his mustache. The characters letting their hair grow long and droopy reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where they are not getting enough shower pressure and their hair is a mess.
     
  12. Dinosaurs Dish

    Prestigious Prestigious

    Pete’s receding hairline is amazing.
     
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  13. OotyPa

    fall away

    Unrelated, but (the actor who plays) Pete is great in The Social Dilemma. Made me miss his performance in this show. God, what a perfect show.
     
  14. Jake Gyllenhaal

    Wookie of the Year Supporter

    RyanPm40 likes this.
  15. bedwettingcosmo

    i like bands who can't sing good Supporter

    wait the receeding hairline wasn't real?
     
  16. Jake Gyllenhaal

    Wookie of the Year Supporter

    lol, no... I think I saw pics of him after the show ended and he still had a pretty good head of hair
     
  17. Morrissey

    Trusted

    Almost no actor that age would let their hair recede. Hair plugs would come quickly.
     
  18. Jake Gyllenhaal

    Wookie of the Year Supporter

    a nice person likes this.
  19. OhTheWater

    Let it run Supporter

    Just started it up again with my wife. First time for her
     
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  20. Cameron

    FKA nowFace Prestigious

    My wife also watched it with me for the first time 2 years ago, and she really enjoyed it.
     
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  21. bedwettingcosmo

    i like bands who can't sing good Supporter

    trying to talk my wife into a rewatch for her first time.
     
    VincewithoutheE likes this.
  22. Yeah, after years of bugging my girl to watch this knowing she'd love it, we flew through this last summer. Now she considers it one of her favorite shows.
     
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  23. Brent

    Trusted Prestigious

     
  24. chewbacca110

    He wrenches on it. He thinks it's his.

    I started working at an ad agency a month ago and I really want to rewatch MM. I’m an Account Executive and realized Pete Campbell is too. Boo.
     
    Brent likes this.
  25. Jake Gyllenhaal

    Wookie of the Year Supporter

    [​IMG]
     
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