Just watched it now. Agree with the sentiments here it was a perfect season finale. Re: Don's marriage break-up and watching his stoic and cool demeanour gave me a little bit of hope and strength.

I posted my thoughts on another forum, but I will try to sum it up here, in case anyone is interested (or reading this thread still)

*Don's shamble of a marriage: Very interesting how things crumble right when Don shows weakness and emotion. Granted Betty used the excuse that the lies were what pushed it over the edge. But I think everyone knew that was just an excuse.

*I have never been a Betty fan, but it amazed me...leaving her older kids with the nanny during the holidays, while she flies to Nevada with her youngest (I'd imagine the only reason she even brought that one along was because he hasn't a mind of his own yet) to get her marriage annulled and her new marriage ratified.

*Don's visions of his step-father perfectly bookended this episode, and ALSO this season. Remember the first episode of the season opened with Don in the kitchen dreaming about his step-dad.

*My only real complaint was how easily all these characters fell into the places that they needed to be for the season to end. But even that is a bit faulty an argument, since each character transitioned to a realistic place prior to becoming renegades, it made it believable, but also a bit not--since all the major characters of Sterling-Cooper were kept around.

*I can't help but notice the difference of atmosphere without all the characters being separated by offices. I think Weiner really had something to say about this (even the name of the episode, "Shut the Door. Have a Seat" refers to offices). The characters all worked as a team of sorts, in the brief moment we saw, unlike when each had their own office and would sit in solitude and uncomfortable silence, drinking and smoking and stewing and brooding.

*Furthermore, the look of accomplishment and pleasure on Don's face as he pans the room, that is something we have never seen. It is a clear juxtaposition between his blood family which is in shambles. Interestingly, by Don opening lines of communication and bringing together the renegades of Sterling-Cooper, he is letting himself get closer to his co-workers then we have seen to anyone else. Most notably his own family. I am sure it will not be smooth sailing from here, but the fourth season can't come quick enough.

Good review Garth. Yes I wonder if anyone if anyone is still interested to post here two and a half years after the Sopranos ended. What are the Mad Men boards like?

One correction though. Archibald Whitman who was killed in the flashback was young Dick's biological father. His stepfather was "Uncle Mack".

conkom wrote:Good review Garth. Yes I wonder if anyone if anyone is still interested to post here two and a half years after the Sopranos ended. What are the Mad Men boards like?

One correction though. Archibald Whitman who was killed in the flashback was young Dick's biological father. His stepfather was "Uncle Mack".

Ah, thanks for the correction. I am pretty hazy on Dick/Don's history (even more then I should be, I think)...I ought to go read up on it.

Yes, excellent review Garth! I just thought the finale was fantastic, and completely redeemed some misgivings that were building in my mind about where all this is going. The Betty-politician thing took me by surprise- i didn't think they developed those characters or their relationship enough to justify that result- but who knows? Maybe by the time they land in Las Vegas, it'll be on its way out, or they won't do much with them for the future season...But realistically, they'll be back, and i'll still be glad for it!

And the parallels between Don and Tony are starting to show more- as bosses whose star is ascending-- as a result of their own efforts and also as a result of complete luck and some outside forces at work.

i can hardly wait for the next season! And Garth- where is that other forum? The AMC forum? i haven't checked it lately, as it is a bit lame and hard to use. But if you are posting there, i will defintiely check back in!

Grrrreat Show!!

badabellisima wrote:i can hardly wait for the next season! And Garth- where is that other forum? The AMC forum? i haven't checked it lately, as it is a bit lame and hard to use. But if you are posting there, i will defintiely check back in!

Grrrreat Show!!

Oh, no no. I am a member of forum run by a specific comic book writer, Brian Michael Bendis. It is much different atmosphere than here. The topics are typically about pop culture. Completely different atmosphere than here. Much less focused. But there are some good threads about shows, movies, and books. I am the resident Sopranos guru over there, naturally. So I also seem to be the go-to Mad Men guy as well. But if you are at all curious about it, you can head over to http://www.jinxworld.com

I always try to steer clear of official message boards, since the official websites seem to have less intelligent conversations for some reason (not to sound pretentious).

As for the next season, I'd imagine it'd begin airing late summer of 2010, since that seems to be their schedule. It'll be a hell of a wait!

Thanks for the link, and you are right about the wait!...

badabellisima wrote:Thanks for the link, and you are right about the wait!...

If you are at all curious about what Sopranos fans on a comic book message board (the one I linked earlier) thought about the show. We had a somewhat official thread that someone started when he began watching the show (but after it had already concluded). There are some good conversations, and it is kind of neat to see what non-sopranos-crazies (and I say that with all love possible, my fellow members) thought of the show. Check it out if interested. http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=135119

Nice avatar over there, Garth. I actually live a block away from the theater that has monthly midnight screenings in LA. Tommy is usually there, as well.

jouster wrote:Nice avatar over there, Garth. I actually live a block away from the theater that has monthly midnight screenings in LA. Tommy is usually there, as well.

:-D ! Awesome! They do monthly showings here as well. They have steadily been increasing in popularity. SO much fun, I have been at least 5 times and own the dvd. It is a blast.

For anyone interested in what we are talking about, it is a cult movie called The Room. One of those its-so-bad-its-good movies. Its been called the Citizen Kane of horrible films. Here is a trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCj8sPCWfUw