# Has Mad Men held up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443 "2010-06-08T16:41:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/1 "2010-06-08T16:41:13Z")
We only caught bits of this excellent series in the past, so are starting over with season one on demand. Not having seen any threads on it in recent memory, I’m wondering a) is it still on the air and b) is it still worth watching? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/2 "2010-06-08T16:43:43Z")
The new season kicks off in a matter of weeks. It was getting pretty weird at the end of the last season. _Breaking Bad_ is running away from it as AMC shows go. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/3 "2010-06-08T16:51:51Z")
The last show of Season 3 aired early in November, 2009. So there haven’t been any new episodes to inspire threads. The season started slowly but ended most excellently. (Not “weird” at all in my opinion.) I’m one of the many fans eager for the beginning of Season 4–coming up on July 25th. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/4 "2010-06-08T17:05:39Z")
I’m currently watching season 3 on DVD (don’t have cable), and though I’m not as enthralled as I was by seasons 1 and 2, I’m definitely enjoying it. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/5 "2010-06-08T17:18:35Z")
Season 3 sort of lost its way. It seemed like the writers had lost anything new to do with Don Draper, but weren’t willing to move the camera off him to the supporting cast, so they sort of took old themes and dressed them up in new clothes and did it all over again. 1 and 2 were both excellent though. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/6 "2010-06-08T17:43:54Z")
Season one just grabs you with the pilot episode. Quirky music, quirky characters, and I’d watch it just to see Joan strut her stuff. Yowza! ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/7 "2010-06-08T17:50:17Z")
I thought season 3 was excellent in moving the characters towards the coming social changes and upheavals of the mid-1960s. In particular I thought the writers did a tremendous job using the JFK assassination as a catalyst for changes in the characters’ lives, especially Betty’s and Pete’s. I can’t wait to find out how S4 will begin. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/8 "2010-06-08T18:14:19Z")
Season 3 was great. Mrs. FtG and I just got done re-watching the DVDs of Season 3. Let me tell you, the seaon finale is one of the greatest TV episodes ever. _Breaking Bad_ is a much poorer series. Even the fans I know of _BB_ keep apologizing about the weak Season 1, various strange things that the show does, etc. Start watching all the episodes now to get ready for Season 4. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/9 "2010-06-08T18:36:38Z")
The show lost something in season 3, but I’m not entirely sure where it misstepped, or how badly. The final episode was strong, though, and if they use the foundation they laid well, season 4 could be good. On the other hand, the final episode of season 2 was strong, too and they kind of squandered that. Still appointment TV. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/10 "2010-06-08T20:01:25Z")
After every episode I swear I’m going to stop watching it because the people are so awful. There just aren’t any sympathetic characters. But every Sunday night I’m back again. Because of my age, I love looking at the backgrounds and remembering that time. Not that they were GOOD times-- far from it. Jon Hamm is one gorgeous man even if Don Draper is a louse. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/11 "2010-06-10T17:44:45Z")
The only drawback to watching it on-demand is that after a couple of eps in a row, the theme music becomes an earworm: DAH-dah, DAH-dah, DAH-dah, DAH-dah, dahhhhhh. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/12 "2010-06-10T18:45:08Z")
Well, that and the way it usually ends with Don standing in a dark hallway is less “ennui” and more “turn the lights on”, with compliments to whoever said that in a Slate article. It may be best seen as aired, not one after the other - I’ll never know, though, as the boyfriend will not watch anything else while he’s into a series. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/13 "2010-06-10T19:30:14Z")
Draper is such an inveterate poon hound, it’ll be interesting to see how he behaves now that he’s free to do as he pleases, and has the money to be living large as a bachelor in New York. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/14 "2010-06-10T19:44:13Z")
I doubt he’ll have the money, really. New business plus divorce? ETA - sorry, didn’t think about spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/15 "2010-06-10T20:00:59Z")
The underlying tension in the first ep for most of the characters is done perfectly. Anxiety attacks, depression, alcoholism, immorality and dark secrets. Doesn’t get much better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/16 "2010-06-10T20:17:06Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > The show lost something in season 3, but I’m not entirely sure where it misstepped, or how badly. IMHO there was too much focus on Betty. But there’s no reason to think that problem will persist into season 4. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/17 "2010-06-10T20:42:55Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > IMHO there was too much focus on Betty. > > But there’s no reason to think that problem will persist into season 4. It’s odd that a woman so physically beautiful would be so … off putting. She’s bitchy and self centered, but so is hubby. She really doesn’t _do_ all that much that’s truly evil, but there’s just this weird vibe she gives off that’s .. just oogy. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/18 "2010-06-10T21:20:26Z")
Her voice is very unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/19 "2010-07-09T14:02:12Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > The show lost something in season 3, but I’m not entirely sure where it misstepped, or how badly. The final episode was strong, though… I’m at a decision-point: we just finished Season 2 on DVD. Season 3 is out on DVD, but Season 4 will be starting soon. I sense that Season 3 is a mixed bag but with a strong end. Should we go directly to watching the last 4 episodes of Season 3 (or perhaps first 4 + last 4)? Or will we miss some really important, long-reaching plot material from the middle? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443/20 "2010-07-09T14:16:57Z")
Mmm, I don’t think Mad Men is really a show you can go skipping around in. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mad-men-held-up/542443.md?page=2)