Basket of Kisses

On Sundays (when they feel like it), AMC reruns Mad Men, and we discuss the aired episodes in the days following. Here’s our revisit to The Gypsy and the Hobo. And by the way, some of these old posts have broken illustrations, which come from the time we had to restore the entire site from [...]

Mad Men reruns on AMC on Sunday mornings, and we revisit each episode the following week. My initial reaction was a rush of thoughts about how much happened in The Color Blue. Thoughts on Don and younger brothers. B. Cooper knows which loaded gun is a red herring and which isn’t. You can’t frame a [...]

Oops! I forgot the open thread in time for the airing of The Color Blue and The Gypsy and the Hobo. Mea culpa. Discuss!

AMC is again showing Mad Men reruns and we are again revisiting past posts. Today it’s Wee Small Hours. Let’s start with my first impressions of the title and what happens overall. My first reaction to this episode was not entirely positive. Roberta thought Don was chasing the magic. Matt Maul notices a significant symbol. [...]

AMC’s Sunday morning airings of Mad Men have returned. We’re approaching the end of Season Three. Today’s revisit is Episode 3.08: Souvenir. I contemplate the episode in the context of Don & Betty’s marriage. I also explore the idea that Marriage Benefits Men. Pete and Gudrun and what we know about Pete. Matt Maul explores [...]

This morning, AMC is showing Souvenir and Wee Small Hours. Thank you for confusing and yet delighting us, AMC. Discuss!

One of the major storylines in Season 3′s The Gypsy and the Hobo follows Sterling Cooper’s efforts to help Caldecott Farms, a dog food manufacturer, overcome negative publicity over the fact that their product’s main ingredient is horse meat. One notable scene shows a focus group being conducted to gauge the attitudes of dog owners. [...]

In Seven Twenty Three, hitchhikers Doug and Sandy tell Don that they’ve gotten married so that Doug could avoid the draft and being sent to Vietnam. Sandy says “They’re passing a law,” in July; President Kennedy didn’t actually sign Executive Order 11119 until September 10, 1963. This executive order exempted married men between the ages [...]

Some of the Basket’s insights and observations of this chilling episode: Elisabeth Moss talks to the Basket about the scene between her and Don. Deb explores solar eclipses as a theme. Plus Deb’s all mad at Don. Don has four fathers. I answer some viewer mail, providing my thoughts on Don and the contract of [...]

Like Kennedy and John Lennon to their generations, I think we all remember the exact moment when “it” happened! Let’s have a look through some ruminations past: Deborah’s Guy Walks Into a Film Genre Deborah, ever-obsessive, recreates the Org Chart. Some facts and insights about Disabilities. A few hints that foreshadowed the accident. So many [...]

Like Hedwig following Tommy Gnosis, we are trailing alongside AMC’s weekend mini-marathons. Yesterday three amazing (okay, arguably amazing) episodes aired–The Fog, Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency and Seven Twenty Three. We’ll spend the next three days looking back on our insights in the form of our favorite posts on each episode, respectively. Today it’s [...]

Good morning! Welcome to our under-caffeinated Open Thread. If you didn’t know, AMC has been showing three MM eps every Sunday morning starting at 6am (eastern), and the Basket has been following along. Please chime in with conversation, observation, awakened memories or first-time insights. Or just bring some coffee. Today’s viewings are The Fog, Guy [...]

A look back on posts we wrote in reaction to this episode: Well Hello Kitty. Deborah explores the theme of fathers. Eat a peach–bite the continuity glitch. Anne B gets into Sally’s world. Ms. Darkly discusses what it is to be a Mad Men fan(-wanker). Deb has a look at how, over some time, Don [...]