Basket of Kisses

Two images encapsulate Mad Men Episode 6.11, Favors, for me. First, Roger juggling. Not just because it’s awesome, but because everyone has balls in the air, everyone’s juggling, and everyone’s inevitably going to drop a ball.

I don’t know what you’re expecting. I mean, a couple of alter kockers arrange a meeting like this. It sounds very old world, but it doesn’t feel like it. I mean, you’re a sexy girl, and you smell great. You don’t need to be set up. And I sure as hell didn’t arrange this. I [...]

So I supposed racing to the top of the pile of questions we hope to see resolved by season’s-end we can add: Will Sally tell on Don? Or in a parlance more appropriate to Episode 6.11 Favors: Will she rat him out? As happens in all great Mad Men episodes, her reaction to his steaming [...]

I don’t understand. I try to do my job. I follow the rules and people hate me. Innocent people get hurt, and, and other people, people who are not good, get to walk around doing anything they want. It’s not fair. Hey folks–it’s me, talking. About Mad Men! I’d love your feedback on my first [...]

After all of tonight’s discussion of pilots in Favors, I feel I should take everyone’s drink orders (orange? cranberry?) and turn on the fasten-seatbelts sign. Filling in once again for the irreplaceable Deb, I’m Anne B. 

We are getting down to it–three episodes to go! Welcome to the open thread, our Sunday night hangout. If you’re a newbie, or just like extra study work, please read our comment and spoiler policies. Anything that has already aired on the East Coast at the time of posting is not a spoiler. And hey, [...]

Bob Benson was listening to an audio version of this classic of the 1940s, highly influenced by Dale Carnegie, with whom author Frank Bettger later lectured. I am unable to find any information about the LP version.

Gothamist unpacks “A Tale of Two Cities,” from Jeannie C. Riley to Carnation Instant Breakfast, with an extra post about the 1968 DNC in Chicago. Vulture has your key GIFs from “A Tale of Two Cities.” “The Whole World is Watching“: Wired views last Sunday’s ep through its advertising. Harry Hamlin talks to Vulture about [...]

In Season 6’s To Have and to Hold, Harry comes up with a rather inventive way for Dow Chemical to improve its image: a variety special, with a focus on Broadway show tunes, featuring Joe Namath. This sounded like a fantastic idea to me. If the show had worked, it would have been fun to [...]

This is hilarious.

In learning about RFK’s assassination, Don turned away from Megan, sat on the bed and looked in a different direction.  They’re disconnected.  He’s disconnected. By late August, with the Democratic National Convention turning into a SCDP Partners Meeting, Don and Megan chat long distance about the events and what they mean. Interesting that John Slattery [...]

Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. It’s about five o’clock in the morning. That’s the Homicide Squad, complete with detectives and newspapermen. A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the ten thousand block. You’ll read about it in the late editions, I’m sure. You’ll get it over [...]

In Tale of Two Cities, I kept seeing characters in different stages of reinvention. First we have Don, the first-ballot Hall of Famer.  His life is his reinvention.  Let’s just say it’s not going well at the moment, although there are still perks to being Don Draper (to wit: free hash).         [...]