I do my weekly DVR Purges, but let's be frank: they are crap. I don't proofread them at all most weeks. They're collections of scattered thoughts that barely even make sense a week later. What I've decided to do is, with most of these shows I watch taking a break, reflect on where I stand with them, assessing what is in the show's favor (assets) and what could get it in trouble (liabilities).
Now, not every show I watch will be included. In general, I'm sticking to shows that I've kept notes (be them from Purges or otherwise) as I've watched. That means, shows like The Bridge, Looking, Sherlock, and Dexter will not be included. To get my thoughts on those, ask me. This project, supposing I stay on schedule should take all month and I hope it does a good job summing up where these shows stand. In some cases, I'm hoping to convince you to start watching. Other times, it'll be nothing more than a postmortem for a show that's gone.
I hope you enjoy.
Favorite Episode(s): "The Strategy" & "Waterloo"
The Return of Don Draper: Season six was frustrating because it was a professional low for Don Draper: the man, the legend. He's been a drunk and a cheat for a while, but he always had his job. Despite only having seven episodes, this season told a great redemption story for him. It starts with him actually working, even though it's being presented through Freddy. He returns to the office awkwardly as hell. He learns how to work with Peggy as well as for her. Finally, he arranges the sale of SCP. Don also comes to terms with his and Megan's relationship and mends his relationships with the two most important women in his life (Sally and Peggy). It was a great season for Don Draper and Jon Hamm.
The End of Bert Cooper: I didn't see this one coming, nor did I expect it to hit so hard. Cooper has been more of an office nuisance for a few seasons: a legacy the business had to keep around to stay legitimate. Robert Morse saw a return to prominence this season as he became the voice of reason in the squabbles with the other partners. "Waterloo" was a beautiful final episode for him, giving him one last great talk with Roger, a simple and poignant reaction to the moon landing, and a bizarre yet fitting song and dance to close the episode. Going into the season, I wouldn't've predicted I'd be calling Cooper a strength of the season.
The Pitches: Was it just me, or was this some of the best pitching in a while? Don was obviously off his game last season and Peggy works best with Don (although she's pretty fantastic on her own). The season was bookended by two great pitches and neither from Don. Obviously, Freddy's pitch to Peggy was kind of him, and for that matter, he had some influence in Peggy's as well. That Burger Chef pitch was some vintage Mad Men. I hope the final seven episodes get us at least one more pitch that good.
Not Enough Peggy: Elisabeth Moss can do more than this. By the final two episodes, she's back to prominence. Before that, she's reacting to Ginsberg's nipple and taking her secretary's flowers. All I'm saying is that Don never falls out of the forefront. Doesn't Peggy deserve that too by now?
Don's Exes: I left last season perfectly content with the thought that Megan could drop off the show completely. Jessica Pare is great, but she's been a distraction for a while. Let's be honest, Matthew Weiner is spot-on with the depiction of ad men in the 60s. When he dips into the more familiar 60s tropes (aka, anything with Megan at this point) it isn't nearly as engaging. I think she's finally gone and I'm ok with it. It's probably too late to drop Betty, especially because it would cut down on the amount of Sally too (which would be wrong). Still, whenever Betty shows up, you know you're going to be frustrated, be it by making Bobby shame-eat his gum drops or by threatening to break Sally's arm. While I like keeping up with her, I always feel like it's a bit too much.
Cutler: For all the villainizing of him this season, he sure turned quickly about the buyout. That was part of the fun of it. I get that. It's a bit of an easy out though. He's all for dropping Don then cools off when presented with the sale. Everyone has a price. Honestly, I don't think it was a bad move. It just frustrated me a bit. It'll probably work better next year to not have a villain anyway.
Seven episodes left. Seven. That's it! Somehow, eight episodes of Breaking Bad sounded acceptable. Only seven of Mad Men is stupid. Way to be cheap, AMC. You know what else is stupid? One of the best written shows on TV ever not getting a writing Emmy nomination, let alone directing. Sadly, Emmy fatigue has officially set in for Mad Men. It is still one of the best shows on TV. It won't be awarded as such anymore. Luckily, there's still enough momentum for it not to fall out of the field entirely. Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss are two of the strongest leads on TV and, as a pair, had a wonderful "season". There's always the feeling that any non-Don character is going to be underused though. That's part of the greatness of Mad Men, that it's filled with all these complete characters with stories beyond the screen. I'm not looking forward to a day when there's no more new Mad Men. Until that happens, I'm glad that it continues to be as great as ever.
Previously this Offseason...
Community
Brooklyn Nine Nine
New Girl
Suburgatory
Modern Family
Parenthood
The Mindy Project
The Michael J Fox Show
The Big Bang Theory
Agents of SHIELD
The Crazy Ones
Back in the Game
Parks and Recreation
The Walking Dead
The Middle
Saturday Night Live
Cougar Town
House of Cards
Louie
How I Met Your Mother
The Americans
Archer
Silicon Valley
Hannibal
Girls
True Detective
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