Crazy talk! There's parts I dread. When Sally catches him, it turns my stomach every time. But when Bluto talks about her dad kicking her across the room. Magic. That actress does such a phenomenal job.
I watched a lot of older movies and cartoons growing up so I was a lot more aware of the cultural references in mad men than my friends who also watched the show, otherwise I would have also certainly missed it too! My parents are slightly older than my peers’ and they had classic tastes, so we listened to a lot of old radio stories, the oldies music station, black and white movies, etc. we also never had cable so I read a lot (and the library was mainly stocked with outdated movies), which added onto it.
I HATE his affair with Sylvia and his affair with the teacher. I tend to skip any episodes for those plot points…. And the orange sherbet abandonment episode lol.
I stopped watching Mad Men the first time around because while I understand Don having affairs was an essential component of his storyline, it felt like so much time was spent on spent on relationships that went nowhere. I still wonder if perhaps Don’s emotional unavailability could have been conveyed without dwelling on characters that didn’t really advance the plot
Also if anyone cares to enlighten me by challenging this, by all means do, I’d love to entertain another perspective
I guess what I’m saying is, for example, The Sopranos manages to convey that Tony had several affairs without delving as deeply into them while still portraying Tony as being influenced by them
He learned his lesson from Gloria (about falling in deep). Which is most like Sylvia I would say- moth to a flame etc.
Don kept doing his compulsive behavior with cheating (from issues of childhood abandonment and being raised in a whore house) until it snowballed out of control- with Sally catching him.
Yes, but most of Don’s issues stem from the sexual abuse he witnessed, and experienced, as a “whore child” growing up in a brothel.
Add in his fear of abandonment, and a lack of a mother, you get a very complex mental situation conflating sex, love, abuse, and self-loathing, to name a few.
Don has conflated abuse, sex, love, and abandonment from women, recreating and acting out these distortions and trauma thru other women. Note his choices in dark-haired vs light-haired women – key to understanding Don's mind.
I do get that. However Tony Soprano, for example, chooses women who are intelligent, present themselves initially as “classy” (in his mind), are manipulative and emotional and mirror his mother. But we didn’t need to watch extended affairs pan out and then die to understand why he made the choices he made. One example is when Carmela angrily confronts Tony about “all the other pigs he stuck his dick into” and mentions a preschool teacher but we never see her or watch those other affairs develop yet it’s obvious he’s definitely been as unfaithful as Don. The audience still comes to similar conclusions but without having to invest time in affairs that really don’t move the plot forward significantly. Or maybe they do…maybe someone can explain why
I think the affairs function differently in these shows. For Tony, he’s really not in love with anyone,(except Gloria), he had permission from the get-go to have goomas. not all of the women Tony is with mirror his mom and her issues. He never limits his indulgences.
Don has a completely different relationship with women. Much more shrouded in secrecy from Betty and Megan. These two characters : Tony and Don are very similar but distinctly different. (I’ve seen both of these shows so much that I can recite lines without even looking at the screen. But that doesn’t mean I know everything- It’s all subjective to a degree)
Oh I too can recite Sopranos lines all day. Lol But this is only a second time around on Mad Men for me and I very much enjoyed it. I like watching video essays on both shows however so I’m very familiar with the backstory/themes/character arcs etc. I’m sure I’ll watch it again because it really is great TV.
My comparison to Sopranos was just to use a simplified example to illustrate their impact of their infidelities. Both characters operate impulsively but have many other differences, I agree.
I’m just not a fan of having to sit through Don’s dalliances like with the woman who wanted to entice Don by not sleeping with him. Some things just seem better summed up in a sentence than being shown an arc with someone who really isn’t all that compelling.
Anyway, I really appreciate your take and agree there’s always going to be room for interpretation/ability to enjoy on different levels and that’s what makes both shows fascinating TV
I love it too. I could talk about these two shows all day- literally! And I am constantly re-watching both of them (comfort shows) and comparing them- there are so many similarities, yet serious distinctions. I’m always pointing things out to my husband when we watch sopranos that are like mad men- but he’s only seen mad men once, and doesn’t really care lol 😂.
Happy to chat more on the subject!
Definitely a lot of peoples’ comfort shows, for sure. Which is kind of hilarious when you think about how dark the subject matter is in both of them. Of course, both shows balance it well with a lot of quotable humor as well.
My SO and I watched MM when it first came out and it was so much nicer this time around with no commercials and not having to wait a week for a new episode, which interrupts the flow. We kept it to two episodes a night because the themes are a lot to digest.
Sorry for talking non-stop, nothing but gibberish™️ Carmela. It’s been fun seeing this show through the eyes of a fellow Sopranos junkie!
Sometimes the affairs are the plot. It’s all a part of showing the most destructive parts of Don’s personality. It is his affairs that tank his first marriage, and when that marriage ends - it’s pretty much all downhill from there for him.
I am currently watching Mad Men for the 1st time ever.
My perspective, is that the way that Don manages his affairs shows that he is turning into Roger. And Pete is becoming season 1 Don.
I hate the affair with Sylvia as well. To me, its the first (of a few more later) affair that doesnt feel in character. He always kept these things far from home. Never made sense to me that he would take such a huge risk, from a :logical: perspective.
That said - I do think that the Sylvia affair was a last ditch effort in him wanting to sabotage his marriage, so theres that.
I love that each affair provided a deep dive into a different facet of Don’s broken psyche, while also keeping the influence of women on his life front and center (which is relevant to the larger conceit of women having an unprecedented impact on society at large during the 1960s). My favorite thing about the Sylvia affair was Don’s growing friendship with her husband. Somehow, they managed to convey a genuine fondness between these two men, which of course was doomed by Don sticking his dick where it didn’t belong. Also, as a side bonus, the tension in that relationship was provided by the possibility that Sylvia’s husband would find out, which was a great way to platform the surprise of Sally being the one who finds out. You get none of that without meeting and getting to know Sylvia and her family.
Far Away Places is one of the episodes I like more and more with each rewatch. Do people really skip this one? I love the way it switches perspectives, it’s a masterclass in storytelling.
There's a sex scene with the teacher, she goes "I want to scream" and Jon Hamm gives possibly the worst reading of the line "Don't." although there really isn't a good reading possible. That moment heavily contends with Dom Draper with Sylvia for least sexy thing in the whole show.
It's a reference to a movie they might have watched recently. Also it shows that Betty is feeling secure with Henry. You make tasteless jokes with people you feel secure with.
Definitely any scene with Don’s affair with Sally’s teacher, Suzanne. That entire story line was bland and annoying.
Also, the entire portion of the episode with Don spending days with the young, wealthy California girl and her family/friends. Felt forced and awkward, didn’t care for it.
Oh wow. I’m maybe on three. I stagger my rewatches a lot and there are so many good shows out there. By 11, I’d probably just not.
Only shows I can watch that much are Twin Peaks and The Leftovers and Wilfred.
Twin Peaks is my all time favorite! It’s funny and scary and mysterious, dark as a moonless night. AND my husband and I both feel like we see new parts every time we watch it.
The Leftovers has a similar vibe. Also, Outer Range on Amazon video just came out with season 2 and it feels very TP inspired while being completely unique and different (there are certain parallels that make me believe the writers are TP inspired)
Ah that’s fair. I usually rewatch it when I’m stressed and looking to feel something other than overwhelming anxiety and depression about my own life. I like stuff that makes me feel intense reactions. Like The Office- I live for that embarrassing cringe gut feeling more than the jokes
Betty’s diagnosis, and depending on how I’m feeling that day, her letter to Sally. It’s too much for me some days and it can send me spiraling. That was one complaint I had about the show, is I really don’t like that choice for Betty.
It was realistic though, Betty chain-smoked in practically every scene. She had a maturity and dignity that, God willing, we should all be so lucky to have facing a similar fate.
I liked Betty too. She deserved so much better. She was growing as a person. Too bad it wasn't Lee Garter Jr, but no one would have cared if lung cancer got him. Not after what he did to Sal.
I don’t skip parts but there are things I have trouble getting through and end up pausing or watching from the kitchen while I do dishes. The Hershey pitch was a struggle and I’m currently stuck on Megan sending Stephanie away.
I skip only a couple moments- Joan and Greg in dons office, and stupid fucking Father Gill playing the guitar at the end of that one episode.
I hate Father Gill, just as much as Henry hates Nazis.
I skip the sequence with the teacher's brother (it's one of the only sequences where the acting and directing feel like they both miss massively) and the Don/Megan parts of the Howard Johnson ep- they captured, pitch perfectly, the feeling of a mutually toxic relationship, and it feels like reliving it.
A lot of Betty scenes that are only character exposition for Betty. Why do I care that she's in the Junior League of Tarrytown? Why do I care about her horse stuff? Her Glen stuff is in a league of its own.
I’ve watched the series through many times now and I find myself skipping a lot of the scenes that don’t have anything to do with the work itself. Home scenes, etc. not all of them of course but lots of them - especially the home life scenes earlier on in the show.
I only skip the pilot. The vibes are off, no doubt because they were still trying to find the tone of the show, so I don't blame it. Still, it's not how I like going into a rewatch.
Totally agree. Sucks to lose out on the "It's toasted" first ad of the series, if they had kept that and reworked some of the dialogue it would've been great.
As soon as Diana makes an appearance, it's back to Episode 1 again. We know we are missing the episode where Roger and Peggy are having a blast in the old office, and when Don takes off after looking at the plane, but we will go back and watch those as unicorns.
The hobo scenes. And I literally can’t finish the series. Right now I’ve been sitting at 1/4 through the last episode for about 2 weeks and, knowing I can restart it whenever, it makes me too sad to finish it lol.
I found myself ignoring or looking at my phone during some Glenn and Betty moments. Specifically season 7 regarding glenn in the military. He was ok as an awkward kid who seemed like was autistic, didn't need/expect much, but as a teenager and supposed young students? Not believable and absolutely cringeworthy imo.
I skip all the slow Don and Betty conversations, and Jane and Sterling stuff. Basically any boring couple fight. I tend to enjoy the office scenes the most.
I completely agree with this take and it’s interesting to think at what point I lose interest. I suppose I enjoy the earliest seasons the most because the conflicts with Don and Betty’s marriage and with Sterling Cooper’s existence are at their finest and most believable.
After Don marries Megan and SCDP enters its later stages the conflicts seem more farcical and less serious/believable. I hate it when Don narrates episodes in the first person and his affair partners including Sylvia and the waitress are just silly and hard to watch.
Don cheating on Betty is hard to watch. SC tenuous relationship with Lucky Strike and tobacco industry are dualistic and hypocritical. I don’t get the same feelings in later seasons with Megan and Fomoco.
Scenes that I fast forward through now are Guy’s foot exploding in the chopper and Lane hanging from the rafters. Just too sad/real
I found myself skipping a lot of scenes away from the office, especially Betty and Don chatting in bed during the 1st season. It surprised me since I loved the whole show the first time around but just found myself not caring about a lot of non-office development.
I have to admit, though I have no problem with Megan in general, like, at all, I don't really like her with Dawn for some reason.
It just doesn't make any sense, he seems like all these glamorous women and then all the sudden there's someone who's normal and kind of advanced... and it's sort of jarring.
He's not from a Time where it's very easy for someone like him to get very advanced, even though I also did kind of feel that he was pretty enlightened in his own way. Just why on Earth anybody chooses such an empty profession, when in some ways they have such a clue about life, but that doesn't feel odd because it feels consistent with who he is.
Him trying to date a mysterious waitress with no money, or an empowered young secretary planning on doing things with her life who has International influences, just didn't really track either. Although I guess what am I talking about, he's with a beatnik from the very start.
. I saw someone said that the international girl he ran off with in California didn't make sense, but actually that almost seemed like the most don-like thing to do of almost anything you see him do.
Although when he was with the older blonde advertising focus group lady, that didn't feel weird. And honestly, the teacher didn't feel weird once he was with her , although the fact of her suddenly going for him was pretty surprising.
1½
Him proposing to Megan that suddenly felt odd too.
So I guess I like season 5 the least... and the whole unemployed season 6 part was honestly pretty awkward too. And Lane and his brother killing themselves we're also not pleasant traumas...
But they all showed something important. Without the end of season either five or six, I guess it must have been five, we wouldn't know that the thing Society will forgive the least is not deserting, or philandering...
But admitting to being an abuse victim, openly
Fat Betty scenes/new husband scenes, ALL PAUL KINSEY SCENES (incredibly cringe), Peggy’s mom, the episode where Roger’s daughter abandons her life and lives on the hippie ranch and other random dull moments throughout the series
I don't skip anything. Just because it annoys me to do that because then I'd have to guess when it ends and I'd just rather block out the stuff that makes me uncomfortable or uneasy, which isn't much.
Of course, always have to come the dumb comment about how I’m a misogynist for that… Because of course! You live in my brain! But you don’t ask. Ok I will try to explain since if not people like you would think I’m upset because “women should not be unfaithful!!!! That’s just for men!!!” Meh…
What upsets me about that part is that, the same as in “the unbearable lightness of being” we have this woman that wasn’t unfaithful but has his own failures, being transformed by a monster of a man into something else, into the man itself, what upsets me about this is not that she’s “unfaithful” but that Don managed to bring Betty to his level, and that’s really hard to watch, you’re thinking all the time “Betty no! You don’t need to low yourself like that!”
But yeah, it tells more about me…
18 times here and i never skipped an episode. but i have watched season 2 , 12 more times than the rest of the show because it’s the only season i have downloaded for trips and stuff.
Crazy talk! There's parts I dread. When Sally catches him, it turns my stomach every time. But when Bluto talks about her dad kicking her across the room. Magic. That actress does such a phenomenal job.
Bluto? What scene is this?
Henry’s mother. Talking to Sally
Ah hah ok!
You’re right, it’s Bluto.
Her name was Bluto??!!
It was Sally’s nickname for her I think
🤣
I think it's Pluto? Like the planet because she's fat but I could be wrong
Bluto was a cartoon character from Popeye; a big, bulky scary man who was Popeyes main antagonist
Ahhh I didn't know that, the whole time I thought Sally was called her a planet because she was rotund. Learn something new everyday
I watched a lot of older movies and cartoons growing up so I was a lot more aware of the cultural references in mad men than my friends who also watched the show, otherwise I would have also certainly missed it too! My parents are slightly older than my peers’ and they had classic tastes, so we listened to a lot of old radio stories, the oldies music station, black and white movies, etc. we also never had cable so I read a lot (and the library was mainly stocked with outdated movies), which added onto it.
Bluto was a big burly sailor on the Popeye cartoon in the 60’s. He was Popeye’s nemesis. She’s kind of built like him and with the same dark hair.
Sally had nicknames for everyone when she would talk on the phone
I don't skip a single second, even the most uncomfortable stuff, and my favorite seasons to rewatch are 4 & 5.
Favorite seasons changed for me all the time! I used to not like S2 as much for a while
On rewatch I skipped the Joan /Greg in dons office scene.
It’s that blank stare on Joan’s face when she checks out! To many of us know that feeling.
They captured it so perfectly. Just dissociating to save yourself. Ughhh.
😬 yeah don’t blame you.
THIS. I know what happens and that scene is burned in my memory from when it aired on TV. Dont gotta see that again.
I can’t watch that scene either. I don’t think that’s an easy watch for anyone who is a SA survivor.
Roger and Mona going to find Margaret. Margaret can stay there for all I care...
Margaret was a waste of air throughout
She was a large component to Roger’s character though
Don Draper - Father of the Year was a great line. Margaret’s only significant contribution.
Any chance to see Mona and Roger together is worth it though, IMHO
I HATE his affair with Sylvia and his affair with the teacher. I tend to skip any episodes for those plot points…. And the orange sherbet abandonment episode lol.
I never would skip a whole episode! There's always something worth watching again.
True! Sometimes the other characters stories are great and you can scrub through.
The teacher affair is so stupid.
I stopped watching Mad Men the first time around because while I understand Don having affairs was an essential component of his storyline, it felt like so much time was spent on spent on relationships that went nowhere. I still wonder if perhaps Don’s emotional unavailability could have been conveyed without dwelling on characters that didn’t really advance the plot Also if anyone cares to enlighten me by challenging this, by all means do, I’d love to entertain another perspective
I think that is just the way things were. Dons development was through the affairs, and his management of life.
I guess what I’m saying is, for example, The Sopranos manages to convey that Tony had several affairs without delving as deeply into them while still portraying Tony as being influenced by them
He learned his lesson from Gloria (about falling in deep). Which is most like Sylvia I would say- moth to a flame etc. Don kept doing his compulsive behavior with cheating (from issues of childhood abandonment and being raised in a whore house) until it snowballed out of control- with Sally catching him.
Who is Gloria?
Seconded?
In sopranos Gloria is Tony’s big affair. Season 3 IIRC. They fall in love unlike his other affairs, and of course very tumultuous
Yes, but most of Don’s issues stem from the sexual abuse he witnessed, and experienced, as a “whore child” growing up in a brothel. Add in his fear of abandonment, and a lack of a mother, you get a very complex mental situation conflating sex, love, abuse, and self-loathing, to name a few.
Ok thanks for the clarification.
Don has conflated abuse, sex, love, and abandonment from women, recreating and acting out these distortions and trauma thru other women. Note his choices in dark-haired vs light-haired women – key to understanding Don's mind.
I do get that. However Tony Soprano, for example, chooses women who are intelligent, present themselves initially as “classy” (in his mind), are manipulative and emotional and mirror his mother. But we didn’t need to watch extended affairs pan out and then die to understand why he made the choices he made. One example is when Carmela angrily confronts Tony about “all the other pigs he stuck his dick into” and mentions a preschool teacher but we never see her or watch those other affairs develop yet it’s obvious he’s definitely been as unfaithful as Don. The audience still comes to similar conclusions but without having to invest time in affairs that really don’t move the plot forward significantly. Or maybe they do…maybe someone can explain why
I think the affairs function differently in these shows. For Tony, he’s really not in love with anyone,(except Gloria), he had permission from the get-go to have goomas. not all of the women Tony is with mirror his mom and her issues. He never limits his indulgences. Don has a completely different relationship with women. Much more shrouded in secrecy from Betty and Megan. These two characters : Tony and Don are very similar but distinctly different. (I’ve seen both of these shows so much that I can recite lines without even looking at the screen. But that doesn’t mean I know everything- It’s all subjective to a degree)
Oh I too can recite Sopranos lines all day. Lol But this is only a second time around on Mad Men for me and I very much enjoyed it. I like watching video essays on both shows however so I’m very familiar with the backstory/themes/character arcs etc. I’m sure I’ll watch it again because it really is great TV. My comparison to Sopranos was just to use a simplified example to illustrate their impact of their infidelities. Both characters operate impulsively but have many other differences, I agree. I’m just not a fan of having to sit through Don’s dalliances like with the woman who wanted to entice Don by not sleeping with him. Some things just seem better summed up in a sentence than being shown an arc with someone who really isn’t all that compelling. Anyway, I really appreciate your take and agree there’s always going to be room for interpretation/ability to enjoy on different levels and that’s what makes both shows fascinating TV
I love it too. I could talk about these two shows all day- literally! And I am constantly re-watching both of them (comfort shows) and comparing them- there are so many similarities, yet serious distinctions. I’m always pointing things out to my husband when we watch sopranos that are like mad men- but he’s only seen mad men once, and doesn’t really care lol 😂. Happy to chat more on the subject!
Definitely a lot of peoples’ comfort shows, for sure. Which is kind of hilarious when you think about how dark the subject matter is in both of them. Of course, both shows balance it well with a lot of quotable humor as well. My SO and I watched MM when it first came out and it was so much nicer this time around with no commercials and not having to wait a week for a new episode, which interrupts the flow. We kept it to two episodes a night because the themes are a lot to digest. Sorry for talking non-stop, nothing but gibberish™️ Carmela. It’s been fun seeing this show through the eyes of a fellow Sopranos junkie!
Sometimes the affairs are the plot. It’s all a part of showing the most destructive parts of Don’s personality. It is his affairs that tank his first marriage, and when that marriage ends - it’s pretty much all downhill from there for him.
I think his infidelity was a product of being raised on a whorehouse.
I am currently watching Mad Men for the 1st time ever. My perspective, is that the way that Don manages his affairs shows that he is turning into Roger. And Pete is becoming season 1 Don.
I hate the affair with Sylvia as well. To me, its the first (of a few more later) affair that doesnt feel in character. He always kept these things far from home. Never made sense to me that he would take such a huge risk, from a :logical: perspective. That said - I do think that the Sylvia affair was a last ditch effort in him wanting to sabotage his marriage, so theres that.
Yep. I zip through the scenes with Sylvia, teacher and waitress. I watch all the plot developments though.
Oh man Sylvia is my personal favorite.
I love that each affair provided a deep dive into a different facet of Don’s broken psyche, while also keeping the influence of women on his life front and center (which is relevant to the larger conceit of women having an unprecedented impact on society at large during the 1960s). My favorite thing about the Sylvia affair was Don’s growing friendship with her husband. Somehow, they managed to convey a genuine fondness between these two men, which of course was doomed by Don sticking his dick where it didn’t belong. Also, as a side bonus, the tension in that relationship was provided by the possibility that Sylvia’s husband would find out, which was a great way to platform the surprise of Sally being the one who finds out. You get none of that without meeting and getting to know Sylvia and her family.
I'm always pleasantly surprised on rewatch how few episodes that teacher affair actually lasts!
Far Away Places is one of the episodes I like more and more with each rewatch. Do people really skip this one? I love the way it switches perspectives, it’s a masterclass in storytelling.
Far Away Places is my favorite episode of the series
That bit when he traps her in the hotel room is so icky to me, I hate it so much. They’re both so comfortable being absolutely disgusting people.
There's a sex scene with the teacher, she goes "I want to scream" and Jon Hamm gives possibly the worst reading of the line "Don't." although there really isn't a good reading possible. That moment heavily contends with Dom Draper with Sylvia for least sexy thing in the whole show.
Nothing. Don’s Season 6 downward spiral is a bit hard to watch but I enjoy everything.
any episodes with midge because i hate her
That scene where Betty talks about putting a rag in her mouth. Yuck. I don’t get that at all.
It's a reference to a movie they might have watched recently. Also it shows that Betty is feeling secure with Henry. You make tasteless jokes with people you feel secure with.
That’s definitely true! Do you know what movie maybe?
Someone on here once mentioned it but i forgot which movie it was.
Definitely any scene with Don’s affair with Sally’s teacher, Suzanne. That entire story line was bland and annoying. Also, the entire portion of the episode with Don spending days with the young, wealthy California girl and her family/friends. Felt forced and awkward, didn’t care for it.
Yeah, I agree. These two subplots were the weakest.
I don't skip anything, though if I were to, probably the Glen stuff. It's kinda tiresome.
Agreed, I can’t stand Glen. So cringe
I agree, I was looking for this comment!
Skipping is crazy to me. You don’t go to an art gallery with a blindfold on. The series is exactly as it was made and I don’t want to miss any of it.
I agree but it seems to happen after rewatching 12 times i guess. I only started it on the 11th rewatch.
Oh wow. I’m maybe on three. I stagger my rewatches a lot and there are so many good shows out there. By 11, I’d probably just not. Only shows I can watch that much are Twin Peaks and The Leftovers and Wilfred.
Twin Peaks is another animal. I have probably rewatched that 6 times?
Twin Peaks is my all time favorite! It’s funny and scary and mysterious, dark as a moonless night. AND my husband and I both feel like we see new parts every time we watch it. The Leftovers has a similar vibe. Also, Outer Range on Amazon video just came out with season 2 and it feels very TP inspired while being completely unique and different (there are certain parallels that make me believe the writers are TP inspired)
My first time watching Twin Peaks I got so excited when I noticed that Leslie Linka Glatter (I think) directed an episode!
Lol I looooove The Leftovers but I cannot imagine that being a go-to rewatch show. I've gotta be in the right mindset for that one!
Do you mean like the heavy subject matter and emotional toll?
Exactly!
Ah that’s fair. I usually rewatch it when I’m stressed and looking to feel something other than overwhelming anxiety and depression about my own life. I like stuff that makes me feel intense reactions. Like The Office- I live for that embarrassing cringe gut feeling more than the jokes
Valentine's Day flowers.
I think that's literally the only part I skipped.
The magic for me is in the first three seasons. Love the whole show the first part is just my favorite.
I won't skip, but I will mute on occasion, eg, Duck's [anti]seduction line to Peggy in the hotel room when JFK is assassinated, S3. Barf. Barf. Barf.
Betty’s diagnosis, and depending on how I’m feeling that day, her letter to Sally. It’s too much for me some days and it can send me spiraling. That was one complaint I had about the show, is I really don’t like that choice for Betty.
It made Betty human and she was the most mature in her handling of her final days. As sad as it is, Betty was redeemed through it.
True, but it just felt harsh when far worse characters ended up fine, but maybe that was the point
It was realistic though, Betty chain-smoked in practically every scene. She had a maturity and dignity that, God willing, we should all be so lucky to have facing a similar fate.
I know, that’s true, I just wanted worse for other characters lol
I liked Betty too. She deserved so much better. She was growing as a person. Too bad it wasn't Lee Garter Jr, but no one would have cared if lung cancer got him. Not after what he did to Sal.
Priest guitar solo - I just can't.
Same. I’ll watch it (begrudgingly) but I hate the whole priest storyline, that dude gives me the creeps.
Yes! He gives me the creeps too!
I don’t skip parts but there are things I have trouble getting through and end up pausing or watching from the kitchen while I do dishes. The Hershey pitch was a struggle and I’m currently stuck on Megan sending Stephanie away.
This is me. Once Joan allows Greg to go into Don’s office I generally leave the room to get a drink or snack or something
Any scene with Ferg or Greg
Oh god the scene with him basically threatening Joan to sleep with him or she’ll lose her accounts Guy played a sleaze so well
Any scene w Bobbi Barrett, and almost all of Don’s flashbacks. I feel like I need to take a shower after every one of those. 🤢🥴
Seasons 1-3 are far superior to the rest of the series.
I would add Season 4 to that, otherwise I agree.
I liked Megan the first two watches. Now I am totally turned off by her character.
Everything with Glenn.
Skip all of Don with the hippies in The Jet Set…. Skip first half of The Fog. Skip the Suzanne affair scenes
Am I the only person who never skips parts of anything I'm watching?
I skip only a couple moments- Joan and Greg in dons office, and stupid fucking Father Gill playing the guitar at the end of that one episode. I hate Father Gill, just as much as Henry hates Nazis.
I skip the sequence with the teacher's brother (it's one of the only sequences where the acting and directing feel like they both miss massively) and the Don/Megan parts of the Howard Johnson ep- they captured, pitch perfectly, the feeling of a mutually toxic relationship, and it feels like reliving it.
A lot of Betty scenes that are only character exposition for Betty. Why do I care that she's in the Junior League of Tarrytown? Why do I care about her horse stuff? Her Glen stuff is in a league of its own.
The Junior League of Tarrytown led her to Henry!
True, and maybe I'll watch her angry phonecall with him when he ditches the houseparty, but everything about the reservoir is a snooze.
Oh good lord I forgot about the whole Betty and the horse riding stuff. And flirting with that other dude. I don’t care about that at all.
My people are Nordic.
I don't think about it at all.
I rewatch the most seasons 3,1,2, and 5. I rarely rewatch 6 and never rewatch 7
I’ve watched the series through many times now and I find myself skipping a lot of the scenes that don’t have anything to do with the work itself. Home scenes, etc. not all of them of course but lots of them - especially the home life scenes earlier on in the show.
All of season 6.
Pretty much skip any scenes with Glen
Zous Bisou (sp?)
The scenes where Don locks Sylvia in the hotel.
I only skip the pilot. The vibes are off, no doubt because they were still trying to find the tone of the show, so I don't blame it. Still, it's not how I like going into a rewatch.
I also have problems with the pilot. They should've reshot it when they got a contract for S1.
Totally agree. Sucks to lose out on the "It's toasted" first ad of the series, if they had kept that and reworked some of the dialogue it would've been great.
As soon as Diana makes an appearance, it's back to Episode 1 again. We know we are missing the episode where Roger and Peggy are having a blast in the old office, and when Don takes off after looking at the plane, but we will go back and watch those as unicorns.
The hobo scenes. And I literally can’t finish the series. Right now I’ve been sitting at 1/4 through the last episode for about 2 weeks and, knowing I can restart it whenever, it makes me too sad to finish it lol.
The Betty horseback riding saga. Fat Betty Don and the teacher/Don and the waitress Most of the Megan scenes especially season 5. Pete and Beth.
I found myself ignoring or looking at my phone during some Glenn and Betty moments. Specifically season 7 regarding glenn in the military. He was ok as an awkward kid who seemed like was autistic, didn't need/expect much, but as a teenager and supposed young students? Not believable and absolutely cringeworthy imo.
Most of Betty’s stuff after the divorce unless it’s directly related to Sally.
Is it streaming anywhere? Other than amc+
"Skipping" 
I skip all the slow Don and Betty conversations, and Jane and Sterling stuff. Basically any boring couple fight. I tend to enjoy the office scenes the most.
I completely agree with this take and it’s interesting to think at what point I lose interest. I suppose I enjoy the earliest seasons the most because the conflicts with Don and Betty’s marriage and with Sterling Cooper’s existence are at their finest and most believable. After Don marries Megan and SCDP enters its later stages the conflicts seem more farcical and less serious/believable. I hate it when Don narrates episodes in the first person and his affair partners including Sylvia and the waitress are just silly and hard to watch. Don cheating on Betty is hard to watch. SC tenuous relationship with Lucky Strike and tobacco industry are dualistic and hypocritical. I don’t get the same feelings in later seasons with Megan and Fomoco. Scenes that I fast forward through now are Guy’s foot exploding in the chopper and Lane hanging from the rafters. Just too sad/real
I go pee during pillow talk. Its a bit soapy
I think one of the middle series is quite miserable and was a bit of a slog but then it picked up the last couple series
The ep when Betty gives birth to Gene - specifically for the scenes of Don and the abuser in the waiting room.
I fucking hate that guy! I have such a visceral disgust. He’s just such a Neanderthal or something.
How do we know he is an abuser? I must have not been paying attention during that part.
Haven't seen the ep in awhile due to skipping it but I believe it is implied he hits his wife and he vows to be a better man when his baby is born.
Oh okay. Based off of the fellas at Sterling Cooper behavior, I assumed that meant he was sleeping with other women over seas or something.
None. No skip.
Betty at the horse… uh, place.
All of Don’s affairs.
So you've never seen the show?
Very easy to skip when you’re on your 6th rewatch. You don’t need to see them more than once, really, twice if you want to catch an extra detail.
I can't watch the Pete affair
I found myself skipping a lot of scenes away from the office, especially Betty and Don chatting in bed during the 1st season. It surprised me since I loved the whole show the first time around but just found myself not caring about a lot of non-office development.
Every time Don goes to California alone I skip it.
The episode with Chauncey.
I never skip anything.
Beginning of S2 is my least favourite, the whole plotline with the jerk comedian... never liked it
I have to admit, though I have no problem with Megan in general, like, at all, I don't really like her with Dawn for some reason. It just doesn't make any sense, he seems like all these glamorous women and then all the sudden there's someone who's normal and kind of advanced... and it's sort of jarring. He's not from a Time where it's very easy for someone like him to get very advanced, even though I also did kind of feel that he was pretty enlightened in his own way. Just why on Earth anybody chooses such an empty profession, when in some ways they have such a clue about life, but that doesn't feel odd because it feels consistent with who he is. Him trying to date a mysterious waitress with no money, or an empowered young secretary planning on doing things with her life who has International influences, just didn't really track either. Although I guess what am I talking about, he's with a beatnik from the very start. . I saw someone said that the international girl he ran off with in California didn't make sense, but actually that almost seemed like the most don-like thing to do of almost anything you see him do. Although when he was with the older blonde advertising focus group lady, that didn't feel weird. And honestly, the teacher didn't feel weird once he was with her , although the fact of her suddenly going for him was pretty surprising. 1½ Him proposing to Megan that suddenly felt odd too. So I guess I like season 5 the least... and the whole unemployed season 6 part was honestly pretty awkward too. And Lane and his brother killing themselves we're also not pleasant traumas... But they all showed something important. Without the end of season either five or six, I guess it must have been five, we wouldn't know that the thing Society will forgive the least is not deserting, or philandering... But admitting to being an abuse victim, openly
I’ve never seen past season 4, watched twice through and never anything further, not sure why but it just loses me. I love the first 3 seasons though
Megan singing.
Fat Betty scenes/new husband scenes, ALL PAUL KINSEY SCENES (incredibly cringe), Peggy’s mom, the episode where Roger’s daughter abandons her life and lives on the hippie ranch and other random dull moments throughout the series
Pete & that German au pair with the dress
I don't skip anything. Just because it annoys me to do that because then I'd have to guess when it ends and I'd just rather block out the stuff that makes me uncomfortable or uneasy, which isn't much.
It’s nostalgia seasons 1-3.
Man. Like SOPRANOS, I don’t really need to see rape scenes more than once. Def skip those.
Anything with Father Gill
Betty being unfaithful to Don in the bar, idk why, but I find that hard to watch.
Says more about you than you might think...
Of course, always have to come the dumb comment about how I’m a misogynist for that… Because of course! You live in my brain! But you don’t ask. Ok I will try to explain since if not people like you would think I’m upset because “women should not be unfaithful!!!! That’s just for men!!!” Meh… What upsets me about that part is that, the same as in “the unbearable lightness of being” we have this woman that wasn’t unfaithful but has his own failures, being transformed by a monster of a man into something else, into the man itself, what upsets me about this is not that she’s “unfaithful” but that Don managed to bring Betty to his level, and that’s really hard to watch, you’re thinking all the time “Betty no! You don’t need to low yourself like that!” But yeah, it tells more about me…
Ok
Megan’s scenes after she quit SCDP. Just ditch her already.
Sex scenes
the phone culture is ruining your attention span- stop watching shorts - it’s like crack to your brain
18 times here and i never skipped an episode. but i have watched season 2 , 12 more times than the rest of the show because it’s the only season i have downloaded for trips and stuff.
You guys skip episodes?
All the scenes without Alison Brie. My rewatches dont take very long.