mullivan

Never watched an episode - been saving it for some time and looking forward to enjoying it over the next few months.

As I've done with some of my other favorite shows in the past ("The Wire", "Breaking Bad", "The Shield", "Deadwood") I want to get the most out of the show so plan on reading the DVDTalk threads and AVClub articles (http://www.avclub.com/tv/mad-men/?season=1) for each episode as I watch.

Any other sites with episode recaps/discussions you recommend?

dex14

Sepinwall's review would probably be good.

Here is a link to that lists them all: http://old.raviudeshi.com/2015/12/se...de-reviews#C11

Nesbit

Enjoy!

If you think of it and want some company shoot me a message when you get halfway through season 4. Rewatched the first four seasons in the spring and just couldn't get over the small dip in quality I feel season 5+ have but would probably start back up if I had one or more people to talk with about it. Even with the dip in quality it's still a great show and in my top 10 ever.

Shannon Nutt

Watch The Sopranos instead.

bunkaroo

I loved the Sopranos at its best but Mad Men was much more consistent IMO. Great show - planning to rewatch it soon.

Why So Blu?

The first couple of seasons are great but the latter ones suck so much that I never finished the series. Also, watch while drinking alcohol, because everyone on the show drinks and smokes at work and everywhere else.

Astrofan

Turn on set, watch.

andicus

No season of Mad Men sucks, so watch away.

Yes, earlier seasons are better, but later seasons are still very good.

starseed1981

There are no bad seasons of Mad Men or a noticeable dip in quality in any season in particular. The first three are arguably the strongest but the last few seasons are arguably the most accessible the show does for a variety of reasons. You've made a good choice. It's one of the best shows ever created.

Navinabob

Great show. I didn't "get" the finale so it fell flat for me. Almost Dexter level bad. I read up on what the finale was trying to say and it bumped up a few notches after getting a better understanding.

DJariya

I would watch Mad Men slowly. I think you need to do that to fully appreciate each episode & the characters.

Don't feel pressured to binge watch 7,8, 9 episodes in a row. Take your time with it.

davidh777

This just reminds me that I watched the first three (?) seasons when Amazon was putting them at $9.99 every Black Friday, then they stopped and I bought the next one digitally but never finished it. Maybe I needed the physical reminder on my shelf.

mcnabb

I slowly binged Mad Men over 6 months in time for the final season.

I took my time, I watched EVERY episode twice, and read episode recaps too that talked about the themes in every episode.

There is so much going on in every episode that Matt Weiner is trying to say using themes of one or multiple characters. Whether it's by music, by facial expressions, flashback, etc, it's a brilliantly written show.

Don't rush it, and just try to absorb every episode. It's rewarding if you appreciate this type of storytelling.

mullivan

Thanks for the advice mcnabb. Which episode recaps did you read that gave such good insight on the themes? I love this stuff so want to make sure I don't miss anything.

Abob Teff

I bought the first 3 seasons in those sales as well, but that's all I have purchased. I watched the rest on streaming or when they aired. I had hoped this year's BF sales might bring us the remaining seasons cheap, but it was a no go.

My recommendation: watch it with no pants on and a good Scotch in your hand.

mcnabb

Here is one blog I used to read after every episode, as I think he went up to the first 4-5 seasons. If I can remember anymore blogs I went on, I will post them here.

http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/a...s-in-your-eyes

OldBoy

With scotch, neat.

Count Dooku

This is correct.

Doc Moonlight

But with a blend, rather than a single malt. That's more in keeping with the spirit of the show.

bluesix

I'd also recommend watching it with someone who is familiar with or lived through that time period.

I watched it over the summer during visits to my bedridden mother and we enjoyed discussing things afterward. Especially during episodes where certain memorable events occur which seemed to help my mother recall things long since forgotten.

mullivan

A big THANK YOU to all of you who weighed in on this. My wife and I have been working our way through season 1 while reading Sepinwall's reviews. Really enjoying it so far! Will try to convince my dad to start it so we can discuss the era - he was born in '42 so he wouldn't have been working in an office yet, but he's the oldest person I know!