A Lap Around the Steno Pool

Dear Jenny,

Did you know that Mad Men is On Demand? I have watched 11 episodes over the last day and a half. I should be ready when the second season premieres later this month. Will you?!

What do you think? I'm still deciding. Yes, I think it's that good. It's not always the most interesting or exciting thing I've seen, but it always looks and sounds great. Some of the early episodes maybe lingered a little too much, almost pornographically, over the period details. I get it, I love that stuff, too, but let's get going already.

I don't know how I feel about the gender stuff. Obviously, the misogyny we're seeing is kind of the point, but are we seeing much further into the emotions and aspirations of the men than we are into those of the women?

I feel like each of the major female characters is a cypher, to a certain extent. I've loved Elisabeth Moss for a long time -- remember her on Invasion? -- but here I'm not getting enough. We're starting to experience more of Peggy's internal life now, though, and maybe her blankness if kind of a point. Every once in a while, we get a flash of something new and exciting from Betty -- such as the pigeon-shooting incident -- but I feel like so far she's either a cliche or somehow stolen from The Wapshot Chronicle. For me, the stand-out is Joan. I think the writers like her, too -- she gets all the best lines.

There are no words for the amazingness of Jon Hamm.

Love,

-- Pete