Award-winning Bryan Cranston plays Walter White - a passive and super-geeky High School chemistry teacher who's working two jobs to make ends meet and to get ready for a second child he and his wife are expecting. He finds out he has terminal lung cancer and decides to partner up with an old student of his, using his knowledge and experience with chemistry to cook meth (technically speaking, methamphetamine). Are you intrigued yet? Well, as Walter throws himself into this new life, something changes. He becomes more confident and aggressive, and kind of a bad-ass. Having played it safe his entire life, Walter ends up embracing what's left of his life, almost being set free through his cancer.
It's a lot like Weeds was in the beginning - an inexperienced, straight-laced individual tries to become a criminal in the very dangerous drug game. But it's not a comedy like Weeds, aside from Aaron Paul (Big Love) playing the goofy, stoner. It's dark and twisted - the best kind of humor.
Breaking Bad is about doing things you never thought you ever would, pushing beyond the boundaries you put up for yourself, and walking the fine line between right and wrong. It challenges your morals, addressing the question TV lovers have had to face in the post-Dexter world - Is it wrong to do something bad, if you're doing it for the right reasons? Bryan Cranston is phenomenal as Walter, the way he embraces the devilish side of him, even getting turned on by the dangerous situations he gets himself into. Knowing you're going to die changes everything.
Mad Men may take place in 1960s New York, but its devoted fans are as modern and current as they come. Pretty much every character has their own Twitter account, right down to the very minor ones. And each Twitter feed personifies that character's personality and attitude to a tee. Their lingo and the historical references are all from the 1960s while they play dumb to things we know today. My only question is, how the hell do they actually go on Twitter from 1960s Manhattan?
If you can get around that minor issue, they're probably the best TV characters to follow on Twitter, really personifying (in 140 characters or less!) what their character might be doing when they're not on our televisions.
Continuing to tweet in-between seasons, the characters make sure we haven't forgotten about them. We get insight into what Joan's going through during her pregnancy, how the future Mrs. Don Draper (Megan) is planning her upcoming nuptials, and of course, into the very childish mind of Betty Drap-er-Francis. There are character blogs, too. And, the best part of it is it's all completely fan-generated. If that's true, and this isn't some hidden ploy by AMC, they're succeeding even more than expected at building a genuine relationship with their audience. Talk about dedicated fans.
This probably sounds like a nightmare to all you PR professionals who strive to control what information is released and what's said about your clients but let's face it, we're living in a different world now. Where anyone can set up a blog (like me) and banter on about whatever they want (me again). And isn't my Twitter feed my own personal press-release service? I can promote what I want from it and represent myself however I see fit.
So I say, embrace the change and work together with these creative fans. Free promotion is great for the brand, and for social media marketers such as myself, fan-created content is like living the dream - when the audience itself is driving interaction and engagement with the brand.
Sterling-Cooper-Draper-Price had so much promise at the beginning of this season, starting up their independent firm and making a fresh start, with all principle characters in tow. But of course, Don let us down yet again while we waited for his redemption but in true Mad Men fashion, we were left shocked and of course, disappointed.
Episode Highlights:
- Megan’s amazingly calm reaction to when Sally knocked over the milkshake. I had a mental flash to all hell breaking loose if Betty had been there instead of Megan. Even Don was surprised with her composure and ability to deal with the commotion.
- Peggy got a new account, singlehandedly bringing SCDP back from the red. She's always been my favourite character to watch grow and develop into a successful copywriter. Just looking at her meeting with the Nylon company compared to Don's meeting with the American Cancer Society, it's clear that she's advancing and moving forward while Don's ideas are starting to get tired.
- Not so surprisingly, Joan kept Roger’s baby and will seemingly pass it off as her husband’s. By the way, he’s looking a lot less weak and much cuter now. Gotta love a man in a uniform. But, next to Roger’s eternal childishness and increasing uselessness, anyone looks good.
- Don’s ridiculous engagement, not to his girlfriend Faye, but to his annoying secretary, Megan. That came out of nowhere, as does pretty much everything on this show, so I don’t know why I’m even surprised at this point. We all expected more from Don, finally having found an equal in Faye, but he ended up right where he started. And he even gave Megan Anna’s recycled ring, the one the ‘real’ Don Draper gave her. What an ass.
- Joan and Peggy’s bonding session where, for the first time, they actually got along. These two should’ve been friends long ago, but for some reason, Joan never accepted Peggy or anyone for that matter, as a friend. Watching them laugh over Don’s engagement was priceless and one of the best scenes of the finale!
Personal Disclaimer: I am completely obsessed with TV, but I openly favour cable over network shows, for their freedom of creativity and all-around disdain for recycled material.
If I sit and go through all the notable categories, I will literally be writing for days, so instead, I’ll just highlight on a few main categories that I have an opinion on. As per usual, I expect the Emmy’s to mimic the Globes so we’ll probably see a lot of the same winners.
Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Dexter (Showtime)
Mad Men (AMC)
Lost (ABC)
The Good Wife (CBS)
True Blood (HBO)
The Outstanding Drama category is a tough one for me, and I’m thrilled that it has recognized Dexter, Mad Men and True Blood. Although I love True Blood, the Mary Anne storyline was pretty far-fetched and annoying last season, while Dexter and Mad Men kept me wanting more. (and more and more). Dexter, for its ability to keep us on edge and managing to keep such a shocking twist under-wraps until the finale, and Mad Men, for taking us into a new era for its characters, with topics like divorce and depression, and Don’s ability to somehow, still make the audience love him despite his many shortcomings. While we impatiently wait for season 5 to start, take a look what’s to come for our dear Dexter.
My pick: Dexter
Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
The Office (NBC)
What a great year for fresh, new, comedies! This being the year of GLEE, I can’t ignore the fact that they’re the fan favourite, even with the gimmicky shift felt after the unnecessarily long, mid-season break. But, as a diehard Nurse Jackie fan (Edie Falco, you will always and forever be my Carmela), I love the show’s ability to make serious issues absolutely hilarious, especially with Dr. Coop, who steals the show. (Peter Facinelli, yes ladies, Carlisle Cullen) How this guy ended up being THIS FUNNY, I have no idea, but I find myself looking forward to every scene he’s in. This year will, however, go to Modern Family, with a very interesting and funny portrayal of the modern-day idea of what a family is. Don’t get me wrong, I watch and love Modern Family, but it’s sad that really off-the-wall, dark comedies don’t get credit where they should. My pick: Modern Family
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston on Breaking Bad (AMC)
Michael C. Hall on Dexter (Showtime)
Kyle Chandler on Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)
Hugh Laurie on House (Fox)
Matthew Fox on Lost (ABC)
Jon Hamm on Mad Men (AMC)
I’m torn between Michael C. Hall, whom I love as dark and demented Dexter Morgan and Jon Hamm, (my favourite sinner since Tony Soprano) from Mad Men. Michael C. Hall will definitely take this one, he won the Globe, and he was phenomenal as his character has come close as he probably ever will, to feeling love and loss for (spoiler alert!) his wife, who he found brutally murdered in the season finale. My pick: Michael C. Hall
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Lea Michele on Glee (FOX)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Edie Falco on Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Amy Poehler on Parks And Recreation (NBC)
Tina Fey on 30 Rock (NBC)
Toni Collette on United States of Tara (Showtime)
This is getting super super long-winded so let me just highlight on a few other memorable performances this past year. Toni Collette MUST WIN for Actress in a comedy, for her role in United States of Tara. She’s amazing, able to channel various different characters switching at the drop of a hat. And she won the Globe for her role, so deservingly. My pick: Toni Collette
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Sharon Gless on Burn Notice (USA)
Rose Byrne on Damages (FX)
Archie Panjabi on The Good Wife (CBS)
Christine Baranski on The Good Wife (CBS)
Christina Hendricks on Mad Men (AMC)
Elisabeth Moss on Mad Men (AMC)
We saw a different side of Christina Hendricks’ character this past season. She had more than two dimensions, emotions which she had previously kept tightly hidden from her colleagues and lovers. We saw beneath the surface at the first generation of the feminist, but with a twist. Instead of hating men and being pro-woman, she uses what she has been given as a woman (ahem, those gorgeous curves!!!) to her advantage. I love her. And her red hair. My pick (duh): Christina Hendricks
Enough with the rambling, tune in this Sunday, August 29th to find out if any of my favourites take home a statue!
What a great age for TV. With such compelling choices of shows to watch, it's a wonder I even join the real world every once in a while. What makes good TV, anyway? Well, to me, its all about dynamic characters, the originality of a story, and that X factor that keeps viewers tuning, not only each week but each season. And no where in there is anything to do with reality TV - It's just NOT quality.
On Sunday, we were once again taken back to the 1960s, to the magical world that is Mad Men. Back to the fabulous fashions, mid-day cocktails, and Don's debauchery. It's weird that I even find myself attracted to this show, which takes place in a decade I have absolutely no actual attachment to. It's not nostalgia that's got me hooked, but I guess it's a fascination with what I don't know and never got to live through. It's a glimpse at the glamorousness that was the early 1960s, when life was just starting to get complicated (ahem, Betty and Don's divorce) but when people still put in that extra effort to look and act a certain way - refined I guess. Although as Mad Men viewers, we know that to be untrue for the characters we love, who are mostly so morally bankrupt (especially when it comes to relationships), and we see that even at that time, things were not as they seemed. There was something impure lurking behind the facade of white picket fences. Yet, here I was feeling so completely sorry for Don Draper (the beautiful John Hamm). How is it possible to feel sorry for such a flawed character, who has a hidden past, and cheated on his wife repeatedly and without a shred of remorse?! What is it about the elusive Don that still has women swooning and yes, secretly hoping for a Betty and Don reunion. Anyways, it was a great start to what will be an interesting season.
On a side note, I thought it was hilarious that we got an early look at an ad agency trying out buzz marketing. And of course, in typical tongue-in-cheek Mad Men fashion, Don makes sure to tell Peggy to "Try and stay away from these kind of shenanigans". Of course he's referring to the PR stunt that Peggy thought up, to get some buzz around their client. It's funny how PR stunts and event marketing tactics are now the norm. By the way, how cool is it that Mad Men had a premiere event last Sunday, where people dressed in their best 60s attire, and gathered in Times Square.
Sundays are a TV addict's worst nightmare right now. True Blood, Mad Men and the now-dwindling Entourage (although I am still tuning in out of loyalty.)
If you haven't checked out Mad Men, here's what you missed on Sunday:
