What happened to Duck and where did Burt Peterson come from?

I was very disapointed in this episode. I read they brought Grey's Anatomy writers into the show. Grey's Anatomy went gay, gay, gay. Will there be another story line?

Mad Men Season 3 DROPPED THE BALL - No continuity from season two. Who is the new Brit? - What happened to "Duck" - after a year laps we expect more from AMC - This episode made you feel like you missed and episode or two from the last of season 2. I fear that Mad Men may have sold out....BMW adds not a full hour episode..Don't jump the shark AMC you had something with Mad Men keep it real and continuous..you will not expand your audience with the gaps...look what happened to ABCs LOST...we hope for the best and will give you one more chance next sunday....

Can you say "Surprise" loud enough? Shocking entry into Don's meandering reminisinces and Sal's boudoir during the premier. What a mess these Brits are making of S & C. Does this represent the volatile economy and job market the country is currently undergoing? Will S & C be capable of transcending their predicament? The Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove career dichotomy is fascinating, I am wondering where Weiner will go with this. Can't wait for next Sunday...

What a fantastic show!

I have to admit the lead in took a couple of minutes to understand, but it was a very good roll-up of the tidbits of info that had been give throughout the first two seasons as to Don's birth. And the personnel changes at the agency are something to behold. I wonder if they intend to get a little more into the times surrounding them this go 'round?

I hope this show lasts long enough to take these characters deeper into the 60's. Can you imagine Sal near Stonewall? Sterling Cooper worked with Nixon's campaign in 1960. Would the now British owned company work with Goldwater in 1964? Peggy is more than ready for the woman's liberation movement, but what about Joan? or Betty? I can't see any of them burning their bras, though.

I did not like the premier.I mean the last epsiode of season 2 betty just found she was pregant and then boom she's huge in the first eposide.Then Peter and his wife were not getting along last epsiode and he tells peggy he loves her.Then tonight him and wife are lovie dovie.I think it should have picked up where they left off from season 2 the last epsiode when the Russians were going to attack.

I felt so sorry for Sal! Don screws around all the time, lol, but this was the first time that Sal has ever allowed himself to act on his feelings. I didn't expect that Don would judge. From all we know about Mr. Draper (Dick), his philosophy is live and let live.

That Bellhop has a rare gift, He can smell other Gay men while in the elevator! Amazing Gaydar!

Terrific opening if somewhat confusing. The S/C takeover is on the dime for today's economic uncertainty. Ditto the Pete/Ken rivalry. Although Pete's negativity is grating. Also, Joan looks fat; too much padding.

if it is true that nine out of the eleven writers are now women then the crap that is season 3 is self explanatory. relationships, relationships, relationships. the strength was the testosterone driven historical fiction much of which we, new yorkers and ad people could relate to because ti happened, it was real. the original story was our story, now it is just another version of sex in the city. to bad.

Wow. The actors are trying to justify the writers. Maybe the actors should write their own lines. It couldn't get any worse.

disappointed ...

Can some one explain the brit thing?

Not an incredibly strong lead-in, but enough to keep my interest.

Get back the strong, tight episodes from seasons 1 & 2, and keep 'em coming!

I thought season 3 was good, but not great. We all knew Sal was gay. But really, do gay bellboy's come on to men that easy in hotel rooms? Pete has not grown much. He is still whinny. Don will always be weak and selfish. That said, Madmen is still the best show on T.V.

I'm not a writer & don't claim to be, but this episode just seemed lazy. Throwing in new characters, not mentioning where other characters went, etc..

Plus what was the whole "soul searching" California trip Don went on (saying how he has ruined everything, writing Betsy that letter saying how he would be alone forever without her) for if he was just going to jump right back in the sack with some bimbo? It's like they didn't have anything ready for Draper so they just had him revert to old form.

I know it was just the first episode, but come on.

Six of us tonight gathered and were somewhat disappointed. Something felt off. I felt Pete's fury and dismay were played like broad comedy. And I agree with others, the sudden recovery of his bond with Trudy was unsettling. (i'm glad the evil genius Vince Kaurtiser (sp?) was just joking when he said Pete shot himself that night of the finale of Yr 2. NO Spoilers on the commentaries, PLEASE, that punishes the most interested viewers. (The ending was given away on commentary to 6 Feet Under, very unpleasant.))

This is very personal, but I will be both disappointed and embarrassed to watch with my housemates if Jane turns out to be very wrong for Roger. My husband of 15 years is older than I am, and I would take it personally.

You don't have to make Roget and Jane's marriage a panacea--what happened to the deep love for Mona he got in touch with when he was facing death after the heart attack?--you don't have to make jane and Rodger perfect, but i do hope their union is treated as multi-faceted and human, a real attempt at happiness, not just played as a stereotype. So far, from watching the commentary of the hotel scene, I can tell Weiner has the intention of showing that they are deeply attached, her motives are genuine, etc. When Rodger, in the flashing-by preview of upcoming episodes, says "I made my bed, I'll have to lie in it," I worry Jane will be turned into yet another 2 dimensional evil young wife.

The reviewer for NPR's "Fresh Air" said this premier is as strong as the finale of Yr 2. I will trust his judgment and watch with high hopes. Mad Men has been thus far an excellent, excellent show. Gorgeous, thoughtful, often deeply moving.

The story of Don is extremely complex, unique in TV history, and I think important.

Very disappointing and agree with all the reasons misty mentioned and then some.

I was hoping campbell would have grown up, but he's as big as child as ever. when they offered him the job i thought he was going to decline (because so many people seem to be fired from head of accounts) but went apeshit with immaturity instead.

season 2 opened in a similar confusing fashion. i'm really not sure if this episode is at all telling about what kind of character developments are in store for us this season.. seems to be that people just don't change. except for peggy,.

I'm sorry but it sucked, sucked, sucked. Having watched the first two superb seasons in glorious Blu-ray, I can't fathom why the show isn't even being broadcast in High Def. Both picture and sound on AMC were horrible. I'm done with 'Mad Men' until the current season is released for rental in a decent format. Also, was Mark Moses unavailable? Surely that can be the only reason for giving us Burt Peterson in Duck's job, only to fire him in his first scene...

What happned to Duck? Did his drinking get out of control. The season did start out on an OK not. Not great. I figured Pete would have gotten divorced. we'll see how it unfolds!

I was disappointed with this show.....it didn't connect with last season. The homosexual scene was disgusting. We all knew Sal was Gay, you didn't need to show it.

Well, if anything, the show has gone from great to pedicatably blas'ee. Andrew Weiner has finally caved into the "gotta have a token gay" mentality - I've gone and taken the "Record Series" off my DVR. Such a disappointment. Guess they've gone from Hi-Def to Hi-Lef. This episode made me puke - Oh I'm sure there were gays in the 60's but nobody cared what they did in the bedroom then, just as much as nobody cares now. Mr. Weiner - You've just committed TV Suicide...ratings will spiral down, but you will have a big gay following.
So Sad....

I'm surprised no one mentioned that the lighting looks brighter in a lot of the shots. It really seems to set a new tone for the scenes and the show.

I stayed up for that...very disappointing...

Duck lost the power struggle last season. So he went packing. I've got the feeling from the previews that Joan will be going too. Overall I was hoping for more in this episode.

Loved the episode and am so glad there is something worthwhile to watch on TV.

I'm surprised at Peggy's gossipy remarks to Joan. She's always been professional and a workaholic - seems out of character for her. I'm wondering where the Pete/Peggy baby situation went. Hope this is revealed. Who was the father at the London Fog company? Looks like David Chase. I didn't see a name listed in the credits. I am also surprised at the bellboy's come on to Sal. Although Don was surprised at what he saw through the hotel window, he's so in character by being discreet.

Sooo diasppointed... Thought I was finally onto something sophisticated, dramatic, thoughtful. You give up 60's flirtacious priest, sets designed with retro everything, and interesting, albeit strange relationships for boring gay sex and products of abortion....leaving us to question if Don is hallucinating or flashbacking. If I were an executive at BMW, I am quite certain I would pull my ads.

I was very disappointed - especially with the acting and the disjointed story line - the scene with Peggy and Joan was terrible. I stayed up for this!!!

Calm down everyone... this is a story that needs to be played out. There is certainly a different tone in the look and feel of the show... the characters all seem more grown/mature (maybe it was the missile crisis scare).

Let season 3 get underway for a few episodes and if you don't like what's happening then stop watching... but why would you give up on a show you've loved for 2 seasons because the season premiere wasn't to your liking?

I do wish it were broadcast in HD though... AMC can you help with that?

Is everybody nuts??? This was a GREAT show! Do you really want everything explained to you all at once? This was never the writers' technique, and I hope it never comes to that. I'm looking forward to next week immensely!

This show was too loose after such a long hiatus. I was left feeling like maybe I missed an episode or two, but no - Duck was gone without explanation, Don was back to philandering, Pete and his wife were happy again and there were Brits at Sterling Cooper. The writers have a lot of work to do if this season is going to elevate to the standard previously set.

I can't believe the homophobia of some of the bloggers (unless they really think it is 1963!).

Oh, my goodness. I can't BELIEVE the writers did not pick-up where Peggy and Pete ended last season???? I want more Peggy and Pete. I also want Duck back. What happended there??? I was also hoping NOT to see "Boring Betty". Please write Betty and Trudy out of Mad Men. I hope Ken gets the promotion as he seemed more professional when told he got the position.

I like Sal (smile). I really didn't need to see all of that AMC. We all knew/know Sal is "flavorful".

I hope the writers step it up next week ;-)

I felt uneasy after last night’s episode, and then I realized that is exactly how I was supposed to feel. Imagine dropping out of your life for six months, and then dropping back in. We would all need time to adjust ourselves with our familiar yet new surroundings. That is exactly the position the viewer was placed in, and I appreciate that. On top of this, the remnant certainty of the 1950’s is almost gone and the cultural change of the 1960’s which is underway. Sterling Cooper’s old guard is trying to adjust to a new norm due to their recent British invasion, much like the country will have to do in over the second half of the decade.

I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one who felt somewhat disappointed - the jumble of story lines with Don at the beginning with flashbacks about babies being born and God providing a child really didn't make a whole lot of sense - not much context.

The lack of continuity to the last season was particularly jarring, I thought. I had just watched the last two episodes of last season On Demand to refresh my memory of what had last gone on in the world of S&C, and last night, I felt like I barely knew anyone or anything.

Hopefully this will smooth out, but I was really not overly happy with last night. And what gives with the show not being a full hour?

Well where do I start. Disaponted to say the least. Ok leave out Duck and just let us figure that out on our own but throw in Burt Perterson WHY I found this way out of sorts for the show. All the childish remarks and banging around after the hammer was droped way too much. There were several other thing that did not fit with the norm of the show. I have read several of the comments on this blog and many loyal watchers are disapointed. We know about Sal and I think the scene could have done with much more tact and still got the point accross. Why not the piot from dinner or some romance from somewhere. What happened was not belivable at all. This show has always left some things to the imaganation. I also agree with another committ about the lighting much too bright overall. Sorry Matt but you can do better!!!

Did anyone notice the new intercom system in the office? I would have liked to know more about Duck's departure and what exactly Don did to stay with the company. There are so many innuendos that you have to watch the episode more than once to soak it all in. I wonder if they'll bring the priest back? I think Peggy was gossiping because she feels so protective over her co-workers at Sterling-Cooper. I'm looking forward to seeing how this season shakes out....Don hooking up with a random dumb stewardess was well, predictable. It seemed like they just had to have him jump in the hay with someone, so they picked her.

Very disappointed with premier. We waited so long for last night to arrive - such a let down- the fun part was watching Sal - his expressions were priceless.. Don back to his old self - stewardess wings - in his suitcase - oh brother - not enough of Peggy and Pete - these Brit's are not enjoyable to watch or listen to - I hope they dig deeper into 63 - Very surprised at Peggy's gossiping - last few seasons she always walked away from office gossip - Jane also walked away from "talk" Lets hope episode #2 is more understandable. They aired the premier in Times Square big screen.

I have a feeling a lot of things will unfold in the next few episodes....If you can stay up to watch the rerun at 11, things make a lot more sense...

Had another thought...has it crossed anyone's mind that Betty's baby might not be Don's, but the product of the tryst she had in the Manhattan bar??????

Turning into a soap opera, keep it in the city with an edge and get it out of the "country".

I guess one of you were correct in that we missed a lot and now we need to catch up on things. Can anyone figure out the year? I didn't get it - if Betty is 9 months now - it could still be '63 - if so, will they include Kennedy in Dallas? Does anyone notice how nasty Betty is to her son? I like Pete better than Ken.

I thought it was a great episode. In True Mad Men style. The Brits were explained at the end of season 2. I think Jane walked away from the "talk" only b/c it was Peggy who initiated it. I think Jane is jealous of Peggy and unhappy with her "engagement". Let's face it, we all knew Sal was eventually going to come out of the cloest. Although it has not happened yet...the storyline is def going in that direction. Pete has not changed a bit. A whinny, selfish, childish person who thinks everything should be handed to him on a silver platter. As for him and his wife...let's be realistsic "do you really think they worked things out?" or "is it just the "sweep it under the carpet" mentallity of the time? I think it will set the tone for further unhappiness on his part. I do want to know what happened to Duck.? According to season 2 he was the one who orchestrated the merger.
I think it will be the best season yet!

People, get a grip! How did you expect the writers to pile everything that was left hanging in the season 2 finale into one show? From Betty's pregnancy it seems as if it's about six months from where they left off. You know the Brits bought S&C, which is now going by their company's name (can't remember exactly, but reference was made to it last night). You knew they were going to clean house and where the other Bert came from who knows, they had to throw it in to make was for the Peter/Ken situation. Peter is pissed because last season Duck promised him the job when he took over - where he is is the big question - drying out with Freddy? As far as Peggy, she now has a management job and no one, including Joan, treats her like they treat the men. Peggy wants what the men have, a secretary that does her work and respect - she is ahead of her time in 1963. Joan is jealous of Peggy - speaking of which, she's still engaged to the rapist evidently - remember last year she said she was going to have Christmas wedding. Don will always be Don, a leopard does not change his spots. It is good to have more insight into his past and the way they did it last night was ingenious. Sal is gay, and for those of you who don't have gaydar, then you wouldn't understand the bellhop. Sal is the best, he is priceless. As far as Peggy/Peter. I'm sure once Peggy laid the bombshell on him about the baby, he got pretty pissed. The previews for the coming season look like they will address what we saw in last season - ie Roger and Jane's marriage. Wait in see, don't write the show off yet.

What did Sal mean when he said "airplane" when he was with the bellboy? Why was the lighting so dark in the second half of the show? This episode was a real letdown.

Peggy is evolving into a familiar '60's-era business woman who is gaining status (but not power) at the office: she knows that in order to play the game by the men's rules she has to turn into something of a shrew. They all complain about the "girls"and the "girls" complain about the "guys," and now so does she...her sense of camaraderie with the secretaries (which was never strong) is gone. I thought the episode was boring overall, and the Brits annoying. The whole Burt Peterson thing was ridiculous, particularly since we don't even know who he is!

They couldn't have fired somebody we know and love. So they fired this Burt Peterson person just to illustrate that firings were going on. I thought it was a great show. I don't want everything explained at once -- I love hungering for more. And, do fountain pens explode in airplanes because of cabin pressure? I thought the exploded pen with the ink everywhere was hilariously symbolic.

show was bad, lost me as a viewer, and many others i know

Like previous bloggers have stated, we all knew Sal was gay, but the gay scene went too far. Nobody wants to see all that. No more gay scenes, please. Burt, who is this guy? And what about little Bobby? I hate it when they change actors. I did however like the flashback Don has in the opening, while it was confusing, it gave the viewer a deeper look into the complicated life of Don Draper. Overall, I'm not a fan of this episode, but I will give this season a chance. Hopefully next week's episode will be better.

Forgot to mention before: Yes the shots were too light. I thought it was my set and kept turning up the contrast. That Mad Men sleek line seemed missing. (Blacks are usually very black on the show, high contrast, high style.)

Also: I haven't had a chance yet to read all the postings in detail, but if people are put off by the gay sexuality, i couldn't disagree more. I thought it was a great TV moment to see Sal, the painfully closeted gay man, begin to have a sexual awakening in that hotel room. He was turned on but also moved. You could see his true, suppressed nature unfold. I love that Don, as I predicted, quickly adapted and didn't give Sal one moment of grief about it. Don is a beatnik at heart, without the naive philosophy he clashed with in season one. (Y'might say he's a true existentialist, as dramatized by his reading of the--I think it was Frank O'Hara--poem.)

On the other hand, I can understand why someone complained of less testosterone and wit on the show. That is a key element. (Take exception to tone of blaming women writers, natch.)

Sorry for going on a bit. That's all from me til next episode.

OK, after viewing the many varied blogs, a common denominator is displeasure with plot and story line, lack of intro to new characters. trying to fit together this giant jigsaw puzzle is herculean I'll admit. Now I am hoping that the series will take a turn for the better and turn out somewhat along the lines of the movie Babel from 2006. Everything in that movie was done in a post linear fashion. If we keep watching, we're bound to find out about the many twists and turns the writers have made over the past 7-8 months and where exactly the Burt Petersen came from, who the new Brit, Mr. Price is. My main concern now is who is Roger Sterling's main squeeze now anyway? He has to have one. It's like jelly without peanut butter!

Was the guy who played Burt Peterson the guy who played the insurance salesman in Groundhog Day? I know him from someplace!

Was the guy who played Burt Peterson the guy who played the insurance salesman in Groundhog Day? I know him from someplace!

OK, after viewing the many varied blogs, a common denominator is displeasure with plot and story line, lack of intro to new characters. trying to fit together this giant jigsaw puzzle is herculean I'll admit. Now I am hoping that the series will take a turn for the better and turn out somewhat along the lines of the movie Babel from 2006. Everything in that movie was done in a post linear fashion. If we keep watching, we're bound to find out about the many twists and turns the writers have made over the past 7-8 months and where exactly the Burt Petersen came from, who the new Brit, Mr. Price is. My main concern now is who is Roger Sterling's main squeeze now anyway? He has to have one. It's like jelly without peanut butter!

Did any of you who are complaining about continuity watch the first season? Matt skipped over time between the first season finale and the second season premiere. He went from 1960 in season one and we found them again in 1962 once season two began.

It's not a surprise or new for this show. It did not jump the shark by doing this. I loved the premiere.

In keeping with previous seasons, there is a good set up in the first episode - with introductions of new characters and some new insights into the old characters.

Pete made some progress in the last season, but really, he's still an insecure baby. His hissy fit was not out of character for him.

Don is trying to be a good husband, but he's still got those urges that he can't overcome and he's clearly haunted by his past. I suspect there will be more demons revealed and struggles in him that should make for great character development.

Peggy has reached a new level of power and has earned the respect of her peers. This has empowered her and she is obviously less careful about what she says - so the scene with Joan made sense to me.

I was a bit disappointed with Betty's sudden satisfaction. She seems completely okay with her life now that Don is back and this seems odd given how she wasn't that thrilled about having a baby. I liked her when she was a bit more edgy.

The new British characters revealed little other than their disgust with Americans....I suspect there will be a lot of clashing of cultures to come.

I loved it. I can't wait for more.

Mad Men didn't have a surprise in the opener as it did last year when inferring that Peggy had a baby and her sister kept it (but it turned out sis was pregnant with her own.) But I still found it enjoyable to watch. Just as between 1 and 2, time has passed, a few months went by, Betty is pregnant by a few months, Pete and Trudy made up and Pete calmed down a bit. The Brits bought the firm at the end of last season when Duck brought them in. But it was clear when they talked to Don (whom Duck thought would be fired) and saw Duck get angry, that Duck was out, which they said or alluded to when talking to Don at the end, and that Don was in at the top.

LOVED the show. agree with jshrocks - give it time. Didn't Betty have her one night fling at the bar after she found out she was pregnant?

Mad Men didn't have a surprise in the opener as it did last year when inferring that Peggy had a baby and her sister kept it (but it turned out sis was pregnant with her own.) But I still found it enjoyable to watch. Just as between 1 and 2, time has passed, a few months went by, Betty is pregnant by a few months, Pete and Trudy made up and Pete calmed down a bit. The Brits bought the firm at the end of last season when Duck brought them in. But it was clear when they talked to Don (whom Duck thought would be fired) and saw Duck get angry, that Duck was out, which they said or alluded to when talking to Don at the end, and that Don was in at the top.

Would Betty have really used the word "lesbian" when referring to how her daughter used Don's tools to break the suitcase? Would it have been in the lexicon so easily of an upper middle class, proper woman? Was anyone usinbg it except the beatniks in lower Manhattan? That seems very out of place which surprises me because Mark seems so intent on accuracy.

I liked the part where Don Draper has flashbacks to incidents that happened before he was born and when he was a newborn baby. Great writing! Keep up the good work!

Sorry, that was sarcasm, lest anyone think I was being serious.

Note to Joanne: When someone gives out information, they can "imply." When the listener makes a supposition, he "infers." So a Mad Men story line can't "infer" but it can "imply."

I liked the episode, though I did wonder how Don could have flashbacks about his own conception and birth.

Many of the comments here seem really homophobic. Nobody minded seeing Don grab a woman's crotch last season. I was thrilled to see Sal get some, though it got interrupted.

Don isn't back to his old ways-- he wasn't that eager for the flight attendant really and if she weren't engaged might not have bothered. I think in his mind (as in many men's minds) there's a difference between a one-night stand on the road and an affair. In season one, he had girlfriends, mistresses, more than one at a time. This was just a shag, and that blonde was really throwing herself at him. She followed him off the elevator, he didn't make a pass at her first.

Pete's promotion was actually a bit unrealistic-- he's only been working a few years. Nobody would promote him to the head that fast. The Brits would bring in somebody of their own. All Pete has to offer are his connections and that he's no doubt cheaper. His immaturity was beyond whiny, but in character for him. Kenny acted twice the executive in every conceivable way.

We will see more of Duck. We saw him in the "previously on" so it's certain-- or at the VERY least, we'll hear about him.

Seems as though Roger's going to end up regretting his decision to leave Mona and propose to Jane, which is disappointing.

A bit disappointing for the long awaited first episode. The characters seemed removed from one another, the story line felt rushed and crammed with too many set-ups for futre episodes. I have been hooked on this show since the begining, and have invested far too much time in the progression of it to give up hope for this season.
The intercom system was hilarious with its static
sound quality, and the lack of Peggy's secretary not responding to her out of either ignoring it because she wasn't used to it yet, or that the stupid thing wasn't working at her desk.
Bert Peterson was mentioned (but never seen) toward the end of last season. When the guys in accounts were all riled up because Bert Peterson was hounding them for all of their accounts and numbers for reasons unknown to them. This scene took place shortly before they pulled Don's former secretary ("but, Mr. Draper I cover for you all the time") was pulled off the switchboard by the boys, and revealed the merger plans to them. Let's hope that MW and his staff give the characters some new twists, but continue with the finely crafted shows we are used to . Keep the faith.

So disappointed. As a writer I was thrilled about the last two seasons. But what a bummer! I felt repulsed and sad. Too bad, but it was a great run up to this stupid show!

Last two seasons the characters had more depth...you may not have liked what they did, but you were drawn to them. Not like these superficial crappy characterizations right now...what happened to pithy, smart, witty, and downright hilarious comments that hit right to the soul of a person?

Not a homophobe...but really? It was so overdone that I could hardly watch it.

PLEEAASE GO BACK TO THE WAY YOU USED TO WRITE IT...GET RID OF BAD WRITERS...they're too detached from the reality of real life with real people watching MM.

VERY disappointing premier.

Mad Men was (WAS?) a wonderful show because of it's subtlety and understated commentary. They trusted their audience to see the metaphors and make the connections. Last night was clunking, obvious and WAY too "on the nose". Very much afraid that this has gone the route of so many other successful shows: they take the components that made it successful and hit them again and again REAL HARD.

Mainly and most disappointing...a real lack of style. The actors are slowly but surely forgetting that this is a period piece. So are the writers. Gone are the inflections and mannerisms that made it delightful to watch.

Too many things from last season unresolved, too many new issues introduced. I felt like I was watching a Mad Men spin-off.

Man...who cut out liberal use of the testosterone juice?

I thought it was a weak episode for many of the points others have mentioned: Don's cheating on his wife so soon after being taken back, no follow up to the Pete and Peg love child (although I guess in a future episode it could be revealed that Pete adopted his own child in secret from Pegg's sister); this episode felt more like a mid season episode used to bridge storylines.

If they plan to address Season 2 story lines is series of flashbacks through season 3 it just makes it weaker.

In previous flashbacks about Don's life as Dick Whitmen in Season 1 and 2, Don was of the age where it would be possible for a person to remember an important point in their life. In first episode of Season 3 Don is experience a flashback to a moment before he is even conceived. And another after being alive only for a few hours. It would be impossible for Don to flashback to these events. At the most Don could only imagine this is how the events unfolded, which is confusing since it's presented as a flashback in the episode.

Joanne -- I too thought that Betty's use of the word lesbian struck a false note. In a show with amazing dialogue, that was a real clunker.

What ever happened to leaving things to the imagination. What is wrong with letting the viewers use theirs. And just because you don't want to see two men kissing doesnt make you homophobic. I don't want to see everything Don Draper does either. My imagination works just fine.

We waited all that time for.........THAT!!!!! Yuk!

I recall Sal saying he was from Baltimore in a previous episode. If so, did he know about bellboys at this hotel? Just say "my room is hot" and get "room service"?

Fire all the new writers...don't want to sound sexist but lose the female ones at least...if it ain't broke don't fix it....You created a completely different show in S3 vs. S1 & S2. Filmed differently, everyone out of character, do I need to go on? Trust me this was my favorite show...we actually looked forward to watching it, haven't done that since the glorious TV age of the 1980s...DON'T cave into the endorsements and don't try to be controversial or scandalous to get ratings, ad time..no need for a broke back moutain scene in the premier...focus on the technical quality of S1 & S2 - the fictional historical acuracy, sets, costumes, drinks, lexicon, etc.
DONT SELL OUT -

These are my random thoughts about the Season 3 Premiere....even the worst episode of "Mad Men" is 99% better than most everything else on TV.....sure, there may have been better MM eps than this one, but that is certainly no reason to write it off! This one just felt a little flat to me, but it's probably because I've been waiting for it for nine months and had such huge expectations...or in baseball terms, if every hit was a homer, we'd grow bored with homers too....sometimes a grounder is just fine....as for Don/Dick, we later found out it was his birthday, so I believe he was imagining the circumstances of his illegitimate birth by his prostitute mother...obviously, he couldn't possibly know these details....and while I was somewhat disappointed that he's fallen back into his cheating ways, could we really handle a completely faithful Don Draper? I think not....but this time, it almost felt like it was inevitable....the flight attendant's desires couldn't have been more obvious....at least he wasn't seeking it out...Betty's "little lesbian" comment didn't surprise me (she can turn a nasty phrase with the best of them) but it seemed a little too modern to me somehow, as did Trudy's reaction on the phone to Pete when he told her about his promotion...her "NO!" sort of reminded me of Elaine on Seinfeld when she'd shove Jerry and say, "Get OUT!"....again, the inflection seemed more modern than 1963....as for the skipping ahead several months (or a couple of years like the Season 2 premiere), I don't mind the gaps really....questions will be answered....mysteries will be solved....this is Mad Men, people!....nuance and mystery abound!

to ML76 -- So very well put. You said it all. I love it, love it, can't wait till next week, Heads and shoulders above the rest.

from Chicago: Last night, we ALL wanted to be New Yorkers. Just how does one make a gimlet?

Terrible season premier! Absolutely terrible. No continuity from S3 at all. The gay scene was just too much, and weird would be an understatement for Don's messed up life. I have no interest in this show now whatsoever. They've lost me a a viewer.

Dick knew he was a "whore child." I'm sure his stepmother told him of his origins. She despised him. Don was imagining based on what he had heard as a child. I'm not sure why viewers are confused with the passage of time between the season two finale and this episode. Frankly, I expected more time to pass. Betty's baby is Don's; she didn't have the fling until after she found out she was pregnant. I hope that needs no further explanation. Also, some of these posts have Jane and Joan confused. Joan is the redhead. I'm surprised no one on here is discussing the symbolism of the ant farm. Can we start? I do love that people are posting that women can't write this show and should be fired. How typically 1963 you are! I just read a review for the next two episodes, and I'm optimistic about season three. Check it out yourself, but beware the spoiler alert! http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1916290,00.html

Show 1 / Season 3 was sloppy - several inaccuracies, one being "Chevron Corporation" being included in list of accounts. Only problem is that Chevron didn't exist in the 1960s, or for that fact, in the 1970s either. The company was called "Standard Oil of California" until 1984 when the name was changed to Chevron. JUST SLOPPY RESEARCH.

What's the deal with the new characters and no explanation or transition (read "Brit invasion"). What happened to lame Duck?

This may mark the beginning of the watershed, shark-jumping season!

I don't agree with a lot of the negativity on this board. But I just wanted to weigh in on the Sal seduction scene. It seemed very unrealistic that a bellboy would make such a dramatic pass without so much as a flirtatious look. We've seen Sal walk the tightrope between flirting and passing before. It would have been very exciting to see Sal take ACTION, and have that pay off!!! But instead, his sex fantasy was just served up. I don't even know why it unfolded the way it did. During the entire scene, I thought it was a fantasy sequence.

"Betty's "little lesbian" comment didn't surprise me (she can turn a nasty phrase with the best of them) but it seemed a little too modern to me somehow"
I agree that this is a modern comment. I grew up in the 60's and there's no way my mother would have said that if I had picked up my dad's tools. People just didn't think like that in the early 60's, especially about their children. I also didn't like the way Betty told her little boy to leave the room. I felt so sorry for him!

Come on people. Have we learned nothing from the first two seasons? Of course plotlines are going to be cryptic. Every word and gesture contains layers of subtext, the meanings of which may take weeks to flower. If you want obvious and formulaic, watch Two and Half Men. The DonDraperWantsMe method is to sit back, relax and let the show wash over you. If you're sipping a scotch, all the better. Then you spend the next week watching the repeat broadcasts to see what you may have missed the first time and revisit your favourite scenes. I loved it when Don kissed Sally on the forehead and told her that he'll always come home. They both want so badly to believe that.

Come on people. Have we learned nothing from the first two seasons? Of course plotlines are going to be cryptic. Every word and gesture contains layers of subtext, the meanings of which may take weeks to flower. If you want obvious and formulaic, watch Two and Half Men. The DonDraperWantsMe method is to sit back, relax and let the show wash over you. If you're sipping a scotch, all the better. Then you spend the next week watching the repeat broadcasts to see what you may have missed the first time and revisit your favourite scenes. I loved it when Don kissed Sally on the forehead and told her that he'll always come home. They both want so badly to believe that.

total bummer! everyone i know who watched sunday night said that they were highly dissapointed with this episode. it wasn't the same mad men that we all fell in love with! i hope the season gets better.

Hey Janie, Betty's baby is not the product of the tryst she had in the Manhattan bar, because if you remember she went to that Bar after her Dr's visit, and she was told she was PG. I had to watch the last 3 episodes from last season on my Cable on Demand to remember erverything. I agree the opener was not what I hoped for , but will not give up on it, I still love the show and have to believe the rest of the season will improve !!. We do not need to " see " the kissing, we get it OK ?

Hey Janie, Betty's baby is not the product of the tryst she had in the Manhattan bar, because if you remember she went to that Bar after her Dr's visit, and she was told she was PG. I had to watch the last 3 episodes from last season on my Cable on Demand to remember erverything. I agree the opener was not what I hoped for , but will not give up on it, I still love the show and have to believe the rest of the season will improve !!. We do not need to " see " the kissing, we get it OK ?

I loved the season opener! To those of you who were disappointed, please stay with it. This is a show that rewards you for putting a little effort into understanding it.

In response to Bob's question, the actor playing Burt Peterson was Gray Anderson on Jericho.

In regards to...

Don - Learning why he was named Dick further proves the tragedy of his childhood and the heavy emotions that weigh on his shoulders due to his upbringing. I was slightly surprised but not shocked by his choice with the stewardess. I absolutely loved the end when he was at home with Betty, and Sally comes in. True to Don's style, he is able to lie instantaneously about the pin. Then when Sally is asking about the day she was born, Don's eyes become overwhelmed with sadness and what seems to be disappointment in himself. Great non-dialogue talent by Jon Hamm. Of course Betty is oblivious to his inner-turmoil.

Sal - He has more restraint than any other character. He is the only one that conceals his emotions and desires constantly, and this was the first time that he opened the floodgates and acted on them. Of course it was cut short by the fire alarm, and the audience felt his heart stop a beat when he and Don make eye contact through the window. (However, due to Don's secrecy which makes up such a huge portion of his own life, Don was not shocked by nor compelled to address Sal's private side.) I think the main reason why the scene in the hotel room was displeasing to some is that in prior sexual scenes in Mad Men, they most often were accompanied by music. However, I do think it was intentional how out-of-the-blue and in-your-face it was. It allowed the audience to understand how Sal felt. He was just as shocked as the viewer when the bell boy approached him... You can see it in his eyes!

Peter/Ken - Both characters maintained similar personalities as they had in the past. Ken is laid-back and overall upbeat. He, unlike Peter, doesn't have any commitments chaining him down other than his job, which he obviously enjoys. Peter, as always, acted like an ungrateful little child. But, needless to say, he has personal issues that rival some of the other characters'.

Peggy - She definitely seems to still be isolated in the office, with barely any emotional connections. I thought she was justified in voicing her displeasure in her secretary, especially because of what the whole situation represents to her. Remember in the beginning of Season 1, when Peggy was a new secretary and was still naive and innocent. Peter influenced and intimidated her into sleeping with him. For whatever reason she went through with it, and it was a choice that carried a larger consequence than any other. To be in the present time, witnessing another young woman being wooed by a man in the office, probably strikes an unpleasant chord in her. Furthermore, she is a professional, and knows the importance of work ethic and not being distracted. One could argue that her advancement in the office could have taken place earlier had *she* not been so distracted as a result of a man in the office, Peter.

As for all of the other characters that seem to have momentarily disappeared - Duck, Jane, Smith & Smith, the priest from Peggy's church - Apparently the writers didn't feel they were crucial to the plot of the first episode. Hopefully we learn where they went and why they're gone in the next episode or two.

The only things that really disappointed me, other than the overall confusion I felt at different times during the episode, was the emphasis on sexuality. Also the great musical accompaniment that added such a huge touch seemed to have disappeared. I felt like I was watching a British show on BBC. Not to knock them, but just because of the office contains a large British presence doesn't mean that the aesthetics and tone have to change. I would accept a mood change, but this was a bit much. It felt dry and muted, particularly visually. It was not warm and busy like the last two seasons.

Even though I have mixed emotions, and a lot to say about it, I still have hope for the next episodes to come.

Mr. Lucas Brice-In trying to be helpful you have unfortunately come across as a bit of a prig. The receiver can infer what someone is implying. So, in saying that they seemed to be "inferring that Peggy had a baby..." wasn't off the mark as I, the receiver, inferred what the writers were implying. If someone gets the idea from behavior (the way the story was structured) that the baby was Peggy's, then he is inferring (from what the writers wrote) that the baby was Peggy's.

Ross:

Saying that Matt Weiner should fire all the female writers doesn't make you _sound_ sexist. It just is sexism.

And what's particularly funny that you and the others who want Matt Weiner to fire all the female writers is that the sole writing credit for "Out of Town" is Weiner himself. You and the boys might want to at least find an episode that a woman actually wrote before launching this ignorant bit of nonsense.

And hey, Mad Men has always had an above-average number of women on its writing staff. Presumably you also hate "Nixon v. Kennedy" (credited to three writers, two of them women); or "New Amsterdam" (written by a woman); or "Red in the Face" (written by a woman); or "The New Girl", etc., etc.

Found it interesting how so many people were disappointed by the Series opener, as the first episode of just about every show (including this one) is typically weaker. Even so, I liked this one for what a lot of people didn’t – it didn’t attempt to ‘recap’ what went before; rather it opened up with a series of unexplained issues and missing parts. It left me looking forward to the surprises. It had me wondering what did happen to Duck after he blew up (revealing a flaw that has made him an itinerant ad executive who moves from firm to firm – a ‘loser’ in the eyes of the 60’s company men).

We get another reveal of the source of Don’s self-loathing. The flashback was the not the actual events witnessed but of the family story, no doubt his bastard origin was the source of a lot of verbal abuse in the Whitman household growing up. It follows that he’s a ‘bastard’ too while traveling with the leash off. He loves Betsy, but he doesn’t believe at some level he is worthy of her and so he cheats – and cheats. Don is a fascinating riddle, is he moral or not?

The visual style and the attention to detail continue to impress. Being in the commercial design industry, I’m fascinated by the office interiors as they looked before the advent of ‘interior architecture.’ They were ‘designed’ by the furniture people. The men’s offices are clubby and clipped by sunlight and the interior office, the camera is always low and aiming up, revealing a set with a ceiling full of light (in the Sterling Cooper offices, the practical lighting serves as set lighting). Midtown is bright and modern, while at home, the ceilings are invariably dark and hidden, mirroring the lives of the characters who occupy them.

I’m sure the story will meander as it always does, from the shocking to the sublime. We’ll see.

Not a good episode. Seemed very disconnected from last show of last season. Totally new Bert, Trudi/Pete and Betty/Don all happy after being headed towards divorce last year. The dialougue seems different. Pete and and Ken both acted bizzaro in their bosses office. When you hear a fire alarm do you automatically go down the fire escape or go down the internal stairs. Or would that make it too hard to catch Sal in the act. These guys got lazy and were looking for an easy way to out him. And what the heck is going on in the flashbacks? The naming of him as "Dick" was just silly. And I thought Dick was raised by his father until he was 10 when his dad died after being kicked by a horse? Who was the mean guy in the step mother's room and how does the guy who was his father and with the prostitute end up with that lady and the mean guy? With a good show you should have to be distracted by all these in conguities. I think that the script must have been written by Salvador Dali.

Peggy has reached a new level of power and has earned the respect of her peers. This has empowered her and she is obviously less careful about what she says - so the scene with Joan made sense to me.

Travel System

I\'m happy I found this blog, I couldnt discover any info on this subject matter prior to. I also run a site and if you want to ever serious in a little bit of guest writing for me if possible feel free to let me know, i\'m always look for people to check out my site. Please stop by and leave a comment sometime!
california reverse mortgages

I\'m happy I found this blog, I couldnt discover any info on this subject matter prior to. I also run a site and if you want to ever serious in a little bit of guest writing for me if possible feel free to let me know, i\'m always look for people to check out my site. Please stop by and leave a comment sometime!
california reverse mortgages

China Wholesale Town - China's most viable wholesale supplier of promotional gifts, Wholesale Carabiner you can customize your own logo, no matter anywhere in the world! Lunch Box Suppliers

Top China Wholesaler-Buy Wholesale Promotional Gifts Promotional Items from China.