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Blu-ray Review HTF Blu-ray Review: MAD MEN: SEASON TWO (1 Viewer)

Sam Favate

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Great review! Can't wait to see this on BD. The first season was one of the most outstanding shows since the first season of the Sopranos.
 

Southpaw

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Wife and I just finished up season 2 last night. We both thought it was excellent. Since we don't get AMC HD on DirecTV and refuse to watch anything SD, we wait until the BD is released to watch this splendid series. Was it as good as season 1? Yes and no. There were some episodes that were truly outstanding and one that was a bit puzzling.
We both agreed that episode 11 "Jet Set" was strange. We get that it was a great setup for Don's eventual 'cleansing' at the end of episode 12 but the encounter Don has with the 'Nomads' was all a bit weird. Then you have Peggy's date with Curt who announced to everyone in the breakroom that he is a homosexual earlier that day. And finally Betty's phone call with her horse riding friend and her revelation that she had an affair with the guy horse riding friend. Just a strange 1-2 episode arc there at the end.



We both agreed that the picture quality and audio quality of the release were exceptional. Naturally the production values add so much to the perception of what takes place. The writing and acting are so good, we really felt like we were taken back to a place that neither of us have experienced.
 

Southpaw

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I have to amend my earlier spoiler comment about one particular episode. I totally get it now. It took me listening to Matthew Weiner's commentary to fully grasp it but I get what he was trying to do with the character. :)
 

ManW_TheUncool

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Originally Posted by Southpaw ">[/url]

I have to amend my earlier spoiler comment about one particular episode. I totally get it now. It took me listening to Matthew Weiner's commentary to fully grasp it but I get what he was trying to do with the character. :)[/QUOTE]Yeah, I ended up checking out the commentary track for some help in fleshing out that episode too. I'm not sure too many people would fully grasp it w/out the extra bit of help. That episode's commentary track also provided some nice technical tidbits about how things were shot too -- I've only checked out one other commentary track on there so far.

RE: Mike's comment about Sal's "decision" (in the review), it didn't seem clear to me that Sal made an actual decision -- at least a fully conscious one anyway. Otherwise, I thought the various comments in the review were pretty spot on and made for a nice read w/out giving away too much.
Can't wait to see season 3. Almost makes me wish I have paid TV service again (for the upcoming new season).
 

Michael Reuben

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Man-Fai Wong


RE: Mike's comment about Sal's "decision" (in the review), it didn't seem clear to me that Sal made an actual decision -- at least a fully conscious one anyway. Otherwise, I thought the various comments in the review were pretty spot on and made for a nice read w/out giving away too much.
I hesitated a long time over that choice of wording. Part of the problem was that I wanted to be evasive enough to avoid anything in the nature of a spoiler. Let's just say that I view Sal as having aimed himself in a certain direction from Season One onward, at least from the point of that very intense dinner with a client more willing than Sal to explore their attraction. Whether you want to characterize Sal's later actions as a "decision" or a "surrender" is, I suppose, open to debate. There are many circumstances in which doing nothing is a form of deciding, and that kind of decisionmaking suits Sal perfectly.
 

Southpaw

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Yes, in the episode I was referring to above (episode 11 - "Jet Set"), you can clearly see the look on his face during the breakroom scene where they are all standing around eating doughnuts and talking about Curt and Peggy. That truly showed what he realizes and is up against. Great stuff.
 

ManW_TheUncool

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Agreed about Sal's general direction. He's certainly contemplating the whole thing waaay more than he ever did in season 1.


_Man_
 

ManW_TheUncool

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BTW, RE: the Clorox bleach ad on disc 1, did y'all also see the enclosed insert for the ad w/ a 50-cent coupon?

The whole thing is certainly an interesting way to advertise to the target audience. The collector's side in me wants to just keep the coupon insert ad rather than let the wife use it at the store.

_Man_
 

Hollywoodaholic

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Originally Posted by Man-Fai Wong ">[/url]

BTW, RE: the Clorox bleach ad on disc 1, did y'all also see the enclosed insert for the ad w/ a 50-cent coupon?

The whole thing is certainly an interesting way to advertise to the target audience. The collector's side in me wants to just keep the coupon insert ad rather than let the wife use it at the store.
 

CraigF

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^ The coupon must be a collector's item, I didn't get one in the (U.S.) copy I got a couple weeks ago...

What I wanted to comment on is how terrible and slow the menuing system is. Enough to deserve a comment at least, compared to other TV on BD. PS3 and BDP-83 players, which are both considered quick. Every time you stop and re-start a disc you go through a whole slow rigamarole. Bookmarks don't mean a thing with this title re startup speed. Besides them being awkward to get to. Episode selection has some glitches, depending how you select them. This sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the IMO functional and clever S1 menus (shows you which episodes you've watched). Studios have to realise that titles like this are NOT like a movie in that it's not so likely people will watch the whole disc in one sitting (4-5 hours each?). And make it easier to get at stuff. Use your stupid Java to determine that we've already gone through the startup junk, it's still in memory (if it is, likely) and just go to the menus/bookmarks. Rant over, for now.
 

Shane D

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i did like the menu system on season 1 alot better than season 2. i wish they hadn't changed it. it was nice having that dot fill in showing what you'd already watched
 

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