I think I anticipated the last moment of this week’s Mad Men about 20 microseconds before it happened. I like how they “introduce” us to the new inventions of the era, like Playtex bras, slide projector carousels and disposable diapers. The writers really know the time period. The moment when Jimmy told Don that he wasn’t a good person hit home like an arrow to the heart. Putting Peggy on the diaper account is more than a tad ironic, too. And the way poor closeted Salvatore fondled the cigarette lighter of his new “flame,” so to speak. Very well done. It was good to see Joan taken down a peg or two by Don’s new secretary, too.
I also liked the way they created, played out and resolved the “breaking up the team” crisis on The Closer last night. No hiatus-long cliffhanger here. And Brenda, given the chance to make a political move, picks the perfect moment to speak up in front of the reporter. The joke about handling one “pope” at a time was priceless. Some viewers might not approve of the ethics of Brenda’s solution to the problem, but it was very karmic.
Fringe launches tonight with a 90-minute pilot. I had the chance to watch this earlier in the summer, so I’ll probably skip it in favor of a special live episode of Big Brother and Eureka. It’s a fairly interesting show, with X-Files overtones, but I’m not convinced it will catch on like that show did. Big shoes to fill.
I finished the book I’m reviewing for Dead Reckonings last night and wrote most of the review this morning. I like the way it came together. I’ll probably revise it over the next couple of days and get it out the door so I can cross it off my list. I’m sure the editors won’t mind getting it a few weeks ahead of deadline, either.
Ike veered southward overnight, so it seems less of a threat to most of the Gulf states than it did yesterday. Primary targets now include northern Mexico and southern Texas, though once it enters the Gulf anything can still happen. It’s currently on a track similar to what Dolly took earlier this summer, though.
If you like Monty Python, you’ll love this. “The Front Fell Off.”
