Tuesday, October 27, 2009

LOOK AT YOU, FIGURING THINGS OUT FOR YOURSELF: While I haven't watched the 21 dancers dancing episode of SYTYCD yet, I did make time to watch Jon Hamm's Emmy submission on Sunday night. A great, great episode of Mad Men -- surely one of the best hours we've seen from this amazing show. The Joan fights back! Roger! Betty! But mostly Don . . . and Dick.

When I enjoy a character, I find it hard to single out acting versus writing versus directing -- I'm more of a holistic experience TV viewer. But not this time. Taking away nothing from either the writing (great as always) or the direction (I'll offer up kudos for the business with dropping the cigarette, even if it turns out that it was Hamm's idea), all I can say is this: great balls of fire, the man from St. Louis can act. There's no overarching physicality in the difference between Don and Dick, but one moment you're watching Don, and then all of a sudden it's Dick. I can't put my finger on exactly why I know who's who, but there can be no doubt, and it was a joy to watch, subject matter notwithstanding.

Oh, and p.s., did anyone besides me do a little oh, that's how they're going to get rid of the character! victory dance when Vietnam was mentioned?

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