The Killing Brings us Back to the Cold NorthWest

It's not too late to try AMC's latest masterpiece series, The Killing (Sunday nights at 10pm). Only three one hour episodes have aired so far, and you can stream them all on AMC's website or go to On Demand to catch up. Not since Laura Palmer was wrapped in plastic in David Lynch's now decades old Twin Peaks, have we loved a murder mystery set in the great, wet, Pacific Northwest so much. Although The Killing lacks Twin Peak's quirky charm and off beat humor (no dwarfs, log ladies, donuts....so far), it makes up for it with a relentless realism that is seldom found on scripted television. Come to think of it, The Killing feels more real than most reality TV.

The series kicks off with the brutal death of a local teenage girl. We are introduced to Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos), a Seattle
detective who gets pulled into the case right before she had plans to move to California to get married. She brings a quiet authority and sorrow to her job. We don't know much about Detective Linden yet, (except that she chews gum delicately and incessantly) but something tells me her past was not a bowl of cherries. She's paired odd couple fashion with Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman), a former narcotics detective who looks and sounds like he just escaped from an Eminem video. Billy Campbell brings a pinch of celebrity B-List to the series, playing Darren Richmond, a city council do-gooder running for mayor of Seattle. He's swept up in the crime scandal when the murdered girl is found drowned in the trunk of one of his campaign vehicles.

The Killing is not a fast paced action series, but there is something enormously compelling about its rain soaked realism. Based on a successful Dutch television series, it's actually filmed in Vancouver, but with multiple Space Needle shots spliced in to make us feel like it's Seattle . And that's enough to set up a creepy murder vibe for me. No offense to Microsoft workers, coffee buffs or Nirvana fans, but I've always thought that Seattle is the kind of place where it seems quite likely that something absolutely terrible is about to happen. Must be the weather thing. My apologies to all the perfectly reasonable people who live there and seem quite fond of it, including my nephew and his family.

Here's a little taste of The Killing. It's official. AMC is the "go-to" channel for quality television. Better watch your back HBO!

"Rubicon" on AMC Tonight -- Will You Be There?

Nobody loves what AMC is doing these days more than we do. Breaking Bad is incredible television -- heartbreaking, brutal, with the best acting around -- and Mad Men continues in its 4th season to be the stylish icy delight that we all crave beyond reason. They're trying again, beginning tonight (except for an earlier sneak of the pilot) with Rubicon, an intricate drama set in the world of intelligence and counter-intelligence and counter-counter-intelligence.



Yikes. We love that the show is about a super-smart guy, Will Travers (played by James Badge Dale -- 24, The Black Donnellys,The Pacific), who knows everything, a super braniac who can find patterns where others see gibberish. Very appealing and we've got to support that, but Rubicon is beginning to sound like 24 without the chases and with lots of talk, if what we're hearing has merit. (I'm watching the pilot right now, and so far I'm not going to disagree.)

Nobody's more paranoid or conspiracy-minded than I am -- I'll listen to a good theory anytime -- but when the things Rubicon is being compared to are the extremely convoluted (but admittedly smart) movies like The Parallax View, or Three Days of the Condor, I've got to start freaking out a little. It's hard enough to keep track of clues and red herrings when you're on a magical island with smoke monsters, let alone on the drab streets of NYC we're seeing in Rubicon. I almost like the look of Rubicon -- it's like the brainy version of Rescue Me's gritty and hyper-masculine NYC (and Dale appeared on that show as a Gavin) -- but it'll grind you down.

Maybe it's just me, or maybe it was just snowing too much while they were filming the pilot, but Rubicon is really dark and understated, so much so that fine actors like Arliss Howard (Medium) and Miranda Richardson can't even register a spark. It's also the kind of series where a phone rings and the mysterious voice on the other end quotes a chess move, and then we see lots of chess boards in the subsequent scenes. Nothing against chess, but it's complicated and slow and if we're unlucky a metaphor for the entire show.

Maybe I'm reading this all wrong. Let's hope AMC has another winner with Rubicon, but so far I'm seeing it has neither the sexy veneer nor Baby Boomer-centric historical intrigue of Mad Men (which helps us get over the fact that often not much happens in the show), nor the X-ray accurate yet always unexpected twists of human nature of Breaking Bad.

Rubicon starts tonight on AMC at 8pm with two episodes, followed by Mad Men at 10pm. You really might want to visit AMC's Rubicon website for more insight and behind-the-scenes information, here.

"Mad Men" Is Back!

It's fascinating to read what others have written about last night's 4th Season premiere episode "Public Relations" of AMC's stunning -- and there's almost no other word to describe it -- Mad Men. The series is cold and crisp and beautiful like a priceless diamond -- not the warmest gem out there, but so mesmerizing, utterly desirable and impossible not to look at.

Mad Men is Mid-Century America Kabuki, with its own kind of stylized costumes and a series of carefully constructed and elaborate tableaus where nothing is ever obvious and everything promises another layer of meaning left behind for us to peel away. Spoiler Alert: Here's a recap of the episode, but don't watch if you haven't seen it yet.



There's an interesting special interactive feature "Seeing History in Mad Men" from The New York Times, which has been thoroughly covering the return of MM with several recent articles. Last week they spotlighted different aspects of the series here, as well as looking into the use of period-appropriate language on the series with this "Mad Men-ese" story. Alessandra Stanley gave a look forward to Sunday's premiere here, and Ginia Bellafante wrote about it today.

Vanity Fair has a nicely detailed piece by James Wolcott, and The Onion's AV Club has a great overview of the episode here, too, and a few enlightening videos. I count myself among the folks who already knew what Peggy and her coworkers were riffing on with their "John...Marsha" routine, but it's evidently not exactly a universal pop culture reference point.

I also love Advertising Age and their coverage of the premiere episode, which of course contained a major scene involving the industry publication preparing a story about Don Draper et al's new agency. Rance McCrain writes about the portrayal of Ad Age in the show, and Larry Dobrow offers up a media industry-centric look at the episode. Both are great reads.

Also wonderful on a continued basis is the "Mad Blog" from Media Post Publications. Writer Dorothy Parker covers each episode with special insight.

If you've seen the first episode, you know that Mr. Draper got his freak on a bit, as seen below. Again, Spoiler Alert!

We've said it here before -- as TV series go, Mad Men is a slow burn. Too slow? Maybe a little, sometimes, but we've also said that it's more like a work of art than a TV show. We're supposed to look at it longer and deeper than the average TV show, so that's okay. We like a show what takes its time (with a deep nod to the great Mae West.)

Be sure to visit AMC's Mad Men site for much more information and behind-the-scenes features that will add to your appreciation of MM.

Breaking Bad Season Finale Breaks New Ground Again!

Breaking Bad's third season ended spectacularly this past Sunday night, the second year in a row that AMC closed its magnificent nihilistic drama in a twisted, angst ridden knot. So many cliff hangers, and nail biters, my hands are practically bleeding. I might as well get the spoiler alert out of the way, because there is no way to discuss this last episode adequately without giving away essential plot elements. Avert your eyes readers, if you still have BB's "Full Measure" finale waiting in a DVR queue somewhere.

The picture above is a great visual summary for everything I love about Breaking Bad. Four men pose in a 21st century stand-off. The beautifully framed, desolate New Mexico landscape looks apocalyptic. Way in the distance, the frozen Sandia mountains stand sentry over miles of icy scrub. Not a bad metaphor for a show built around the the creation of those mesmerizing blue ice crystals otherwise known as Meth. Also, entirely appropriate that Meth rhymes with death. It's a cold business, and absolutely nothing warm and fuzzy is going to come out of this program. Ever. Producer Vince Gilligan has remained absolutely true to his vision through three seasons.

The season finale was really a two part arc, which has the enigmatic Walter White officially crossing the line from mild mannered high school chemistry teacher into bad. Very bad. But we don't care, because he only murdered a couple of street thugs and he did it to save Jesse, his hapless cohort in crime.

Walter's hit and run causes a sequence of very unfortunate events. He has crossed Gus, the soft spoken fried chicken franchise proprietor, who is likely the most evil drug kingpin in the entire series. Gus sends his henchman Mike (a fascinating ex-cop who kills without mercy, is kind to his adorable daughter and looks like a boiled potato) to fetch Walter and terminate him. Gus means to set up the former ultra-nerd meth lab assistant Gale to replace Walter AND Jesse and both of our main characters seem doomed. The end of the "Full Disclosure" has Walter's life hanging by a thread and Gale staring down the barrel of a gun held by a trembling Jesse. We hear a shot fired. And now have 6 months to ponder if Jesse has lost his soul. I'm guessing no way. He is the heart of the series, and while not the sharpest tool in the shed, is surely the most likable. If anyone is redeemed, let it be Jesse.

There is an awesome scene with the nerdy Gale in this final episode where he is singing a weird fast Spanish song in a high falsetto while watering his potted plants. Very surreal and David Lynch-like. I would like to feature the video here but unfortunately ALL videos for this episode of AMC's Breaking Bad have been removed from YouTube. Your loss AMC, we have at least 50 people a day reading The Flaming Nose!

Farewell to another extraordinary season of the most riveting drama on television. Thankfully, we have Mad Men (AMC) coming around to fill the gaping hole.

Mad Men: Pitch Dark but not Pitch Perfect

We are four episodes into season three of AMC's Mad Men, and the tone is darker than ever. Infuriating those who don't "get" Mad Men, is the increasingly languid pace, which is just a notch or two less fast than watching your grandparents play Monopoly.

But that's OK, because I am a Mad Men super fan, and it still works for me. I love the costumes, the 60's details, the quirky characters and the references to vintage advertising. However, I'm a bit frustrated with the relentless unhappiness that all the characters exhibit. Last season there was the occasional drunken joie de vive. This season, our heroes in the Sterling Cooper office even managed to make getting high on pot seem dour and humorless. Cheech and Chong, Harold and Kumar, avert your eyes! Peggy and the gang smoked a joint in the office and didn't even manage to come up with some good creative for Bacardi.

The "hidden lives" theme continues in season three. Everyone is in denial. Peggy is pretending to be fun so she can find a Manhattan room mate. Sal is pretending to be straight for his adoring wife. Although it's possible she might finally have a clue that he plays for the other team, after his enthusiastic pajama clad Ann Margaret impression in their bedroom. The entire Sterling Cooper team is pretending that they can make Ja'i Alai the next great American past time with a million dollar ad campaign. Only Don Draper sees the folly of that endeavor.

I wish Matt Weiner had not continued the relentless torture of Don and Betty's daughter this season. It's painful to watch through our 21st Century eyes, and makes me want to call child protective services. The one warm relationship for the series thus far this season (Grandpa and grand daughter) was smashed to smithereens when Betty's Dad died suddenly from a heart attack. Icecube parents Don and Betty ignored their daughter's anguish in this week's episode. Note to Mr. and Mrs. Draper. It's 1963. In six years, your daughter is going to run off to join the Manson family, where she can finally get some love.

If you're looking for love or at the very least some fun this season on Mad Men, your best bet is on their website where you can create your own avatar. Here's mine, urging the Sterling Cooper cast to wake up and smell the coffee.

Is Walter White More Bad Than Dexter Morgan?

I hope it's OK to have just a few more comments about "Breaking Bad" which had its second season premier on AMC last night at 10pm. I just had a chance to watch a recorded version today and was struck by the similarities between this dark new series and the20+ year old David Lynch masterpiece Twin Peaks. Both involve murders in mundane places. There is always something especially sinister when evil pokes its head up through the lawn chairs and split level houses of suburbia. It's very creepy to see an eyeball floating in a backyard swimming pool (Breaking Bad) or a homecoming queen's corpse wrapped in plastic (Twin Peaks). The latter was quirkier and had more of Lynch's homespun humor. Breaking Bad is bad to the bone, and breathtakingly ambivalent when it comes to any kind of moral stance.

The new season finds our hero Walter White trying to calculate just how many harrowing drug deals he'll have to conduct in order to leave his family (he's dying of lung cancer) with enough money to keep the house and send two kids to college. His pin headed sidekick, the young Jesse Pinkman, has bigger worries; how to keep the deranged neighborhood gangster from killing them both since they watched him beat one of his henchmen to death. The relationship between Walter and Jesse is fascinating. Teacher and student, genius and numb skull, old and young...partners in crime. They are the most unlikely duo to ever pair up on TV.

Here's an interesting little exercise involving three all time Flaming Nose favorites. Try to decide who is more evil; is it Tony Soprano (HBO) who killed for power, but put his family on a pedestal? Is it Dexter Morgan the serial killer (SHOW), who only kills the scum of the earth? Or is it dear Walter White, who makes the best Methamphetamine in the Southwest to provide for his family, and only kills when some creepy drug dealer gets in the way. We have a whole season of Breaking Bad ahead of us to ponder this question. What do you think?

"Breaking Bad" Season 2 Premieres Tonight on AMC

As if the stunning achievement that is Mad Men weren't enough outstanding television series karma for one network, AMC brings back its other bleak and brilliant series Breaking Bad tonight. We were thrilled last September when star Bryan Cranston took home the Best Actor Emmy -- some other pundits said unexpectedly, but not here. Though Flaming Nose favorites Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall and Cranston were all in the running, Cranston's determined desperation as Walter White, the cancer-ridden high school chemistry teacher-turned-meth lab impresario was beyond exquisite and we knew he was the one.

Violent, heartbreaking, absurdly amusing, frustrating, exciting and morally ambiguous, Breaking Bad is unlike anything else on television. It travels in a unrelentingly bleak but immensely intelligent world where horrible things happen and the good guys barely stand a chance, unless of course they dare to walk down their own dark path.

Has any other series (except Roseanne, perhaps) captured the dilemma of the middle-class better than Breaking Bad does? Walt is educated and hard-working, but we live in a world where teachers get a raw deal, medical care can bankrupt you, and bankers and their ilk have nearly taken down an entire country.

Breaking Bad is in many ways the perfect show for these precarious economic times. Desperate times call for desperate television, and Breaking Bad just happens to be desperately good, too.

Visit AMC's excellent website for Breaking Bad for a huge assortment of online video, written recaps of last season's episodes, and many other exciting web features. It is one of the best and most complete series sites out there and you'll enjoy exploring it.

Here are a couple of Breaking Bad videos to whet your appetite. First up, an intriguing video extra called "Walt's Warning" (and you can link directly to it here), and then a short recap of Season One.

Breaking Bad Season Two premieres tonight at 10pm, on AMC.

Mad Men's Jon Hamm Is Hilarious -- Who Knew??

Hope you caught Mad Men's Jon Hamm on Saturday Night Live -- he was terrific! So good looking and with a deft comedy touch that I think might have taken some of us by surprise! It was quite a bold plug for MM, too, with his intro cheekily referencing hit TV shows as a come-on to solicit viewers watch Mad Men, plus a dead-on MM skit featuring appearances by the also very amusing John Slattery and Elisabeth Moss from the show.

For now, let's post the droll skit "Don Draper's Guide To Picking Up Women" -- if this doesn't drive some viewers to MM, they don't know what they're missing!

Our Favorite Mad Man on SNL Tonight -- Jon Hamm!

If you love Jon Hamm as Mad Men's Don Draper as much as we do here at The Flaming Nose, you won't want to miss his guest hosting appearance tonight on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

Couldn't come at a better time to get some nice exposure for Mr. Hamm and Mad Men, of course. SNL is on a roll these days, parlaying some daffy political satire, an uncannily incisive impersonation of a certain VP candidate by SNL-alum Tina Fey, and whatever else put the fire back in their belly -- and let's not forget NBC's opportune scheduling of several extra primetime SNL specials to coincide with election campaign events -- to propel them to ratings records.

Let's hope a little of Saturday Night Live's current magic rubs off on Jon Hamm and Mad Men, the best show out there on TV that most people aren't watching yet.

Hell Hath No Fury Like the Women of Mad Men

We are well into Season Two for Mad Men and this series has maintained its extraordinary quality through every episode. If anything, it has gotten even stronger, as demonstrated by the fabulously layered episode #8, "A Night To Remember". It pits male against female characters at home, at work, and at church. There are also some wonderful scenes showing the inner machinations of the Ad Biz, as Media Buyer Harry Crane struggles to grow his fledgling Television department at Sterling Cooper.

The entire episode is carefully constructed around the anguish of Betty Draper, the blond suburban ice queen who has discovered (yet again) her husband Don's infidelities. In one memorable scene her rage spills over and she methodically beats a living room chair to smithereens, while her astonished kids watch from the den. Betty's betrayal is mirrored by Joan, the voluptuous office manager who has been temporarily assigned as Harry's assistant in the new TV department, when he becomes overwhelmed by his new responsibilities. Joan helps Harry by reading the episode scripts and alerting him about scenes where their client's spots should (or should not) be positioned. Joan thrives with this new task, she happens to be a natural with an intuitive feel for programming, characters and ad placement. It doesn't hurt that all the clients love to be in meetings with her where they can admire her bosom and skin tight outfits. Just when we think Joan is going to be a better ladder climber than Peggy, she is called in and dismissed suddenly, when Harry gets permission to hire a salaried staff member. Of course he replaces Joan with a man. What's worse, he nonchalantly asks Joan to train the incompetent new jerk, in a job that she's created and perfected. Her reaction was so frosty it could have reversed global warming.

The final battle of the sexes, 60's style, was between Peggy, the young copywriter and family priest, Father Gill. She volunteers to use her considerable advertising skills to help the church ladies promote a CYO dance. The old biddies tear her ideas to shreds and pronounce the whole theme of "A Night to Remember" as too provocative. "It will send the wrong idea to our youth". Father Gill, a weak willy who plays folk guitar in his free time, fails to stick up for Peggy. Instead, he pressures her to "confess", all her secrets and sins.

Don's lies, Harry's betrayal, Father Gill's spineless lack of support. These men aren't mad, they are clueless, and it fuels the women's rage like kerosene on a campfire. It's 1963. The dawn of the feminist revolution is right around the corner. It's amazing that men who are so great at understanding how to communicate to the female consumer, are oblivious when it comes to the real women in their midst.

This program is superb on every level. Mad Men will not air this Sunday due to the Emmy Awards. I predict that MM will win truckloads of the gold statue with wings.

Don't Miss "Mad Men" Tonight on AMC!

Another intriguing episode of Mad Men up tonight on AMC! It's the kind of show that after you've watched it you just kind of sit back and sigh. Neat! Here's a promo for tonight's show which is entitled "Three Sundays" --



Be sure to visit AMC's great Mad Men website for more information and video!

Mad Men: Deeper, Darker, Better

Time for a Mad Men update. We are three episodes into the new season and it is better than ever. More of the dark machinery driving the ad business, more of the hidden lives and shenanigans in the 1960's. This week's 3rd episode (The Benefactor) finds our mysterious hero Don Draper in a weird power struggle and really steamy sex tryst with the wife/agent of a loose cannon comedian who stars in one of Sterling Cooper's big account commercials. Meanwhile, Don's ice queen spouse spends her days riding horses at the country club where she has become MILF eye candy for a rich young college boy. My favorite moment of the night? Don breaks out of his passive indifference and (literally) applies the pressure to get Bobbie the agent to make her crazy husband apologize to important clients at ritzy NY restaurant. It's a surprising and red-hot moment for basic cable. Keep your fingers on the DVR rewind for this one!

In the historical accuracy department, there is a fabulous B story about Harry the Media Buyer manipulating a raise to the (lofty) amount of $220. per week. He doesn't realize it yet, but being made head of "television" at Sterling-Cooper in 1962 is the real prize.

Post-script--Don fires his dud of a secretary (thank God) and Joan the red haired office goddess moves into the position temporarily.

Oh, how we wish we could watch every single episode of this series at once. The only thing bad about Mad Men? Waiting until next Sunday's episode. The promo below gives a little taste of what you'll get when you tune into the controlled insanity on AMC's MM.

Mad Men in HD

"Mad Men" is off to a great start. It's even greater if you have an HD plasma or LCD television that shows off the visually stunning sets and wardrobe! Problem is most cable providers don't carry AMC as a digitial HD channel. BUT... many cable companies, like Time Warner (my provider) do have HD on-demand. That's where you find movies and series from premium and basic cable channels available for you to watch anytime. For example, "Mad Men" episodes are available in full 16x9 HD in the HD Showcase section of TW's on-demand, right after they air on Sunday night. If you've got a big screen, it's well worth the short wait to see it in crisp, clear, vibrant colors. Otherwise, with standard def, it really softens when you expand it to fill the screen.

That's my tip for the day!

Promo for Next Week's "Mad Men" Episode on AMC!

How did you like this week's show?

Mad Men Season Premier: Slow but Satisfying

Just a few notes to add to Lisa's post about the season two premier of Mad Men. It did move at a very leisurely pace, although the office venue is still hopping. Best moments; figuring out where to put that new fangled Xerox machine (and ultimately, it didn't take them long to start copying body parts), the old black and white TV footage of Jackie Kennedy giving a tour of the White House in the background on very vintage televisions (kudos to the MM set designers) and Don Draper mentoring Peggy the junior copywriter on the most compelling way to position the new airline account. It's not sex that sells...it's emotion. "What did you bring me, Daddy?" Don Draper and Peggy Olsen are the most intriguing characters, and this first episode leaves us wanting much more of them both. I also liked Don Draper's final voice over, which was prose in the shadow of Robert Frost...cold, precise, and very New England. Most of the Mad Men long to be published writers, but Don Draper may have the most accomplished way with words of them all.

So, How Did Everybody Like "Mad Men" Last Night?

I did an intensive on AMC's Mad Men in anticipation of last evening's 2nd season opener. I watched all 13 of the first season episodes on Saturday and Sunday, finishing the last one about ten minutes before the new season started. For those of you who are already hooked on the series, you understand completely -- the show is terrific. For those of you who haven't fallen for it yet, dig right in -- you can find the earlier eps online (let us know if you can't find them) -- and catch up. Don't wait any longer.

For the uninitiated, I can see where last night's episode might seem a tad underwhelming -- this show is definitely cool, in all ways -- but much is afoot. Don has some male performance issues, his wife is getting frisky -- from all that horseback riding -- and flirty -- with that mechanic -- and the gals in the office just met Mr. Xerox machine. And Peggy, the young female copywriter (played so well by Elisabeth Moss) who had a mysterious -- to her, even -- pregnancy and delivered a baby in the season finale, seems to have ditched the kid and slimmed down. I guess we all know that the duplicitous and creepy nearly androgynous-looking Pete Campbell has to be the father, but he's balking at getting his own wife pregnant at home. Definitely much afoot there! You'll find a thorough synopsis of the episode on AMC's Mad Men website here, and also synopses of all previous seasons episodes plus an overall Season One review. Good stuff!

Here's a peek at last night's episode, with commentary from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner:

What did you think of the 2nd season premiere episode "For Those Who Think Young"?

"Mad Men" Returns July 27th With Season 2 Premiere On AMC

Who can keep track of cable? Who gets TV guide anymore? This is a reminder for those of you who are addicted to this stylish, well written, brilliantly acted and superbly directed series. If you're feeling the summer doldrums "Mad Men" is what the doctor ordered!

10pm (9 central) on AMC

Meanwhile, enjoy this clip from last season: