Well, I'm five episodes in to the first season of this. One of my best RL friends tells me it's genius, everyone else seems enamoured of it too: American TV has been astonishing me time after time over the past few years, and all the reviews say this is up there with the best: but I don't get it with this. I honestly feel that it must be me and not the programme, so what is it? Does it just get better, as many programmes are wont to do? (I have been avoiding spoilers so don't have any idea what is coming up) Or is there a pleasure to it that I'm over looking?

I haven't posted this in the Mad Men thread because I don't want to have to read a thread wherein I might be 'spoiled' - I hope that's OK with admin.

It gets better. But I don't want to oversell it, and make it sound like Batman shows up in episode 6 or something. But I'd either watch the entire first season before evaluating it further, or stop now. It was a slow burn and then clicked hard for me. But if the click doesn't happen in the first season, then it's not for you. It reaches some great moments every season.

Has Don's long lost brother showed up yet, from the other life he left behind? Do you know that he's not just Don Draper yet? That comes out pretty early, so don't feel like it's a huge spoiler. But it seems like it's right around where you are. So maybe hang in there a bit and come back and see us. I think you need to see the first season unless it's just torture.

Brother showed up an episode ago but wasnt reference in the latest one. But thanks for the advice. I figured you as a fan because of your avatar.

Honestly, don't watch it expecting much to happen. It isn't a plot-heavy show. It is more about building the characters and their relationships, which it is good at.
It is a show that is appealing, and I can't really put my finger on why it is. Christina Hendrick's lady parts, I suppose.

I watched the first couple of seasons a couple of years ago and gave up. It wasn't as clever or inventive as I had been led to believe by reviews and friends. In particular, I found it overly directive -- there were scenes where what you were shown or not shown was supposed to lead you to infer this or that rather like hokey soap opera. The characters were all odious, and the constant implied commentary and critique of the mores of the times, by virtue of all the directive shots, was wearisome.

That's a glowing recommendation to my ears. I'm in!

This thread reminds me of the Penn Point where Penn Jillette begs viewers to explain to him why he loves Mad Men

There's a moment for me where vague enjoyment became love of the show, and I was hooked. But I don't want to tell you what it is. Because it's a little different for everyone. And I don't want to raise anticipation.

But these characters are utterly fascinating to me, in themselves, and how they interact with each other.

It's a historically accurate, non-melodramatic soap opera. It takes a bunch of different personality types, puts them in a now-alien world, and explores their characters.

The only show on television that even vaguely reminds me of it is Treme on HBO, which is a non-melodramatic exploration of a bunch of different New Orleaneans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They're both low-key soap operas with very little in the way of grand narrative. It's about people watching.

Try to imagine Stan and Jack in this world -- this is precisely the era from which the Marvel Silver Age sprung. Draper is just about the same age as Stan Lee. Just a little too young to have fought in WWII, but around the whole time, and older than the young whipper snappers who would show up in the 1960's.

I feel like I was in your boat a little bit originally. When I found it on Netflix I watched it while exercising. I had been really anticipating it and I found I was quite let down by it at first, it was okay...but just not what I was expecting at all. I only really kept up with it cause I figured it was a good thing to watch while exercising at the time, cause it was not something I cared enough to get distracted from what I was doing for, but it was decent enough pass time to keep me going, eventually I got pulled in and inexplicably found myself watching another episode or so after I was done, then at some point, I'm not really sure when, I started just loving it. It's definitely about watching and being interested in the odd characters, in what they are doing wrong with their life and in occasionally getting to see them really show that they can be cool. As much as I liked Don, I think Pete was one of the first to draw me in, he's so bad at everything. I don't know why but I love watching him try and fail so hard.

Not really adding anything that hasn't been said, but I just powered through my second time around (I originally stopped about halfway through the first season) and found myself getting more and more interested in the characters. Over time I've grown to love the development of the characters, and I think the acting is excellent almost without exception (January Jones is the weakest link, but it's like the Keanu thing where she's playing a character that plays to her limited strengths).

If I had to guess, I'd say it was the episode "The Suitcase", which is halfway through the fourth season, where I went from "This is okay, but I'm not sure why I keep watching" to "Well, that was exceptionally well done."

This is about the point where I almost slowed down, when it was just seeming like "okay . . .l guess." Then it just grew and grew.

I was just watching tonight and I was thinking, I am happy to tune in every week just for teh opening alone. I love that part! hah

That is how far I made it into the show as well, before bailing on it. I found it mildly interesting, with the casual sexism, smoking, drinking, etc that went on as a matter of course back in the day. How did we ever do that stuff? But that's all it was, for me; like watching some old home movies and remembering how things were "back in the day". Nothing pulled me in. I might revisit it later, at least to finish up the first season, and see if it ever grabs me.

I love the characters. Not all are likeable but they are endlessly fascinating. And the show has great style.

I remember watching an early commentary voiceover, with several of the actors providing the commentary. And one of the actors says something to the affect of "________ is the only good one." And another one pipes up with "Man, you need to lose that whole good/bad thing."

This is a show where all the characters will, at times, break your heart. And also make you hurt for them and identify with them.