What This Is
Mad Men is back sometime in March. By then, it will have been off the air for 17 months. Since it has been such a long time since any of us have watched Mad Men, especially the earlier episodes, I am starting at square one - "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", the very first episode, and continuing at a pace that ensures I will finish rewatching season four just before season five premieres.
That's 52 episodes over about 110 days (we don't know the precise premiere date yet), or one episode every two days.
I encourage you guys to watch along with me, whether it's your first time through the series or your second or your tenth (I don't think it'll be anyone's tenth).
(Rough) Schedule
11/26 - 12/2: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Ladies' Room, Marriage of Figaro
12/3 - 12/9: New Amsterdam, 5G, Babylon
12/10 - 12/16: Red in the Face, The Hobo Code, Shoot
12/17 - 12/23: Long Weekend, Indian Summer, Nixon vs. Kennedy, The Wheel
(End Season 1, Christmas break)
12/26 - 1/1: For Those Who Think Young, Flight 1, The Benefactor, Three Sundays
1/2 - 1/8: The New Girl, Maidenform, The Gold Violin, A Night to Remember, Six Month Leave
1/9 - 1/15: The Inheritance, The Jet Set, The Mountain King, Meditations in an Emergency
(End Season 2, MLK Day, beginning of new semester for most)
1/16 - 1/22: Out of Town, Love Among the Ruins, My Old Kentucky Home, The Arrangements
1/23 - 1/29: The Fog, Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency, Seven Twenty Three, Souvenir
1/30 - 2/5: Wee Small Hours, The Color Blue, The Gypsy and the Hobo
2/6 - 2/12: The Grown Ups, Shut the Door.Have a Seat (End Season 3), Public Relations
2/13 - 2/19: Christmas Comes But Once a Year, The Good News, The Rejected
2/20 - 2/26: The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Waldorf Stories, The Suitcase
2/27 - 3/4: The Summer Man, The Beautiful Girls, Hands and Knees
3/5 - 3/11: Chinese Wall, Blowing Smoke, Tomorrowland
(End Season 4, my birthday, beginning of spring break for many)
3/??: Season 5 premieres.
The above schedule is based solely on my finals/winter break/etc schedule, so it is lighter when I have more pressing obligations. Feel free to watch ahead of me if that suits you, but please, hold your notes on any given episode until I get there.
My "writeups" will be mostly bullet points, and may refer to episodes ahead, so if you are a newbie, beware. If it turns out there are some of you watching along who are first-timers, I'll include a "newbie warning" before points that discuss things you haven't seen yet.
Also, I'd appreciate it if someone can help me make sure this doesn't purge!
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HAIL THOMAS