Read "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning." It's just about 1977, but it does give an overview of just how bad things had gotten in NYC by then …

See also: Lost and Delirious. I'm sure it's on one of the Cinemax channels somewhere right now …

Funny, she doesn't look Druish …

True, but the earlier seasons of Mad Men covered 1960 - 64, when the Yanks were still in their heyday (5 pennants; 2 World Series; Maris' 61 homeruns; Maris won 2 MVPs, and Mantle won one). 1965 brought all that to a crashing halt.

I imagine that John Slattery is pretty much Roger all the time … but Jon Hamm is consistently charming and goofy in his many podcast and Internet appearance, which makes his turn as Don even more impressive. He really is a very good actor, without always having to say anything at all … his face just conveys so many…

Wonder if the '69 Mets will play a major role in Mad Men's final season …

It had it in spades …

I've read chatter on other websites that hypothesizes that he is a gov't agent on the trail of "Don Draper" … I seriously doubt that …

Yup. Another reason why this show is so good: I think in lesser hands, Henry would have been written as a lesser "man" than Don, and might have become a 2D character. Instead, he has shown that he seems to be genuinely good man, a good public servant, a good husband, and a good father to the kids. That scene was…

One of my favorite episodes was when Don and Roger took Freddie out on the town after he was let go. Don used to be able to go out with the boys from time to time, but seems to be incapable of even that anymore.

I used to think that this was going to be the arc of this series: Don's redemption. But this season is making me think that the tone is going to be a lot more nihilistic and bitter; Don's not going to change, and he'll continue to be an asshole, ala Tony Soprano.

I posted it earlier, but I want a Mad Men spinoff of The Adventures of Roger and Cutler … I envision a mixture of Bored to Death and Terriers …

Oh, and then the "Try to forget about it …" line. Try to forget about the home invasion you were a part of …

I cannot "Like" this comment enough …

Oh, that line about not knowing anything about her father might more cutting than anything Betty's ever said to Don.

I thought that, among other things, there was dead tissue or something in that shot. Isn't that what contributed to Mickey Mantle's leg/ass issue that put him on the DL for much of 1961?

I thought the Mad Men spinoff I'd want to see was The Adventures of Roger and Sally … now, I want The Adventures of Roger and Cutler. I see it as a mix between Bored to Death and Terriers (yes, they would solve crimes every week).

True … but when I think of The Wire or The Shield, I think of the terrific final seasons … when I think of The Office, I think of the terrific first few seasons …

I don't think I was clear - I was using Lost as an example of a show that should have wrapped up in a few seasons, rather than having the writers come up with new "storylines" to wring every last drop of buzz/money out of the property.

Yup. The Office is Exhibit A of why network shows should follow the lead of the best cable shows, and have a set end date, and then tell a comprehensive story or stories within. See also: Lost. At least How I Met Your Mother is supposedly wrapping things up next season, while it's still pretty enjoyable.