ALL OF THIS.

Yeah I think this is very obviously the point. Hell, Don said 'It's quite literal'. If we're waiting for some olde timey Mad Men creative magic, it's not happening. We're going to be watching these people painfully and awkwardly slogging into modernity.

Well yeah, of course the computer is the 'actual' monolith, but the framing on that shot was pretty obvious. I did the same thing as soon as I saw the title when firing up the DVR. The whole episode I was looking for 2001 references. I think even Roger or Pete mentioned something about apes mastering something.

I'm prepared to not 'like' these final episodes as much as earlier seasons because so much of what made MM so interesting in the beginning was how it played off nostalgia and mis-interpertations of history…
Now it's just getting scary and depressing, because it's starting to feel a whole lot like modern reality.

Maybe it was the 'tea' I was smoking, but that was one of the best episodes I remember watching for a while. At the end I just sat there and was like 'A!.' Just so tense and heartbreaking and foreboding. Man the sounds of the typwriters being replaced by the drills was unnerving.

Reading these boards is making me think Don's 'Okay' is the best 'Mona Lisa' trick Mad Men has played yet. I saw giddy optimism in him. He knows that a) they fully expected him to say they can shove it and b) If he gets canned and absorbed, he's out from under his no-compete and agencies will be clamouring for him.…

Maybe this is a stretch, but Don's delivery of 'Okay' instantly called me back to Pete in the the brothel in 'Signal 30.' Both situations, in essence, having to deal with the anticipation of a type of role play. I know it's literally one very common word…but for some reason it took my mind right there.

HAHA 'GOSPEL BILL!' Love it when Todd drops the old Christian media references (would love an 'Inventory' or 'Primer' on 80s-90s CCM, probably too esoteric though), those of you who weren't around it growing up probably aren't aware of the sheer volume of such things produced. As of no longer than 10 years ago someone…

I do love Braveheart, but to your point all those other films in 95 we very very strong. Yes, as you said, Babe too.

Not Benny Hill, but this was always one of my favs:

I think Bell was always 'on the dark side', the Manimals were being worked on before the first reset. I think rather Bell was was expecting Walter to be on board with him when he revealed his plans, that's why he wanted to help the Fringe Team, he knew they were important in keeping Walter around [even thought the…

I have just had the same experience. Finished last night. I'm sure it's been mentioned but '…my VERY favorite thing.' just made me lose it…like William Wallace 'FREEEEDOMMM'-level. If a line so simple has ever been earned so well in television or film, I've yet to see it.

Yeah, I was one of the ones that didn't care for it. I mean I love culture and diversity and understand we have no official language…but it felt more like 'Seperate in America' than 'We are America' or 'Coming to America'. There's a fine line between multi-cultural and multi-culturalism and we all seem to freak out…

Of course, I'm from Upstate New York where even the Republicans are Hippies…so maybe it's been different elsewhere.

I hate playing the demo game but since it's the topic of discussion…I'm a white male Conservative and I thought the Cheerios ad was was on the best and most endearing spots I've seen in a while. It almost feels like the stereotyping is the telegraphed anticipated 'outrage' over it. I mean maybe we all had…

DAMMIT I'm only in season 3 of Fringe.

No mention of 'House of Cards' in the Second-Year shows? Man, AVClub is committed to dissing this awesome show.

'Baseball'! Yes yes & yes. It was my favorite film when it came out when I was 13…still might be to this day. Not sure how many times I've watched it through on VHS then DVD and now on Netflix. It might be a more niche subject than more celebrated Burns films like The Civil War, but Baseball I think is still his best.

I remember watching this when it came out. I was 12 years old and there was a pall over my life for days. I had to stay up and talk with my mother late about it from an academic standpoint just to cleanse my palette enough to be able to sleep.

and in spite of the other commentors here, I'm perfectly fine with you covering Mad Men and Donna covering Breaking Bad. What you offer in excellent insight in the academic, she offers similarly in the vividly visceral, which is exactly the perfect contrast that makes both shows equally wonderful in their own ways.