My mild annoyance seems to have really upset people…

I recognize that the shows were linked to, and therefore were technically "mentioned" in order to generate traffic for the article.  But they weren't ACTUALLY mentioned, and I find that irksome.  I know it happens all the time with this site, but for some reason it set me off today…

Notifications for Mad Men and Breaking Bad: yes.  Mentions of Mad Men and Breaking Bad: none.

You're right.  Saying it signified nothing contradicted everything else I'd just written.  I think I was trying to say that even if you don't think it was a particularly thematically rich dream, it was very illuminating from a characterization perspective.

I didn't think the Don storyline was clumsy at all.  I liked that, even though you assumed that it was all a fever dream, no attempt was made to "dream-ify" the sequence.  It plays out like the next scene of the episode.  Perhaps I'm in a minority, but even though I was fairly certain is was a dream, there was a part…

Would someone please explain to me why cable insists on doing his kind of thing?  Is it just to avoid having a shitty balance sheet during a (projected) slow fiscal quarter?

I don't get this.  I always figured that after Mad Men Weiner would move on to write/direct smart little Alexander Payne type pictures.  This does not sound promising.

Let us not forget that Don's regular call girl in Season Four was under orders to play rough.  ("I know what you want." "So do it." *slap* "Again" etc.)

This would sound more interesting if Patton Oswalt were writing it.

One thing that should certainly set this appart from the other shows mentioned is that Winter and his writers are quite the craftsmen.  Both seasons so far have had a very well drawn STRUCTURE.  I know the series is often compared to New Hollywood films like The Godfather and Goodfellas and the comparison is certainly…

This show really speaks to me for some reason, like Winter read a manual somewhere about how to push my buttons.  I've come to accept other people's ambivalence, enjoyment-with-reservation, or disdain.  Boardwalk Empire is a dog whistle, and I'm a dog.

If Van Alden is going to continue in season 3 in Torrio/Capone's sphere, I sure as shit hope he becomes the most lunatic mob hit man in tv history.  All the complaints that he's over-the-top wouldn't matter if he became the tall, baritone, Protestant Joe Pesci of the series.

I third the motion.  Bravo!  I've only recently gotten into dramas of this sort and Boardwalk Empire has been my first to follow on the Av Club week to week.  It's been great reading Noel on this series.

With regards to the timeline: The Dempsey fight featured in episode 9 took place on July 2, 1921.  I'm thinking this episode was set in late August or early September?

I was wondering that myself…I'm aparently very disconnected from pop culture of late since I had no idea what "Inject Love" was or what exactly made it unbearable.  I find the Target Lady about as unbearable as any national ad campaign this year.

There's a [1987] picture called Over the Top.  It stars Sly Stallone, is produced and directed by some douche, and co-written with Stallone by some other douche.  It's about arm wrestling.  It's like every classic boxing picture from the 1930's (and Rocky, of course)—complete with the little boy for whom the boxer…

It isn't just a small PTA film, it's his best, along with There Will Be Blood, which has more in common with it (PDL) than to his 90's ensemble dramas.

Punch Drunk Love always gets left out of these sorts of write ups…for shame

Out of curiosity, what do you think are the most likely ways the season could end that would be most justified and compelling?

Force of habit.