The Hour Season Two is Superb

Over the last six weeks I have been watching what might be the best television show I have seen in years. In it's second season the BBC America show The Hour is simply amazing. Cramming more storyline into six weeks than most full length series this years story arc centered around the coming of the nuclear age in the late fifties. Contrasted against a crime wave both issues provide the backdrop for the shows characters to move through.

What characters they are. Aggressive young journalist in training returns to the news team from a sojourn in America and France with a young French wife. His long simmering relationship with his producer and friend Belle Rowley must be set aside but by the end of this season we are left to wonder if these two will ever find their way.

Outside of that the character of Hector Madden played by Dominic West goes through a long journey this season. Having been caught in a scandal he sees his relationship with his wife suffer a death blow, is courted by another news network, and in the end suffers a humiliation few men could stand with grace, perhaps in a belief that is the product of his own behavior and something deserved.

Backstories abound. A new news director has joined the show and he too has a secret. Combining these complex characters with a nuanced, fast moving storyline rife with historical connections this show can be challenging.

One must dedicate themselves to paying attention. The first couple of episodes leave you wondering where the show is going, by the time you realize where that is, and how tangled the web is, you are hooked.

Loving Mad Men, enjoying Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, there is no doubt in my mind that this show is far and away the winner for Best Drama of the year.

Mad Men : Season Finale Next Week

Mad Men has a way of lulling you to sleep and then bang doing something to shock you. Last night's episode was that. Lane's death is just one more piece of very heavy baggage for Don to carry. With his loss and Peggy's leaving the firm due to the way he treated her it seems clear that in Don's path is a lot of human wreckage.

Too bad Don, what we all really wonder is if this French girl can hurt him the way he hurts everyone else.

I cannot help it, I love Roger. His tone and wry sense of humor such as when he told Don, after a fierce sales presentation last night, to " wipe the blood off his mouth."

Roger's LSD trip, needling of Pete, his divorce and his dating of the hat check girl for the disappointing sex as he calls it makes him the indispensable character in this show.

We all look forward to next week's finale.

Mad Men's Trippy Episode Last Week

We just watched last Sunday's episode of Mad Men. Certainly a little different. Roger and Don are having trouble maintaining their younger wives although the end result of the episodes dramas for the couples turns out to be quite different.

In this episode Peggy also struggles with a presentation for Heinz. What they are doing with Peggy's looks is to make her look harder. She smokes, drinks and is developing wrinkles. In this episode she tries a Don method of being forceful with the client, It does not work.

Roger goes to a party with his young wife and st her request takes LSD. It becomes quite comical, Roger is convinced he feels no effects, he does however feel plenty of effects.

This episode takes us down a detour. What would have been called a change of pace episode years ago. This show continues to be one of the best. Even when they take a detour.

Mad Men New Season

Mad Men is back and unlike last year that seemed like it was on prozac until someone lost an appendage about 5 episodes in this season has started out much stronger. Don is divorced, the whole gang is back and Bets is well Bets.

This season holds great promise. This is a show we will never miss.