45. Mad Men

We're halfway through Season Three and honestly we're in the Mad Men version of the doldrums. The acting is excellent, the script is excellent and it's all three leagues better than anything produced in the UK for a very long time - but still, it's a little meh. But then Joan gets on the phone to Roger to ask him to help her find a job and I find I'm holding my breath. Literally. I hold my breath for the length of the scene because it's so good and it means so much. Luckily, it wasn't a long one.

Then Don Draper leaves his girlfriend in the car while he pops into the family home. And there, of course, is Betty, ready finally to confront her husband's lies. And the look on his face is worth an Oscar right there. I'm terrified he's going to keel over and even when Betty vaguely takes pity on the poor guy I still don't like her because she's not being played to be likeable.

There are two levels of television drama in the world at this time and they are:
1) Mad Men
2) Everything else

I don't like Paul's beard, I don't like Jared Harris, I don't like not being able to decide if I want to be John Slattery or Christina Hendricks when I grow up. The rest of it fills me with hope and joy.