Obsession without Pity

I enjoy rediscovering Television Without Pity when I get obsessed with a new TV show. If I recall, the only shows that have inspired me to scour the well-written and funny TWOP recaps and near-obsessive message boards are Lost and Mad Men.

And, oh, do I love me some Mad Men. That's what I spent my downtime at work doing today: Reading the TWOP recap and message boards of my favorite episode: "The Hobo Code." The opening scene is the hottest sex scene I've seen on television, um, ever...especially since watching the characters of Pete and Peggy interact is occasionally so relatable it's creepy. (Slimy ad exec Pete bears not a passing resemblance to a certain ex of mine, both in looks and disposition.)

Mad Men was created by brilliant Sopranos writer/executive producer Matthew Weiner, and one of the things I most appreciate about the show is its attention to detail -- how a cigarette dispenser can take on an almost lifelike quality (there was a good Times article about this) or how a certain hairdo or dress on a character can reveal so much about her. They even mentioned one of my favorite books (and the indirect source of my photo up top), The Best of Everything, in one episode. You can find a bunch of fun trivia about the show and the inspiration for some of the locations, furniture, clothing, etc. on AMC's website. And that the storyline and characters are nuanced and well-thought-out goes without saying. When this season ends, I am going to feel the void.

I like to joke, sometimes, that the show is taking over my life: I recently ordered my very first dirty martini, because I was inspired by a restaurant scene in the show; I'm ogling this vintage-feel J. Crew dress; and up next in my Netflix queue is the classic flick The Apartment, which was just mentioned on a recent MM episode. As Ace Ventura said, "Obsess much?" Eh, maybe. But when a show's this good, sometimes you have to let yourself get swept away.