Escarole-Back: Mad Men Series Overview (Season 3)

When people think about the best moments or episodes of Season 3, usually the finale episode comes to mind. And I agree. "Shut the Door. Have A Seat." is a difficult episode to top. The boys from Sterling-Cooper give their British owners a giant middle finger by screwing them out of their deal to sell the agency. They grab a handful of SC employees with them and paste a business together in a hotel room to form Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. It's a riveting hour of television, but almost too easy to choose as a favorite episode. Every Mad Men fan has combed through the details of this episode to highlight everything that makes is so great. So, I'd prefer to talk about a different episode from the season.

Episode 5: "The Fog"
There is a specific scene in this episode that I love and could watch over and over: the hallucinatory dream that Betty has while giving birth to Gene. It's so beautifully shot: a perfect juxtaposition of vivid colors and imagery paired with a dark and cold narrative. What does it mean? Is this when Betty comes to terms with the fact that she and Don are truly over- is it the exact moment she falls out of love with him? Does she realize that the life she thought she always wanted is actually torture? Or is she just super doped up? All the while, Don is out in the waiting room forming a superficial relationship with a prison guard who is about to have his first child. They both bond over the thought of becoming better men in order to properly raise their children. But we never really see Don do this and I suspect the prison guard doesn't really do it either. As they're both leaving the hospital after their new sons have been born, the prison guard gives Don the stink eye. Don is confused by this, but I think we as viewers knew what it meant. Their kinship was fake; a product of circumstance. As were their promises to be better men.

Back at Sterling Cooper, both Peggy and Pete receive job offers from a competing agency at the same lunch. Pete is insulted that he didn't get his own private offer and immediately declines. Peggy feels an allegiance to Don, who has been a pillar in both her professional and personal development. Feeling confident about her ability as a creative ad agent, she attempts to get a raise from Don. She timidly, but firmly specifies that she desires a raise that would equate her pay with all of the men on the creative team (you go, girl!). Don plainly tells her "It's not going to happen." Whether or not it has to do with her sex, he doesn't say. His reasoning is due to the agency operating on a lean budget; Lane Pryce is pressuring the entire company for its over-use of office supplies as it is.

Lastly, we meet Miss Farrell (Sally Draper's teacher) in this episode. She becomes a major fixture in the show for the second half of Season 3, so her introduction is important. Her role in this particular episode is small. She appears in the beginning during a parent-teacher conference, where she upsets the Drapers by saying that Sally's bad behavior is the symptom of her grief over Grandpa Gene's death. She later calls the Draper household and apologizes to Don for overreacting to the situation. Their interactions are small and seemingly unimportant at this time, but they actually plant the seeds for a much larger plot point later in the season.

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What do you make of Betty's dream? What would you have done in Peggy's situation- take the job or stay loyal to Don? Come on back in a couple days to review an episode from Season 4!

-Laura

Albion's Last Dragon

Merlin

Kilgharrah: The Great Dragon
(A friendly reminder that lettuce spoils easily, so read no further if you are not familiar with the BBC show Merlin, unless, of course you don't care)

         I'm going to start my profiles with a being who is an original character for the series and the first voice we hear in the show. This is the great dragon, Kilgharrah. His story dates back about 20 years before the time of the series when Uther Pendragon, the king of Camelot, decided to ban magic and purge the kingdom of magical users and creatures alike. Kilgharrah was the only dragon kept alive, and was instead imprisoned in a cave under the castle. Somehow, Kilgharrah has foreknowledge of things to come, and awaits the arrival of the Once and Future King, and his warlock assistant, who are destined to return magic to the land of Albion.

         When Merlin arrives in Camelot, Kilgharrah senses the arrival of the great warlock and calls him to the cave. This is where we learn one of Kilgharrah's most defining traits: he's not very good at giving straightforward information. He speaks in riddles and throughout the first season offers Merlin advice on how to defeat the current threat to Camelot. Kilgharrah, however, desperately wants to be free and bargains that freedom in exchange for future help. His years in the cave have fueled his anger, and he no longer has the patience to wait for Arthur. Once he is freed, he attacks Camelot, only seeing the possibility for revenge and not the fact that his actions will reinforce the population's fear of magic. It is only after Merlin, through the death of his father, gains the ability to control dragons that Kilgharrah ceases his rampage and flies to freedom. We do not see him again until he returns to save Merlin before a major battle against Morgana and Morgause. Merlin continues to call on Kilgharrah for assistance, and Kilgharrah sometimes even continues to advise him. Their relationship is strained, but you still get a sense of deep respect between the two. By the end of the series, Kilgharrah has reached the end of his life, but returns one final time to remind both Merlin and the viewers that Arthur is the Once and Future King, and he will return when he is needed.

       Kilgharrah is an interesting figure because he, through the revelation of prophecy and destiny, sets many of the events in the series in motion. It is arguable that his advice to Merlin to ignore Morgana and her powers leads to her isolation, which in turn leads her to Morgause, the only one willing to help her. Kilgharrah also councils patience with Uther and his tyrannical rule, stating that if Uther is killed by magic, Arthur will never restore it to Camelot. He then goes against his own advice, and acts out in anger. This shows the dangers of the frustration of the magic users and why so many of them decide to attack Camelot. If a being with the foreknowledge that things will soon get better, and faith in at least one of the parties that will bring about that change, can lash out in impatience, it's no surprise so many magic users feel their only path to safety is through violence.

Kill, Marry, Pity Date- Glee Style!

     So as you may have guessed, a new episode means a new marry, kill, pity date! This week our choices were all from Glee. The results were as follows:

Laura's Choices-

• Marry: Artie, Sue
• Kill: Mike, Will
• Pity Date: Matt, Rachel

Charlotte's Choices-

• Marry: Howard, Puck
• Kill: Sandy Ryerson, Finn (We acknowledge this feels really weird)
• Pity Date: Ken Tenaka, Jesse

Tori's Choices-

• Marry: Emma, Tina
• Kill: Shelby, Terri
• Pity Date: April Rhodes, Artie

    Who would you have chosen and what characters would you want to pose to each host?

Gleek Out!: The Power of Lettuce (Glee: Season 1) - Show Notes

Practice your vocal warm-ups and work on your hairography! Episode 3 of The Lettuce Podcast is all about Season 1 of Glee. Tori, Charlotte, and Laura put on their sparkly show outfits and embark on the Road to Sectionals. Along the way they discuss their favorite and "un-favorite" characters, best/worst musical numbers, and why any of this is even happening. Tori explains why she enjoys the show both genuinely and ironically. Charlotte confesses her love for Puck and hate for Kurt. Laura asks the question "WHY?" no fewer than 12 times. 

Is Will Shuester actually the worst teacher in history? How dumb is Finn that he believes you can get someone pregnant via a hot tub? Is Rachel a relatable character? All these questions and more are addressed in this episode of The Lettuce Podcast!

During the Fun & Games section, each host presents their version of a Glee episode: "The 90's are All That!" "Singer-Songwriters" & "Pi Day". They then play a Glee-themed round of Kill, Marry, Pity Date!

This week's podcast snack was color-coded cupcakes made by Charlotte! The podcast drink was "bitch beers" including Pear Cider and Smirnoff Screwdrivers provided by Tori. One of the themes that graced the Glee universe in Season One was pregnancy! Between fake, teenage, and unwanted several types of pregnancies were covered. Each of Charlotte's cupcakes represented a type of pregnancy each host had:

Blue: Girl
Orange: Boy
Purple: Alien
Pink: Fake!

Though is was mentioned on the show that the fate of each host's cupcake babies would be revealed, they were too invested in the absurdities of Glee and forgot to include it! So, for your entertainment, here are the results of each podcaster's cupcake babies (with names!):

Tori: 2 Pink (Sparticus & Winston) & 1 Alien (Yfandes)
Charlotte: 1 Orange (Oliver), 1 Blue (Chloe), and 1 Pink (Hermes)
Laura: 1 Orange (Sterling), 1 Blue (Agnieszka), and 1 Purple (Kristen Stewart)

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The next topic for The Lettuce Podcast comes from the James Bond movie series: Dr. No. This is a topic brought to The Lettuce by Laura, who has been a fan of the franchise for many years. Charlotte considers herself a casual fan of the series, having watched several of the Sean Connery movies and the newest Daniel Craig movies. Tori was unfamiliar, but willing to investigate for the love of the podcast! Join us in 2 weeks for our first mission with 007!

Game of Thrones season 5 episode 2

"The House of Black and White"

We finally see Arya arrive in Bravos and she immediately heads to the House of Black and White. She gets turned away and ends up spending the night on the steps reciting only four names of her kill list. What happened to the handful of others she wanted to kill? Brienne and Pod at last have a stroke of luck and end up in the same tavern as Littlefinger and Sansa. Brienne pledges her sword to Sansa, who refuses and of course that means Brienne fights her way out slashing everything in sight and saving Pod. They agree to follow Littlefinger and Sansa. Dorne threatens Myrcella by sending a "gift" to Cercei. Jamie says he will go and retrieve Myrcella who also happens to be their daughter. Meanwhile, Bron is with Lollis and they want pigeon pie for their wedding. Unfortunately, this get cuts short by Jamie "fucking" Lannister, who wants Bron to help him save Myrcella. The Dorne story starts with Ellaria's fist and her blood pressure is definitively rising. Prince Doran tries to calm her down, but his level-headed advice is quickly dismissed by Ellaria. Daario Naharis and Greyworm track down one of the Sons of the Harpy by stabbing him through a wall. Barristan Selmy convinces Daenerys to give him a trial instead of an execution. Varys and Tyrion are on the road to Volantis, which will take them to the road to Meereen. Tyrion thinks that Cercei should offer her cunt for his head instead of a lordship: "The best part of her for the best part of me", he said. Meanwhile, Cercei is being put in her place by her uncle Kevin Lannister, who seems to be the only person in Kings Landing who isn't willing let Cercei pull the wool over his eyes. We then move to a scene where Shireen is teaching Gilly how to read. Unfortunately, Sam tries to show off his reading skills while Shireen and Gilly pretty much ignore him. We learn about Shireen's greyscale which could be potential foreshadowing if the show follows the books. Stanis gets his ass handed to him by a 10 year old girl. Jon Snow finds it pretty funny, but Stanis knows how to wipe the smile off his face by giving him a surprising offer. Jon could be legitimate, for a price... Quit the Wall and swear loyalty to Stanis. We then all get mind-fucked when Sam volunteers Jon as a candidate to be Lord Commander and Jon ends up winning. Poor Stanis will never get the North it seems. Arya decapitates a pigeon and finds out the man that turned her away from the House of Black and White was Jaqen H'ghar, a truly faceless man. He lets her in this time. Mossador, who is on Daenerys' council, kills the Sons of the Harpy member they caught and confesses to the whole council. She sentences him to death and ends up doing the dumbest thing ever by making it a public execution. Daenerys gets hissed at and has rocks thrown at her... What a popular ruler, right? Drogon ends the episode with an epic reappearance.

That's all I have for this episode, folks! Check back next week for another episode breakdown.

-Charlotte

Escarole-Back: Mad Men Series Overview (Season 2)

Season 2 has a lot of champion moments. This is the season where we meet Jimmy and Bobbie Barrett who at the same time make a lot of money and a lot of trouble for the boys at Sterling-Cooper, particularly Don. It's the beginning of the end for Don and Betty as Betty begins to see her husband for who he truly is. Peggy begins her transformation into Independent Woman Peggy (The shoes on her feet? She bought 'em!) while combating the judgement of a young priest. She also gives Pete the ultimate denial when he says he loves her and she says that she gave birth to his child and gave it away. Joan, the office bombshell, goes through a series of ups and downs during this season, which brings me to my favorite Season 2 episode:

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Season 2: Episode 12: 
"The Mountain King"

Joan is my favorite Mad Men character, so episodes that feature major events in her development tend to stand out for me. A lot of things happen to our girl in Season 2 that are worth mentioning. Things are looking up for Joan as she celebrates her engagement to Greg. But the presence of Jane, Don's new secretary who is as pretty as she is young, leaves Joan feeling threatened and frustrated. When she volunteers to help Harry Crane analyze television scripts to decide the most appropriate times to air commercial ads, Joan starts to feel important and talented. Just as she's starting to realize that there is more for her to do in the world of advertising than keep the office liquor supply full, Harry pulls all responsibility from her. Joan's character arc reaches its climax in this episode, though.

This is the famous episode where Joan brings her new fiance to work to show him off. Greg, a perennial asshat, rapes her in Don's office. The usually shark-tongued, no bullshit, tells it like it is Joan becomes powerless in a matter of seconds and makes the most heartbreaking dead expression as she's forced on to the floor. Christina Hendricks' performance is perfection in this episode. Over the course of the series, we see Joan transform from a gold-digging secretary to a fiercely independent and competent business woman. Although she suffers in this episode, I find it to be one of the most pivotal points in her growth. As the series continues, we come to find that Joan never forgets the incident nor does she seem to forgive Greg for it. Sadly, at this point in her development, Joan still harbors enough of the 1950's-style view of women to stay with Greg and go through with their marriage.
 
The other stand-out point in this episode is that it is the first time we meet Anna Draper! Anna, the widow of the real Don Draper, is a kind soul. She knows Dick Whitman, sees his faults, but loves him anyway. Any person who can forgive someone that literally stole their dead spouse's identity is a saint. We get to learn a lot about fake Don Draper's life before Betty and Madison Avenue. It helps remind us that he's just chasing the American dream like anyone else is. We remember that there are reasons to like Don and root for him. If Anna - the person he may have wronged the most in his life - can love him, why can't we?

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Who is your favorite Mad Men character and what are some of their defining episodes in your opinion? Also, what do you think of Joan?

I'll see you in a few days for Season 3!

-Laura

For Albion: Revisiting Merlin

Merlin

         

         So as you might have guessed, all three of us hosts have picked a series to blog about and I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about a show that always frustrated me. That show is Merlin, from the BBC. This show is supposedly based on arthurian legend, so it should have been a home run for me because I love the stories of Arthur and his knights. I first read The Once and Future King in sixth grade, and since then I have read many interpretations of the myth. That being said, I was intrigued by a TV show about Arthur from the point of Merlin. Then I saw learned some of the other aspects of the show... Merlin and Arthur are the same age? Arthur was raised as a prince by his father and not as a servant on a faraway holding? Guinevere is Morgana's maid? Magic is banned, and Merlin must live in secret? This is so far away from the legend that it might as well be a different show. 

         And that's the point. Merlin is an amazing show with extremely complex characters, political and magical foes, and an ambiguous ending that is very satisfying when surrounded with shows where the heroes definitively win. One of the best things about Merlin is it’s a show where the main character arguably fails. Merlin is trying to live up to a prophecy that he and Arthur will unite the lands of Albion and bring magic back to the realm. He faces a large cast of foes, but the largest threat he faces is actually the prejudice against magic fostered by Uthur. Arthur struggles to accept that magic can be used for good, and this conflict is what keeps Merlin from being able to achieve everything he wants to. The baggage that comes with using arthurian characters actually drags this show down, creating expectations that it doesn't even try to meet. 
         So how do you cover a show like this? The early seasons have a mix of plot moving episodes and more comedic ones, and the later episodes have many different plots interwoven. This is why, since the I have the advantage of posting about a show that is already over, I thought I would do character profiles instead. Each of the series' characters offer a unique perspective on both the past and present events in the series, and in their own way they are all sympathetic. I will try not to compare them to their legendary counterparts, but if those comparisons slip through I will apologize in advance. I will start next week with one of the more ambiguous characters, The Great Dragon Kilgharrah. 
Until next time,
Tori

Game of Thrones season 5 begins!!!!

As I mentioned in our introduction podcast, I am a huge Game of Thrones fan. I've read all of the released books and watch the HBO series. Since the first episode of Season 5 was released last weekend, I thought I'd write a short recap.

Season 5, Episode 1

"The Wars To Come"

Cersei was a bitch even as a child and finds out karma is coming back to her and her children. Serves her right for incest even if her brother Jamie is cute! Tyron Lannister enjoys drinking wine, throwing it up, and drinking more wine. Also, did he wash his hands after pushing his poop out of the crate for weeks after all that wine?! Sanitation people! Jon Snow is not a virgin and Melisandre creepily likes that. Stannis Baratheon wants Jon's help... be a real king Stannis, get your own army! Daenerys likes dat ass. Sansa Stark is plotting with 'Littlefinger', that's a great way to get screwed over... literally. Plot with someone with a better nickname. Jamie Lannister takes Cersei putting him down... He has not gotten his balls back since he lost his hand. Brienne of Tarth threw a hissy fit while not noticing Sansa rides by. She needs a break, my god! Margaery loves watching her bother have sex with his boy toy while plotting against Cersei. No Boltens, no Arya, no Bran, no Gendry, no Greyjoys, no Jorah Mormont, no Dorne.

That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed my quick recap! I'll be back next week with a recap of the second episode.

-Charlotte

Escarole-back: Mad Men Series Overview (Season 1)

There are 5 episodes remaining in the final half season of Mad Men. I, for one, am not yet ready to accept that I will soon be living in a world without new Mad Men episodes. I will miss my friends on Madison Avenue dearly. With that in mind, I decided to write a series of posts dedicated to Mad Men. Over the next 5 or so weeks, as the series wraps up, I'll review/recap my favorite episode from each season. So, without any further ado...

Season 1
Episode 7: "Red in the Face"
There are many episodes in the first season of Mad Men to cite as the best or a favorite, but this one edges above the rest for me. First, I love the cunning way that Don gets back at Roger for making a pass at Betty even if it is a zero-to-sixty kind of reaction. The whole progression of the event from the minute Don starts talking to the elevator operator, Hollis, to the final blow when Roger vomits up 2 dozen oysters in front of a client makes for some seriously satisfying television. This might be the first instance in the series where we learn that you don't screw with Don. This also illustrates the relationship that we as viewers form with Don perfectly. Don's a bad guy: he treats his wife poorly (and cheats on her), ignores his kids unless he can be the good guy, and lies to everyone. But for some reason, we all root for him. And even though we know that he's no good, when he gets back at Roger you kind of want to pump your first in the air at his win.

Speaking of Betty, she has one really interesting moment in this episode. Betty became about a thousand times more interesting to me once we started to see how broken she is. Always beautiful and perfectly dressed, when Betty's cracks start to show - oh boy! It's kind of amazing. Admittedly, Episode 9 ("Shoot") is when we really see that she does need that psychiatric treatment she's getting. But the interaction with Helen Bishop at the market is like a little preview for what's to come. Helen Bishop isn't wrong; Betty giving a lock of her hair to a 9 year old boy is weird and inappropriate. So, what does Betty do upon receiving this information? Something even more weird and inappropriate: slaps Helen Bishop right across her face. I guess you don't screw with Betty either.

Finally, there's the incident involving one Pete Campbell, a Mrs. Trudy Campbell, and a chip-and-dip. It was already established that Pete is a sleazeball when he seduced Peggy right before his wedding and then treated her like yesterday's moldy bread. I guess exchanging a wedding gift for a rifle behind your wife's back all while attempting to bed the girl behind the counter so she'll help you is just business as usual for Pete Campbell.

So, that's all for this installment of the Mad Men Escarole-back! I'll be posting my favorite episode from Season 2 in the next few days. Until then, what is your opinion of this episode? Is it a stand out for you or do you have a different favorite episode? 

-Laura

Kill, Marry, Pity date! Take two!

Who would you kill? Marry? Pity date? Play along with us! To recap from Episode 2:

Tori's Choices

Kill: Patrick Delaney-Podmore, Ernest Macmillan

Marry: Moaning Myrtle, Colin Creevey

Pity Date: Memory of Tom Riddle, Dobby



Charlotte's Choices

Kill: Lucius Malfoy, Cornelius Fudge

Marry: Gilderoy Lockhart, Severus Snape

Pity Date: Ernest Macmillan, Memory of Tom Riddle



Laura's Choices

Kill: Gilderoy Lockhart, Penelope Clearwater

Marry: Justin Finch-Fletchley, Dean Thomas

Pity Date: Moaning Myrtle, Colin Creevey



Leave a comment and lettuce know what your choices would be! Also, do you have 3 characters you'd like to pose to one of us? 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Lettuce - Show Notes

This week on The Lettuce Podcast is all about the second installment of the Harry Potter series! Tori, Laura, and Charlotte slide down a pipe into the depths of the Chamber of Secrets and answer many important questions. Is Dumbledore a manipulative mastermind with a sweet-tooth? Didn't any of Ginny Weasley's brothers notice her strange behavior? Why was the scene in Knockturn Alley/Borgin & Burkes altered for the movie?

After the critical deconstruction of the book and its movie companion, the hosts take a break from cleaning their pocket protectors to have some fun! A tragically silly one-word-at-a-time story game called Harry Potter Alphabet and a round of Kill, Marry, Pity Date close out the show!

This week's podcast drink and snack were Polyjuice Potion made by Laura and Pumpkin Pasties made by Tori! If you're interested in making either of these treats at home you can find recipes here:

8 Magical and Delicious Harry Potter Cocktails 
Pumpkin Pasties

The next episode of The Lettuce Podcast will focus on Season 1 of Glee. Tori has been both a genuine and hate-watching fan since the beginning, Charlotte had seen a handful of episodes pre-Lettuce, and Laura was completely unfamiliar! Amid a cast of unlikeable characters and plot-holes aplenty, can they find love in a hopeless place?

Lettuce Go Out For A Drink!

Last weekend, Tori and I had the pleasure of making a trip up to Manhattan, NY. We did a number of the classic tourist activities: wandered around Times Square/Midtown, saw a show (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder - highly recommended!), and ventured out to Brooklyn to go to a niche nerd culture bar.

If you've ever wanted to have a night out, but still enjoy the comforts of nerd culture that you can find at home The Way Station is for you! I first learned about this bar from a Buzzfeed article: 19 Bars in America You Should Drink At Before You Die. Though The Way Station caters to several nerd fandoms, it is largely a Doctor Who themed bar. The bathroom is a freaking TARDIS, y'all. A TARDIS! There is plenty of Doctor Who themed decor and even a list of Doctor Who cocktails- mostly variations on the classic screwdriver. I had the pleasure of drinking a 10th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver and an 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver while Tori enjoyed a Captain Jack in addition to her 10th Doctor. If you're a Harry Potter, The Simpsons, or Indiana Jones fan there is a cocktail for you, too!

While we had delicious drinks, Tori and I got to experience some pretty sweet music. It was Sci-Fi Night at The Way Station which I would assume it kind of always is, right? But Sci-Fi Night on April 4th meant four "far out" music acts. We only saw the first act, a one-man electronic band called Unigen. He was equipped with a laptop and an elaborate musical rig that he called The Jetpack, though he was taking suggestions for a new name. The Jetpack was attached to Unigen via a backpack with a seatbelt and it held a tray to his front that had a small two-octave keyboard and several soundboards. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about soundboards or other sound equipment, so it's (highly) possible that I am using this term incorrectly. All I can say is that these mystery soundboards looked like several Lights Out game boards next to each other and they created different tones, sound effects, and pitches when pressed. 

Unigen was a very enthusiastic performer and seemed like a swell dude, too. His musical stylings were akin to Daft Punk and/or The Postal Service. Both Tori and I thought the show was pretty cool and the music was catchy as hell. Unigen has a knack for a good hook. We continually confirmed to one another that we were happy to have lucked into not only a fun and nerdy bar experience, but also some cool music to boot!

Thanks for the good time, NYC! Until next time...

-Laura

The Way Station
Unigen on Facebook