Christina Hendricks and her husband, The Nerd King, were in New York City all last week, and there were lots of street photos of them walking around, looking cute. As you know, I’m not a huge fan of Christina’s street style. Or her red carpet style, for that matter. She seems like a girly-girl who loves frills and beading and everything “cute” – and most of it looks like hell on her. Still, I do want to note that Christina’s hair is improving, and she seems to have finally figured out that pencil skirts are a great look on her figure. Well done, Christina.
***Spoilers for this season of Mad Men and last night’s episode***
Before last night’s Mad Men, I had been kind of depressed about the lack of Joan/Christina on the show this season. Joan really is a supporting character on the show – I think it was Season 3 where she disappeared for, like, half a season. This season, the premiere episode teased us with a good Joan storyline, and then there was that awesome episode a month ago when Joan finally, at long last, left her husband, Dr. Rapist. Oh, sorry. Captain Doctor Rapist. That was a stellar episode, and a great emotional payoff for those of us who love to see Joan stand up for herself. And then… not much. Joan went back to being in the background for other character’s storylines. Incidentally, how much did you love Joan’s bitchy comments about Megan Draper and the “kind of women” Don Draper goes for?
And then last night – finally – another great emotional payoff for fans of the show. Don Draper and Joan circle each other like prize fighters, both equals in each other‘s eyes, both equally hot, tragic and smart. Joan got served with divorce papers (“like he has the moral high ground,” she sniped) and when she first got served, that was Christina Hendricks at her best, wasn’t it? Joan LOST IT. And she took it out on one of her “girls” – the dumb little receptionist. And Don came in to save the day, and it was perfect between them. All of those scenes between Joan and Don – they were so sexy together, so amazing. They were like sex scenes, only they were just talking and drinking and looking at Jaguars. Loved the “Aly Khan” joke (he married Rita Hayworth, another buxom redhead). Loved the convoluted, drunken conversation about what “he” and “she” need and want. Love that Don’s advice to Joan was to “go all the way” with a guy before telling him that she’s a single mother. Love that Don walked away at the end of the night, where the Old Don would have taken Joan to a hotel.
Hated that Megan threw a hissy fit when Don came home. While I like that Megan stands up to Don, her “standing up for herself” moments are becoming more like childish tantrums.
Sigh… Joan and Don. They need to take Peggy out, and all three of them need to get wasted and really talk about everything – life, love, work, all of it.
Okay, Roger can come too.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Her pink bag costs as much as my rent…
Also, I didn’t know her husband is a smoker. That surprised me a bit.
Unless she recently quit, she smokes too.
Gross. And her outfit in the smoking Nerd King photo is absolutely awful.
I didn’t have my glasses on while I was watching so I couldn’t read the card she got with her flowers. What did it say? Who were they from?
They were from Don. he signed it “Aly Khan”.
It was something like: “Your mum did a great job (raising her to be admired). Aly Kahn.”
She. Looks. GORGEOUS!!! Here!!!!!
Perfect styling for her body! Brava!
She has a great rack but I wouldn’t feel comfortable walking around NYC “doing errands” with that cleavage. I love the skirt, the YSL bag and the shoes, but there are too many freaks on the street who would make comments. I’d save it for the evening. I live here, just sayin.
The thing is that it´s actually not really that much cleavage.
i use to be a huge fan of the show, but it’s starting to repeat itself and i’m finding there to be alot of overacting lately.
the bit with don and joan was just a rehashing of the bit with don and peggy from last year.
i’m keeping my fingers crossed it will get better, but i think the show has run its course.
Saddenly I have to co-sign. The first episode was great, but after I don’t know. There’s all this Pete Campbell affair (and Trudy? Where’s Trudy?).Peggy seems in a sort of crisis. Mr Pryce at a certain point disappeared, I really hoped in a development of his friendship with Joan, I really loved the dinamic between these two. I keep hoping something happens, but nothing.
I’m finding I have to watch the show multiple episodes at a time to really appreciate it. I watched the first few seasons on DVD and when you can do multiple episodes back to back, it’s great. When you watch it an hour at a time, it often feels like nothing happens.
I still like the show when the episodes are less Megan ecntric. I don´t know if its the character or the actress, but I find Magen too boring to be the lead.
But Joanie I love! I want see more of her, Rodger, Bert and Lane.
Totally agree, Megan has almost single-handedly tanked this entire season for me. It’s a snoozefest and I don’t think this show is even close to running it’s course, they could go on years with better writing. Give me more Roger, Joan, Peggy and Betty!
I had that very same feeling. I would be surprised if that weren’t the intention, but since Everybody Loves Joan (for some reason, I can’t abide her–mean, condescending character who treats women like competition or indentured servants and contemptuous of men who see her as the sex object persona she put into cruise control so long ago), but it was a far weaker effort than was ‘The Suitcase’. I’ve read so many commendations about how those were some of the best scenes in the show’s history-which is madness to me.
I know her secretary is a ditz and all, but when she screamed at her and threw objects at her in front of everybody, I couldn’t help but think, ‘For the love or–why aren’t they throwing this high-handed and unprofessional bitch out of the window in the opening credits?’ And she wonders why she has no friends.
As for the scenes, I don’t know, they were okay. I get the sense that a lot of people find them beyond reproach because they’re two attractive people (thats the world, man), and for all of their smoke-tinged nostalgia about the bygone days when they got to be ritually abusive as a sign of alpha status–cry me a river. You made your beds (in the spaces of illicit lovers), so shutup.
Hey, I’m a huge fan of this show, but that throwback-y self pity was UNBEARABLE, like it’s people’s jobs to worship these assholes and it’s so sad that people aren’t as willing to get in line for it. Once they got to talking about Rita Hayworth’s love life, in spite of it all, I felt for the first time that they were two children playing dressup in their parents’ clothes, acting out the glamour but with none of the ease or confidence. Sort of as if they’re acting out a script of what dapper lads and foxy ladies did in their own halcyon days that expired a decade ago.
There was an exchange with Joan and Peter several seasons ago (when she worked at the dress shop for a minute, I think). That was much more interesting to me, that was unexpected. To anyone who suggested that an exploration of a friendship between Joan and Lane, you have my vote. He’s the only time I find her semi-bearable and it’s a high crime that Jared Harris’ exquisite and dreamy RP gets hidden by silent shame, fear and self-loathing.
More whining: Don and Joan may have known each other for longer, but they’re not Don and Peggy, the somewhat disenfranchised power team of the Avenue. The rage in a bullet bra didn’t come from any build-up, as far as I’m concerned, it was just ‘two good-looking people talk shop and fluff egos, aren’t they the most awesome thing ever? Why can’t everyone be so awesome or defer their awesomeness? It’s so hard to find decent indentured servitude these days.
The screaming, the puking, the crying, the heart to heart, the defecation interception–that came from somewhere. This was just slurred bitching about how people aren’t worshipping Joan hard enough, so they had to escape to dank hole where the old hierarchy was intact and people acted ‘right’.
Go shove it up your Jaguar.
What’s with all the trash bags behind her in that top photo? Not the best backdrop for a photo, but she looks nice.
When Don said ” What Face, Baby?” panties across the world MELTED!!
I love their friendship and how gentlemanly he was with her, I also loved her snipping at Roger: ” What?, you want a tip too?”
I think she’s a beautiful woman that make other wish they were her, or Atleast have her figure.
Yes, she is very beautiful. But I don´t want to be her or have her body. (I just want her to call me because I totally would become les for her *lol*)
No point in being a second-rate her when you’re already a first-rate you, and never underestimate the power of undergarments and scaffolding. No one else’s body is worth feeling bad about your own, which probably better than you think it is. Isn’t that case for so, so many of us?
I wonder how she doesn’t have back issues with that massive chest. You know who had a rack like that? My late Aunt Concetta. God rest her soul. She wore muumuus and red lipstick and big rhinestone accented glasses. The moral of the story is, Christina, unless you want to remind people of their dearly departed late aunts, learn how to wrangle your tits.
THIS.
She always looks like her bras are too small so she gets the two-story boob effect.
I find her lovely in the black blouse and lether skirt. Also her breasts look perfectly fine in it.
Also: Large Cups are hard to find. I need mine to be shipped all the way from UK.
Love the name Concetta! Love the term “tit-wrangling” even more!!
I have no doubt that a lady with her age and with her status knows how to properly wrangle them, nevermind the costuming on her show. I frequently find myself going into Slouchzilla mode for being top-heavy, but proper tit-wrangling makes them look smaller and I don’t think someone as admiring of her cleavage as she is sees that as an advantage. We all make choices, this one’s hers. She can do as pleases with her look–entirely her right. I just don’t think she’s ‘oppressed’ in the way some others do.
OMG I loved last night’s episode. Did you see that last touch when Don sent Joan roses, and the card was signed Aly Khan???
I LOVE JOAN. You’re right though, more peggy/don/joan.
Can’t stand Megan.
She looks fantastic in that first photo, in that outfit. So beautiful. I am not digging the green sweater and pink pants, though, at all. I was thrilled that Joan got some adequate screen time last night. I’ve been missing her. Her exploding on that stupid receptionist was epic, as was the entire bar scene with Don. I was really starting to enjoy Megan, until she pulled that crap last night. She’s now seeming like she’s just unbalanced.
“I was really starting to enjoy Megan, until she pulled that crap last night. She’s now seeming like she’s just unbalanced….”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thought Megan was acting out like that… cause she thought he had been screwing around.
Since she knows about his past indiscretions.
Him disappearing all afternoon and showing up at home drunk. Would make her think he had been up to no good.
And he made a point of not mentioning Joan as his drinking partner too.
He did tell her he was with Joan. At least that is what I heard.
I Love Joan!
I couldn’t read the card either…so thank you all!
Aly Khan! *dies*
“I love being bad then going home and being good” loved that!
I think it was Bobby Barrett who Don was quoting, wasnt it?
“I love being bad then going home and being good”
I loved that!
i miss bobby! she is one of my all time favorite mad men characters.
+1
Much of the “Christmas Waltz” episode is being panned today by critics; but, most people are declaring the Don / Joan scenes some of the best on-screen Mad Men interaction ever. I agree.
Joan telling Don,”My mother raised me to be admired.”
And then Don sending Joan the flowers and the card that read:
“Your mother did a good job. Ali Khan”
Perfect. Don just does that so instinctively well, and with Joan he is sincere so it makes his human insights even that much more powerful.
The Don and Joan scenes made the episode gold.
I love Mad Men so much! The scene between Joan and Don were perfection. I enjoyed Don’s reaction to Megan throwing the plate of food. His calmness and simply eating we a great way to make her realize she behaved like a child.
It was good to know Roger knows the baby is his.
Ágree. It was fun watching him all drunk and confused trying to figure out if it was just one of Megans kinky moments or real anger.
I’m in the minority but I like Megan. I like that someone puts him in his place. I just wish she would do it more often. I hate it when she caves. He has done somethings to her that would have made me walk.
Her seeming childish is perfect. We forget because she is played by a 29 year old woman but Megan is a 20 year old girl. If you marry a child, you will get a child.
Look what happened with Roger and Jane. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Jane other than she was 20.
Of course I have a low tolerance for men like that.
Yet my mom who is from that era, does not see what I get so riled up about.
I totally agree about Megan. I love her and I love that she’s young and she won’t allow her life to be dictated by what Don wants. She’s in her mid-twenties and discovering herself and she won’t allow him to stifle her. She is still so young that she’s growing as a person and coming into her own.
The ironic thing is that all these people are snarking about her when she represents the new era of women. Everyone is always complaining about how the men are arrogant assholes who treat women like disposable objects and along comes this woman who won’t allow herself to mis-treated by Don and all the fans are in an uproar. I think that she’s going to be successful in her acting career and she will realize that she needs a partner who sees her as a true equal and she’ll leave Don. It’d be interesting to see how Don would take being the one who is inconsequential for once.
During that episode where Don left Megan at the Howard Johnson. My thought was “What would Don do if he met a genuine modern woman? He would be cowering in a corner calling for his mother.”
Don and Megan are my parents. He was an a hole who expected to be treated like a king and have his affairs put up with and have his word be law. She didn’t think so. So I was raised by a single mom. Yet my mom sees that behavior in men as normal and that it is up to us not to put up with it. Proto-feminism, I call it.
That is how I see Megan. She’s a little to old to be a 70s feminist but she’s getting there.
On the flip side I can see Roger wanting to finally make an honest woman out of Joan and doing right by her. He learned that he wants someone more interesting than a pretty, vapid 20 something. At least I THINK he has.
@Zenb!tch..Don kind of already had a modern woman. Remember the blond psychology girl he dated in season 4? She put all her cards on the table that she was smart and dedicated to her career and wouldn’t let her life be dictated by her husband. She was also trying to help Don be true to himself and be the woman that he actually needs. But he sees young, pretty, malleable Megan who is good with his kids and the idiot think that he can be happy with her. Don’s from an old guard. He’s being eclipsed and he knows it and when Megan finally leaves his ass he’ll fall apart
I don’t have very strong feelings about her. She’s childish, but in a way that neutralizes his childishness. Maybe a plate at the wall today prevents a plate to the head tomorrow.
Our lives were pretty damned hard, but my mother effectively declaring, ‘screw this noise’ was the smartest thing she could’ve done about the fellow from whose sperm I arose. Bleh! I guess that’s one way to keep thin. But Don types are bastards, whereas my Old One is concentrated evil. You take what you can get.
Yeah-I like Megan, too. She’s someone who has looks and intelligence but also seems to be a nice person. I’m curious to see where they take her character-my guess is that she’ll end up leaving Don. She’s too young for him.
I’m in the minority on this one, but I’m not a fan of the character Joan. I think Christina Hendricks does a good job but I find Joan to be a conceited bitch much of the time. “My mother raised me to be admired”…uhh. Also, while her soon to be ex husband is undoubtedly a total asshole let’s not forget that she cheated on him and has led him to falsely believe that he’s the father of her child. I enjoy the complexities of all of the characters on “Mad Men” but I can’t say I like Joan as a person (although she’s interesting as a character).
I never really liked Joan either. This is going to sound sexist but what kind of girl sleeps around that much in 1960 (when the show started)? The pill was brand new that year. I am sure it was not heavily used. It seems irresponsible in a different way than it does now to sleep around like that.
Now it’s about safe sex – sleep around and you get AIDS back then it was you will end up with a married man’s baby (in Joan’s case) and guess what? She did. She is lucky that her mom is young enough and lives close enough to take care of the child. 15 years later my mom had to be crafty. She got licensed for a small daycare center but in the 60s did they even have daycare.
Joan came across as intelligent but narcissistic and definitely someone who uses her looks and sex in general to get ahead.
This season she seems different, though. I don’t hate her as much.
Penny is bugging me this season for some reason but that may just be projecting. Other than her dressing better, her life seems a tad too much like mine. I keep hoping she will do better in the man department and yes that is definitely projecting.
I think it´s the beauty of Mad Man: All characters have their flaws. So you can like them or hate them all the way and maybe even at the the same time.
I will not lie, I love Joan but I understand why someone don´t. She has some temper, she is bitchy and sometimes even mean. And she lost big this episode crashing the plain on “one of the girls”.
The characters I really love to hate are Peter and Betty. I mean, you can feel where they are coming from, you have all the symathy for them, but you know that they are plain ass crazy/creepy.
Not really a fan of Megan tough. I like her with Don, like the ways she finds to confront and challnage him. But besides of that I find her too shallow.
I dislike her character, also. She treats people like garbage and wonders why they don’t build a shrine to her. ‘My mother raised me to be admired’–oh f— off, you conceited, self-pitying harpy. How many times do you have to get pregnant with a married dude’s kid before you grow up? Everyone knows that even with his brash charm, Roger is faaaaaaaaar from the perfect man, so why is his is frequent partner in crime St Joan? ‘Oh, thank you for throwing a plane at someone’s head, since it really should’ve been naptha. You’re so wise and above it.’ Nope. She just another asshole in a cast of assholes who won’t learn. Many characters on this show would benefit from ‘Shut up, or start being a decent person’ juice, but they won’t swallow.
Megan supposed to be 27, the actress is 31.
I feel like Christina belongs in the 60’s. When I watch Mad Men I am actively waiting to see her and am blown away by how freakin gorgeous she is. But I have never seen a picture of her outside of that show where I was knocked out by her looks.
Her face in the photos above is stunning but modern clothes aren’t made for her body. It’s a shame.
I think there are a lot of modern clothes she can wear, she just needs to learn to dress for her body type. But she´s evolving.
The Hare Krishnas were a riot. They scared me as a little girl. I seem to remember the women also being bald.
Don and Joan sorta crush on each other, don’t they? I love their flirtatious relationship. Both gorgeous and shrewd as hell. Except they maybe sorta don’t always have great taste in mates. If these two got together, I’d be disappointed. But it’d be hot.
Megan and her teeths need to GO!!
Hahaha!! Agree. Girl needs an orthodontist!
I used to think so too. Then I read an interview the actress who plays Megan gave. She said that she sort of hates her teeth and they maker her insecure. But at this stage, they are a part of her ‘look’ so she has been advised not to get them fixed. The fact that her teeth make her feel a bit ugly makes me like her more.
Being Canadian, I’ve seen her in stuff on our TV for ages. What’s strange is that she seems to be the only cast member in that show’s history who lost weight before gaining the role. The teeth weren’t nearly as prominent when she was heavier, but who cares? She’s smart enough not to Jennifer Grey herself out of a career. My teeth ‘look’ fine, but I’ve spent the last eighteen years of my life having to get all kinds of surgeries and procedures and orthodontics–listen, over February and March of this year, I had eight dental surgeries, so it means something when I say ‘I hate my teeth’. Oh, they look fine, but tell that my jaw and bite defects, and my dentist…and my orthodontist…and my periodontist…or the doctor who has to put me on different antibiotics because I turned out to have an allergy to one and now I’m coughing up blood and can’t hold a meal down. Soup Madness sets in quickly.
It hasn’t held her back thus far, so Jessica: just leave them, you’re doing fine and I’m sure you get many, many fewer migraines than do I. Brush, floss, rinse–gas, break, honk. It’s fine if nothing’s falling out of your face.
I LOVE the way she’s dressed in the first pic. I want that outfit.
+1!
Oh my God, that husband, oh my God. He MUST be hung.
I think her husband, Geoffrey Arend, is adorable and charismatic on his show, “Body of Proof”. Check it out when the new season starts.
The musical Hair opened on Broadway in April 1968 according to Wiki. This will probably be the show that takes Megan to the off ramp from Don’s life (just to throw a guess out).
That would be perfect and yes as hot as he is, I want to see Don suffer. I know he already has but he’s hurt enough women to now be on the bad side of karma.
Although, I am glad to see less Betty. Well less JJ.