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Mad Men Season 7 Episode 4 Recap: Enter the Computer Age!

It’s always strange to see the offices of Sterling-Cooper (or whatever they’re calling it these days) devoid of click-clacking typewriters and comely secretaries. After all, the last time Don Draper walked into a silent lobby he discovered his co-workers huddled around a television watching coverage of the JFK assassination.  Watch Mad Men Season 7 Episode 4 Online When Don made his long-awaited return to the office on last night’s Mad Men , he happened upon an equally game-changing moment in history: the dawn of the computer age. Yes, SC&P is being re-designed for the age of information and when Don stumbles into the confusing renovation scene, it’s a perfect visual reminder of his place in the world: confused, isolated, possibly obsolete.  Despite Roger’s promises that the agency’s new computer will do “a lot of magical things, like make Harry Crane seem important,” Don remains defiantly old-school and obviously chagrined, but these days he’s not in a position to say or do anything about it. The former bull-moose of the agency sheepishly takes his place in Lane’s old office and (predictably) immediately uncovers a painful relic of the colleague he may have driven to suicide.  The episode is rife with other signs of the changing times:  Roger receiving word that his daughter has skipped town with a communal (and possibly polygamous!) band of hippies, secretaries doling out diet advice to men (Men! Dieting!) and most importantly…Peggy taking charge over Don! Yes, when the firm lands a new fast food account, perennial jerk Lou puts Peggy in charge of her former mentor. Needless, to say Don is less than pleased. He hurls his computer at the wall (Hey, they have computers now anyway, right?), then skips Peggy’s first meeting in favor of a game of solitaire and an awesomely old-school can of Coke. But, despite all his rage, Don is still just an ad man in an office. Even when he’s staging his silent protest, he manages to land new clients as SC&P’s tech guy comes to the Drape in search of PR help. Strangely, Bert Cooper rejects Don’s new account and makes a surprisingly callous comment about Lane’s suicide. We can hardly blame Draper for immediately hitting the bottle in direct violation of the new rules of his continued employment. Roger, meanwhile, attempts to hunt down his wayward daughter and lands on a commune and winds up smoking “dynamite grass” with his daughter’s hippie compatriots in what may be the show’s plainest mash-up of late and early 60s culture thus far. Hammered Don attempts to bond with a computer expert, Roger smokes weed with some new-age farmers and holes up in a barn…are the men of Madison Avenue finally going to embrace the cultural shift that surrounds them? Nah, Don gets wasted and accosts said tech guy, and after an enlightened night, Roger wakes up and attempts to physically drag his daughter from the compound. So it looks like all is well! Hey, we don’t watch this show for its progressive ideals! Watch Mad Men online at TV Fanatic to see if these dudes ever get the hint! 9 Memorable Mad Men Moments Open Slideshow 1. Lane Price and Pete Campbell Fight Lane and Pete go at it. Lane won the fight but this season, um…didn’t end well for him. View As List 1. Lane Price and Pete Campbell Fight Lane and Pete go at it. Lane won the fight but this season, um…didn’t end well for him. 2. The Sterling-Cooper Lawnmower Incident A tragic mishap in the Sterling-Cooper offices. Well, tragically hilarious, anyway. 3. Betty Draper Shooting Pigeons Betty took her frustrations out on some neighborhood birds. She became a somewhat character in seasons since. 4. Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper Don’s daughter has had too many memorable moments to choose just one. It’s been a pleasure watching her grow into a sassy teenager. 5. Mad Men: JFK Assassination Scene Mad Men memorably tackled a day that brought the nation to its knees. Just one of many historical events the series has vividly brought to life. 6. Don Draper Hits Rock Bottom Don was a drunken mess for most of season four. He drinks a lot, but now he manages to do his job…for the most part. 7. Peggy Olson Smokes Weed Elisabeth Moss puts her foot down as Peggy Olson. That girl really wanted to get high. 8. Roger Sterling: Drunk For Pearl Harbor Day Every day is an occasion to drink for Roger Sterling. Though he got especially plastered (and bigoted) on Pearl Harbor Day. 9. Don Draper Crying Don broke down and showed his human side after learning about the death of a friend. We’re sure the final season will hold many more emotional moments for Don.

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Mad Men Season 7 Episode 4 Recap: Enter the Computer Age!

Mad Men Season 7 Episode 2 Recap: Honest Don?

Getting fired can take a tremendous toll on anyone’s health and well-being, but for a man like Don Draper (who got drunk every night and took frequent midday naps even while he was gainfully employed), an extended period of rudderless inactivity could amount to a slow death sentence. Watch Mad Men Season 7 Episode 2 Online As we learned on last night’s episode of Mad Men , Don seems well aware of how much trouble he’s in without the stabilizing influences of wife and work. So while he may have taken to pounding the snooze alarm until noon, he’s also begun carefully monitoring his whiskey consumption and he continues smuggling pitches to his former colleagues at SC & P. We also learned last night that Don’s been lying about his unwelcome sabbatical to Megan and the rest of his family. As he usually does with personal matters, Don has once again chosen deceit over confrontation, and the result is predictably messy. Which brings us to the Draper the audience actually still likes: Sally! Don’s daughter is the first to discover that his lunch meetings have been replaced by daytime TV when she makes an unannounced visit to his office and finds eternally-cardiganed douchebag Lou in Don’s place. Sally knows instantly she’s been lied to by her father and the effect on their relationship is immediate and profound. She already busted Don for cheating on yet another mother figure last season, but this latest deception seems to confirm what she’d dreaded: lying for Don Draper comes as naturally as breathing. Reminded again of how dishonesty can irreparably damage even the strongest bonds, father and daughter both quietly resolve to be more truthful with the world. Note how uncomfortable Sally is with even the small deception of hiding a pair of ill-gotten sandals in her closet. When Sally beseeches Don to “just tell the truth,” she’s talking about much more than her school absence note. Realizing that he’s let his daughter down yet again, Don admits his guilt and shows his true self for possibly the first time since he shed his Dick Whitman skin.  The fact that Don is not only capable of honesty but wants so desperately to guide Sally in the right direction gives us reason to hold out hope for these two for the first time in a long time.  When Sally says, “I’m so many people” she’s giving voice to Don’a anxiety about his own double life and he seems to want nothing more than to save her from his fate. Elsewhere: Peggy snatches her receptionist’s Valentine’s gift in a strangely sitcom-y subplot that seems very un- Mad Men . Hopefully they won’t make a habit hackneyed jokes about Peggy’s spinsterdom. Though Ginsberg describing her holiday plans (“Masurbate gloomily”) made for one of the episode’s best lines. Pete may be Mr. LA these days, but he’s still Captain Douche as far as his East Coast colleagues are concerned. Some things never change. Speaking of douches, Dawn standing up to Lou was fantastic. As rewarding as watching the death of King Joffrey . Also: Joan gets promoted! Cooper’s a racist! As always, much is taking place in the offices of SC & P. (Even the name keeps changing!) Watch Mad Men online at TV Fanatic to keep up with all the high-minded drama! 9 Memorable Mad Men Moments Open Slideshow 1. Lane Price and Pete Campbell Fight Lane and Pete go at it. Lane won the fight but this season, um…didn’t end well for him. View As List 1. Lane Price and Pete Campbell Fight Lane and Pete go at it. Lane won the fight but this season, um…didn’t end well for him. 2. The Sterling-Cooper Lawnmower Incident A tragic mishap in the Sterling-Cooper offices. Well, tragically hilarious, anyway. 3. Betty Draper Shooting Pigeons Betty took her frustrations out on some neighborhood birds. She became a somewhat character in seasons since. 4. Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper Don’s daughter has had too many memorable moments to choose just one. It’s been a pleasure watching her grow into a sassy teenager. 5. Mad Men: JFK Assassination Scene Mad Men memorably tackled a day that brought the nation to its knees. Just one of many historical events the series has vividly brought to life. 6. Don Draper Hits Rock Bottom Don was a drunken mess for most of season four. He drinks a lot, but now he manages to do his job…for the most part. 7. Peggy Olson Smokes Weed Elisabeth Moss puts her foot down as Peggy Olson. That girl really wanted to get high. 8. Roger Sterling: Drunk For Pearl Harbor Day Every day is an occasion to drink for Roger Sterling. Though he got especially plastered (and bigoted) on Pearl Harbor Day. 9. Don Draper Crying Don broke down and showed his human side after learning about the death of a friend. We’re sure the final season will hold many more emotional moments for Don.

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Mad Men Season 7 Episode 2 Recap: Honest Don?

Hillary Clinton Dodges Hurled Shoe in Vegas: Watch Now!

Forget running for President in 2016 . Hillary Clinton clearly has a future as an acrobat. While delivering a speech at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Conference in Las Vegas today, the former First Lady managed to dodge a shoe thrown in her direction by an angry audience member. And not only did the 66-year old remain upright, her quick wit was kept fully intact. Hillary Clinton Avoids Thrown Shoe “What was that a bat? Is that a bat?” Clinton replied on stage. “Is that somebody throwing something at me? Is that part of Cirque du Soleil?” She added: “My goodness, I didn’t know that solid waste management was so controversial. Thank goodness she didn’t play softball like I did.” The assailant was quickly apprehended by the Secret Service and is in custody at the moment. In December 2008, George W. Bush also had a shoe thrown at him by a journalist in Iraq. He was a little slower on his feet than Mrs. Clinton.

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Hillary Clinton Dodges Hurled Shoe in Vegas: Watch Now!

American Idol Results: Who Went Home?

American Idol went back in time this week, as the contestants performed songs from the 1980s . But the remaining eight hopefuls could only look to the past for so long, as they were forced to consider the future on Thursday, namely: Who would be sticking around to take the stage against next Wednesday evening?  In quick succession, those voted to safety were Caleb Johnson … followed by Jessica Meuse… and Dexter Roberts. CJ Harris was the first to land in the Bottom 3. We then learn that Alex Preston is safe, as is Jena Irene. This leaves Sam Woolf, CJ and Malaya Watson as the least popular trio, with Sam being called to safety and Ryan Seacrest telling the world that MALAYA WATSON has been eliminated. No final song this week, as the Save has been used. So, did viewers make the right choice? Did Watson deserve the boot?   Yes, but what a run! No, it should have been Sam! No, it should have been CJ! View Poll » These are your remaining 7 finalists: American Idol Season 13: Who’s Left? Open Slideshow 1. Sam Woolf Sam Woolf has the look of an American Idol winner, doesn’t he? This is a cute young white guy who plays guitar. View As List 1. Sam Woolf Sam Woolf has the look of an American Idol winner, doesn’t he? This is a cute young white guy who plays guitar. 2. Jessica Meuse Jessica Meuse is a 23-year old native of Alabama. She has done quite well for herself on American Idol Season 13. 3. Jena Irene Jena Irene could be your next American Idol champion. She has reached the round of 13. 4. Dexter Roberts Dexter Roberts is not a small man. He also has a big chance of being named the next American Idol! 5. CJ Harris CJ Harris is 23-year old Alabama resident. Will he be the next American Idol? 6. Caleb Johnson Caleb Johnson is a 22-year old native of North Carolina. He is doing very well for himself on American Idol. 7. Alex Preston Alex Preston has advanced to the American Idol Season 13 finals. We wish him the best of luck!

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American Idol Results: Who Went Home?

The Vampire Diaries Season 5 Episode 17 Recap: Unsafe Travels

The Vampire Diaries Season 5 Episode 17 continued to tease the ongoing mystery of the past few weeks: What do the Travelers want? This villainous group has somehow imposed its will on our favorite Mystic Falls residents – taking Stefan hostage, forcing Caroline to maybe kill an innocent man in Atlanta – without anyone actually knowing their agenda. Watch The Vampire Diaries Season 5 Episode 17 Online The latest installment of the floundering CW drama concluded with a creepily awesome scene, as numerous Travelers caught on fire… crossed over to The Other Side… and then Markos emerged out of Bonnie’s fallen body. It was very cool. But it didn’t make up for the frustration of the previous 59 minutes. Seriously… Liv rambled on to Jeremy about how the witches are trying to protect Elena and the Travelers want her for some reason. But he never asked the reason? He just agreed to help them protect his sister and the town, yet didn’t bother finding out why? It’s difficult to be invested in a storyline when YOU DON’T KNOW THE STORYLINE. Literally, all we know about the Travelers is they’re evil – and that’s only because the show has told us they’re evil. Pretty shoddy writing. So now Markos is here and Elena appears to once again be in danger. And fans need to wait until April 17 for The Vampire Diaries Season 5 Episode 18 to maybe, at long last, find out why. Elsewhere: Elena ended things with Damon for good and headed back to college. Enzo killed Stefan’s nice Doppleganger, Tom, because sweet Caroline could not do so. But she could bond even more with Steven, even falling asleep beside him until the pair was awoken by the Markos-based ceremony. And… that’s about it. Not much happens on this show anymore, and what does happen isn’t explained very clearly. Will you even make it to the end? Watch The Vampire Diaries online via TV Fanatic and sound off: Can you believe how far this series has fallen?!?

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The Vampire Diaries Season 5 Episode 17 Recap: Unsafe Travels

American Idol Results: The Fine 9

And then there were nine. Following dinner with the finalists, Jennifer Lopez took to the stage and performed ” I Luh Ya Papi ,” including alums such as Pia Toscano, Allison Iraheta and Jessica Sanchez in the opening. It was a hot dance number, gotta give J-Lo that. But here’s what everyone really wants to know: MK Nobilette, Dexter Roberts and Majesty Rose fell to the Bottom 3. And we then learned that Nobilette had received the last number of votes, likely the right call considering her lackluster performance on Wednesday of ” Perfect .” MK chooses “All Of Me” for her save, as the camera zooms in on an emotional Jennifer Lopez and, for the first time, the judges appear to have a tough decision to make. Should they use their Save? The crowd is chanting for it…MK says she wants to say. But, alas they say no. MK Nobilette get eliminated from American Idol. DID VIEWERS MAKE THE RIGHT CALL?   Yes, but she had a great run! No, it should have been Majesty! No, it should have been Dexter! View Poll » These contestants now comprise your final nine: American Idol Season 13: Who’s Left? Open Slideshow 1. Sam Woolf Sam Woolf has the look of an American Idol winner, doesn’t he? This is a cute young white guy who plays guitar. View As List 1. Sam Woolf Sam Woolf has the look of an American Idol winner, doesn’t he? This is a cute young white guy who plays guitar. 2. Malaya Watson Malaya Watson is the youngest of all American Idol Season 13 finalists. She is only 16. 3. Majesty Rose Majesty Rose possesses the name of a celebrity. Will she win American Idol Season 13? 4. Jessica Meuse Jessica Meuse is a 23-year old native of Alabama. She has done quite well for herself on American Idol Season 13. 5. Jena Irene Jena Irene could be your next American Idol champion. She has reached the round of 13. 6. Dexter Roberts Dexter Roberts is not a small man. He also has a big chance of being named the next American Idol! 7. CJ Harris CJ Harris is 23-year old Alabama resident. Will he be the next American Idol? 8. Caleb Johnson Caleb Johnson is a 22-year old native of North Carolina. He is doing very well for himself on American Idol. 9. Alex Preston Alex Preston has advanced to the American Idol Season 13 finals. We wish him the best of luck!

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American Idol Results: The Fine 9

American Idol Season Premiere: Harry Connick Jr. FTW!

American Idol is a singing show that comes down to its contestants. That’s what we’re told year after year by producers, but we came away from last night’s Season 13 premiere with one thoughts: HARRY CONNICK JR. IS THE MAN! The new judge was harsh and honest when he needed to be. But also a total jokester throughout, most notable when he cradled Munfarid Zaidi in his arms (below) during the hopeful’s audition. Munfarid Zaidi American Idol Audition Ah yes, there were plenty of auditions. Some boring, others terrible yet entertaining. But who stood out among the opening crop of contestants over two hours? Here’s a rundown of our favorite five, in no particular order. Could the next American Idol be among them?!? Muhfarid Zandi – Forget that he performed in Harry’s arms for a minute and focus on his voice. Pretty darn good, right? Kaitlyn Jackson – Sang an original song titled “Another Angel,” which was based on a personal, up-close brush with death. “She’s smart!” said Harry. “It’ll be fun watching her week to week.” Agreed. Jillian Jensen – Appeared on Season 2 of The X Factor. Displayed terrific vocal control here, clearly having gained confidence from her previous reality show appearance. Sam Woolf – The 17-year old lives with his grandparents and sang “Lego House.” And we all know how much Idol viewers love white guys with guitars… Malcolm Allen – What a great cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” not an easy track to sing. He even tossed some air guitar. A great job all around. What did you think of the season 13 opener? Who was your favorite contestant? Is there hope for this group of judges/ Go watch American Idol online to relive the two hours and grade the new panel below:   A B C D F View Poll »  

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American Idol Season Premiere: Harry Connick Jr. FTW!

Duck Dynasty Season 5 Premiere: Air Bud vs. Jason Bourne!

Duck Dynasty kicked off Season 5 with back-to-back episodes last night… and nary a word about the Phil Robertson gay controversy . Nope. It was business as usual for this family, which welcomed back a loved one and which held a few totally insane (read: awesome) conversations. Viewers met Rebecca (and her five suitcases) early in the opener. Willie and Korie’s exchange-student-turned-daughter, she spent the last two years interning in the fashion industry way out in Los Angeles. Duck Dynasty Premiere Sneak Peek We were taken into her welcome home party, but couldn’t focus on anything aside from Si watching Air Bud (because he was sick) and taking a stance more controversial than anything Phil said about homosexual or teen marriage : Air Bud is superior to Jason Bourne. “Could a dog do what Bourne does?” Phil asked incredulously: “You’ll take a dog playing basketball over Bourne?” Si, though, was undeterred. He expressed his love for the animal athlete genre in general, saying: “Seventh Inning Fetch – it made Field of Dreams look like Rookie of the Year.” Elsewhere on the premiere… Willie bored his wife’s cousin, John David, even though he looked like a “cave man.” But he easily quoted Nacho Libre, making him the ideal assistant. Phil said his secrets to health was to toss around dung. He instructed the younger family members to try it. John Luke tried to explain why he’s so into the art of the emoji, which leads to Jase revealing that he hates group texts: Stop having a conversation on my phone! In a final movie reference of the night, Si gets talked into staying at Phil’s house in his sickly state because Phil’s wife doesn’t want him home alone. “I’m like that young kid who was home alone. Macaulay Culkin,” says Si. “I’ll be alright.” What did you think of the Season 5 premiere? Happy to have the Robertsons back in your life? Go watch Duck Dynasty online and sound off: is Air Bud really better than Jason Bourne?!?

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Duck Dynasty Season 5 Premiere: Air Bud vs. Jason Bourne!

Pretty Little Liars Recap: Dear Diary…

Pretty Little Liars reminded viewers of its title this week, Yes, it’s called Pretty Little Liars for a reason, most notably because these pretty young girls lie to nearly everyone around them… including each other. We can start with Ali in “Love ShAck, Baby,” whose diary was “creative nonfiction with pseudonyms,” as Spencer rightly explained it. How could the girls decode this writing? By investigating the stories, of course, such as a poem about a bumblebee that lead them to The Busy Bee, a bed and breakfast where… Ali was hiding out? Not quite. On the way there, unfortunately, the car broke down, leading to the group taking shelter in Ezra’s cabin. Once there, someone actually swiped the silver diary while Hanna and Emily were outside and Spencer and Aria were in the linen closet. Come on, Liars! Didn’t you ever take Diary Re-Enactment 101? Never let the tome out of your sight. Emily, meanwhile, was visited by the author of the diary herself. Was that a dream about Ali? Did she actually visit Emily in the middle of the night. Hmmm… As for A? She thanked Aria and Emily for helping her (him? it?) find Alison. A is now on the bed and breakfast track and even caused their GPS to fail and the car to break down. Really, is there anything A cannot do? Elsewhere, Aria lied to Spencer about the note she left in Ezra’s desk, while Ezra lurked like nobody’s business. He actually made his way into the Marin household under the ruse of Hanna’s subpar schoolwork at one point, snooping around his student’s laptop. On the relationship front, Hanna made it seem like she’s cool with Caleb being in Ravenswood and with the break-up. She also tore a page out of the diary because it revealed she once hooked up with Mike. EEK! Final thoughts: Who the patient who witnessed Marion’s “accident?” Maybe Alison? CeCe Drake was spotted at a train station in Maryland and we learned she made many deposits prior to Wilden’s murder. Spencer goes to stay wit Toby after a fight with her dad. What did you think of this installment? Of where the season is headed? Watch Pretty Liars online and sound off now!

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Pretty Little Liars Recap: Dear Diary…

True Detective Premiere: Dark, Gloomy and Great

True Detective brought real-life good friends and movie stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson to the world of television. That was an accomplishment in and of itself. But the opening episode of this HBO drama also featured a mesmerizing story, incredible scenery and two sterling performances, enough to have us hooked on the series and equal parts scared and excited to find out what happens next. True Detective Review The plot centers on a grisly murder by an apparent serial killer, someone into some messed up concept of religion and placing antlers in the naked corpses of his victims. McConaughey is simply incredible as Rust Cohle, a pessimistic (or a realistic , as he would say) homicide detective new to Louisiana, whose demeanor and view on life frightens his partner, Harrelson’s Martin Hart. Martin considers himself a straight-shooting, hard-working family man… but there’s clearly some darkness at play within him and it’s easy to see how the two are more similar than they initially appear. Only Cohle has accepted his demons, while Hart is in denial that he possesses any. The action doesn’t move quickly, but it does skip from 1995 to the present, where Cohle and Hart are being questioned by two younger law enforcement officials because it appears as though there supposedly solved crime from back in the day is somehow relevant once again. McConaughey is brilliant in these scenes, having essentially giving up on life, while Hart remains a bit more confident and sure of himself. Although time has clearly taken a toll on him as well. The series is dark, there’s no doubt about that. It’s gloomy and sort of depressing, but there’s some humor to be found in the exchanges between partners, in how irritated Martin gets by Rust’s entire personality. With Hannibal and The Following already on the air, some viewers may not see a reason to tune in for another serial killer-based drama, but the True Detective premiere gives you two very good reasons: Matthew McConaughey Woody Harrelson Watch True Detective online now in case you missed the opener and then give it a grade:   A B C D F View Poll »

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True Detective Premiere: Dark, Gloomy and Great