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Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 27

Daniel Fienberg and Alan Sepinwall talk Comic-Con, 'Rubicon,' Press Tour and 'Mad Men'

By Daniel Fienberg Monday, Jul 26, 2010 8:40 PM

The

 
Happy Wednesday, Boys and Girls! Except that it's Monday. Not that the days of the week make any sense anymore.
 
Following last week's Road Trip Fiasco (WE KNOW!!! WE'RE SORRY!!!), we're in a hotel room recording this week. So Alan sounds perfect and I sound... less perfect, but also less horrible.
 
In the podcast, we debrief after the events of Comic-Con, provide a Television Critics Association press tour preview, discuss AMC's "Rubicon" and also go into some depth on Sunday's "Mad Men" premiere.
 
Intro and Comic-Con -- 00:00 - 14:05
Press Tour Preview -- 14:05 - 24:10
"Rubicon" -- 24:10 - 31:35
"Mad Men" - 31:35 - 48:52
 
As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. [Or you can always follow our RSS Feed.]
 
And here's this week's podcast...

Firewall & Iceberg - Podcast 27

Dan-feinberg-sm
Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
Related Searches: Firewall & Iceberg, daniel fienberg, Alan Sepinwall, Podcast, Mad Men, Comic-Con, TCA Press Tour, Rubicon

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  • Default-avatar

    alamble

    So Dan, if not Michael Cera, then who should have been cast as Scott Pilgrim?

    July 26, 2010 at 9:41PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Gizmo_bigger_talkback_profile

      dan alambie - Emile Hirsch was always my top pick. Joseph Gordon Levitt came up in discussions the other night. Michael Cera is just too sleepy, too meek and too Michael Cera-y to be *my* Scott Pilgrim... I'm sure there are other viable candidates...

      -Daniel

      July 26, 2010 at 9:53PM EST
    • 500full_talkback_profile

      velocityknown Hard to argue against Gordon-Levitt, but I will always support George Michael, good to see him out of that frozen banana stand.

      July 26, 2010 at 10:56PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      alamble Both very good choices. I think Emile Hirsch in particular is quite underrated, and should have gotten the Oscar nomination for Milk over Josh Brolin.

      I am still irrationally looking forward to Scott Pilgrim despite A. having never even heard of the graphic novels until this past spring (and having not read them - hard to come by in the southeast apparently) and B. having no real affection, residual or otherwise, for anyone in the cast besides Jason Schwartzman and Brandon Routh. Bizarre, I know.

      -alyson

      July 26, 2010 at 11:01PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      dan is right Maybe they decided on Cera because he's Canadian with the native accent. Scott Pilgrim needs to be played like a lovable moron who blissfully goes through his slacker life, mildly excitable. Except when he's in a fight or playing in the band or with Ramona, and in those instances he needs, where he becomes more hero-like, energetic and all that.

      July 27, 2010 at 2:22AM EST
  • Cope_greenwood_talkback_profile

    Benny Booka

    Just listened to the Podcast.

    Mad Men – you mentioned the idea about Don purposely throwing the meeting with the Janzen people once he saw it wasn’t going to work so as to start creating the buzz that SCDP is some kind of an outlaw firm. The interview with the reporter from WSJ looks like it is heading in that direction.

    You and Dan both dismissed this, but I think this actually is a path to follow. Think about…Peggy and Pete stage a fight at the grocery store to generate buzz for a product.

    Don was pissed when he heard about it after the fact, but it is a PERFECT tie-in to what he did with the Janzen folk. The grocery store scheme seemed kind of cheesy as is, unless it was a setup for a larger payoff.

    Just a thought…

    July 26, 2010 at 11:34PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Gizmo_bigger_talkback_profile

      dan Benny - I'm OK with the idea that SCDP might *become* an outlaw firm. The idea I don't buy is that this is all some angle Don is actively working. I just find the character more interesting if he's in a position of rediscovering and recovering himself. If he's still just Don Draper being Don Draper, there's no growth or evolution to watch. Just my opinion...

      -Daniel

      July 27, 2010 at 1:09AM EST
    • A_talkback_profile

      belinda I definitely am surprised that Dan and Alan both dismissed that notion Don went into the Jantzen meeting with the sole intention to shock them with a risque pitch and then throw them out.

      There's a part in that scene where Roger tries to calm Don down outside and tells him to let Pete smooth things over so they can pitch to them later, and Don's reaction was, "No, that's not the point!" (and walks in and throws them out). Which makes me think that Don's point and angle was most definitely to throw these guys out because he's finally made a decision on what kind of a company SCDP is, and who he wants Don Draper to be - to the reporter and to himself.

      So for me, I thought the final scene did place Don into that position of rediscovery and recovery - that maybe it's time for him to finally embrace being Don Draper without all that guilt.

      July 27, 2010 at 8:36AM EST



  • Honestly, I'm pretty sure that Weiner feels that Betty's drama is as essential an aspect of this show as the SCDP stuff. Good luck dealing with that for the next three years. Also, I think Sally Draper is a more important character than we generally think she is (notice the actor's placement above the "guest starring" credit).

    July 27, 2010 at 12:44AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    M

    Am I the only one who can't stand Comic Con? First of all, half of the shows featured have absolutely no business being there. I realize the convention has long since outgrown its comic book roots, but at least in years past the shows featured were things with sci-fi and genre elements. But Community? White Collar? Glee? Why are they there? Might as well have a panel for The View next year. Its presence would make about as much sense. Also, despite the hundreds of reporters that attend every year, most of information we get is useless at best and completely insipid at worst. Don't get me wrong, casting news is always fun and some of the producer insight can be interesting. But do I really need to hear Nina Dobrev discuss Stefan vs. Damon for the 800th time? Or hear how many sit-ups Joe Manganiello does before a shirtless scene? I don't expect things to change anytime soon; I just wish the focus was on getting something of substance from the panels and not the ridiculous fanboy circle jerk its become. Remember when the Heroes cast came out with their "Hayden is my hero," "Masi is my hero," etc. t-shirts? Ick. I literally can't think of anything cheesier or more self-congratulatory. And unfortunately that's the majority of what Comic Con is these days.

    July 27, 2010 at 9:23AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      Dustin Fables is the only genuinely good graphic novel in existence right now. I'm not sure why it wasn't covered here.

      July 27, 2010 at 11:28AM EST

    • There was a Fables pilot filmed for ABC last year, but it didn't make the cut.

      Dan, did you do anything non-TV at the con? walk the floor? Buy some comics?

      July 28, 2010 at 3:01AM EST

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