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Firewall & Iceberg podcast, episode 27: Comic-Con, 'Rubicon,' press tour and 'Mad Men'

The calm between two storms, and much higher sound quality than last week.

By Alan Sepinwall Monday, Jul 26, 2010 9:00 PM

The

 
Mistakes were made. Lessons were learned. Podcasts are not meant to be recorded inside of San Diego-bound cars. So this week's Firewall & Iceberg Podcast was recorded in the safety, quiet and calm of my hotel room for press tour, and Dan and I both sound much, much much better than last week.
 
This is actually a two-podcast day for me, as I talked about "Mad Men," Comic-Con and all things TV with Bill Simmons on the latest B.S. Report.
 
And here's the rundown of what Dan and I discussed: 

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, download the MP3 file, or stream it at Dan's blog.
Alan-sepinwall-sm
Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
Related Searches: Alan Sepinwall, Firewall & Iceberg, Mad Men, Rubicon, Comic-Con

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  • Default-avatar

    resetting

    West Wing latin lessons? That's the place where I "learned" that phrase in as much as some recognition it when it's used.

    July 27, 2010 at 2:42AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Echos Myron

    Alan, how would you compare Rubicon's first season to Breaking Bad's first season? Better, worse, or on par with it?

    July 27, 2010 at 3:35AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall I had issues with the pacing of Breaking Bad's first season, but that ultimately proved to be more me getting used to the show than the show itself having problems. (Though I would argue it did get better as that season went along, and then again in season two and again in season three.)

      All of Rubicon kind of hinges on the payoff about this conspiracy story, so while I find it engaging now - even though it's so slow - it has a much higher potential for flameout than Breaking Bad did, since that show is much less dependent on its endgame.

      July 27, 2010 at 10:33AM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Echos Myron

    Also, I've always found Marlo more unwatchable than Betty.

    July 27, 2010 at 3:39AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    eberbach

    There should be a Mad Men/Breaking Bad crossover where Betty can be Walter's wife. They would work as a couple.

    July 27, 2010 at 3:58AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    rob

    If Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is losing money and clients...why not get rid of Sterling, Cooper and Pryce? What do they do, anyway?

    July 27, 2010 at 9:14AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Gary

    Alan...this is off-topic I guess, but I'm wondering if you are watching "The Pillars of the Earth" on Starz (starring Ian McShane, Donald Sutherland, et al!!) and, if so, are you planning any kind of reviews? I've seen the first episode so far (and read the book years ago) and it seems very good. Thanks

    July 27, 2010 at 9:34AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall Gary, I didn't watch it. Wasn't enough time before press tour, not a genre that interests me (in spite of actors like McShane), and I knew Fienberg was doing a review (you can find it on his blog).

      We actually discussed it briefly - or, rather, I asked Dan to talk about it - during the missing 12 minutes of the infamous road trip podcast last week.

      July 27, 2010 at 10:16AM EST



  • alan, any stories actually relating to comics from Movie Con? Panels? Purchases? Weird meetings on the con floor (in the old days, these always happened at the DC booth, the nexus of the show)?

    July 28, 2010 at 2:58AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall I bought the second volume of Chew, caught up on Buffy Season 8 and got a couple of other things. Not much time to walk the floor, alas. Always waiting on line for a panel or attending a panel.

      July 29, 2010 at 3:46PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Mary

    Alan,

    I just read on Variety that due to too many spoilers being sent out, there will be no more screeners for Mad Men. Some people have no respect for the request of the creators and their shows. How does this impact you, if at all?

    July 28, 2010 at 9:53AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    GMan

    If Rubicon were set in the 70s, I would have no problem with the lack of computers and technology. But while they are going for that feel, its set in modern times. Researchers/analysts use vast amounts of tech to get information. Think even "Clear and Present Danger" in the 90s. That was a bit of a false note for me.

    July 29, 2010 at 3:18PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall Dan's theory, expressed in an earlier podcast, is that API (the group featured on the show) is just one of many places the gov't goes for analysis. There are plenty of other places that do all the high-tech stuff; their job is to catch all the things that don't get put on a hard drive somewhere.

      July 29, 2010 at 3:47PM EST

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