Maybe today isn’t the best day to get morbid on y’all, but this week’s tragic French Survivor deaths made us wonder, Carrie Bradshaw–style, about how dependent pop culture is becoming on high-risk entertainment. From the literal task of surviving on Survivor to the more murky waters of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to druggie blogger Cat Marnell (and her $500,000 book proposal), we wonder what it is about potential misery that keeps audiences (including ourselves) riveted.

We finish up with a move into (barely) cheerier territory with a look forward at this season of Mad Men, a look back at how much this show and its characters have transformed over the past five seasons, and the cultural impact the show has had in our own times. We’ll be back next week to discuss the premiere in full; in the meantime, we’ll see you in line at Banana Republic.

Listen to the podcast here: ESPN.com Podcenter.
Subscribe to the Grantland Network on iTunes, and check out our podcasts page.