Written by: Kevin Berge
This show isn't always a commercial for smoking, but those times it isn't are rare. (Image Courtesy of: acrossthemargin.com)
Quick Take: Mad Men is a series that improves with time, well written and acted throughout but gains a growing sense of urgency and stakes as time passes. It is one of the most consistent television shows ever written but also one that takes a while to dive into and longer to savor.
***Given that this is a complete series review, I will try to speak of the show's larger themes and not get into the details. That means that this will be largely spoiler-free and meant to give the reader a fair view of what the show is all about if they have not watched the series yet but also speak to what makes the series effective. This could color a new viewer's expectation on the series. If you are sure you want to see the show already, go check it out before reading this review. If you are unsure or have seen it, continue along on this ride.***
What is Mad Men? That was the question I kept asking every time I was told about the show. Everyone lauded the show, but no one seemed quite able to capture what makes the show so effective. Because of this, it took me a while to dive into the series. I needed to be given a reason to latch on.
In simplest terms, Mad Men is the story of an advertisement agency named Sterling Cooper in New York in the 1960s. It's a period piece that dives into the glitz and glam of the ad world in that time while watching the world change with each passing year. This, however, was never the definition that interested me.
I would define Mad Men quite differently. Mad Men is the story of a group of talented advertisers whose stories evolve with the time and the state of business that engulfs them. At times, these characters teeter on the edge of emotional breaks. Some crack while others mend themselves and get back up, but they all fall, many times.
The figurehead of this group of characters is Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a creative director who seems perfect at his job but struggles to keep his past and his mental state stable. The developing characters beyond him include intelligent secretary Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) whose far more than she seems, ambitious account executive Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), and office manager Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks).
I would also remiss to not mention Roger Sterling (John Slattery), mentor to Don as well as the man most actively in charge and Don's dramatic wife Betty Draper (January Jones) who both are also heavily involved in the plot but have less dynamic shifts in their characters as the story progresses.
It's a lot of names already, and these are not the only characters that have regular stories in the show. This makes the first time through the first few seasons a struggle even though the acting and writing are always excellent. It is difficult to latch onto most of these characters as they are just so morally fragile.
What is Mad Men? That was the question I kept asking every time I was told about the show. Everyone lauded the show, but no one seemed quite able to capture what makes the show so effective. Because of this, it took me a while to dive into the series. I needed to be given a reason to latch on.
In simplest terms, Mad Men is the story of an advertisement agency named Sterling Cooper in New York in the 1960s. It's a period piece that dives into the glitz and glam of the ad world in that time while watching the world change with each passing year. This, however, was never the definition that interested me.
I would define Mad Men quite differently. Mad Men is the story of a group of talented advertisers whose stories evolve with the time and the state of business that engulfs them. At times, these characters teeter on the edge of emotional breaks. Some crack while others mend themselves and get back up, but they all fall, many times.
The figurehead of this group of characters is Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a creative director who seems perfect at his job but struggles to keep his past and his mental state stable. The developing characters beyond him include intelligent secretary Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) whose far more than she seems, ambitious account executive Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), and office manager Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks).
I would also remiss to not mention Roger Sterling (John Slattery), mentor to Don as well as the man most actively in charge and Don's dramatic wife Betty Draper (January Jones) who both are also heavily involved in the plot but have less dynamic shifts in their characters as the story progresses.
It's a lot of names already, and these are not the only characters that have regular stories in the show. This makes the first time through the first few seasons a struggle even though the acting and writing are always excellent. It is difficult to latch onto most of these characters as they are just so morally fragile.
And here we have the one punch ever thrown in this show, and it wasn't even that good a punch. (Image Courtesy of: indiewire.com)
If you can make it through the opening act of the series though, you'll be rewarded by a show that begins to truly evolve. Intensely aware of the time period it is set within, real world events are often the backdrop for the characters to change. Everything from the sets to the character mentalities evolve with the changing times.
This does not mean that the characters all become likable. In fact, this show rarely presents purely heroic figures. Don is the antihero of the series, charming and dynamic but emotionally fragile and alpha male to the point of being horribly sexist though only to those he gets romantic with and never the women he is working with.
Peggy is the closest thing the story has to a protagonist, but she is also intensely driven occasionally forgetting how she affects others. Pete is at times the story's villain but manages to show signs of real growth even if he never quite knows how to hold together steady friendships. Joan is a strong presence, a victim, and often power hungry.
There is a realism to their different forms of moral grey which makes rooting for them also an interesting question at every stage. It is hard at times to root for these characters, but the story never fails to bring out the most reprehensible of people to show the audience that the main characters are just doing the best they can.
Jon Hamm is the reason to watch Mad Men above anything else. His portrayal of Don Draper is so effortlessly dynamic, telling the story of his backstory and his ever-changing emotional state without truly speaking a word to anyone of what he's truly going through. Elisabeth Moss is also excellent with material that is not always as emotionally deep.
The entire cast all have their moments with most getting at least a few episodes devoted to them along the way. January Jones may have gotten the short end of the stick with Betty whose a character that always seems teetering on the edge of an interesting story without taking the leap.
This does not mean that the characters all become likable. In fact, this show rarely presents purely heroic figures. Don is the antihero of the series, charming and dynamic but emotionally fragile and alpha male to the point of being horribly sexist though only to those he gets romantic with and never the women he is working with.
Peggy is the closest thing the story has to a protagonist, but she is also intensely driven occasionally forgetting how she affects others. Pete is at times the story's villain but manages to show signs of real growth even if he never quite knows how to hold together steady friendships. Joan is a strong presence, a victim, and often power hungry.
There is a realism to their different forms of moral grey which makes rooting for them also an interesting question at every stage. It is hard at times to root for these characters, but the story never fails to bring out the most reprehensible of people to show the audience that the main characters are just doing the best they can.
Jon Hamm is the reason to watch Mad Men above anything else. His portrayal of Don Draper is so effortlessly dynamic, telling the story of his backstory and his ever-changing emotional state without truly speaking a word to anyone of what he's truly going through. Elisabeth Moss is also excellent with material that is not always as emotionally deep.
The entire cast all have their moments with most getting at least a few episodes devoted to them along the way. January Jones may have gotten the short end of the stick with Betty whose a character that always seems teetering on the edge of an interesting story without taking the leap.
Don't do drugs, kids. You might end up turning your office space into a racing track. Wait, that doesn't sound so bad. (Image Courtesy of: vulture.com)
The writing of Mad Men is where it truly shines with a clear vision enacted each season that carries a great degree of strong metaphors, dynamic scenes, and some fantastic situational irony. At times, this is a drama. At other times, it is satirical comedy. At no time do the lines feel too blurred.
In particular, a few episodes each season stand out above the rest. The final episode of season 3, Shut The Door. Have A Seat., was the episode that finally made me give into the series with a fundamental dynamic shift. Season 4's The Suitcase may stand as the series' greatest. Perhaps the series's funniest episode and my personal favorite is season 6's The Crash.
In general, while I was lukewarm on the series at its start, I found myself glued to the screen as the series progressed, wanting to see more of these characters. The series as a whole blended together by the end, making individual seasons harder to look back on, but it was tough to let go when it was over.
The sense of letting go was not entirely helped by the show's conclusion which ultimately felt too neat and blissful for a show so heaped in conflict even though its final sequence is brilliantly done. It is rare to find such consistent writing with any series, but it is also rare to find an ending to any show that truly captures everything the show offered.
The camerawork in Mad Men is almost consistently impeccable from director to director through the show's run. Just as the show writes with attention to metaphor, the camera shots often create their own metaphors with each episode having at least one truly memorable shot.
Particularly true with Don, the camera captures the mood of the characters, framing them with their environment to evoke tension and emotion. It is easy to take for granted much of what the series does to convey its themes.
Ultimately, I find myself looking back and wondering if I need to rewatch the whole series again to uncover the details and to relive the evolution of the characters from the beginning of a dynamic decade. While rarely overly exciting, Mad Men was the story of ambitious people finding their place in a vicious world, and it wholly succeeded in that.
In particular, a few episodes each season stand out above the rest. The final episode of season 3, Shut The Door. Have A Seat., was the episode that finally made me give into the series with a fundamental dynamic shift. Season 4's The Suitcase may stand as the series' greatest. Perhaps the series's funniest episode and my personal favorite is season 6's The Crash.
In general, while I was lukewarm on the series at its start, I found myself glued to the screen as the series progressed, wanting to see more of these characters. The series as a whole blended together by the end, making individual seasons harder to look back on, but it was tough to let go when it was over.
The sense of letting go was not entirely helped by the show's conclusion which ultimately felt too neat and blissful for a show so heaped in conflict even though its final sequence is brilliantly done. It is rare to find such consistent writing with any series, but it is also rare to find an ending to any show that truly captures everything the show offered.
The camerawork in Mad Men is almost consistently impeccable from director to director through the show's run. Just as the show writes with attention to metaphor, the camera shots often create their own metaphors with each episode having at least one truly memorable shot.
Particularly true with Don, the camera captures the mood of the characters, framing them with their environment to evoke tension and emotion. It is easy to take for granted much of what the series does to convey its themes.
Ultimately, I find myself looking back and wondering if I need to rewatch the whole series again to uncover the details and to relive the evolution of the characters from the beginning of a dynamic decade. While rarely overly exciting, Mad Men was the story of ambitious people finding their place in a vicious world, and it wholly succeeded in that.