In a word: Brilliant. ‘Mad Men’ has single-handedly caused me to reevaluate how good a television show can be. It’s a perfect example of a show done right in a medium that I was ready to give up on. If you have avoided the show due to the stuffy synopsis of a sixties’ ad agency, just start from the beginning. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
The AMC series was created by Matthew Weiner, of ‘The Sopranos’ fame, and while he might be dealing with a completely different period and world with ‘Mad Men’ versus ‘The Sopranos’, fans will automatically recognize the almost intoxicatingly breezy pace and expert handling of a half-dozen extremely detailed characters all revolving around the centerpiece couple, here Don Draper and wife Betty (Jon Hamm and January Jones).
The show is quick to point out that the early sixties wasn’t all martinis and impeccable suits but a Normal Rockwell painting just waiting for the colors to bleed off the image. Ad man Don Draper looks like the very embodiment of the successful 60s American man, enjoying drinks from his ample office and offering a commanding presence at both work and home. But ‘The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit’ as he gets called in the second season has a troubled past that is creeping up on him.
And as Don quietly deals with a disturbing past, his wife Betty, an ex-model is also slowly breaking down from a lonely existence as a housewife whose big moments during the day seem to be waiting on her husband at the kitchen table with a glass of wine – yet, Don who gets home late on a train has no conversation to offer her, an emotional chasm is present and only growing deeper as Don drowns his past in drawn-out, meaningless affairs.
Season Two picks up months after the events of the Season One finale with the presidential race over and JFK bringing in a new sense of American confidence and swagger and Jacqueline Kennedy giving women a cultured alternative to Marilyn Monroe (a plot point of one episode specifying that women were either a Jacqueline or a Marilyn). The goings on at Sterling Cooper, a successful if small-time ad agency, that Don Draper creatively runs as third on the totem pole, remain as fascinating as ever.
One-time Don Draper secretary, Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), has become somewhat resented in the office by the men for rising above their idea of what a sixties woman should be and securing a ‘legitimate’ position as a copyrighter.
Obviously suppressing the events of the first season, Peggy has lost her weight and poured herself into her job as well as a familial obligation to the church. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) is as smarmy as ever but his umbrage for Don might slowly be giving away to respect.
With Pete’s new marriage to a spoiled rich gal falling apart, he falls back upon an old relationship detailed in the first season only to receive one heck of a gut-punch. The ‘Marilyn Monroe’ of Sterling Cooper, the curvy and very sexy Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) also gets married to questionable results but finds out that her curves might be holding her back from securing a real position at work, something she was even good at.
There’s clearly some tension between new head of accounts ‘Duck’ Herman (Mark Moses) and Don, ‘Duck’ is trying to overcome a battle with alcoholism all the while nursing a clear insecurity in his new position by coming off too strong.
One of the head partners, Draper confidante Roger Sterling (John Slattery) still regards his business as an amusement to score young gals but still isn’t above offering some wise words (this agencies William Shatner if you will…) but the season ultimately comes down to the redemption of Don Draper – will he get it? Or does he even deserve it?
Like most shows, ‘Mad Men’ becomes more engrossing as it goes along building impressively rich plot strands that might not pan out as you imagine. By the time Don Draper all but abandons his family and work for a bunch of hedonists, you’ll definitely be wondering where it all could possibly be going.
Flawless period details and great writing help but I think the cast deserves most of the credit for filling out these characters with an astounding sense of depth.
Particularly Jon Hamm and January Jones who fill out characters that might look like the perfect plastic white couple on the top of the wedding cake but hide emotional wounds that are heartbreaking to witness. All set against the perfect cultural backdrop of the 60s, a smoking and drinking swagger that is soon to give way to the social upheaval that Vietnam will bring.
The high-def 1.78:1 1080p image of these episodes are sparkling with detail and is the perfect way to view the series. The set and costume design is flowing with depth and detail. I also found no issues with the encodes themselves.
I have yet to actually watch the show on AMC bit I imagine these shows might be a whole new experience in high-def. We also get a DTS-HD Master Aud track that does a nice job presenting the dialogue-heavy soundtrack.
Most notable for extras is that every episode features two commentaries from varying cast and crew with everybody from the expected Matthew Weiner, Jon Hamm and January Jones getting a chance to wax on what they brought to the show to several ‘below-the-line’ workers getting a chance to also chime in on their hard work.
Some interesting featurettes are next: ‘An Era of Style’ runs about half an hour and looks at the fashion trends of the period, the 45-minute two-part ‘Birth of an Independent Woman’ which is an in-depth look at the woman’s place in this era as well as examining the civil rights movement and how female liberation also fit into this.
These are important themes in ‘Mad Men’ and this featurette does a great job providing more insight.
An extras highlight is ‘Time Capsule’ an interactive feature that allows the user to get more information on the historical backdrop of every episode as well as popular films, book, television shows etc. of the period. There is a lot of well-researched info here that fans of ‘Mad Men’ will eat up with a spoon.
Also included is a Season Two Soundtrack sampler featuring song excerpts used throughout the season and a BD-Live connectivity.
I can’t say I watch a lot of television but I honestly feel pretty safe saying that ‘Mad Men’ is one of the best shows on TV right now (probably the best) with a score of Emmy’s to prove it.
Always a critical darling for good reason, ratings were a bit slow but it seems word of mouth is finally kicking in and the third season is just a few days away. The show looks outstanding in high-def and with a score of great extras, this set comes highly recommended and is one of the best overall Blu-ray releases in months.
Mad Men: Season Two [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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