Mad Men: Season 1 & 2 (AMC, 2007-2008)IMDB Link
"Remember Don…when God closes a door, he opens a dress."
At first, “Mad Men” seems slightly overrated. Set in the early ‘60s and focused on people working in an ad agency, it felt like it was trying too hard to show us how different people’s values and attitudes were at that time. Look how misogynist everyone is, look everyone is smoking EVEN the doctor, look at that guy who just made a racist comment!
But very soon, it finds its rhythm and it clicks. After a few episodes the show is comfortable with its era and its character start being more complex. “Mad Men” starts being fascinating to watch, as the people refuse to be easily labeled. It is easy to judge them from a 2008 perspective but it is to the writers’ credit and courage that they refuse to give in to how we view their characters. The characters act and behave in a way that is befitting to their time and circumstances, not to ours. And while the show initially seems to point at how different everyone is from our time, it soon feels confident and relaxed enough to have them be different and act different, without the show bringing attention to it. It treats it like the writers and the directors and everyone involved IS from that time, and that is comforting, because it allows me to feel like I am actually watching something from a different era which is harder that it sounds.
"I hate to break it to you but there is no big lie. There is no system. The universe is indifferent."The star of the show is Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a character that has big flaws, but there is something about the way he talks and acts, that it is extremely hard not to like him. Plus, man, I totally want to have the charisma and confidence of Don Draper. The other person to watch out for is Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). The body and the way she walks? Fuck! But I think another favorite of mine is Pete Campbell. He is a young ad man who wants to get on top and is disliked by Draper, and I hated him at first too. But after season one, I started to like him more. Not because he had a character change, but because I got to know him more. Pete looked like someone who wanted to be successful and was stuck doing something he didn't like, but had not fully understood that he was actually unhappy.
"Kids today, they’ve got no one to look up to. ‘Cause they’re looking up to us."Season 1 takes time to find its footing, and that is why I like Season 2 more. But this is a show that still has a few more seasons to go, because the show is set in early 60s, and I would love to see how the characters will react to the fast social changes that follow in a few years. Although, I do wish they would focus more on their advertising projects. I find that more interesting than relationship subplots.
"The reason you haven't felt it is because it doesn't exist. What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one."4/5
