Review - MAD MEN Season 5 Finale

Well that season seemed to go by quickly.

But what did it all mean?

Don's rotten tooth becomes too painful for him to handle and has to be pulled. Unfortunately for Don, tormented souls and regret can't be so easily extracted. With the guilt of suicides on his mind and the disappointment of not being able to truly control his world, Don returns to the place where he feels most comfortable. Boozing, smoking, and cheating. Because even though Don is a man who suffers his demons, he is also a man who finds ways to smother himself in his own needs so that he never has to reflect too much on his responsibility for the course of his life and how it has affected others badly. All he can really do is consider how much helping those he loves results in them leaving him. And so his chance encounter with Peggy is likely reflected in the final scene. Having just helped to make his wife's dreams come true, he awaits the dread of what is to come when she realizes she no longer needs him.

If I had to rate this episode, and an electric shock therapy treatment is in the cards if I don't, I'd give it:

85 out of 100

It sets up the future growth of the business while also foreshadowing the doom of Don's marriage, if not his life. It also leaves Joan and Pete dangling, neither sure what they could have done to head off their own regret. Peggy and Roger, on the other hand, seem to have found some kind of happy place for themselves. Whatever can Don do to destroy that next season? I'm sure he'll find a way.

If I had to rate this season, and a ghostly suicide beckons for it, I'd give it:

90 out of 100

It isn't the best of the series, and perhaps it is what some would call its worst, but saying MAD MEN has a "worst" season is like saying that peperoni pizza without extra cheese is worse than with extra cheese. I mean come on. It's still a damn good pizza!

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Review - MAD MEN the First 2 Episodes

This is not a recap... in the way Sunday Bloody Sunday is not a rebel song.

Don Draper turns 40 and his wife throws a surprise birthday party for him where she sings and embarrasses him. At the office, there is much talk about this happening. In Don's world, he overreacts because he hates sharing his happiness with others. Don likes to collect his prizes and hide them away so that no one else can steal them from him.

In the office world, when a rival company embarrasses itself with an insensitive prank on some local African American protestors, Don and Roger put an ad in the paper proclaiming their diversity. This has unintended consequences and they end up being forced to hire a new secretary so as not to embarrass themselves in the process.

Meanwhile, Betty is fat and has a lump. The lump turns out to be benign (OR DOES IT?!) but she's still a fatty. Does that story go anywhere? Not really but these writers never do anything without meaning to lead it somewhere later. Perhaps Betty's largeness relates to her unhappiness without Don. Perhaps Don's need to keep his young prize away from prying eyes, and his attitude toward her in the first two episodes somehow relates to his need for a woman who understands him more.

Pete acquires a big whale of a client in Mohawk Airlines and Peggy hires a new full-time copywriter to be their whipping boy on the account. He is all kinds of strange and apparently wildly talented, plus Jewish. Seems like diversity is the name of the game this season as we pass the mid-60s. Peggy doesn't really want to hire him, partly perhaps because of his talent (though she declares that is not so), but mostly because she fears Don will hate him, and her for hiring him. Roger tries to reassure her that there is nothing to worry about.

Roger is given the account since the client seems to be more comfortable with him. Later, when Pete announces the client to the office, he takes all the credit for the acquisition and treats Roger much like an underling. This is clearly not taken well by Roger and a sense of worry can be seen on Don's face as his fellow senior partner fakes his way through an applause. Roger then warns Peggy of impending trouble with her new guy, as Pete was Roger's last hire.

This early in the season the theme looks to be about fear, youth, changing times of diversity, and a hint of redemption in the wings. There is also the notion that Pete is becoming a bigger fish and will some day execute his master plan of taking over the universe, one whiny declaration at a time.

If I had to rate each episode, it would look something like this.

Week 1: 93 out of 100

Week 2: 90 out of 100

It is a slow burn and I left out a lot of stuff... but no one is paying me to write MAD MEN reviews anyway. I'm just doing this for fun. You know, like everything else.

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