Mad Men: Season 1 [Blu-ray]

This is the first television series I've seen that feels like a theatrical movie rather than another jittery, overly busy, manipulative made-for-TV video series, with frequently good acting wasted on formulaic, or non-existent, plots (the "criminal minds" of the series by that title are the writers) relying upon sensation, violence, and cheap digital effects to hook and maintain the viewer's interest. Moreover, the characters in "Mad Men" are not cardboard stereotypes but multidimensional and complex. But perhaps not as much as they would like to think. Women viewers need not feel guilty about watching "Mad Men" on the basis of the following features designed to attract a large female audience: the compelling if not magnetic quality of the flawed but strong and reassuringly handsome lead, John Hamm, who plays ultra-cool ad man Don Draper (he's got the right charisma to anchor an entire James Bond movie series); the representation of women in the 1960's, a period that requires a woman to be at once a "toy doll," a "perfect housewife," and of course, an unquestionably competent secretary, who has nothing but time on her hands to perform her duties with unfailing mechanical precision, always ready with the proper smile or facial expression at the proper time (or risk being fired, and without the ceremony offered incompetent male employees). Needless to say, the women who "succeed" are those who are, by the unspoken requirements of their subordinate position, academy-award winning actresses, capable of either a. landing a man who is a paid ticket to a suburban castle with charming children (and servants to smooth out life's ruffles) or b. miraculously carving out a place where they are recognized for their actual abilities, talents and individual potential. The slights inflicted upon women on a continual basis are subtle and cumulative. Like the series itself, the duplicity required of women to succeed, or simply to survive, in the work place becomes manifest gradually, requiring the viewer to pay close attention to the smallest details of dialogue and "mis en scene" (by contrast, most television series make NO demands of their viewers because there's "nothing to look at": in the overwhelming majority of television dramas the moving camera and shock editing is relentless, continually loud and intrusive of the home spectator's viewing space: in television, it seems, "overstatement" rules, giving the viewer no room for choice let alone interpretation. The medium behaves as though its only mission is, as quickly and as surely as possible, to "captivate" a witless audience that will think and feel as the camera and sound-track dictate. "Mad Man" is, by contrast, an imitation of a far more recognizable life, one offering inscrutable, even dangerous "games" to every individual who's in the job market, desperate for a good job with benefits and opportunities for advancement but damned if he allows the urgency to show. Moreover, the series is undeniably, from its first smoke-filled shots, a "period piece" that represents the '60s as some of us will certainly (if reluctantly) remember those years. But it's more than a disturbing view of the past: it's a critique of the unexamined life and, necessarily, of the life of commercial television in the present age of "late"-capitalism, when even the most under-educated viewers are becoming increasingly aware of the unbreachable divide between the haves and the have-nots, between those who exploit and profit from the desires of the American consumer and those suddenly made aware of the high cost of the American Dream and its increasing distance from the vast majority. You may need to pick up the series for rescreening if, to select a chapter at random, you missed the following in Episode 7, "Red in the Face": The subtle collusion between Don and the elevator operator to assure the unforgettable climax of Roger's humiliation. Notice Don's brief business with him both before and after the oysterfest, and notice the expressions on Roger's and Don's faces at the end of the episode. Besides such details, consider the overaching design of the episode. The theme is male predators, survival of the fittest, and misplaced hubris. Roger will hit on Betty Draper, and the pathetic Pete will do the same with the store clerk who refuses to refund in cash his returned chip and dip. Both come up empty-handed, though both try to sustain their moment of heroism. Pete's sitting Peggy down on a couch to hear his story of gutting a rabbit and eating it in view of the fair damsel is parallell with Roger's stories to the overly appreciative (in Don's double-standard view) Betty. Then we have the chivalric subtheme of Betsy playing the fair princess to the unlikely 8-year-old knight whose mother's negligence leads to his coveting a lock of Betty's golden hair. It's a rare moment when Betty is both the object of adoration and an empathetic mother who reaches out (which she can't do with her own family). But just as Don blames her for Roger's bad behavior, the suddenly possessive mother of the wandering knight takes offense at Betty's gift. As usual, she's sent back to the psychiatrist, though the planting of the rifle as Pete's new toy will take its rightful place in the story when Betsy takes a gun to the neighbor's pidgeons. It's a moment of rage that is long overdue. Along with the examination of the pressure-cooker capitalism, the series is especially concerned with the roles demanded of (and therefore "played by") women. The seeds are being planted throughout the entire first season, but the fully realized force of the objectification and belittlement of women (nothing so obvious as "harassment") will culminate in a chilling, unforgettable and appropriately titled episode, "A Night to Remember," in the 2nd season (episode 8 from the 2008 season). The episode is a cinematic tour deforce, thus far the most ambitious chapter in a series that seems to be reinventing itself as it goes along, always improving. This particular segment is like vintage Robert Altman in its cross-cutting among the three women who have received the most attention. The time, historically, is the days immediately following news of Marilyn Monroe's suicide, and each of the three women--Joan, the queen-secretary who is herself a combination of keen intelligence in an hour-glass figure; Betty, the manipulated, blonde showgirl/perfect housewife/showcase trophy of Don Draper; Peggy, the innocent "country girl" who has wised-up sufficiently to the ways of men to play their game, attaining power to make decisions that will influence consumers throughout the nation--each of the three will receive potentially shattering epiphanies, showing them the emptiness of their programmed existences in a male-run world that expects of them only compliance along with adoration beyond any they themselves might receive for their physical attributes. The realizations of all three occur in a breath-taking "tour de force" of characterization. The potent mix of minimalist but thoughtful script-writing, artful directing, and "parallel" editing allows the viewer to receive the full force of three separate "actions" (actually, internal "epiphanies") occurring simultaneously. The series is uncomfortably faithful to the period, not only in its portrayal of male-female relationships in and outside the workplace but in the continuous gauzy veil of smoke thrown off by chain-smoking characters along with the ubiquitous portable bars in the offices of hard-drinking executives (just a few examples of the irony of the ad squad coming under the influence of its own subliminal messages). Most of the action is internal yet highly appealing to the eye, taking place in an office space that seems both capacious and capable of showing the viewer surprises and new discoveries with each episode. The colors are richly saturated--crisp and vibrant technicolor (not the faded, irridescent reds, blues, and greens that would replace them beginning in the late '60s and continuing throughout the 1970s), with a brightly lit, crystal clear, sharp resolution and a camera lens with revealing "depth of field" that takes full advantage of the big flat, high definition screens that have begun to dominate domestic space in just the past 5-6 years of the new millennium; the camera work--with striking angles but steady shots of sufficient duration to allow the spectator to see each crucial detail--has the professional sheen of a bonafide "auteur" such as the admired 1950s "Hollywood" director, Douglas Sirk. Frankly, I had all but "given up" on television--except for the talking heads on MSNBC and the mindless reality shows like "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers." Most of what passes for television drama is manipulative and "busy" to a degree that the viewer is placed in the paradoxical position of having nothing to look at. Viewers are denied the "freedom to see" on their ever larger, higher definition screens. Everything of importance to the sponsors and filmmakers is magnified or grossly overstated, then thrown in the spectator's face by the hyperactive videocam and "shock" editing. But this series, sponsored appropriately enough by American Movie Classics, is the most refreshing, ground-breaking television drama since "All in the Family." We should all hope that it represents a new beginning rather than an anomaly, unique and distinguished as it is.

Mad Men - Season One has completely changed the way I view TV. I generally watch things at random and don't watch a lot of shows consistently. This is a show worth changing that for. It's hard to describe what makes this show such a rare event in TV. Somebody had the vision to put a show on TV that has something to say and is as raw, honest and true to the period it is based on. I, for one, am grateful for that. The show centers on the NY advertising world of the 1960s. Why "Mad Men?" The old row of famous agencies on Madison Avenue, of course. The men are sexist, rude, slicked up, and well dressed. The women are submissive yet cunning, half accepting sexism and half ignoring it. There's not a lot of political correctness here. That is bound to offend some. While my first reaction was to wonder as to the motives behind that, the truth is that after watching the show for a few episodes it becomes clear that the bigotry of the period is key to understanding the characters. Plenty that the characters say would get them fired today. For their era, sexist banter in the office was considered par for the course. There's also plenty of smoking, drinking and sexual situations. If you are very conservative this might not be for you. Yet even conservative people would have to warm up somewhat to the effectiveness of the portrayal. This show makes you believe you are witnessing things as they were. Not having been there, we can't know for sure. Regardless, this sure is convincing. There are some nice special features and extras sprinkled sparingly throughout the disks. Of course you have your usual commentary tracks on the episodes, which are actually worth listing to in my opinion. Not every show can say that. The behind-the-scenes documentary section is also standard fare, but well done. It covers the basic elements of how the show is put together, from characters, sets, makeup, wardrobes, and art design. You also get some small extras that are nice like a segment on scoring the music for the show, which is great, and audio clips of some of the period songs that are used. Because of the way the disks are set up, many of these specific extras are on the individual disks. So you have to search for them. Also, there are only a few episodes per disk (about 3). I guess those extras and commentary tracks took up a lot of disk space. Still, these are minor details. Conclusion This is a great show and well worth watching again and again. I hope you will check this out if you haven't already. Enjoy!

The 52 episodes of "Mad Men" Seasons 1 Through 4 constitutes a sort of masterpiece in TV mini-series. What makes it so good are the subject matter, casting, care in creating the early-60s atmosphere, and the unity and consistency that comes from a single person (in this case Matt Weiner) having co-authorship in every episode. Such a mini-series is to a 2-hour movie as a novel is to a short story. The main subject is the self-awakening of Dan Draper, the creative head of the concepts department of a Madison Avenue advertising firm. Dan Draper is played by Jon Hamm, a very good actor with a lot of live-theater experience. Hamm is a commanding presence, looks the part, and is up to the challenges of this demanding role. Dan Draper is a talented man functioning brilliantly in his professional career, but he is an alcoholic, a dysfunctional husband (although a reasonably good father), and a compulsive womanizer. We learn, as he learns, from his mental flashbacks that occur from time to time, that he is a man escaping from a very difficult childhood. We root for him despite his flaws because he is troubled and displays an innate decency at key moments. By the end of series 4 he has achieved a certain level of self-awareness, and we the audience have been on an interesting journey. Personally, I think they should have stopped with series 4, but that's a different story. The rest of the ensemble cast is generally excellent. There are many interesting sub-plots. We follow the rise from secretary to Dan Draper's co-worker of Peggy. Its a struggle all the way for her in the pre-Feminist world of the early 60s. I have the Blu-ray versions of seasons 1 through 4, which I purchased individual. Each season is 13 episodes spread across 3 Blu-ray discs. The picture quality and sound quality are fine. There is an optional commentary track for each episode. The presentation is fine.

FABULOUS, FABULOUS! Better than Sopranos, which is better than anything else on TV. Obviously I wholeheartedly agree with most previous reviews. I just want to add my two cents to highlight some areas that I think reviewers didn't quite do justice to: 1. Don's Wife: Betty Draper is often stereotyped by reviewers as being a gorgeous "childlike" Stepford wife type. I disagree. There is much more to her than meets the superficial eye. She is a woman with beautifully portrayed ambivalence--she revels in, and dazzles us, in her in her breezy handling of her assigned role as gorgeous, loving, devoted wife and mother, and housewife. But, inside, there is depression, loneliness, alienation, and even anger and a sense of entrapment. Indeed, her lines reveal this at almost every turn. On the one hand, she is clearly an opinion leader among her neighborhood girlfriends, (e.g. in her persuading her friends to show some tolerance and sympathy for the divorcee who just joined the neighborhood), and she is a complete equal in her intelligent repartees with Don. On the other hand, she is a nervous hostess, full of anxiety to put on the perfect birthday party for her little girl, and she is afflicted with some scary psychosomatic numbness and shaking in her hands, which lead her to the 1960s shrink's couch. Her relationship with Don is a beautifully scripted and choreographed blend of real love, with a partnership of openness and honesty with regard to all of their SHARED life, battling with deception, and clandestine played out escape fantasies in each of their private lives. 2. As many reviewers comment, Mad Men is a real gem of a presentation of an anti-PC, "in your face" 1960s world. BUT, it doesn't simply flaunt and revel in the "capitalist", "materialistic", "vice-ridden" culture. Far from glorifying this lifestyle, it displays, indeed very much wants to capture the viewer's attention to, all the darkness, the traps, the alienation, the Darwinian competition, and the sickness, that this world creates! Indeed, this very unapologetic flamboyant, and gorgeous, movie quality TV show, treats the viewer with a rare degree of respect--the viewer sees it as it really was, and judges without interference or propaganda, for him or her self. What a rare treat!

The extreme accuracy of detail in depicting those years is impressive. Most interesting, however, is about content. Discussing this Series with my wife, I absentmindedly said, about the character of Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, "He's a good man." She said, "No he isn't!" I then realized, and told my wife, "That's how he gets away with it!" What does he get away with? Well, everything. He is such a good point man for the company the owner/boss does not care when the weasel tells the boss about his identity theft. A side issue there is, of course, the weasel, Pete, who has committed a Federal crime by opening mail that is not his, is so smart he is stupid. Why? It's the same reason Draper willingly takes him into the boss's office to reveal the ID theft, realizing that Pete is not realizing that the real big killer info is that Draper is a Jew. Don might as well quickly take Pete up on his threat to go to the boss, rather than submit to blackmail, as soon as possible before Pete gets around to thinking about the real career killer, right? That is not in the show yet, but I bet it will be, eventually. (Wonder why Don got along so well with Rachel?) If Pete had deduced that, then Draper would never take him to the boss. Telling the boss about an upsetting issue the boss would not care about is a whole lot different than the worst thing anyone, anywhere, even his wife could find out. Notice how Don did not hesitate taking Pete to the boss? You wait. At least that is what I would be writing into the scripts. With the archaic attitudes of that company's brass, about Jews, that info would have gotten Draper fired and blacklisted, which, of course, from our point of view now days is about as stupid as smoking all the time. Thank heavens things have evolved! Don's wife is played so well. Don is so good at everything she is happy to be the zero she is. Constantly made aware of how lucky she is, she sits in agonizing unhappiness, the reason for which she cannot explain nor express even to herself. She is so unhappy. They all are. This show is so well done that it ranks right up there with the best of Shakespearian Tragedies. At every turn we are shown their pathetic, truly unhappy existence, all of them, all the time, no matter what any of them are endeavoring to accomplish, no matter what roles they play. It's genius! It's one of the saddest stories ever produced in the entertainment world.

I have heard people rave about this show and how smartly written it is, and how well it captures the atmosphere of the 1960s. It doesn't. It captures the LOOK of the '60s brilliantly, but otherwise, it's a caricature of that era. EVERY male character is a despicable, philandering, sexist pig who leads a pathetically empty life devoid of real meaning. Every suburban scene positively drips with the implication that these people all live utterly superficial, meaningless, shallow, phony lives, wearing polite smiles that they show each other, even as they connive and gossip maliciously behind each others' backs. And no one, but NO ONE is actually happy. Every man and woman walks through life like a robot, doing what's expected and appropriate, and all secretly unhappy and unfulfilled. There are no characters who really like their jobs, no husbands and fathers who truly love their wives and children, no wives who are genuinely happy to be raising their kids because they love them and love motherhood, etc. What we seem to have here is an overreaction to the classic "Leave It To Beaver" or "Father Knows Best" view of life presented in the shows of this era. If those shows over-sanitized life and presented a too idealized vision of American life, then I think this one goes too far in the other direction, and tries to make life back then look stylish and sharp on the surface, but totally rotten, corrupt, cheap, and ugly underneath. The truth almost certainly lies somewhere in between. Take a look at how people behave on this show. While I'm sure sexism and sexual harassment were a bit worse back then, it simply couldn't have been THIS bad. In one scene, in the first episode, one of the young executives looks a new girl up and down like a piece of meat, and then proceeds to offer gratuitous and explicit criticism of her her appearance and advice on how to sex herself up, right to her face. Come on! Sexual harassment was, as I said, probably worse back then, but this is outrageously rude behavior by ANY standard, and I know that simple good manners and politeness did exist back then. The same character then asks this girls boss when he can have his turn with her, as though it simply goes without saying that she'll sleep with him; it's just a regular perk that goes along with the job, like having a key to the executive washroom. Later on, another male character, who hasn't been so crude, spends a little time building rapport with this same girl, and she's glad to meet someone who appears genuinely nice and friendly. And then the next thing you know, he gets her in an office, locks the door, and tries to start taking her clothes off. Message loud and clear: he's just like all the rest. Now really, was there ever a time when ALL men just took it for granted that every attractive woman was available and willing, and any woman who is nice to a guy will just roll onto her back for him at the first opportunity? I don't think so. And the writer's portrayal of racism, and classism is every bit as much a caricature as their portrayal of sexism. This show is stylish, the dialogue is smartly written, the actors' performances are top notch, and the production values are superb. The show recaptures the appearance of the early 1960s brilliantly. But the treatment of how people lived and worked and acted is not nearly so well done.

I recently watched clips of Mad Men on Hulu. I found it very interesting and when Amazon had a sale, I bought Season 1. I have now just finished a marathon session of watching Season 1, and this show blew me away!! I only intended to watch a couple of episodes, but got so caught up in it, that I spent the entire day watching all 13 episodes. I don't know how true the show is to Madison Avenue, but there is no political correctness here--the attitudes expressed on the show, while totally unacceptable today, all feel true and believable for the setting and time period. It was shocking to see a pregnant woman drinking and smoking (because they did that then) and other things shown on the show. I'm glad that most of those things are not done today, but know that people did act that way then. The direction, sets, crisp dialogue, and depth of talent of the ensemble cast, most of whom I was unfamiliar with, are all incredible. The only casting quibble I had was with the actor who portrayed the much younger "little" brother of Don Draper, who just looked and felt wrong to me. He looked as old or older than Don. The other supporting cast members, were great. My favorites are gorgeous Jon Hamm of course, along with January Jones, and Elizabeth Moss. This is truly a great show.

Just a warning to anybody who has moral standards and does not agree with smoking drinking or people wearing extremely tight clothes I would say you will probably not like this show. The first season is based on true events, but then it goes completely off on the second season and they start adding more stuff that’s never happened. Otherwise this show is great. I watched it on television and now I own it.