Mad Men - Season 4

Channel: Movie Extra
Day & time: Thursday, 8.30 p.m.

If you haven’t seen Mad Men yet, you’re missing out. There’s a reason it has won so many Emmys and Golden Globes, along with an ever-increasing viewer base. The mix of social commentary, irony, drama, and characters makes this television series something that has to be seen. Currently in its fourth season, now is the time to get in on the madness.

Mad Men follows the lives of the employees working for an advertising company. It’s all about the hustle of the industry and the prestige that came with it. Set in the 60s, the number one aspect of Mad Men has been its startlingly vivid depiction of that time. From the fashion and trends, to the attitudes and mentalities, the show manages to recreate a decade for a newer generation. It’s intoxicating watching these admen go about their daily business in kitsch suits and slicked back hair. It feels genuine.

The smoke-filled settings and even the camera angles and colours build a sensation of having stepped back in time. However, there are some issues that have arisen because of the exactness of the replication. Namely it is the attitudes towards women that have raised the most ire in some critics. This is certainly a fair point, but the show doesn’t over-emphasise chauvinism, nor does it laud it and parade it as a lifestyle we have sadly lost. We merely see the world as it was. Mad Men lays it all out on the table. It may not directly address issues of the past, but it does show them for they really were. It’s also clear that many of the women do hold some power in the office and in relationships throughout each series. The women are strong characters in their own right, and at times are not to be trifled with.

The characters, and the actors that play the roles, are what bring the show to life. All the performances are solid. There is conflict aplenty, but you will definitely want to watch from Season One in order to fully comprehend and enjoy it. There are quite a few revelations and most of the characters go through a lot of growth. Every journey is an interesting one, whether it’s Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) receiving a promotion, or Don Draper (Jon Hamm) revealing a dark secret. There’s a lot going on, and the drama just builds and builds. If it’s the realistic setting that draws you in, it’s the action that holds you there.

It can’t all be serious though; what would any great show be without a few laughs? Aside from the humorous scenes that result from copious amounts of drinking in the office (and that happens often) the show does have a healthy dose of irony throughout. Part of what takes the sting out of the sexism is the ability for the show to be a little wink-wink, nudge-nudge. One scene in particular has Don staying up all night contemplating the fact that his best friend has cancer. And what does he do to stay awake? Why, he chain-smokes of course. Mad Men is nothing if not true to the era.

This really is a TV series that you must catch up on. Season Four has almost finished airing in the US, so take this suggestion and rent or buy the others soon. A television series with this much strength in all aspects—acting; writing; production values—doesn’t come along that often, so for true quality check out Mad Men. You would be crazy not to.

Thomas Wilson