Go Mad

A short while back, in passing, I mentioned that I'd started to watch the TV series Mad Men, curious to see if it lived up to the hype I'd been hearing. Well, the new third season begins next week, and I can not only say I'm caught up, but eager to pick up the show at this point.

For those not in the know, Mad Men is an AMC series set in an advertising firm in New York. The "twist," so to speak, is that it's a period piece; season one takes place in 1960, and season two in 1962.

The show gets a great deal of material out of portraying the differences of nearly fifty years ago. Sometimes it's simply for a quick joke, like how no one would appreciate an invention, new at the time, that became part of daily life a short while later. Other times, it's a warm feeling of "difference" about the celebrities or products of the time. Most often, however, it's played for dramatic and emotional content, a major shock to the modern sensibility of what was a cultural norm in the time frame.

It took me a little while to build to the show. I thought it enjoyable right out of the gate, but it wasn't until most of the way through the first season that it really grabbed my attention. This is because the show is, first and foremost, a character drama. As such, you have to reach a point of really caring about the characters before things affect you as an audience.

But they do get there in fine fashion. The very clever writing gives you things to love and hate about all the characters. Someone can be making life a living hell for another character one week, and then the next week can show a soft, dejected side that has you feeling sorry for him instead. Even secondary characters feel like fully realized people that don't merely service the plot -- they often are the plot.

Season two was especially great for Mad Men. It took things down increasingly dark paths, exposing a dark underbelly to the clichéd nuclear family of the 60s. It also, while not exactly ending in a cliffhanger, did set a few major elements into motion that should lend for some exciting new storytelling in the season about to begin.

The costumes and sets look amazing and authentic for the time frame -- and with just the right tough of phoniness that feels right for people that sell phony for a living.

The acting is top notch. The leads are riveting, and every member of the supporting cast steps up for the one or two times a season when an episode turns a greater spotlight onto them. Guest stars are routinely of a caliber that makes one-off appearances into recurring roles.

Mad Men is definitely a show for anyone who likes their dramas to be character first and easy answers never. I'd rate the first season a B+, and the second season an A. And while you probably don't have time to get caught up at this point, you could always TiVo or tape the new episodes to save til you do.