Lionsgate Films | 2009 | 611 mins. | Not rated
Even after three seasons, Mad Men still remains one of the most original and compelling dramas on television. Aided by a top notch group of actors and first rate writers, each episode is riveting. Every moment moves the story forward and each character has a well defined role to play. Further, the writers and producers never seem to let things get stale; changing things just enough to keep stories fresh and new, without seeming unfinished.
As season 2 ended, Sterling Cooper was sold to a British company—Putnam, Powell, and Lowe—the effects on the office are immediately apparent. Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) is a British PPL manager, is brought in to tighten budgets and make Sterling Cooper as profitable as possible. This new edict means there are plenty of firings, and in a rather strange move, both Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) and Ken (Aaron Staton) are promoted to Account Director, which clearly is a method to see which man is better for the job. Sal Romano (Bryan Batt) begins directing television commercials. Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) is now Joan Harris, having married the young would-be surgeon who raped her halfway through the second season.
The center of the show continues to be Don Draper (Jon Hamm). Don and his wife Betty (January Jones) have reconciled, and the birth of their third child is imminent. Betty’s father Gene (Ryan Cutrona) moves in with the family as his encroaching dementia becomes more pronounced. Once Gene passes away, it becomes very clear that major changes are in store for the family. The death of her grandfather sets young Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka), into an unexpected tailspin of emotions.
When Betty goes into labor in episode 5 (“The Fog”), the anesthetics unleash bizarre hallucinations, the precise meaning of which could be debated at length, but which clearly indicate one thing – she isn’t happy. In episode 8 (“Souvenir”), Betty accompanies Don on a business trip to Rome. Its a few days of magic, but they only serve to reinforce her dissatisfaction with life as a housewife in suburban Ossining. Don, no stranger to affairs, quickly finds comfort in the arms of Sally’s teacher. But the real surprise here is Betty, who finds herself increasingly attracted to Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley), an aide to Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Henry makes it clear he has fallen in love with Betty, and for the first time in her life, Betty realizes there are other options outside of Don.
“Seven Twenty Three”, not only showed the evolution of Don and Betty’s potentially hazardous new relationships, but also showed Don in the most vulnerable position we’ve ever seen him. In order to land a huge account, the usually laid back, unassuming Bertram “Bert” Cooper (Robert Morse), blackmails Don over his theft of the “Don Draper” identity, forcing Don to sign a three-year contract. The portrayal of Bert in this episode was a perfect example of the clever, layered writing Mad Men is so skilled at.
While Betty and Don certainly dominate the season, other characters do manage to make their presence felt. Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Pete Campbell are struggling to find their places in the new Sterling Cooper. Both want greater opportunity, and neither feels appreciated for their contribution (which, in Campbell’s case, includes some unusual new accounts and creative, though not always popular, new marketing strategies).
The season ended with the phenomenal “Shut the Door. Have a Seat.” While there was a level of personal sadness for one of the major characters, overall, the episode was filled with a greater sense of energy and excitement than usual. We got to watch Don, Roger, Bert and an unlikely ally take a huge risk which only made me long to see next season.
Mad Men’s look is stellar, and this encompasses production design, photography, and the enhanced 1.78:1 transfers on this four-disc set. The sets and costumes are flawless, exemplifying the simple elegance and pared-back design aesthetic of the era. The transfers provide high-contrast, crystal-clear pictures that are vital to our participation in the stories told here.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks on these episodes are sharp, clear, and highly dynamic. Surrounds are not aggressive; they are woven into the rest of the show’s soundscape in a seemingly effortless way, which assists the show’s realism. The range of the mix is excellent, and directional audio is used quite well, even when limited to only two channels.
The set comes with a solid slate of special features:
• Each episode is accompanied by a commentary track; of the thirteen total episodes, nine feature not one but two commentary tracks. The dual tracks are generally split between cast and crew members. All of the principals are represented on these tracks. Participants include creator Matthew Weiner, stars Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Jared Harris, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, and Vincent Kartheiser, along with numerous writers, crew members, supporting cast and guest actors. These tracks are highly informative.
Disc 1:
• Medgar Evers: An Unsung Hero – Part 1 (39:11), detailins the tragic murder touched on in one of the third season’s early episodes. Including interviews with Evers’ surviving family, this moving documentary paints a vivid picture of life in the South during the last days of segregation.
Disc 2:
• Medgar Evers: An Unsung Tragedy – Part 2 (31:13), concluding the featurette begun on Disc 1.
• Mad Men Illustrated (14:00), a look at Dyna Moe, the graphic designer behind the online fad.
Disc 3:
• Clearing the Air: The History of Cigarette Advertising (45:25, total) split into two parts, Part 1 running 25:28 and Part 2 19:58. As any aficionado of this series will tell you, smoking occurs virtually nonstop by almost all of the characters, and this fascinating documentary ties that all in to the history of ads for tobacco products.
• We Shall Overcome: The March on Washington (16:56), an effective pictorial overview of the event accompanied by audio of Dr. King’s historic speech.
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