Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2009 > September > 01 > Entry
What is going on with ‘Mad Men’?
What exactly is going on with “Mad Men”? For those of us who were eagerly awaiting, for what seems like ages, the return of the critically acclaimed AMC hit, it has been a very slow and ambiguous start to season three, to say the least.
While last season got off to a somewhat cryptic start, it at least tantalized audiences and made me long for the next episode. With each episode, and almost every scene, a big reveal constantly felt like it could be around the corner. With this season, barring the Peggy Olson weed smoking bit in episode three (which was well written and perfectly performed by Elisabeth Moss), nothing terribly shocking or even interesting has happened and any revelations of the characters’ interior lives have been rather trite and expected. (I did like the creepy look Peter kept giving to the bosses while dancing, begging for their approval and admiration. Of course, we already know he is a scumbag. Also felt some trippy nostalgia in the bar scene that felt somewhat reminiscent early on of the bar in “The Shining.”)
Matthew Weiner and his crew have done a terrific job of building suspense and intrigue in the show’s first two seasons, while examining some delicious and extreme characters, but the characters all seem wooden and two-dimensional so far this year, and each sequence seems to end on a flat note.
Maybe my trouble comes from having had the benefit of watching the first two seasons on DVD, never having to wait a week for the next episode, but there is so little tension this year, nothing that makes me excited for the coming week. As David Itzkoff writes in his Arts Beat on NYTIMES.com, “Increasingly, Matthew Weiner, a former “Sopranos” producer, and his “Mad Men” writing staff seem to be so enamored with their characters that they are content to assemble them in potentially interesting settings, let the cameras linger on them and hope that an interesting scene emerges. This unhurried strategy may produce the occasionally transcendent image — think of Don and Betty Draper kissing in the moonlight at the end of the episode — but doesn’t do much to advance the internal narrative of the series.”
However, much like my faith in Houston Rockets architect, general manager Daryl Morey, I will give “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner the benefit of the doubt and trust that he is building something here that I can solidly get behind. The creepy slowness does give the subtle feel of the quiet before the storm. Maybe Weiner set the kettle to slow burn this season and soon we will all be drenched with the hyper-stylistic drama we fell in love with over the past two years. Let’s hope that is the case, anyways.
Image from AMC.
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By wdh3
September 1, 2009 3:54 PM | Link to this
thought the Work-the-Weekend storyline and long talks with a man at the bar was just to save money on cast. that is how it appeared, what is cool about the show in prev seasons was the thick texture. it better get on with it.
By rob
September 1, 2009 4:17 PM | Link to this
I disagree. It’s the same pace as always. Continuous watching via DVD hides that. I actually thought Episode 1 of this season was trying too hard to create action and plot and got away from what makes the show great: the focus on the characters. Now we’re back to where we should be.
Maybe you should just wait for Season 3 DVD to come out.
By Dale Roe
September 1, 2009 5:02 PM | Link to this
Y’all are gonna’ push this show to move faster and faster and kill it, just like you did with “Twin Peaks.” Relax. We’re only 3 episodes in. Enjoy it. And if you don’t enjoy it, there are about 50 fast-paced procedurals you can watch instead; they each tell an entire story in one episode. I swear, the kids these days have no patience for character-driven stories. :-)
By Oh, Steph
September 1, 2009 5:20 PM | Link to this
Matthew, you disappoint me. They are laying on the foreshadowing so thick I could cut it with a cocktail knife and spread it on toastpoints. As Grandpa Gene said re: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, all hell is about to break loose.
I can’t wait.
By Susie
September 3, 2009 4:23 PM | Link to this
I’m glad to find someone who agrees with me. It’s been a disappointing start, hope it gets better!!!