I have a serious disdain for network television because I hate commercials - I have for a long time now - so if there's a show coming on TV that I want to see, I'll wait for it to hit the streaming services before I'll watch it. This means that I normally don't see the show while it's in its prime, but will watch it later after all the clamor has died down.
Such is the case with "Mad Men." I'd heard a lot about this series and put it on my list of shows to watch, and two weeks ago I started watching it on HBO+. I finished the series two days ago, and to say that I'm very disappointed would be an understatement. There were lots of good and bad things about the series, so I'll start off with the good stuff.
Christina Hendricks. Hands down THE BEST reason to watch the show. Not only is she an excellent actress, but she's drop-dead gorgeous as well. If you have a thing for well endowed women and redheads as I do, then you're gonna love seeing her in this show. She played her character perfectly, a smooth, sophisticated, smart as a whip woman who was able to hold her own against any man, a rare thing in the '60s. I was VERY disappointed when the writers had her compromise her values and sleep with a prospective customer to get his business; I don't think her character would have done that considering how smart and independent she was, but the writers had her do it anyway. It took away from her character just a bit, but I guess it made her human at the same time.
Robert Morse was a gem in this show as Bertram Cooper, one of the founders of the ad agency. Quirky to be sure - you had to take your shoes off when you entered his office - but smart as a whip as well. He was the wise elder in the show, and one of the rare few that didn't jump into bed with anyone who passed by. (More on that in a few.)
I think the thing I liked about the show the most was its historical accuracy (something that it was praised for) and the way they included the events of the '60s into the show's plotline. If it was important and happened in the '60s, it was in the show - the Playboy Clubs, the 1960 elections, JFK's assassination, MLK's assassination, RFK's assassination, Kent State, the Vietnam War, the Apollo 11 moon landing - it was all there, and was very well blended into the show.
I was also impressed with the mannerisms, fashions, cars, and furniture used in the show. You could trace the progress of the '60s by the character's clothing, cars, and furniture. They even used a silver aluminum Christmas tree in one of the episodes, something that I remember from my childhood when my father bought one of those silver monstrosities. This show was truly a glimpse into a time capsule of the '60s, and in that aspect it was very well done.
The one thing that really stood out about the show was that everybody smoked. And I mean EVERYBODY. And they smoked everywhere - at work, in the office, in restaurants, in airplanes, on trains, everywhere. And I remember that very clearly from when I was growing up. I remember the stink of cigarettes wafting through the air whenever someone lit up in a restaurant or, worse yet, in an airplane. The first time I walked into the Personnel Office at my first base I walked into a large room filled with both desks and a blue haze of cigarette smoke. There was an ashtray with a cigarette burning in it on almost every desk, so this part of the '60s was accurately portrayed.
Now for the bad stuff.
If the men truly treated women in the workplace in real life as they did in the show - and I'm sure they did or they wouldn't have shown it - then it's no wonder that the women eventually rose up and demanded better treatment. The men were shallow, condescending, and arrogant, expecting every woman in the workplace to fall on her back and spread her legs at his command. Either that or they were expected to be "step and fetch it" employees, maids in dressy clothing to service their every whim. I'm very glad to say that we've come a very long way since then!
Most of the characters had the morals of an alley cat, especially the men. The main character, Don Draper, went after anything in a skirt despite the fact that he was married - twice. ALL of the men (with the exception of Bertram Cooper) had various and assorted flings with several women, while all of them were married. Again, I'm sure this was the way it was back then, although I hope it wasn't as prevalent as the show depicted. In any event, this continual cheating on wives and running around got to be boring after a while and took away from the show.
The ending sucked, especially with the way the main character, Don Draper, ended up. The ad agency they were all working for got swallowed up by their competitor, with only two of the main characters staying with the company. The rest left (or died) either before the merger or shortly after. There was one character that I found especially obnoxious in that he was egotistical, self-centered, rude, insulting, and a total ungrateful asshole. I spent the entire series waiting for him to get what he deserved, but that moment never came. He ended up being offered a better job with a better company for much higher pay, a private jet, a personal car, and his wife got back with him after she left him because he cheated on her (surprise, surprise). Christina Hendrick's character left the agency and started her own production company, which I was glad to see.
But the biggest disappointment was what happened to the main character, Don Draper. He was a millionaire, a free spirit who quit the agency after the merger because they treated him like crap, demoting him from a senior partner to a copy manager. He was just divorced for the second time (another big surprise) and had the chance to do anything he wanted with his life, so what did he do? He spent 9 months roaming around the country, ending up in California where he - hang on to your hats - joined a commune. The show ended with him sitting on the ground in the classic 'lotus' meditation position, the ocean in the background, humming while some hippie led them all in a meditative chant, a stupid smile on his face.
I mean, c'mon, really? You have this handsome millionaire who can charm the panties off of a nun and is as smart as a whip, has no ties to anyone or anything and can come and go as he pleases, and he ends up in a freakin' commune? Nope, I ain't buying it. I would rather have seen him get killed off than end up like this.
Was the series worth the watch? Yes, if nothing else for the accurate depiction of a decade that I was a very small child in and didn't realize what was going on in the adult world. It also gave you a very detailed and educational look into the world of advertising, something I found very interesting.
And Christina Hendricks. Yowza!
Would I watch it again? Not unless you strapped me to a chair.
So last night I started watching "Suits," another show I'd heard a lot about. I just hope this one turns out better than "Mad Men." (Yeah, I know one of the main characters gets caught and goes to prison.)
We'll see.
