On the outside, "Mad Men" didn't look like a show I would really get into. I generally prefer mysteries, science fiction, or political thrillers. After watching just an episode or two of this show, however, I was quickly hooked. Why? It just does SO MANY things right.
For a basic plot summary, "Mad Men: Season One" is the story of advertising firm Sterling Cooper in 1960. Under the jocular yet focused direction of Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Donald Draper (Jon Hamm) is the top ad man in the company. At first glance, it seems like an "idyllic society" where the men work and are supported by the women in their lives. Yet, we quickly come to find that the stereotypes and prejudices of the time (especially involving women and health) are not nearly as ideal as they seem. It is a "simpler" time, no doubt, but only in a certain definition of that word "simple".
Trying to summarize this first season would take volumes, because there is just so much going on. Here are the key points that really impressed me:
-The almost surreal nature of the advertising business at that time. Draper and his crew have extremely high-pressure jobs that produce high drama, yet the atmosphere is like a "good 'ole boys" club, complete with attitudes, jokes, and actions that would be abhorrent today.
-The role of women on the show. Betty Draper (January Jones), secretary Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), and office "matron" Joan (Christine Hendricks) are all examples of the unique struggles of females during that time period.
-The way the show really puts you into the 1960s. Some period pieces can seem "old", but this one feels real.
Perhaps the hallmark of the entire first season, however, is the notion of the viewer trying to separate the "fantasy" from the "reality". I did not live through the 1960s, so I cannot directly comment on the accuracy of the social barometer shown in the series, but it was fascinating to me to wonder if this is how people once lived in our country. It isn't better or it isn't worse than today's life, just...different.
Overall, I will continue to watch "Mad Men" into the second season because I am hooked on the characters and their predicaments.