“Mad Men” is the cure for the common TV show.*
Spoiler Alert: Whenever I write about TV series, it will always have spoilers. In case you want to know what this is about, it is about “Mad Men” Season Four. Feel free to read if you have no plans of watching “Mad Men” or if you do not give a damn on spoilers. After all, this write-up is for general insights learned from the TV show so that anyone can (hopefully) relate.
I have been thinking it out for weeks. Is “Mad Men” Season Four the best TV season of all-time? After watching “The Beautiful Girls” (Episode 9), I already felt that this is the best “Mad Men” season (more on that later). The acting, plot and the themes were superb. I have at least re-watched each episode since “The Crysanthemum and the Sword” (Episode 5) and even if I already knew the plot, there are just too many new factors that amazed me every time I re-watch an episode.
But before we get to the finale, let us discuss the various themes from this season.
Note: I have not watched “The Sopranos” or “The Wire.” Thus if you want to contend that these series’ seasons are marginally better, I cannot argue with you.
* - taken from a signature of one IMDB user. This is a good reference to one of the brilliant advertising pitches that Don Draper made this season.
“Why I’m Quitting Tobacco”
Spoiler Alert: Whenever I write about TV series, it will always have spoilers. In case you want to know what this is about, it is about “Mad Men” Season Four. Feel free to read if you have no plans of watching “Mad Men” or if you do not give a damn on spoilers. After all, this write-up is for general insights learned from the TV show so that anyone can (hopefully) relate.
I have been thinking it out for weeks. Is “Mad Men” Season Four the best TV season of all-time? After watching “The Beautiful Girls” (Episode 9), I already felt that this is the best “Mad Men” season (more on that later). The acting, plot and the themes were superb. I have at least re-watched each episode since “The Crysanthemum and the Sword” (Episode 5) and even if I already knew the plot, there are just too many new factors that amazed me every time I re-watch an episode.
But before we get to the finale, let us discuss the various themes from this season.
Note: I have not watched “The Sopranos” or “The Wire.” Thus if you want to contend that these series’ seasons are marginally better, I cannot argue with you.
* - taken from a signature of one IMDB user. This is a good reference to one of the brilliant advertising pitches that Don Draper made this season.
“Why I’m Quitting Tobacco”
Don Draper delivered one of the gutsiest and most brilliant moves of all-time in the penultimate episode. Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP) was in deep trouble after their biggest client, Lucky Strike, left them due to organizational restructuring. With no financial stability, SCDP lost its clients one by one. In the 1960’s, advertising companies rely a lot on cigarette companies. Just by watching “Mad Men,” you will observe that the characters smoke cigarettes at least fifteen times per episode.
Getting potential clients were difficult for Don Draper and his colleagues. No matter how great Draper’s reputation was, possible clients like Heinz refused to commit due to the financial instability. It came to a point that Peggy Olson even suggested that they change their brand name because of the stink left by Lucky Strike. Because the idea of “financial struggle because of no tobacco client” was branded to SCDP, Don Draper made an impulsive but smart move. Armed with his journal-writing skills (which he attained when he was evolving out of his downward spiral), Don Draper wrote an article explaining that their company will no longer handle tobacco brands.
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| The Blogging Don |
In the write-up, Don stated that he will finally get to easily sleep at nights because his conscience is clear – he is not anymore convincing the consumers to buy something that will kill them. He mentioned that after all the years, nothing has changed in the tobacco industry when it comes to alleviating the health concerns of the people. Don even went out boldly stating that the cigarette companies should instead look for SCDP’s competitors when finding ad agencies. This write-up led to a huge outburst from Don’s partners. Of course, they are in the sixties so they do not know how responsible PR like this would help them. As for me, I was standing and applauding the genius behind that move.
Since Season One, “Mad Men” could be considered a bad influence to its viewers with regard to excessive smoking. I get the fact that such portrayal is realistic, however it still implicitly entices the show’s audience to smoke. With Don Draper’s write-up, it changes the show’s promotion of tobacco. It is, in a way, explicitly stating that tobacco is bad. (However, Don still smokes after he wrote this piece… but that’s beside the point)
Last year, most “Mad Men” fans were amazed when SCDP was shrewdly formed. If there was one genius move that had the oomph factor this year, Don Draper’s PR work against tobacco had to be it. Not only was it a good message to the audience, it also epitomizes the paradigm shift as they were about to experience major cultural change. The old conservative moves that Roger Sterling and Bert Cooper knew are going to be replaced by the innovative and savvy ways like Don Draper had. Advertising is not just about convincing the consumers to buy their brand. It is starting to shift to a more responsible advertising. I do not know why I never got this reference whenever I read through “Mad Men” articles, but the main reason (I think) why Midge was in the penultimate episode was the fact that her bohemian friends were the same people who criticized ad men as irresponsible. They tagged advertising as full of lies. I can still remember Don defending ad men in Season 1 by stating that people are indifferent and advertising helps them to see the right way. In this season, Don pretty much admitted that he was that irresponsible liar who convinced people for years by that write-up.
Either way, it is better late than never.
Joan’s Pregnancy
From one responsible message to another responsible message. Long before “tobacco is bad” was implicitly promoted, “Mad Men” has already delivered a message on responsible sex. We saw Peggy easily get pregnant in Season 1. It almost destroyed her life and career. In Season 4, pregnancy changed Joan’s life – but, in a different way.
Since Season One, “Mad Men” could be considered a bad influence to its viewers with regard to excessive smoking. I get the fact that such portrayal is realistic, however it still implicitly entices the show’s audience to smoke. With Don Draper’s write-up, it changes the show’s promotion of tobacco. It is, in a way, explicitly stating that tobacco is bad. (However, Don still smokes after he wrote this piece… but that’s beside the point)
Last year, most “Mad Men” fans were amazed when SCDP was shrewdly formed. If there was one genius move that had the oomph factor this year, Don Draper’s PR work against tobacco had to be it. Not only was it a good message to the audience, it also epitomizes the paradigm shift as they were about to experience major cultural change. The old conservative moves that Roger Sterling and Bert Cooper knew are going to be replaced by the innovative and savvy ways like Don Draper had. Advertising is not just about convincing the consumers to buy their brand. It is starting to shift to a more responsible advertising. I do not know why I never got this reference whenever I read through “Mad Men” articles, but the main reason (I think) why Midge was in the penultimate episode was the fact that her bohemian friends were the same people who criticized ad men as irresponsible. They tagged advertising as full of lies. I can still remember Don defending ad men in Season 1 by stating that people are indifferent and advertising helps them to see the right way. In this season, Don pretty much admitted that he was that irresponsible liar who convinced people for years by that write-up.
Either way, it is better late than never.
Joan’s Pregnancy
From one responsible message to another responsible message. Long before “tobacco is bad” was implicitly promoted, “Mad Men” has already delivered a message on responsible sex. We saw Peggy easily get pregnant in Season 1. It almost destroyed her life and career. In Season 4, pregnancy changed Joan’s life – but, in a different way.
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| Oh, Joanie! You might be preggy, but you're still a hottie! |
Joan and Roger impulsively copulated on one dark night after they experienced tragic incidents like Miss Blankenship’s sudden death and their mugging incident. After a month, Joan found out that she is pregnant. Because she has a husband (obviously, not Roger), Joan had to abort the baby. However, it was never shown that she proceeded with it. This became a topic of whether she did or she did not. Most pundits thought she did. I was actually confident that she did not (more on that later).
In the season finale, it was established that she did not.
There lies the remarkable character development of one of the sexiest characters in TV history. Joan had several abortions prior to this baby, but she finally kept this one. The big kicker would have to be Joan’s conversation with another mother in the clinic. They conversed about the mother’s fifteen year old daughter getting pregnant. The mother thought that Joan had a daughter and asked how old it was. Joan lied and said “fifteen.” It was probably because her first unborn baby was supposed to be 15 years old at that time. It became a huge realization for Joan that a) she has been aborting babies for a long time, and b) she could have taken cared for her daughter the same way as the mother she met in the clinic. Another plot device that led me to believe that Joan did the right thing was when she talked to Roger about the truth on Lucky Strike (over the phone). Joan – by impulse – tried to light a cigarette. However, she hesitated. (Although, this theory was downturned in the finale because it was shown that Joan still smoked – no pun intended – even when she is pregnant.)
What was the biggest clue that made me believe that Joan kept her baby?
I have to say that Joan’s experience this season led to her mature decision. If we are to observe the early episodes, Joan has evolved from being the office hot chick to the ridiculed motherly figure. Joey and Stan disrespected Joan to several degrees. This made her cry when her husband said that she has her officemates as companions once he leaves her for Vietnam. This was also the reason why Joan could not leave her rapist of a husband – she does not have anyone to turn to. This baby just brings the needed companionship for Joan.
Don’s Evolution and The Super-Hot Girl Theory
The biggest shocker of the season’s finale was Don’s decision on who he should marry. Two weeks ago, I wrote on who Don should marry. I stated the reasons why I wanted Don to choose Dr. Faye Miller but, alas, he impulsively picked Megan, the secretary. From the moment Don proposed to Megan up to the end of that episode, I was reeling on how awful his decision was. I was so flabbergasted that it led me to bang my head on the arm of my sofa (which is too soft to have a physical effect on me).
“Mad Men” thrives on character development. We saw Pete Campbell evolve from being a weasel and tattle-tail to a team player who saved Don’s ass. Joan Harris matured from being a vixen to a more responsible wife. Thus, it was apt for me to root for Don Draper this year. He is on an off year (after his divorce) and it felt good to root for an underdog like him. I hoped that Don would learn from his mistakes on Betty. I wished that Don would choose the right wife for him.
If you want an elaborate background of his choices, go to this link (http://theateneanfanalyst.blogspot.com/2010/10/8-random-thoughts-on-women-three-peat.html) and read the last random thought.
My first reaction when Don chose Megan was, “NOOOO!!! You are making a mistake! Why her? That’s so out of character for you.” Let’s repeat it: out of character. Don has always been portrayed as the smart and savvy creative guy. Part of this show’s charm is his brilliant ideas. We rarely see intelligent people make capricious mistakes.
But when I eventually contemplated on it, I realized that Don had several impulsive actions in past seasons. For instance, Don ditched his client meeting/presentation in California to hang out with a hot chick. Don impulsively gave Midge vacation money without thinking of the circumstances. Don might not have developed character-wise, but the writers should not be blamed for doing something out of the character, because it is not.
Having said that, I am still in WTF mode over Don Draper’s decision. I rooted for someone who shattered my hopes by doing a douchebag move in the end (the same with what LeBron did). I was shaking in disbelief because Don learned a little from his relationship with Betty. But before we get to that, let us discuss why Don picked Megan.
I believe Megan became Don’s choice because she showed strong motherly tendencies to Don’s kids. Coming from horrible experiences with Betty, Don may have realized that Megan would serve as a good mother to his kids. This was further seen on Megan’s calm reaction when Sally spilled her milkshake. Don was used to Betty going berserk in disciplining her kids on such scenarios like that. Megan’s no-reaction puzzled Don and his kids because they never knew that it was possible for someone to react calmly. On the mother perspective, Megan was definitely the best choice for Don.
Another good thing about Megan is the fact that she “worships” Don. I am not sure if this applies to a lot of guys, but I could relate to Don with the fact that he likes a woman who chases him. I know that when women play hard-to-get, it always works. However, guys sometimes love some warmth from their women. It was ironic that this revelation came from Don’s girlfriend – Dr. Faye Miller. The secret to getting people what you want is to apply Aesop’s Fable (The Wind and The Sun). We all know the Sun defeated the wind because the Sun was warm, kind and gentle to the traveler. For Don, Megan was “The Sun.”
However, a major part of a relationship is the husband-wife dynamic. Other than being a nice, simple and hot woman, I could not say any positive about Megan. Don barely knows her. They never even dated. I think that she is not even mature enough for such relationships. Don’s relationship with Faye, no matter how flawed it was, was miles better than the Don-Megan tandem. Don and Faye shared secrets. They compromised on each other’s weaknesses. Faye sacrificed a lot just to keep their relationship strong. She did not even complain when she lost her job because of Don’s PR work on tobacco.
It was heart-wrenching to watch Don break up with Faye. Her reaction, “Are you kidding me?!” hit the bull’s eye, because after all she went through, Faye was replaced in an instant. Marrying that replacement just added insult to injury. That scene has got to rank up on one of the most depressing break-ups in TV history.
A week ago, Bill Simmons and Jason Whitlock wrote about Randy Moss as the New England Patriots’ “Unstable, Super-Hot Girl.” It is a theory that if you get an unstable, super-hot girl as your girlfriend, you never marry her. “You tell her what she needs to hear, you might even give her the code to your garage door but you never commit. You enjoy the ride while it lasts and you move on without any hard feelings." In “Mad Men,” Megan is that unstable, super-hot girl. OK, she is not crazy, but she is more unstable than the mature Faye Miller. Other than being motherly to Don’s children, Megan did not have any other strong emotional connections with him. I will not be surprised if Megan ends up the same fate as Betty (who is another unstable, super-hot girl). Both of them are just trophy wives for Don who he never really loved.
Big mistake, Don “Douchebag” Draper. Big Mistake.
Pete’s Maturity
In the season finale, it was established that she did not.
There lies the remarkable character development of one of the sexiest characters in TV history. Joan had several abortions prior to this baby, but she finally kept this one. The big kicker would have to be Joan’s conversation with another mother in the clinic. They conversed about the mother’s fifteen year old daughter getting pregnant. The mother thought that Joan had a daughter and asked how old it was. Joan lied and said “fifteen.” It was probably because her first unborn baby was supposed to be 15 years old at that time. It became a huge realization for Joan that a) she has been aborting babies for a long time, and b) she could have taken cared for her daughter the same way as the mother she met in the clinic. Another plot device that led me to believe that Joan did the right thing was when she talked to Roger about the truth on Lucky Strike (over the phone). Joan – by impulse – tried to light a cigarette. However, she hesitated. (Although, this theory was downturned in the finale because it was shown that Joan still smoked – no pun intended – even when she is pregnant.)
What was the biggest clue that made me believe that Joan kept her baby?
I have to say that Joan’s experience this season led to her mature decision. If we are to observe the early episodes, Joan has evolved from being the office hot chick to the ridiculed motherly figure. Joey and Stan disrespected Joan to several degrees. This made her cry when her husband said that she has her officemates as companions once he leaves her for Vietnam. This was also the reason why Joan could not leave her rapist of a husband – she does not have anyone to turn to. This baby just brings the needed companionship for Joan.
Don’s Evolution and The Super-Hot Girl Theory
The biggest shocker of the season’s finale was Don’s decision on who he should marry. Two weeks ago, I wrote on who Don should marry. I stated the reasons why I wanted Don to choose Dr. Faye Miller but, alas, he impulsively picked Megan, the secretary. From the moment Don proposed to Megan up to the end of that episode, I was reeling on how awful his decision was. I was so flabbergasted that it led me to bang my head on the arm of my sofa (which is too soft to have a physical effect on me).
“Mad Men” thrives on character development. We saw Pete Campbell evolve from being a weasel and tattle-tail to a team player who saved Don’s ass. Joan Harris matured from being a vixen to a more responsible wife. Thus, it was apt for me to root for Don Draper this year. He is on an off year (after his divorce) and it felt good to root for an underdog like him. I hoped that Don would learn from his mistakes on Betty. I wished that Don would choose the right wife for him.
If you want an elaborate background of his choices, go to this link (http://theateneanfanalyst.blogspot.com/2010/10/8-random-thoughts-on-women-three-peat.html) and read the last random thought.
My first reaction when Don chose Megan was, “NOOOO!!! You are making a mistake! Why her? That’s so out of character for you.” Let’s repeat it: out of character. Don has always been portrayed as the smart and savvy creative guy. Part of this show’s charm is his brilliant ideas. We rarely see intelligent people make capricious mistakes.
But when I eventually contemplated on it, I realized that Don had several impulsive actions in past seasons. For instance, Don ditched his client meeting/presentation in California to hang out with a hot chick. Don impulsively gave Midge vacation money without thinking of the circumstances. Don might not have developed character-wise, but the writers should not be blamed for doing something out of the character, because it is not.
Having said that, I am still in WTF mode over Don Draper’s decision. I rooted for someone who shattered my hopes by doing a douchebag move in the end (the same with what LeBron did). I was shaking in disbelief because Don learned a little from his relationship with Betty. But before we get to that, let us discuss why Don picked Megan.
I believe Megan became Don’s choice because she showed strong motherly tendencies to Don’s kids. Coming from horrible experiences with Betty, Don may have realized that Megan would serve as a good mother to his kids. This was further seen on Megan’s calm reaction when Sally spilled her milkshake. Don was used to Betty going berserk in disciplining her kids on such scenarios like that. Megan’s no-reaction puzzled Don and his kids because they never knew that it was possible for someone to react calmly. On the mother perspective, Megan was definitely the best choice for Don.
Another good thing about Megan is the fact that she “worships” Don. I am not sure if this applies to a lot of guys, but I could relate to Don with the fact that he likes a woman who chases him. I know that when women play hard-to-get, it always works. However, guys sometimes love some warmth from their women. It was ironic that this revelation came from Don’s girlfriend – Dr. Faye Miller. The secret to getting people what you want is to apply Aesop’s Fable (The Wind and The Sun). We all know the Sun defeated the wind because the Sun was warm, kind and gentle to the traveler. For Don, Megan was “The Sun.”
However, a major part of a relationship is the husband-wife dynamic. Other than being a nice, simple and hot woman, I could not say any positive about Megan. Don barely knows her. They never even dated. I think that she is not even mature enough for such relationships. Don’s relationship with Faye, no matter how flawed it was, was miles better than the Don-Megan tandem. Don and Faye shared secrets. They compromised on each other’s weaknesses. Faye sacrificed a lot just to keep their relationship strong. She did not even complain when she lost her job because of Don’s PR work on tobacco.
It was heart-wrenching to watch Don break up with Faye. Her reaction, “Are you kidding me?!” hit the bull’s eye, because after all she went through, Faye was replaced in an instant. Marrying that replacement just added insult to injury. That scene has got to rank up on one of the most depressing break-ups in TV history.
A week ago, Bill Simmons and Jason Whitlock wrote about Randy Moss as the New England Patriots’ “Unstable, Super-Hot Girl.” It is a theory that if you get an unstable, super-hot girl as your girlfriend, you never marry her. “You tell her what she needs to hear, you might even give her the code to your garage door but you never commit. You enjoy the ride while it lasts and you move on without any hard feelings." In “Mad Men,” Megan is that unstable, super-hot girl. OK, she is not crazy, but she is more unstable than the mature Faye Miller. Other than being motherly to Don’s children, Megan did not have any other strong emotional connections with him. I will not be surprised if Megan ends up the same fate as Betty (who is another unstable, super-hot girl). Both of them are just trophy wives for Don who he never really loved.
Big mistake, Don “Douchebag” Draper. Big Mistake.
Pete’s Maturity
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| Pete and Ted Chaough-guga |
“Mad Men,” as the cure for the common TV show, always has its character-oriented appeal by showing dark stories. It was only occasional for “Mad Men” fans to be treated with good endings and feel-good narratives (that was why Season 3 had major praise). This season, the feel-good story was on Pete Campbell. In the first season, I viewed Pete as the primary antagonist due to his deceitful ways. He tattle-tailed on Don’s true identity to Bert Cooper in order to move up the corporate ladder. However, Pete has grown a lot since then. He probably learned a lot from his failures and mishaps. His ego had a free fall when Kenny was chosen over him as the Head of Accounts (which was supposed to be a lock for Pete). But amidst all these, he has picked up the pieces and did what was best for the company – no matter how they took him for granted.
Pete’s loyalty was further emphasized in Season 4. Despite of a looming chance at being SCDP’s face, he gave up a three million dollar account just to save Don Draper’s life. Not only did he save Don, Pete even took all the blame. When SCDP was losing accounts, Ted Chaough tried to pirate Pete. He was in the face of a potentially huge debt yet Pete patiently stayed with SCDP. It was good sight to see when Pete stated how confident he was for Don during their meeting with the Cancer Society. On a dark season of downward spirals, corporate failures and relationships gone wrong, Pete’s story – no matter how subtle it was put – was the feel-good moment of the year.
Peggy’s Shining Moment
Pete’s loyalty was further emphasized in Season 4. Despite of a looming chance at being SCDP’s face, he gave up a three million dollar account just to save Don Draper’s life. Not only did he save Don, Pete even took all the blame. When SCDP was losing accounts, Ted Chaough tried to pirate Pete. He was in the face of a potentially huge debt yet Pete patiently stayed with SCDP. It was good sight to see when Pete stated how confident he was for Don during their meeting with the Cancer Society. On a dark season of downward spirals, corporate failures and relationships gone wrong, Pete’s story – no matter how subtle it was put – was the feel-good moment of the year.
Peggy’s Shining Moment
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| Got Lipstick? |
Ooops! I lied. There was another feel-good story. Ironically, it is from Pete’s secret lover from Season 1 – Peggy Olson. Through the years, we have seen how Peggy evolved as a character. At the culture shift perspective, Peggy is actually the best creative person (yes, not Don) that SCDP has. This season, Peggy has immersed a lot with the changing culture. She experienced activism first-hand. She tried innovative ways that appeared to be taboo then (i.e., the staged ham fight, working naked – which is still taboo up to now). Above it all, Peggy gained some sensible wisdom. It is quite ironic that the apprentice (Peggy) was the one who realized how stupid her master (Don) was (when Don got engaged with Megan). After all, Peggy was accurately right for most of the season. She was the one who guided Don to write the PR work on tobacco. She was the person who put Don into his right senses when he stole Danny’s idea (Life – the cure for the common breakfast). Peggy was even the reason why Don was out of his misery.
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| Peggy's reaction = Priceless |
Peggy’s reaction to the news was epic. You can read the line, “Seriously?! You’ve got to be kidding me!” on her facial reaction.
Continue to Part 2 | Part 3
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