The Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Lungs, Everywhere

I watched Mad Men for the first time. I’ve been interested in the show for awhile but never made time to watch it. It gets good buzz and wins Emmys. You could say I had high expectations. Except for one voice in the wilderness railing against the show and the honours it receives. My partner in crime around these parts, Lindsay, has no love for this show. I think I may know why. As you get to know us you’ll see that we rate shows on a balls curve (not a typo). We like shows that take big risks, and try new things. Even if the execution isn’t perfect, we give credit for effort. I’ve watched the first 5 episodes of Mad Men, I don’t think Lindsay got much farther, and so far it’s just a show.

In the first 5 episodes the show reflects it’s cartoon intro, it’s pretty but lacks depth. Now don’t get me wrong it is a very good looking show, very well executed. The hair/makeup/wardrobe department deserve all the kudos they receive. The sets are lovely. The CGI backdrops, well for the most part they look like CGI. The cast of course is very pretty. Jon Hamm is a good looking man. Christina Hendricks is stacked. I’m glad the girl has a well paying job because she could never buy clothes off the rack. The rest are all nice to look at, apparently in the past there were no ugly people. The show is also well cast; everyone seems to fit their role like a glove. The characters themselves are somewhat interesting but at this point they lack substance.

I think what’s going to be my biggest barrier to the show is that I don’t care about Don Draper and his bullshit problems. I know this must be some form of sacrilege, but I need less Draper and more everybody else. The first 5 focus heavily on what we know and do not know about Don. I think I was supposed to be intrigued. What I was, was kind of bored and irritated. We first meet him at his job where I guess he is some sort of ad writing genius, saving the big cigarette client with the slogan, “It’s toasted.” I guess that sounds like some crap we the public would swallow. There is such adoration for Don Draper in the media that I was surprised to find that the character is such an asshole. Which isn’t a problem necessarily, I like a good anti-hero as much as the next girl. Right now I just don’t understand what I’m supposed to like about the character. His step-mommy was mean to him, he faked his own death, changed his name, built up this whole new life, and is always unsatisfied. He is an over grown man child trying to sell himself and the image he created more than any product.

So far his main characteristic is extreme selfishness. He drove past his daughters birthday party with her cake in the car, and let everyone think he could be in a ditch somewhere, cause he just couldn’t take being around those people anymore. Seriously he went and parked by the train tracks and moped. His long lost brother came back in the 5th episode. I don’t know if this was supposed to be a shock, but since we don’t really know this character yet he could be anyone. Draper has a long lost brother, sure why not. At one point I thought Draper was going to kill his brother just to protect his secret. He just paid him $5000 to leave town and never come back. However the scene was shot so we wouldn’t be sure what was going to happen until he pulled out the money. We don’t really know what the character is capable of or why he is doing the stuff he is doing yet. To me he is just a selfish brat right now, so I don’t care about his motivation. I don’t hate the character but I hope the show goes towards a more ensemble feel and not just all Don all the time.

Plus everyone else is so much more interesting. At first I was worried that the show was set in the 60s so that they could get away with all the rampant sexism, but the female characters are starting to hold their own. So far I find Don’s long suffering wife the most interesting. I know January Jones gets some crap online but I like her understated performance. I think she really gets across how Betty is trying to hold on to the life she is supposed to want while slowly being eaten up by anxiety and the fear that it’s all going to go away. I like that, despite herself, she is starting to form a friendship with the neighbourhood single mom divorcee. A fate she is desperate to avoid. In a world where image is the most important thing she is the picture perfect housewife. Speaking of the single mom, so far Helen Bishop is awesome. Strong willed, sure of herself, and not taking crap from anybody. I really hope she doesn’t sleep with Don Draper. I haven’t seen enough of the office ladies. I can’t really judge Christina Hendricks’ character Joan Harris yet. She is the experienced lady who has been around the office a few times, and is always available for some good gossip and sage advice but we don’t really know her. Elisabeth Moss plays Peggy, and from what I hear she becomes a very important character. For now she is just kind of there, the fish out of water small town girl trying to make it in the big city. I’m not sure why she slept with Pete in the first episode when he showed up drunk at her apartment. I would have called the cops myself, but I guess she enjoyed his leering creepy behaviour at the office.

Pete Campbell, said creeper, is totally my favourite. He is as big an asshole prick as Draper but I just enjoy him so much more. I watched the first episode being driven crazy by how familiar he looked.Vincent Kartheiser played Connor on Angel. Or as I said "Oh my god it's Connor!!" I swear that's not why his is my favourite, everybody hated Connor. His constant sucking up to Draper while trying to undermine him is hilarious. He is the classic over-privileged jerk, saddled with insecurities, and inadequacies. His friend and co-worker Ken got a short story published in a magazine his father reads so Pete practically asked his new bride to whore herself out to her ex and get him published too. His wife is played by Allison Brie, so don’t feel too bad for her, in another life she gets to make out with Joel Mchale. Pete at least has some self awareness when it comes to his assholeness. “Then I come to this place and you tell me I’m good with people, which is strange, because I’ve never heard that before.” I enjoy watching him try and scheme his way to the top only to get slapped back down. The other mad men to stick out were Sal the artist/closeted homosexual and Paul the copywriter. Sal is funny and I hear they do, do something with him. Paul said he’d kill himself if they cancelled The Twilight Zone, instantly endearing himself to me.

So far watching the show has been an enjoyable experience. The set up is interesting. I like most of the characters, but at this point they mostly exist in their own bubbles. Nobody seems to have any real bonds with anybody else which to me makes the whole thing superficial. I know superficiality is part of the point. We create our own image and sell it, while inside everything is different. I’m looking to see more of the inside stuff. Right now it’s an enjoyable show that looks good, I hope it adds some layers. I will keep watching to try and figure out what all the fuss is about. I’m not yet sure what makes this show stand out from the crowd. Also I hope that Don Draper gets slapped a few times good and hard.

Side note: Is Helen's kid Glen the creepiest kid ever or what. I'm just going to stand her and watch you go to the bathroom, also can I have a piece of your hair. *shudders*

Also if anybody does read this and wants to comment (comments are love, even to tell me what a blind jerk I am), please try not to spoil me. I like surprises.