What’s this show called … Mad Men?

Unlike the cable network itself, I haven’t had much success with AMC original series. Not that I’ve found them to be bad TV, but … Breaking Bad scared me away when Walt chained the drug dealer to a pipe with a bicycle lock; Rubicon failed to grip me after four episodes, and I was forced to give up for lack of interest … well, Mad Men passed me by as well.

When it premiered back in 2007, my wife and I gave the show a try. In particular, I was really excited to enjoy John Slattery again after Jack & Bobby. But I was so bored, there was absolutely no reason for me to stick it out. I predicted the show would die on the vine and I left my wife to watch by herself.

Four seasons later, and not only is the show going strong, but it’s also raved about whenever anyone mentions top-notch programming. The show is so overly successful that Jon Hamm has become a superstar (awful, awful, awful turn by him on 30 Rock … just awful).

So I’ve returned to discover what I’ve missed. I knew enough about the machinations over the last few seasons — Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) and Peggy’s (Elisabeth Moss) baby scandal; Don’s true identity and his and Betty’s (January Jones) divorce; Joan’s (Christina Hendricks) rapist husband; the Brits, the demise of Sterling, Cooper, and the John Deere tractor; and on, and on — to jump right in with last week’s episode.

I don’t like Don Draper. I don’t know if we’re meant to or not, but everything I disliked about him jumped right out during the Lucky Strikes call. If the account is more than half your business, I’d at least pay attention to the client. Roger Sterling (Slattery) really should have better considered whose basket he was putting his eggs in.

If I hadn’t known anything else about him, I probably would have enjoyed Pete’s story, first looking to fire his Clearasil account-bearing father-in-law before making a play for the entire business. But I do know something about him, and even as I find Elisabeth Moss to be one of the most annoying, worst actresses working today, I still think Pete treated Peggy in a manner that no person should ever be treated. And before he has a baby with his wife, he should take care of his first born. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe at this point he knows about that. Plus I hate people who put on faux elitist accents.

It appears as if Peggy’s meant to introduce the wave of the ’60s and ’70s counter-culture to the show, something that the writers might want to rethink. And not just because I’m no fan of Moss’. Rather, it’s because she completely doesn’t look like a person who’d be involved in that movement. Being the first female copy-editor in a male-dominated workplace doesn’t automatically mean you’re for free love and burning bras. I think she (and her new Life Magazine photographer’s assistant friend) may be the wrong vehicle for that historical background.

While I’m sure being in her position is no laughing matter, the incident with Don’s secretary Allison (Alexa Alemanni) was kind of funny. First of all, I’m surprised she appears to be the first secretary he’s ever slept with. But the letter of recommendation thing — who does she think would normally write it? — and her throwing something at his head made me laugh. As did new secretary Miss Blankenship (Randee Heller) … smart move by Joan.

I got a kick out of seeing Matt Long (as Joey) on the show, after he played Jack on Jack & Bobby opposite John Slattery. Speaking of, I was severely disappointed in how little screen time Slattery got. He is fantastic, and in my opinion the far-and-away most talented member of that cast. I hope I just got a bad episode for Slattery time, because it would be a real shame for an actor like him to go underutilized.

At the end of the hour, the only thing I’d successfully achieved was to reaffirm my initial observation that, for me, the show is entirely too boring. I suppose if I found the characters to be interesting constructs that wouldn’t matter quite as much, but whether it be my brief exposure or my personal tastes at fault, I didn’t feel a connection to any of them.

Oh well.

“Every time you jump to conclusions, Tom, you make me respect you less.” – Pete to Tom, his father-in-law

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Aug 23, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT