Mad Men Season 1

By Lawrence Speaight

Mad Men's first installment is undoubtedly one of the best seasons of television I've ever witnessed. Bold statement I know but the excellence of the show should come as no surprise considering the show's creator, Matthew Weiner, was also behind much of the Sopranos greatness (another series firmly entrenched in the so-called golden age of t.v). Set in the turbulent 1960s, Mad Men follows the day to day running of the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue. The show depicts many parts of American society and culture in the 60s, such as cigarette smoking, drinking and adultery. But what is it that makes Mad Men so great? The historical authenticity? The stunning visual style and costume design? The award-winning writing?

The truth is, for a show with as many layers as Mad Men it's almost impossible to pick one defining factor. Having said that, if I was to pick one area of the series that really got me hooked on the first season, it would be how the show presents it's secondary characters. Clearly Mad Men is very much based around Don Draper and his puzzling identity, yet on many occasions we see so-called minor characters coming to the forefront of particular episodes. This is perhaps best exemplified in 'New Amsterdam' (ep 4) where the narrative turns to Pete Campbell, the young and arrogant account executive. The development of Pete's character in this episode is remarkable. Having previously viewed him as the typical irritating, arrogant, young rich boy the audience sees just how lonely and desperate Pete truly is. When he can't afford an apartment for him and his wife Trudy, Pete turns to his father who dismisses him so brutally for the inadequacy of his job that it's reasonable to question whether his father respects him at all. At work Pete's life is also crumbling around him. After pitching an intelligent idea to a client, an angry Don sacks Pete for breaking company policy and working with a client behind his back. This typifies Pete's wretched situation; he proves he is a talented young man yet is sacked because of it. Ultimately Pete regains his job but that doesn't change our feeling that Pete's life is in a truly pitiful state.

Other smaller characters take also on big roles throughout the season. Peggy Olson almost seems like a second lead at times, her development fascinating as we see her rise from shy secretary to the smart and confident girl who earns a copyrighting job at the end of the season. Office manager Joan Harris, played by the excellent Christina Hendricks, is the sexy and sassy queen bee of the secretarial pool, her seductive nature emphasized by her affair with Roger Sterling. And what of Roger Sterling himself? Co-partner of Sterling Cooper, Roger perfectly embodies the typical businessman of the mid 20th century; he drinks, he smokes, he cheats on his wife (regularly). Yet Roger's situation turns dramatically for the worse when he suffers a heart-attack in the midst of seducing (another) 20 year old. The subsequent scene in the hospital bed where Roger opens up to Don and gloomily questions the possibility of there being no afterlife is one of the most moving moments of the series. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel immense pity for him in that particular moment, despite the immoral life he lives. In life most people, however insignificant they may appear, have a fascinating story to tell and that's why I love Mad Men's ability to push secondary characters to the centre of episodes and portray them as leading protagonists.

While the influence of Mad Men's minor characters is considerable, don't for one moment let this lead to believe that they overshadow Don Draper in any way. Draper (brilliantly portrayed by Jon Hamm) is certainly one of the most fascinating lead characters in t.v and, as previously mentioned, the search for his identity is the most intriguing storyline of the first series. Don's outstanding salemanship earns him respect throughout the agency, and he is even idolized by some, but his past remains deeply shrouded. So who is Don Draper? Just ask Harry Crane, 'Draper? Who know's anything about that guy? No one's ever lifted that rock, he could be batman for all we know', perhaps not but Harry's sense of perplexity is shared by the viewers for most of the series. As the episodes unfold 'the rock' is gradually raised and we are given clues through flashbacks, but it is his meeting with his previously unheard of brother Adam where it becomes sufficiently clear that Don's past life is very different from the one that he lives in 1960. However it is also apparent that Don wants nothing to do with this past as he tragically rejects his brother, telling him that he can't be part of his current life. Adam refers to his brother as Dick Whitman (his true name), however we aren't told about how he came by the name Don Draper until the end of the series where the shocking truth is revealed. Many have compared Don to other great characters in American literature, such as Jay Gatsby, who reinvent their identity as they try to run away from a past they are ashamed of. Don certainly embodies the American ideal of coming from nothing to achieve greatness and he believes that his new life will give him the freedom he craves, however, Don's encounter with his brother proves that he can never fully escape his past.

One of the strongest criticisms of Mad Men is that, despite being set in the 1960s, it neglects to focus on important issues of the time such as racism and sexism. However, I disagree with this line of thought as, while Mad Men doesn't overtly discuss these topics, the first series certainly alludes to the issues but in far more subtle sense than other shows might. In the world of Mad Men you'd be hard pressed to find a male character who hasn't entered into sexual relationships outside his marriage, and despite this the wives of these men still do whatever they are required to by their husbands. An example of this would be Betty Draper, Don's wife. Betty accepts a dream modeling job, yet she is only given the chance because the modeling company is linked to a client of Don's, when Don cuts of the deal with the client Betty's ambitions are crushed. Betty's momentary freedom and independence is only presented to her because of her husband's motives, this underlines how women are simply objects to their husband's desires. Some of these problems with sexism could also be related to the modern day, and it is interesting that creator Matthew Weiner said 'Mad Men uses the past to discuss issues that concern us today but that we won't discuss openly'. In terms of racism, there isn't as much emphasis on the topic, however the lack of important black characters in the show speaks volumes in itself about the era. In fact, the only black characters that appear in the first series are waiters and lift lobbyists. Unfortunately, there are many great areas of Mad Men that I haven't mentioned, the opening titles for instance, but really that's just a credit to the depth of the show. We've been blessed with some stunning t.v other the past decade and a half, but if the first series is anything to go by, Mad Men's deserves it's place in the golden age discussion.