MAD MEN: SEASON TWO (Maple, 2008) Creator: Matthew Weiner, w/ Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss. Rating: NN DVD package: NNN Rating: NN
First thing on his episode-one commentary, series creator Matthew Weiner admits that he came to season two fresh out of ideas. It shows.
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Last season was powered by Don Draper’s (Jon Hamm) secret identity and the enthusiasm that he and the other denizens of Madison Avenue ad agency Sterling Cooper brought to their work – and the discomfort that set in as they discovered their personal discontents.
This season, the secret identity story is done and Draper’s bored with his work and his life. So, it seems, is everybody else. The characters sleepwalk through their triumphs and troubles. At the same time, the shock value of all that smoking, drinking and unthinking sexism has worn off.
Things pick up halfway through episode three, when Draper succumbs to illicit urges. His wife (January Jones) is still a sack of misery behind her perfect housewife facade. Secretary-turned-copywriter Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) is still trying to crack the boys’ club, and the rest have their ups and downs.
None of the stories get very far off the ground, and the cliffhanger finale is a yawn, but since everybody is conflicted about his or her life and unable to express it directly, there’s lots of well-acted simmering emotion along the way, even in scenes that go nowhere.
The docs in the extras are worth a look, particularly the ones labelled Time Capsule that fill in historical background on key story points, from the space race to hot rods.
EXTRAS Eight episode commentaries, rise of feminism doc, 60s style doc, historical background mini-docs. Widescreen. English audio. English, Spanish subtitles.
