Mad Men: Season 4

“Turning creative success into business is your work.”

-- Bert Cooper

The cigarette-smoking, whiskey-drinking men are back for the fourth edition of “Mad Men.”  Unlike the earlier seasons, the thirteen episodes in this season are focused mainly on capturing the professional lives of people in the advertising world. The forth season builds on the same themes that made earlier seasons huge successes. We see Don Draper’s (Jon Hamm) strengths and his lonely private life; life at Sterling & Coopers in the aftermath of a merger; Roger’s (John Slattery) affair; Sally’s (Kiernan Shipka) continued problems; and Betty (January Jones) and Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley) beginning their new domestic life.

The previous season ended with Betty and Don filing for divorce. But things don’t pick up where the last season ended. Instead, we are taken directly to a brainstorming session in which Don’s team is seen creating an advertising strategy for a local lingerie company. Things are getting heated up at the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce office with the arrival of new clients. And this only drives Don’s team towards high creativity and intense competition for the accounts. A new consultant, Dr. Faye Miller (Cara Buono), is hired by many ad agencies including Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.  Faye is responsible for presenting her market analysis on client’s products that will enable Don’s team to tailor their strategy accordingly. Sally Draper is becoming a continued source of trouble for both Don and Betty.

Even though the overall story hasn’t progressed much, the writers should be credited for adding engrossing details to the characters and transforming them into something we can fondly remember. As the creative director of his firm, Don Draper is a relentless force in his office. While the earlier seasons showed his professional capabilities, the forth season gives us a deeper picture on his matchless professional prowess. He consistently brings immense value to the organization with his creative and persuasive skills. As a visionary, he understands the needs of his clients thoroughly, and he is not afraid to stick by his ideas, even if the clients disagree with his approach. Of course, his ability to influence his clients reaps big rewards for the firm. Because of his composed figure--in times of crises--Don is asked to speak to the employees to bring calmness to the situation. Don’s sparkling persona is the embodiment of a brilliant thinker, a confident man, and a composed leader--key qualities defining any successful businessman.

While working on a Samsonite ad (Episode 7, “The Suitcase”), Don’s meticulous approach to work comes to the forefront; he works with Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) through the night until they both come up with a punchy tagline. Peggy still sees Don as a mentor and is always looking for Don’s approval. At one point, while working for a cereal ad, Don inadvertently creates a tagline that happens to have been used before. It takes him a few moments to gather his thoughts, but he does not hesitate to give credit where it’s due. Nonetheless, seeing Don’s top-notch professional qualities, everyone in the office aspires to be another Don Draper or be with him. On the personnel front, life for Don has become quite interesting. He continues with his affairs in the same manner as seen in the past. After the divorce, Don is looking for a stable relationship, but his needs have changed due to his additional responsibility of taking care of his kids. As a single parent, he tries to juggle his time between work and his kids.

This season the writers have devoted ample time to developing the character of Sally further. Sally tests the limits of both Betty and Don. As part of growing up, Sally experiences a lot of psychological changes; some she can express vocally, while in some cases she is incapable of responding appropriately. Her character goes through a sexual awakening, and she befriends a neighborhood boy, to which Betty disapproves vehemently. She feels more connected to Don and silently dislikes Betty’s new husband, Henry. In Betty’s company, she becomes a rebel, willing to go against her mother, despite the consequences. Through Sally, the writers have found a way to depict how kids are torn in broken homes. Of course, Betty playing the role of a bad cop--coupled with her flippant attitude--does not help matters, either.

As seen on several occasions, Betty finds solace in Don’s company, and the father-daughter relationship blossoms to a new high. Indeed, Betty’s moments with Don are emotionally touching and well done, as they find connection on several occasions. On the other hand, Betty feels emotionally detached in her domestic life, and her character is mostly shown angry, aggressive, and impulsive. As a supportive husband, Henry provides a balanced perspective on Sally’s troubling behavior and on many other domestic issues. Betty misreads Henry’s reasoning on numerous instances, and it eventually becomes a source of continuous tension in their marriage. Finally, Joan (Christina Hendricks) get much-needed screen time. Her personality exemplifies an independent woman from the 60’s.  Rather than being played by the men in her office, Joan becomes more assertive in expressing her feelings. After being overwhelmed by the power play of people higher up, Joan is clear about what she wants in her life and never backs down in making hard choices.

The forth season might lack the edginess of martial tensions between Betty and Don, but it makes up for that by exposing the ambitious and heartless world of the advertising professionals. Instead of focusing attention on domestic matters, the forth season successfully builds the tension in the design room. Making deals, getting new clients, and retaining existing clients are the main driving forces for opportunistic individuals on Madison Avenue. The season places several characters in delicate situations with clients; some are successful in executing their plans, while others fall victim to their deficiencies in handling difficult situations; some fall of the cliff and others find it testing to stay the course. But the calm image of Don Draper shines amidst all the turbulence surrounding big clients. An ironic moment presents itself (Episode 13, “Tomorrowland”) when Don is asked to create an ad campaign for the American Cancer Society. Yeah, talk about preventing cancer to the team of “Mad Men.” As Draper says, “I hate to admit it, but we are all smokers here.”

The forth season is brilliant in executing various story arcs. In this season, the characters are so fully developed that it hardly leaves any room for improvement. The story lines have evolved completely now, and the characters appear more complete in their own stories. The fifth season will air soon, but no specific timeline is set yet. Indeed, this fourth season is the most complete “Mad Men” ever.

Video

Lionsgate presents “Mad Men” using a customary MPEG-4/AVC codec, presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is of similar quality as seen in the previous seasons. The styles from the 60’s are rendered beautifully, with solid and vibrant colors. The detail is remarkable, with consistent sharpness. Flesh tones appear natural, with close-ups packing in good detail. There is some inherit softness, but that is probably to capture the costumes from the 60’s. Overall, this is a splendid-looking transfer.

Audio:

We get a regular 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track. The show is primarily driven by the front channels, where the dialogue stays consistently clear. There are hardly any dramatic moments in the show, yet the silent moments are presented reasonably well. In the end, there is nothing to complain about this track. Also, the show can be viewed in English and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

First, we get audio commentary on all the thirteen episodes in the forth season. Following this, on disc one we get a three-part documentary, “Divorce: Circa 1960s,” in which interviewees discuss society’s perception about divorce during a time when the traditional family was at the core of American lives.

On disc two there’s a featurette, “Marketing the Mustang: An American Icon” (16x9, 28 minutes), which discusses the influence of the Mustang to the car industry. We gather that young people started to influence carmakers after the Second World War. Carmakers needed something that people could immediately relate to: an American landscape. The idea of Mustang’s emblem originated when Lee Iacocca saw galloping horses on a farm, and it struck to him as an American symbol of freedom. 

On disc three we get a two-part, comprehensive featurette, “How to Succeed in Business Draper Style” (16x9, 56 minutes). We see several CEOs providing their take on what makes the character of Don Draper professionally so successful. According to them, Draper achieves results and consistently gets big clients. He supports his team, takes unwanted risks, but also understands the business. He brings in correct values and continuously influences people. He is not afraid to stand by his vision. Finally, they think Draper has a consistent behavior pattern, even when put to test under tense situations.

Following this, we get archival footage from the 1964 Presidential campaign in which we see President Johnson’s and Senator Goldwater’s speeches. Both talk at length about Communist countries, nuclear policy, and peace treaties.

Parting Thoughts:

The forth season of “Mad Men” is captivating and entertaining. Jon Hamm continues his impressive run in playing the character of Don Draper to perfection, with the supporting cast equally brilliant. The characters are wholly developed, and we become fully invested in their lives. It will be interesting to see how the writers present the world of “Mad Men” in the fifth season. This season is a step below the great third season, but not by much. Fans who have enjoyed the earlier seasons of “Mad Men” will find this season worth their time.