Mad Men: Season 6

This series is going on way too long. Way, way, way too long. Since the addition of Meghan, this ship has been sinking....badly.The original Don is no more. He's lost his touch in advertising, Meghan makes my stomach turn every time she comes on the screen; still can't act, and to top everything off she's now playing an actress that, get this, can't act. Well that should be an easy stint. Don is now just an ordinary guy that could be pushing a broom and punching a time card. Nothing special. He's in a dull marriage to a boring wife with a mouth full of enormous teeth and large, shapeless lips. She's sulky, but it's never quite believable. She knows he's cheating----but that isn't believable either. She lands a job on a daytime soap opera and is supposedly doing well, but from all the shots of her acting on a soap, that's not believable either. In real life she wouldn't have made it unless she slept with the producer. Maybe that's.....never mind. The best thing is when Don talks her into leaving the soap and convinces her she can do better in Hollywood. He ends up not being able to go out to California and she ends up, surprise, surprise, tanking in the Hollywood scene. It all comes to dreary end, but too late. I don't love Don anymore and because of his stupidity in marrying Meghan (on all levels, stupid) I've lost all respect for his character. Totally turned off. To her credit, in season 7, Meghan aptly describes Don to his face as a lying, aging drunk. Which is pretty much what Weiner took him down to. This description of Meghan's was after she and her mother completely wiped him out of every last stick of furniture, vases, and silver he ever owned and had taken a million bucks out of his weak and wasted hand. Weiner completely stripped Don of all sex appeal and masculinity in the last three seasons, starting with the entrance of Meghan.

Once more Matt Weiner & Co take us back in time to the heyday of Madison Avenue advertising in the 1960's and the world of serial philanderer Don Draper (Jon Hamm). As this series is coming close to it's conclusion things continue to evolve with all of the central characters. Don is richer than ever living the high life in a Central Park high rise suite with his much younger actress wife Meagan (Jessica Pare). Naturally Don's not satisfied, continues to have liasons with other women and his drinking is becoming problematic even by the booze soaked standards of the time. He is slowly self-destructing and it's painful to watch. The agency of Sterling, Cooper, Draper & Pryce in a surprising business move to woo Chevrolet merges with competitors Cutler, Gleeson, & Chaough (where Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) defected to at the conclusion of Season 5). Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) is still a self absorbed jerk and is separated from his wife, moves into his little NY bachelor pad and deals with his mother's worsening dementia. Joan (Christina Hendricks) despite being a partner still struggles for respect from her colleagues and co-workers. Roger Sterling (John Slattery) copes with the death of his mother and being a single guy again and trying to maintain relevance in his own company. Oh, and little Sally Draper's (Kiernan Shipka) is growing up fast challenging both of her parents. She learns some unsavory truths about her father and now seems to loathe him as much as she does her mother Betty. If 1967 was the so-called "Summer of Love" than 1968 should be labeled the "Year of Hate" as this season repeatedly reminds us. Though just a grade schooler back then I vividly remember the assasinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King as well as the Chicago riots during the Democratic National Convention; events which serve as a backdrop for season 6. The special features include an interesting interview with the set designers and prop managers who must be applauded for their ability to take viewers back to this era so authentically. In one scene Betty is sitting on a step stool in her kitchen while talking on the phone; we had the same stool in our kitchen and seeing something so mundane brought back many childhood memories. The wardrobe department also deserves kudos for capturing the period so accurately reminding those of us who remember of some of the truly horrible clothes we wore back then. "Mad Men" isn't a cheerful or uplifting show but is an interesting study of a very specific time and place. As a drama it can be a bit "soapy" sometimes but like a bad auto accident it's hard to turn away from watching this group of people as they live their lives during this turbulent period. Probably not for everyone but first rate performances and solid writing make this series and engaging program to watch for history buffs and 'Baby Boomers'.

MAD MEN SEASON 6 WHAT CAN I SAY THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN? THE KIDS IN THIS SHOW FINALLY SEE AND LEARN FIRST HAND AS THEY CONTINUE TO GROW UP THAT THERE PARENTS ARE NOT PERFECT. MAD MEN IS MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE MOST DOWN TO EARTH SHOWS OUT THERE THAT FOCUSES ON NOT JUST A FICTIONAL STORY LINE BUT ALSO NON FICTION TIMES AND EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN AMERICAS HISTORY THOUGH THE CHARACTERS ARE FICTIONAL THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY DEAL WITH ARE AS REAL AND TRUE TO DAY AS THEY WERE BACK THEN. MAYBE EVEN GENERATION TO GENERATION.

The inside cover is in German as well as the menu. There are no audio commentaries or meaningful special features.

I've loved the Mad Men collection and have recently brought the whole collection, several seasons from Music Magpie, unfortunately one season had to be replaced and this one was refunded for the same reason - after watching parts of dvd's they started jumping and stopping which totally buggered up whole espiodes which was rather disappointing- they've been great with communication but it would make me think twice about buying anymore dvds through them.

Have had a break from first few series - but my goodness am I back with it! It is as if I saw it all yesterday, not a few months ago.Love this, it is so so 60's - even the attitude of men to women has been captured 'almost' perfectly (I was a young PA then in the film business - so similar types in the back offices) Cutthroat or what? Great portrayal and can't wait to buy series 7.

The pace and feel of the storylines have developed well. The backdrop of America going through its political and sociological changes weaves perfectly into the main characters lives . This season feels more real with an element of reality hitting home. It has really stepped up the mark and has shown how great the series is.

Superb!