Mad Men - official poster
The prolonged awaiting has been rewarded with an almost 2 hours season premiere on March, 25. The creators managed to keep up with huge expectations – it is the same exquisite, stylised and visually arresting show. Memorable lines, as always. Having in mind these expectations and a certain pressure from the audience, the challenge now is how things will go on from here.
Season 5 seems to be running under the auspices of social changes in the 60s. Both the opening and the closing scene are pointing out to the intensification of socio-historical changes and sooner or later (actually at the end of episode two) several characters will be facing and feeling the consequence of these liquid times. Apparently, the opening scene is set exactly in 1966. Young men from an advertising agency are throwing down bags filled with water on protesters picketing on Madison Avenue. According to the New York Times, an identical incident occurred in 1966. (See more details here) What appears as an inoffensive, self-enjoying game of several immature executives perfectly sums up their ignorance regarding social realities.
The closing scene is even more puzzling. Reading about the embarrassing incident at the Y&R, the executives of Sterling Cooper Draper Price decide to humiliate their competition by running a job advertisement. In this childish corporate war, the words used in the job advertisement seem to be inoffensive and subtle (at least pour les connoisseurs): ‘Sterling Cooper an equal opportunity employer’. Intended as a hilarious hint to the dropping of bags filled with water, these words are taken seriously by a dozen of African-Americans who fill the lobby of the agency looking for a job. Is it just me, or is it the lobby full of Negroes. They are all job applicants, encouraged by some words so common to be spotted today in any company’s recruitment ads. One of the interesting things with Mad Man is that you are never sure about characters’ prejudices/feelings. Firstly, it was the story with Salvatore, when everybody knew he was gay, but nobody was talking about this. Secondly, it is this matter: Roger, Don, Pete, Bert and Lane discussing how to deal with a crowd of African Americans job applicants. Nobody expresses their true feelings so we don’t know if we are dealing with racism, bigotry or just indifference. They all talk about the impossibility of hiring a black secretary because of the financial situation of the company. On the other hand, they can’t bluff it since there might be a reporter out there amongst the applicants who would be more than happy to write about discriminatory practices on Madison Avenue.
Now, getting back to some memorable, laughable moments: the party. Don's new wife, Megan, is throwing him a surprise party for his 40th birthday. The event is not just an awkward and embarrassing moment for Don (apparently, she doesn't know that he hates surprises and a certain type of exposure), but also a chance for the show designers to revitalize some raggle-taggle collections of 60ish outfits. Also, an occasion for Megan to show us some of her secret 'charms' by singing Zou Bisou Bisou and dancing. It makes you just want to plunge there.
And, of course, it’s also a great opportunity to hear some gossip on the next day. Lane Pryce remains one of the most memorable characters in terms of language peculiarity. Asked by Joan to tell her about the party, Lane, on whose face at the ‘banquet’ you could have read how appalling he finds Megan’s ‘performance’, secludes himself in his typical British politeness: Mrs. Draper put on a bit of a burlesque. She danced and sang in front of all of us. She was quite the kickette.
Mrs Draper putting on a bit of burlesque
Mrs. Draper the kickette
And Lane Pryce - appalled
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