The Return of Mad Men

The fourth season of AMC's Mad Men is off to an interesting start.  Don Draper is without a family, without an established office, and without a sense of humor.  And his uncharacteristic outburst with clients towards the end of the show makes you wonder if he is approaching a nervous breakdown.  Without his familiar moorings, as well as his irritable disposition, it feels as if anything is possible.  Gone is our cool and calm Don.

I noticed one new addition to the cast - Matt Long, from the earlier WB series Jack & Bobby, is now assisting Peggy.  I expect we may see new additions as the show moves along, though some of the old cast may not be returning (such as Sal the art director).  I was also happy to see Joan back in the office.  While she had a very small part, she may represent the little bit of stability in the new firm.

A few web sites that are starting to faithfully track the fourth season. The New Republic has started a new series, and Slate is back with an ongoing discussion.  Slate had great commentary on the last season of Lost, and it is now faithfully following Friday Night Lights.  I look forward to following both of these sites.

By the way, here is a fun video making fun of Betty's parenting that was highlighted by Slate in its first installment.  And here is an excerpt from "Mad Men and Philosophy, Nothing is as it Seems," should you want to catalog some of the terrific dialogue to date.  I love this quote from Roger, which really sums up the man:  ” On lasting commitment: “I’ll tell you the same thing I told my daughter. If you put a penny in a jar every time you make love in the first year of marriage and then you take a penny out of the jar every time you make love in the second year, you know what you have? A jar full of pennies.”