Nikki Finke posted the first look at the fifth season of MAD MEN yesterday I'm thrilled to see Don Draper and gang back in action - this is one of the best shows of all time and there's always a worry that the
next season won't live up to the last -and the one before that and the one before that (you get the idea).
The new season's advertising is predicated on all the things that some ad guy (ironically) thinks the show is about - debauchery, lust, confidence, etc... it always makes me wonder if the people making these adverts have even seen the show. The show is about so much more than that--- but the thing that troubles me most is the image of Don smoking - didn't he quit at the end of the fourth season in a champion move that brought in the American Cancer Society?
Sometimes when a show progresses too fast, they backslide in order to delay narrative endgame.
However, I trust creator Matthew Weiner more than any other writer/producer in Hollywood so am hoping that this isn't as bad a misstep as all this looks - and if this is the time when it jumps the shark, then there are still four solid seasons of incredible storytelling to appreciate (and really, that's more than pretty much any other series in history). So, no fans should not be worried.. whatever happens it'll be a great ride!
MAD MEN returns to AMC on Sunday March 25th.
Now, here's the preview:
