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Mad Men Scoop: Jon Hamm on Season 5 Premiere, Peggy and... The Muppets

lisabethpalmer@gmail.com (Lisa Palmer) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:07:15 EST

Wearing a black tailored suit, swirling a drink in his right hand, Jon Hamm might as well be Don Draper. But Hamm is only drinking water with lime at the Television Critics Association party and he’s fielding questions deftly, unlike the character he plays on Mad Men, whose answers to a journalist on the season four premiere ended resulted in trouble for his firm.

As approximately 10 reporters pin Hamm in a corner with their recording devices thrust in his face, he speaks eagerly about Draper, his love for his day job and the relationship between Peggy and Don.

Anyone who has ever caught a glimpse of Mad Men knows that alcohol plays an important role in the series, especially with Don.

“I think he has a dangerous relationship with alcohol that a lot of creative people have. And fill in the blank with either alcohol or whatever. It’s a depressant, yet it uninhibits you creatively. It’s a fine line and Don has crossed it many times... [but] Don recognized that and seems to have backed away from the edge a bit.”

Draper, of course, also loves women. In the season four finale, we were left with the indelible image of Don in bed with his brand new twenty-something fiancé, Megan. She’s sleeping on his chest and he turns and stares out the window thoughtfully. When prodded about just what Draper may have been pondering at that moment, Hamm slyly avoided the question.

“Yes, he was in fact thinking of something," the actor admitted.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in Draper with the way season four ended. I kept asking myself how it is that Don is so creative with his work, but ends up seemingly moving backwards in his personal life, becoming engaged to his secretary in record time. Responded Hamm to this quasi paradox:

“Don makes his money and his livelihood on being creatively ahead of the curve, and finding out what makes people tick. And what happens when you get older? And there’s another generation of people coming up right behind you who are out-moving you and out-thinking you? What happens to a creative person? Don is getting older. It’s not The Simpsons where everyone stays the same age 20 years in. People age and we try and depict that realistically.”

I wasn’t the only one who had a problem with Don marrying his secretary. Fresh from finding out her pitch to Topaz saved their failing agency, Peggy rushes in to tell Don of her victory, expecting her news to be the top story.

And then she finds out Don is getting married. To his secretary. Hamm spoke about the importance of Peggy and her relationship with Don:

“I think in the world of the show we see the office through Peggy’s eyes. She’s the new girl and we see her from her very first day... And we’ve watched through over 50 episodes of television her grow and become more confident and we’ve watched Don alternately shout at her and correct her and not be very nice to her but also be profoundly nice to her...

"I think Peggy is very important to Don. And I think you saw at the end of season three, when the firm blows up and they have to start all over again, he says ‘If you leave, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to hire you back.’ And I think that sums up relationship that Don and Peggy have.”

As far as Peggy’s opinion affecting Don’s impending nuptials? Hamm remained mum, but did offer a rare tease into what we may see this spring:

“We’ll see. Certainly something [is] explored in season five. We don’t really know. And I’ll be as honest as I can, but Peggy and Don are very close. And Peggy has opinions and Don has opinions.”

Mad Men has been off the air forever, of course, but finally returns on March 25 with a two-hour premiere titled "A Little Kiss." Would Hamm satiate our curiosity with a few spoilers? Gladly...

“It takes place on ice. With several musical numbers. And The Muppets.”

Mad Men Season 5 to Premiere Big, Focus on Change

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:44:12 EST

Doubly good news for Mad Men fans this week: not only did AMC announce March 25 as the season five premiere date, but creator Matthew Weiner confirmed this weekend that the opener would be two hours long, even referring to it as a "movie" of an episode.

"I was like, ‘We’ve been gone for so long, let’s give [fans] a big Mad Men movie to start the season,'" Weiner told reporters last night at a Television Critics Association press tour party.

What can fans expect from the season ahead? Weiner must have felt extra guilty about the long hiatus because he actually spilled a few details for a change.

“A couple of [themes] have emerged as we have gone on, one of them [being] ‘It’s every man for himself,’" the producer said, adding: "There’s a feeling of being in the midst of change."

Weiner concluded that "a big part of the season" would be how various characters are "just trying to hold on."

Mad Men Season 5 to Premiere On...

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:20:33 EST

Mad Men really is coming back for a fifth season.

It took a series of contentious contract negotiations and many tears shed across the TV landscape, but Jon Hamm confirmed the return date for his beloved AMC drama today: March 25.

Hamm announced the news on the "Doug Loves Movies" podcast and while no other details are available, we can confirm the actor himself directed the premiere.

Jon Hamm Signs New Mad Men Contract

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:18:45 EST

Don Draper will be drinking, smoking and brooding on Man Men for the entirety of the series.

Jom Hamm signed a new deal this week to remain on the AMC drama for three more years, which is the same length of time the show was renewed for in April. It will likely go off the air when both deals are up.

Hamm will also direct his first episode of the Emmy Award-winning series some time in 2012.

Mad Men won't return until then, but if you haven't seen Bridesmaids yet, hurry up and do so. The film is worth the price of admission for Hamm's role in the opening five minutes alone.

Mad Men: Renewed for Three Seasons, Cast Cuts Averted

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:36:21 EST

It took some public, contentious negotiations, but Mad Men has finally, officially been renewed. For three more seasons.

A couple days after creator Matthew Weiner released a statement, defending himself against accusations of greed, AMC has announced it will be bringing the beloved drama back for what sounds like will be its final three seasons.

There had also been talk that Wiener was asked to cut a total of six cast members of three years, but Deadline Hollywood confirms this will no longer be the case.

Instead, the most significant concession made by the producer/writer is that each episode will run two minutes shorter going forward, in order to allow for more commercial time.

“I want to thank all of our wonderful fans for their support,” Weiner said in a statement. “I also want to thank AMC and Lionsgate for agreeing to support the artistic freedom of myself, the cast and the crew, so that we can continue to make the show exactly as we have from the beginning. I’m excited to get started on the next chapter of our story.”

He added: "These will be the last 3 seasons of the period drama. I'm going to take it one year at a time without the distraction to ever have to go through this again."

Mad Men will return in early 2012.

Matthew Weiner Issues Statement on Mad Men Delay, Negotiations

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:16:22 EST

Is Matthew Weiner really holding out for $10 million per year? Is AMC really asking the Mad Men creator to fire six cast members over the next three years?

In response to these rumors regarding the delay of Mad Men season five until 2012, Weiner has released the following statement:

“There’s been a lot of speculation and misinformation in the press about what is going on. I want the fans to know directly from me that I had nothing to do with this delay and it is not about money. I am fighting for the cast and for the show. And I appreciate the kindness and concern of the fans.”

The producer says he was asked to cut two actors from the show each year for three seasons, though at least one report disputes this.

“Even though people have left the show, none of that has ever been about money,” Wiener said. “I’ve brought the show in on budget. I’ve been a good producer.”

Mad Men Season Five Delayed Until 2012

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:42:36 EST

The fourth season of Mad Men comes out on DVD today, and fans are encouraged to pick it up. Why? Because it will be your last chance to watch Don Draper and company for a long time.

Due to a contract dispute between AMC and creator Matthew Weiner, the fifth season of this beloved drama won't return until 2012. The network itself announced this fact via the following statement:

"While we are getting a later start than in years past due to ongoing, key non-cast negotiations, Mad Men will be back for a fifth season in early 2012."

Pour yourself a scotch and take a cigarette drag, fans. It's gonna be a long year.

Mad Men Round Table: "Tomorrowland"

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:53:33 EST

Mad Men concluded its fourth season with a surprise pregnancy, an unexpected company savior, a proposal and the (permanent?) return of Dick Whitman.

Were you happy with Don's choice of Megan? Which development in "Tomorrowland" surprised you most? We tackle these questions and more in the latest edition of the Mad Men Round Table and we encourage readers to chime in with their thoughts...

Is Megan the right choice for Don?
M.L. House: I think she's the right choice for Dick Whitman, who Don happily reverted back to on the finale. But there's a bit of Don Draper in him now, too. It's not all an act. That's why Faye would have been a better choice. She could handle both sides of this complicated man, as proven when she didn't leave after Don explained the truth about his identity, and also helped him on multiple professional fronts.

Quiet Pool: Absolutely. Did you see her clean up that milkshake? Seriously, Faye was just too much for Don. Megan is smart, great with the kids, loving and somewhat innocent. And she puts that gigantic grin on Don's face. That's good enough for me.

LJ Gibbs: No. I don't trust her. Didn't she come on a little too strong? Seem a little too perfect? Isn't it possible it's all an act because she just wants to be Mrs. Don Draper and will eventually go all Betty-like once she learns this supposedly ideal life isn't so ideal?

More surprising: Joan not getting the abortion, Don telling Sally about his "Dick" nickname or Ken/Peggy saving SCDP?
M.L. House: Developments at SCDP all around were the most surprising to me, or lackthereof, really. I figured the company would be the focus of the episode, but who would have guessed Ken could have been so prescient early on, when he scoffed at the notion of his "life" being interrupted or ruined by work? Don didn't understand the distinction at the time. He clearly does now.

Quiet Pool: Joan keeping the baby and Peggy landing a big client weren't surprising to me, so I'd have to go with Don telling Sally that he was, in fact, Dick. It is still so difficult for the man to open up about anything to anyone, that any little bit of information he reveals is surprising. Even if he only said it was a nickname, it's still closer to the truth than anything he would have said in season two.

LJ Gibbs: The only Joan-related surprise for me will be if Greg does NOT die in Vietnam. I also must go with the Dick reference, as any true Mad Men fan must have been holding his/her breath when Sally asked that question.

Will Betty's marriage to Henry last?
M.L. House: Yes, as in: they won't get a divorce. But it won't be a happy existence for either side.

Quiet Pool: I don't believe so. Either she'll get tired of it and need something new again, or Henry will come to his senses and drop this crazy broad. You can't get as angry as Mr. Francis was in this episode, on a consistent basis, and continue with your life the way it is currently going.

LJ Gibbs: No, but only because I think something tragic will happen. I thought Betty might attempt suicide last night and it wouldn't shock me if this eventually does take place.

Give the fourth season a grade.
M.L. House: It has to be an A, if only for Jon Hamm's versatility from the premiere to the finale. He gave us every conceivable side of Don Draper, sometimes in the same hour (see "The Suitcase"). Give this man the Emmy now, please.

Quiet Pool: I give it an A minus. Unlike some of the other seasons of Mad Men, the fourth installment started out with a bit of a bang and never really let up. We had Don as a miserable drunk. We had Don on the open market. We had Peggy stepping her game up. And we might have had Don make a move that will make him actually happy. A great season all around.

LJ Gibbs: A solid B. I echo everything my colleagues said about Hamm/Draper. But I could have gone for a bit more insight into the lives of other employees, most notably Roger. At least I can read more about him in "Sterling's Gold."

Mad Men Finale Review: "Tomorrowland"

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:33:34 EST

I signed the first new business since Lucky Strike left... but it's not as important as getting married.

That's right, Peggy, it wasn't. This fourth season of Mad Men has really been about Don Draper's evolution as a person, not the survival of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. As a result, the season four finale focused mainly on Don's trip to California and, ultimately, his engagement to Megan.

Yes, Megan.

Like Dr. Miller predicted back at the beginning of the season, Don Draper will be getting married within the year. Or he'll be on the verge of marriage, at least.

For awhile, many of us thought that Faye herself would be the one to rope Don into his second union, but in the end she might have been too good of a choice, too much of a change and possibly someone Don didn't think he deserved.

Megan, on the other hand, was young and beautiful, just like Betty was when Don first met her. Unlike Faye, she's not all business, all the time. And, unlike Betty, Megan understands Don, and can connect with him. Their trip to California, and the activities that followed, proved to me that Megan was the right choice for Don.

Still, was I expecting him to propose so quickly? No. What was it, two nights together our west? That's quick. Having said that, she was pretty great. I mean, how about that milkshake scene? It spills and Don is ready to blow a gasket, but Megan simply states, "Don't be upset, it's just a milkshake." The family was utterly taken aback at this un-Betty-like reaction.

It was just so nice to see Don so happy California. From joking with the kids on the bed, to cannon-balling into the pool, Don had an ear-to-ear grin on his face for a good portion of this episode. And it is just so rewarding after how sad and depressed he was earlier in the season. It really has been building since the beginning of the season. Has Don ever been happy for an extended period of time? What if we come back next year for season five, and he's just happy-go-lucky for half of the season? It sure will be different, but it would be interesting.

Even though Don's personal life was at the center of this season finale, there was still a lot that was going on at SCDP. For one, Joan was promoted to Director of Agency Business, in title only of course. And Peggy went out and killed it at a meeting with Topaz Pantyhose. She and Ken got them to sign with SCDP, but their accomplishment was overshadowed by the marriage of a man to a beautiful woman.

My question: how big is this new client? I haven't paid much attention to the amounts certain clients bring in, but a quarter of a million doesn't seem like much. Wasn't some big company supposed to come in and save SCDP's day? Based on the title of this week's episode, "Tomorrowland," I thought it was going to be Disney.

Now we head into the hiatus with the fate of SCDP up in the air. I'm happy with that as a strategy by Matthew Weiner and company. If they would have had SCDP get saved in the finale, it would have been way too similar to season three's finale.

So once Don got back to the office, the news is broken to everyone that he's marrying Megan. This hits Peggy like a ton of bricks. Why is she so mad, though? She can't have feelings for him. Does she just not want him to be with his secretary? If she makes him happy, I don't care how they originally met. He's had moments with past secretaries that didn't go anywhere. This is something different and Peggy should get over it.

Her anger did make for a great moment between her and Joanie, however.. Peggy going to Joan's office to complain about Don's news was just brilliant. The two of them going off to each other about their given situations, and having a good time doing it, was so good because it built on the tension they have had recently. This pair has been quietly, and sometimes not quietly, hating on each other. This moment of shared anger, and laughter, was a very nice payoff.

But then there were some things that I didn't feel got paid off, or maybe not enough. I know it is a very serialized show, so some plots can come back into the fold in the seasons to come, but nothing really happened with Sally. There was the whole thing with Creepy Glen. Nothing materialized from that, and nothing really ever materialized from those therapy sessions. Sure, she seems better adapted now, but what was the point of it all?

I guess you could say the Betty story got a payoff because her life has completely fallen apart, but it still felt a bit off to me. And this is not just because I am a huge Betty fan. Actually, she finally fell off of my love list after her performance this week. What an absolute nut bar! She fires Carla for letting Glen see Sally, and then gets angry at Henry for being mad about it. Her kids don't like her. Her husband can't stand her right now. She has to move out of her house. And now her ex-husband is getting re-married.

Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that we were talking about how happy she was because she had everything and Don had nothing? How quickly things can change.

Elsewhere, I finally got a prediction correct! As I said in my review of "Hands and Knees," Joan did not get the abortion. No one at the office knows because she isn't showing yet. What we learn from her phone call with her husband is that she's not planning on admitting that it is Roger's. We all saw this coming. The only thing that would make it all fit together nicely is if we come back for season five and Greg has died in Vietnam.

All in all, it was both a great season finale and a great fourth season. For all the talk about this season starting too strong to finish the same way, I thought the past few episodes were full of action and all packed a punch in their own way. Since a lot of time usually goes by between seasons on Mad Men, when we come back a lot of things will probably have changed. Joan should have a baby, Don should be married, and I'm sure something crazy will have happened with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

It has been a whole lot of fun reviewing these episodes here at TV Fanatic. See you next year.

Mad Men Review: "Blowing Smoke"

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 06:29:51 EST

This all feels a little too familiar.

Didn't last season end with the company being in trouble, only for it to be saved at the very end? In season three, it was starting a whole new agency, and unless some crazy twist comes along, season four's finale will be highlighted by some big company saving SCDP from going under.

"Blowing Smoke" was actually a pretty sad episode. On many accounts, I just felt really bad for the characters of Mad Men. At the forefront were the many employees at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Because of the recent problems of SCDP, no new clients are ready to commit to the struggling agency. After the partners went through so much trouble to get this new agency put together at the end of last season, it was tough to watch them see it fall apart only a year later.

While the partners had many sacrifices to overcome, many of the lower level employees were told to hit the road. As little as we knew some of these guys, it was still moving to see them walk out the door. Danny was a wack-o, but I still liked him.

I really felt sad for Pete until Don took control of the situation and paid his share to keep the company alive. Pete has put so much effort into this company, and has had so many opportunities to leave with Ted Chow-guh-guh, that for him to then have to put up 50 grand, was truly unfortunate The silent moment between Don and Pete after Lane admitted that Don paid Pete's share? Well worth it.

I felt terrible for Don. Not only are all of the same problems at SCDP happening to Don, but he's got more piling up on him. That prank phone call from Teddy Chow-guh-guh. The partners are upset with him for writing the anti-tobacco ad in the paper. And his lady situation seems more difficult than ever.

Of course I felt bad for Sally. The girl is improving her mental health, and is becoming friendlier with Creepy Glen, but Betty ruins everything for her... as usual. The mean mother prevents her from hanging out with Glen and then suggests the family moves out of the only place Sally has known as home. Just when she was making great strides in psychology sessions, things have taken a turn for the worse.

Speaking of Betty, how great is it that she insists Sally keep up with her therapy because she herself needs to keep seeing the child psychologist? Still a child at heart, Betty convinces the doctor to keep the sessions going. Will she ever grow up and act like an adult? This probably won't help.

Last, and, maybe least, I also felt a bit sad for Midge. I was never a big fan of hers when she was Don's mistress back in season one, but she really let her life spiral out of control. She's now addicted to heroin, and is seeking out Don to swindle him out of some money? Once Don figures out what is going on, he gives her a handout, but obviously is disgusted by what she has become.

So while all of these terrible things went down this week, what positives will come in the season four finale next Sunday? Will SCDP be saved by a new client? Will Don be on his way to being married within a year, as Faye predicted earlier in the season? Did Bert really quit his own company?

Other thoughts:

After the initial partners' meeting of the episode, there was that strange montage of one-on-one chats. It seemed really out of place for this series. An odd move by director John Slattery.
I loved Sally's thoughts on the Land O Lakes butter box.
The voiceover came back for Don's ad regarding quitting tobacco. Glad to have it back?
Teddy Chow-guh-guh had both Don and myself with the Bobby Kennedy prank call. I was so proud of Don for getting that phone call from the senator. So mean.
Don didn't seem to care about anyone's opinion on his letter in the paper, other than Peggy's of course. I wasn't surprised.