A new époque is ushered in at ad agency Sterling Cooper as Mad Men goes from strength to strength with its fourth season, set in the heart of the swinging sixties.
Don Draper (the superior Jon Hamm) is back, fresh from the revelations at the end of Season 3 which seemed to bring all the secrets out from the shadows and the skeletons from the closets that had been so closely guarded for the previous 39 episodes. Don’s long-suffering wife Betty (January Jones as the “is she interesting, or really just bland?” trophy) must come to terms with her husband’s confessions and has seemingly moved on from the family nest.
Meanwhile, the Sterling Cooper family must face life sequestered and broken into schisms by their British owners. However, as Draper ekes out a bachelor’s existence in a drab apartment, there is a strong suggestion that his demons will continue to haunt him as his psyche is laid bare time and again.
We were a little “meh” about Mad Men in its first season. It seems many viewers also had to get over the hump of a show so steeped in history, Americana and style that at times the substance seemed somewhat obfuscated. However, mainly down to the superb cast, there is so much to recommend here to the avid fan and casual viewer alike, with no major changes of personnel brought about by tragedy or the need to move on.
Perhaps partly due to its circumstance and setting, Mad Men often feels like a very high class soap opera, at times akin to Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven, whereby so much is bubbling under the surface that it’s as much about what isn’t said, rather than what is (never more so in the Draper marriage – as was). This restraint won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, since it means committing to a mood piece spread over a sprawling period of time (Mad Men would never work in any capacity other than episodic television), but the rewards are great and this season continues to raise the bar.
Regrettably a programming hiatus means that we will be starved until 2012 for more, but this Blu-ray set – with its pin-perfect picture and copious extras, especially in the commentary department – will keep fans sated until then.
Released on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 28th March 2011 by Lions Gate Home Entertainment.