8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
Starring: Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina HendricksDrama | 100% |
Period | 57% |
Dark humor | 44% |
History | 37% |
Romance | 31% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A lot of newsprint and/or bandwidth have been utilized to discuss that last view of Don Draper fans of Mad Men were greeted by
before the show signed off with one of the most iconic ads from 1971. A lot of the discussion, including some by Don himself (i.e., Jon Hamm),
has focused on what Don’s enigmatic smile meant or whether the segue was a suggestion that Don had come up with the iconic ad
(whose identity won’t be spoiled here, though my hunch is virtually every Mad Men fan already knows what it is). I’d like to actually
entertain a somewhat different approach toward this final view of Don, no matter what the psychological intent was or the editing may have
intentionally or unintentionally conveyed. There’s a simple but salient fact about this last image of Don that, to me, anyway, traces back
directly to Mad Men’s initial presentation of the character of Don Draper. Here, in our last moments with this enigmatic, charismatic,
commanding, incompetent, duplicitous, honorable character, we see him—fully frontal, so to speak, with a clear view of Draper’s quizzically
smiling face. Contrast that with the repeated trope (used especially in some of the series’ opening episodes and also quite redolently in the
credits sequence and even in the show's general iconography, including perhaps ironically its ads) where a camera would push in to the
back of Draper’s head, i.e., a view which either consciously or subconsciously suggests a certain mystery and unknowability. I
mentioned this very trope back in the Dark Ages of
DVD when I reviewed Mad Men’s first season on that format (for another site), as I felt it perfectly encapsulated the series’ initial
gambit of dealing with Draper as something of an International Man of Mystery. In fact much of Mad Men’s early plot machinations
surrounded Don’s supposed “secret identity”, a conceit that tended to be subsumed later by the psychological turmoil Don experienced in his
“(not so) secret identity” as Don. Over the course of the ensuing several seasons, Draper at times seemed to have (or at least
convey) a firm grasp on
who he was and where he was going, but at least as often (and maybe more often), he seemed confused, not sure of his place in
the world (or at least the world of advertising), and unable to navigate his roiling relationships with both his coworkers and especially
romantically with a parade of both wives and lovers. But here in these final moments, show creator Matthew Weiner seems to suggest, at
least subliminally, that Don may finally have a clue as to who he is and what he’s here for. It’s particularly ironic that Weiner
communicates that idea by letting the audience see Don, unadorned and at least relatively vulnerable, as if the character himself were
saying, “It’s okay now—take a look. I’m fine.”
For those wanting a refresher course on Mad Men's fairly convoluted story so far, our reviews of previous seasons can be found by
clicking on the following links:
Mad Men: Season One Blu-ray review
Mad Men: Season Two Blu-ray review
Mad Men: Season Three Blu-ray review
Mad Men: Season Four Blu-ray review
Mad Men: Season Five Blu-ray review
Mad Men: Season Six Blu-ray review
Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 1
Blu-ray review
Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 2 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This has consistently been one of the nicer looking series on television (and on subsequent Blu-ray), especially due to the often cool and convincing production design. These last episodes continue the tradition of excellent recreation of a time period, with great fine detail offering excellent views of fabrics in costumes and elements like upholstery or other material. Colors are often bold and quite provocative, in that early seventies' manner. There are however recurrent issues with splotchy yellow artifacts afflicting the image, and not necessarily in only overly dark scenes. These may not prove that problematic for some viewers, but they were consistent enough that I felt a slight diminution in video score was appropriate.
Once again elements like source cues offer Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 2's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 with some of its most consistent surround activity, though some of the bustling office activities also provide good immersion. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly and is always well prioritized on this problem free track.
Disc One:
- Severance - with Matthew Weiner, Jane Bryant and Scott Hornbacher
- New Business - with Matthew Weiner and Tom Smuts
- The Forecast - with Matthew Weiner, Jennifer Getzinger and Jonathan Igla
- Time & Life - with Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy
- Lost Horizon - with Matthew Weiner and Semi Chellas
- The Milk and Honey Route - with Matthew Weiner and Carly Wray
- Person to Person - with Matthew Weiner and Jon Hamm
Mad Men may not have gone out with a bang, so to speak, but it also didn't end with a whimper, instead offering a few moments of relative peace for several major characters while also refusing to promise that any of them would experience a real happily ever after. Mad Men has consistently been one of the best written and acted shows on television, and it manages to complete its story with a fair amount of nuance and effectiveness. Fans should be delighted that this last release has great commentary tracks along with some appealing featurettes, and Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 2 comes Highly recommended.
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First pressing in clear case
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Special Edition
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40th Anniversary Edition
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