Why 'Mad Men' should smoke the Emmy competition

I just got through watching the first pair of episodes from season two of AMC's "Mad Men," which premieres on July 27. My first observation is one of surprise -- not because the quality is still there, but because it actually builds on the breakout promise of season one without painting its vivid characters into caricatures. This is a huge credit to the show's creator, showrunner, head writer and chief neurotic, Matthew Weiner, who clearly hasn't allowed the buzz that's transformed his series into an iconic weekly must-see to go to his head. Indeed, he seems to have pulled back significantly on the soapy elements to guard against that very pitfall. It's more than admirable; it's also rather brilliant.

What we get in the opening two stanzas, which picks up at an undetermined point after the first season's conclusion in terms of elapsed time, is an almost muted dynamic that magnifies the show's richness of tone and character development. I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Mad Men" is the least television-like TV series I can ever remember seeing in terms of its style and texture. It's beautiful to look at, and it evokes an indie movie feel throughout each hour. If you're not watching this show, you're missing a piece of work that approaches the level of true art. The only other current series with a similarly high ambition that reliably delivers is FX's "Damages." But "Mad Men" is something else altogether: a period piece that resonates like a contemporary utterance, one that draws us into its hard-drinking, chain-smoking, brutally sexist early 1960s world with exquisitely effortless elan.

What will this mean for the show at Emmy time? Well, come the Thursday nominations announcement, it's likely to result in the most nominations for any series this year -- and near-certain wins for outstanding drama series and for the phenomenal Jon Hamm as lead actor in a drama. Expect a minimum of 16 or 17 nominations for the show on Thursday morning, and a handful of wins once September rolls around. "Mad Men" -- which already earned a couple of Golden Globes in January -- is simply that good. And if the opening 1-2 punch of season two is an accurate indicator, it's poised to move well beyond its overachieving rookie heat to attain something far more rare: consistent greatness.

(Photo courtesy AMC)

Comments

[Robert Licuria]

Good work Ray - completely agreed (and now I can't wait to see the new season when it airs down under).

[GLR]

I guess I'll say what nobody else is talking about with regard to Mad Men...FINALLY the scrumptious and brilliant John Slattery gets a decent chance at a solid series. Yum.