TANK

Six reasons why I love Mad Men.

Jim Antonopoulos | 20.09.2009

I was watching a few episodes of the second-best show on televison* recently and a few key scenes had me punching the air in celebration of a group of creative talent who are just so good at their craft.

Here are six screen grabs from recent episodes and a short reason why this show is amazing.

Composition

This shot is simple, two would-be fathers sharing a bottle of Johnny-Red as they wait in the waiting room for their resepctive wives to give birth (as you do). As one pours the other a glass of whiskey, this beautiful, yet so simple, composition appears before us. Don looking straight at the pour through the arms of the person pouring. Beautifully framed.

Leading the eye

The next frame flips around and we’re presented with another simple but clever composition which leads the eye directly back and forth between the two people in conversation. Don’s arm stretches from foreground towards the secondary character. Simple. Perfect.

Fusing reality with the surreal seamlessly

Many times throughout this show, dream sequences are a simple extension of a current scene – as a viewer, for a split second, you aren’ sure if you are witnessing the scene from another point of view, or the character’s thoughts/dreams. Nice.

Dramatic storytelling that lets the user put the pieces together

Don Draper’s wife Betty was just told, at her front door step by a police officer, that her father had passed away – this was done in full view of her young daughter (above). As Betty composes herself, turns around and walks inside, paying no attention to her shocked daughter, she closes the door. This leaves an all too young girl in solemn tears walking back slowly to receive some comfort – only to find the door is locked. Profound drama that says so much about motherhood, parenting and the elegant balance of storytelling and a nod to an intuitive audience.

Love the bad guys / Seeing positives in failure

Now we all know that Don isn’t a saint, but when Sal walks in to acknowledge his failure at a recent shoot for a television commercial (his first go at it) which has lost the agency a client – Don acknowledges the failed attempt by promoting him to the new role of ‘Commercial Director’ – Sal walks out beaming. People management at it’s best and just like the other show* by this team of writers, you just can’t help but love the bad guys.

* The Sopranos was the best IMO.

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