I just don't get the appeal of this glacier paced series. Sometmes, when nothing is happening on screen, it doesn't mean that it's deep and thought provoking. It just means that there's nothing happening.

Quite possibly one of the best shows ever written. The characters are like the one's we find in real life. They capture the 60's perfectly. Don Draper is a tortured soul. His wife Betty as beautiful as she is a total bitch on wheels. She hates her life, her marriage, her friends, and even resents her children. Her daughter Sally is brilliant but you don't have to look too far into the future to know she will wind up hating her mother. At the office the diverse cast of characters with their side stories are as good as anyone. Peter will walk on anyone for his own selfish sense of purpose. Peggy is now sleeping her way up the ladder of success. And Roger doesn't care about anything or anyone other than himself. Just a wonderful show about the Madison Avenue PR spin machine of the 1960's and the shortcomings in all of us.… Expand

One of the few TV dramas that doesn't base its plot and characters on comic book characters and cultural cliches. Sets are dead on. Attitudes are pitch perfect to the 60's. Genius work.

There is nothing better on television and there hasn't been in many years. Maybe other T.V. writers are too shallow to understand complexities in life.

While it may be a bit too judgmental to bring out the barometer of a show based on just the first season opening episode, those of us (me) who have followed MAD MEN since the first season don't need to be persuaded to stick with it because it is like the wonderful sensation of having a dab of honey or sticky hot fudge sauce (a powerful sensation) follow the trail of fruit and nut mix all the way to the cookie jar of what awaits us with the next episode, the narrative and the season's theme. And....between the fashion, the iconic cultural references and the extemely smooth weave between the advertising world and the personal angst, we've got one great looking show with terrific writers and an exceptional creator leading the way to more Emmys this season than the past two (let's finally hope)! Jon Hamm as Don Draper is one of the most fascinating TV Drama characters to have hit the small screen yet!… Expand

Very slow moving and with a fairly standard plot structure (anytime something starts to get boring, the writers just add in more smoking, drinking, and adultry). But the characters are pretty compelling and the unique flavor of the series starts to grow on you. If only each episode was 20 minutes long instead of 40. I wouldn't call it the best show on television but it's worth checking out.… Expand

Brian is right," nothing is happening"...... down through his thick scull in his pea brain. Mad men really is brilliant.

Let me tell you, this is one of the best shows on television. The sheer human complexities in these characters is astounding.

After my first look at "Mad Men" on Sunday August 16, after all the build-up,all I can say is: what a disappointment! Why would I invite these uniformly loathsome, brain-dead people into my home for an hour every week? Is there any character who is even remotely sympathetic? A bleak, cynical, creepy, and utterly fanciful look at what was a truly fascinating episode of American business history.

I know the show so seeing where the characters are is interesting. But the scenes play flat and do not have any dramatic tension, even when dramatic things are happening. I need to go back and watch, but I feel that season 1 had that and since then she show is slowly becoming less dramatic and more dull.

It is rich, resonant, layered, thought-provoking and beautiful to behold.

One word... BRILLIANT! Nothing can compare.

I find many of the characters on this show despicable (even the women are racist) but the show is so brutally honest that I can't look away. Still it makes me rethink the merits of communism.

Astoundingly good - can only guess that the unappreciative have not loyally watched the show. There is purpose to every scene, every phrase of dialogue, every seemingly random action by its characters. It depicts an improbable reality (the tractor scene is so random but shows why Joan is who she is). My rec is to watch with the DVR (or on DVD when it comes out) - i find myself re-watching scenes since there is often so much to digest.… Expand

It's a good, but not great, show. Smugly tries too hard to be profound. Even its aren't-they-so-backward-in-1960 moments can misfire (A restaurant scene in which someone orders, and we're asked to fear with our 21st century hindsight, a humble egg). I see why it's popular, though. It plays to urban American multi-culti self satisfaction.

Oh come on Washington Post. Are you f*cking kidding me? The show pulled out as many stops as it possibly could on the opener and you still give it a 40? The surreal flashbacks to Don's conceiving and birth were brilliantly done, as was the storyline involving Sal and his (hopeful) impending coming-out. The acting, writing, and production values are still top-notch. One of the top 3 shows on TV right now.… Expand

Full characters you won't like...and don't care about!

Mad Men stands in a league of its own for television drama. The cinematography is beautiful. Set design and wardrobe has been a staple of the show since season 1 and the look has yet to grow tired. What makes Madmen special though is its patient and intense study of 60's culture and the handful of individuals who inhabit this storyline. The world is changing fast and the cultural norms of 1950's are deteriorating in the wake of a growing counter culture. The cast is still stellar with Hamm as a driving force; reviving his nuanced Draper. Season 3 episode 1 refused to feed the audience a serving of artificial bullshit. Character flaws we wish to be fixed for the most part persist. But the growth seen in some of the cast last season manages to still hold purpose. My favorite storyline in the premiere was probably Salvatore's'.… Expand

Continuing it's streak of of pure brilliance, Mad Men continues to deliver like a **** Around the sane playing field as the second in terms of its gracefulness, but also consistently awesome. What needs to be said about the complexities has already been said a million times over.

Mad Men is poorly written, it spews continually lackluster dialogue, and it struggles with one boring plot line after another. The show boasts quite the cast, but this only underscores how poorly the writers have done in utilizing the talent at their disposal. When it first came out I was intrigued, and subsequently watched several episodes, but it didn't take long to come to the realization that there is simply no "there" there. Short of the somewhat unique premise of the series, there is absolutely nothing about this show that warrants the attention it is getting. Are people really so shallow that they fall for this sophomoric, gimmicky drivel? When I heard that it was actually winning awards I couldn't even believe by ears. Mad Men is every bit as trite and pathetic as our modern movies and music. Style over substance, nothing more.… Expand

Mad men has definitely gotten better with each season.The sets and costumes are perfect and the introduction of jared harris has really helped improve the show.The combination of compelling drama,humour and character development make for compulsive viewing.

Its iconic and has turned into regular good TV...but still holds its own like a meal that you don't get tired of. Think of it as a marriage where the honeymoon is over but the romance continues. Growing weary of Betty!