Mad Men returns, then goes on too long…

Don, Pete, Peggy, Roger. Ah, our favorite days of advertising yore characters are back. This past Sunday saw the return of AMC’s Mad Men to the tube and in our house there was a good bit of anticipation. Then we watched. And watched. And kept watching. Lord, was that a long 2 hours of television. I didn’t expect a 2 hour premiere honestly and I think many would agree they didn’t need it. Like The Sopranos before it, Mad Men has a tendency to amaze fans one week and seemingly pass gas on them the next with a dud of an episode. This season opener sat somewhere in between those extremes. Don continues to redefine mercurial, declaring at one point that he “doesn’t care about work.” Nobody respects Pete – poor guy. Roger is useless and he knows it. So he keeps drinking. And he’s by far the funniest character on the show. I could go on. But that’s what they did…to no real effect. Hey Matt Weiner – keep it at an hour. And bring the original Bobby Draper back. (I’m always amazed by how cavalier television series are about swapping out child actors.)

If you’re new to Mad Men or just need to catch up on the overall plot line, here’s a great synopsis courtesy of The Atlantic Wire: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/03/mad-men-five-minutes/50302/