**_Mad Men_: The Second Great American Novel of Television...**
Created by Matthew Weiner.
Written by Blake Patterson.

In the third season of _Mad Men_, Don Draper expresses, "If you don’t like what is being said, then change the conversation." The irony of this statement is how the subject the advertisers avoid catches up with them in surprising ways. Through various conflicts, Matthew Weiner exposes his characters at their best and worst in this period piece concerning an advertising agency in the sixties. Weiner defies the archetypes in place by displaying their emotional complications and how they endure them. By developing each character and set piece through different means, Weiner creates a sociological portrait of an advertising agency with systemic issues at its center.


Initially, Weiner presents his characters through routines to emanate the daily experience for the men and women at the workplace, specifically the agency _Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce_. In 1960, Weiner conveys how the men in charge have more advantages than women through their official status and behavior. As the men cheat on their wives and smoke cigarettes, the situations are intriguing and complex originally until they become repetitive and tiresome in the first season. The intention is to acknowledge how the agency is still living in a '50s mindset which will eventually experience some social changes to their system. In his evocation of the early years, the set design is lushly red like a scene out of Todd Haynes' _Far From Heaven_ or Wong Kar-wai's _In the Mood for Love_. By accurately capturing the decor and behavior, it is primarily disappointing to watch _Mad Men_ because the characters are thin sketches.


Then, Weiner commits a subversive act by finding the internal feelings of each character through the decadent facade. From Don Draper to Peggy Olsen, Weiner examines their range as people living in this orthodox setting for the sixties. Like his main colleagues, Draper is an alcoholic who manipulates women to have sex with him despite his marital status. However, Weiner and Jon Hamm evoke the character's vulnerability, and Hamm masterfully transitions from selfish to charming during each episode. It is not merely Hamm's showcase because the other performers establish striking realizations of these eccentric personalities. As Olsen, Elisabeth Moss is brilliant in her portrayal of a woman trying to succeed in a sexist environment, and it is easy to root for the character due to Moss' amiable approach. Even when characters are despicable, Weiner never loses grasp of their humanity.


While the series intricately studies sexism, _Mad Men_ also addresses other issues from the sixties. When the narrative reaches 1964, Weiner delves into how these characters respond to African Americans through subtle and explosive ways. There will be a scene with a racist character in blackface while another person may ignore any chance at confrontation. Weiner exudes how difficult it is for black women at the agency when some white characters side against them. During an episode, Peggy Olsen assumes a black secretary will make it in the workplace because of her struggle as a woman. Despite Olsen's generousness, Moss subtly emits the character's naivete. When characters act insensitively, Weiner seriously critiques their behavior and how it impacts a victim's life.


As the narrative evolves, it is difficult to not empathize with these characters as they experience hardships. Like the characters, audiences will react angrily, mournfully, happily, etc. In its thematic and emotional understanding of the period, _Mad Men_ has the richness of a Robert Altman film, and this is why it is like a great American novel. Even though it begins slowly, the issue seems insignificant after the series concludes because of the viewer's connection with the characters. As meticulous as it is, Weiner never forgets the importance of insight and pathos.

Grade: A.