Mad Men - "Tomorrowland"

Joan (Christina Hendricks) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) discuss their positions at SCDP.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 13
"Tomorrowland"

That was certainly sudden. However, looking back at season four as a whole, this did appear to be the end result Matthew Wiener had intended. Megan had been floating around the background for half the season until her key moment of comforting Sally. That was also the same episode that we learned that Dr. Faye wasn't good with children and had no real desire to change that matter.

Mad Men - "Blowing Smoke"

Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) and Bert Cooper (Robert Morse) as their empire slowly crumbles around them.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 12
"Blowing Smoke"

I know that there is one episode left in the season, but "Blowing Smoke" felt like a season finale. The episode ended with a feeling of uncertainty, yet with a direction more towards a positive outcome. Yes, SCDP is having to down-size, resulting in the firing of big chunk of the staff, but thanks to the partners ponying up some money, the bank has granted them a loan to keep the company afloat for another six months.

Mad Men - "Chinese Wall"

Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) get ready to make a presentation.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 11
"Chinese Wall"

The future of SCDP is looking very uncertain at the moment. Roger's big secret about Lucky Strike came out via the grapevine and now the entire company has to scramble to find replacement accounts, while trying to reduce the fears of their other clients so they don't jump ship as well. Of course, this is also the perfect time for Baby Campbell to make her debut.

Mad Men - "Hands and Knees"

Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) and Trudy (Alison Brie) enjoy a kick from their baby.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 10
"Hands and Knees"

Don Draper, or should I say Dick Whitman, has been carrying around the secret of his dual identity for about two decades. Due to unforeseen circumstances, a few people have learned about it. Two of them, Betty and Pete, have the burden of this knowledge creep unexpectedly into their own lives. For the first time, we actually get to see Don deal with the very real possibility of Army finding out that he deserted all those years ago.

Mad Men - "The Beautiful Girls"

Joan (Christina Hendricks), Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), and Faye (Cara Buono) enjoy an uncomfortable silence together.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 9
"The Beautiful Girls"

As the episode title and the picture above suggests, this episode of 'Mad Men' focuses on the three most powerful women at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Joan is in charge of the secretary pool and is charge of the day to day operations of the office. Peggy is a copy writer that works directly under Don Draper. Dr. Faye is a freelance researcher, but has become an important resource for the firm. Oh, and they got man troubles, bad.

Mad Men - "The Summer Man"

Don Draper (Jon Hamm) making looking good seem so damn easy.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 8
"The Summer Man"

While Don still has the occasional drink, it appears that he has turned the corner after last week's wonderful  episode "The Suitcase". Now he is writing down his thoughts in a journal, exercising regularly in the form of swimming, and not getting plastered every couple of hours. His change in pattern is rewarded not once but twice, when both Bethany and Dr. Faye get physical with him. Even they have noticed a change.

Mad Men - "The Suitcase"

Hang in there, Peggy (Elisabeth Moss)! You're gonna make it after all!

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 7
"The Suitcase"

While the episode title "The Suitcase" refers to the Samsonite campaign that Don and Peggy bang their heads against during most of the hour, it's also a reference to another word: baggage. Boy, do these two have some baggage. Some of it, the pair are aware of, but during this episode Don and Peggy slowly begin to reveal even more to each other.

Mad Men - "Waldorf Stories"

Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Roger Sterling (John Slattery) looking good at the Clio Awards.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 6
"Waldorf Stories"

You have to wonder how networks and producers and writers co-ordinate the progress of a television sometimes. Case in point: tonight's 'Mad Men' airs an episode in which Don wins a Cleo for his floor wax commercial, the night the show wins its third Emmy for Best Drama. Also, I can't help but wonder if the creators crafted "Waldorf Stories" to act as a sort of introductory episode to 'Mad Men' for any potential spill over viewers after the award ceremony when the show rebroadcast at 11:02 PM EST.

Mad Men - "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword"

Bobby (Jared S. Gilmore), Sally (Kiernan Shipka), Don (Jon Hamm) and Betty (January Jones): an American portrait of understanding and compassion.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 5
"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword"

Far be it for me to criticize an episode that gave us the euphoric moment of Peggy Olson riding a red motor bike in circles against a white backdrop on an empty sound stage, but I think it's too soon to have another "caper episode" so soon after the season three finale. While the finale was a fun homage to a certain film genre of that period and it was executed fantastically, the Honda plot just seemed too formulaic. Hell, Don, Pete, and Layne got to have their 'A-Team' post mission "I love it when a plan comes together" moment at the end, too. Still, this it 'Mad Men' and even a cliche plot idea is better than most television out there.

Mad Men – “The Rejected”

Joyce Ramsay (Zosia Mamet) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) get high and look at some art.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

‘Mad Men’
Season 4 – Episode 4
“The Rejected”

‘Mad Men’ has dropped the holiday themes that permeated the first three episodes of the season as we begin to really move into the thick of things. Don is still drinking, but with Allison’s very open display of frustration at his behavior towards her, he may now finally start to turn things around. I’m not saying it’s going to happen soon, but his attempt at typing her a letter about the hard time he’s having was directed at himself as much as her.

Mad Men - "The Good News"

Don (Jon Hamm) and Anna (Melinda Page Hamilton) share the end of 1964 together.
Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Mad Men'
Season 4 - Episode 3
"The Good News"

Structurally, "The Good News" is an odd little episode of 'Mad Men'. For the most part, this is very Don Draper heavy installment, but we get sprinkles of Joan's private life interspersed throughout. Also, via his interactions with both Joan and Don, Lane Pryce is given more illumination. Throw in a very brief and concise ending scene (Joan asking the partners of SCDP "Gentlemen, shall we begin 1965?") and we're left with an impression that the epilogue portion of season four has concluded and the real Texas belt buckle sized meat will start hitting the plate next week.

Mad Men – “Christmas Comes but Once a Year”

Review by Paul Steven Brown

‘Mad Men’
Season 4 – Episode 2
“Christmas Comes but Once a Year”

These first two episodes of the fourth season are really driving home the sense of isolation that Don Draper feels, now that he is separated from Betty and not around the kids that often. For someone in his position, the holidays can be the loneliest time of the year. So lonely that he’s making passes at the nurse from down the hall or engaging in a sudden romp with his personal secretary, Allison. In both cases, Don has been extremely drunk.

Mad Men - "Public Relations"

Review by Paul Steven Brown

‘Mad Men’
Season 4 – Episode 1
“Public Relations”

When we last saw ‘Mad Men’ at the end of season three, it was late 1963, Betty was leaving Don for another man and the newly formed Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce had just set up shop in a hotel suite. The first episode of season four opens almost a year later and on the verge of Thanksgiving in 1964. Don and Betty are still apart; he’s in an apartment in the city and she’s still in the house with the kids and Henry. SCDP has been successful enough to move out of the hotel and into a full-fledged office with and a pool of secretaries. Even Joan has her own office now.