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Lane Pryce struggles with his own demons as he is revealed to be greatly in debt and owing a good amount of taxes from when he moved his money to the US last season to help keep the firm afloat. When his scheme to use his Christmas bonus to pay off his tax debt fails, Lane is forced to steal from the company to pay his debt. Bert and Don discover this and Don fires Lane, who then kills himself rather than face the disgrace of exposure as a embezzler. He hangs himself in his office, leaving Roger, Pete, and Don to cut him down. Nobody knows the reason behind his suicide but Don.
Lane Pryce struggles with his own demons as he is revealed to be greatly in debt and owing a good amount of taxes from when he moved his money to the US last season to help keep the firm afloat. When his scheme to use his Christmas bonus to pay off his tax debt fails, Lane is forced to steal from the company to pay his debt. Bert and Don discover this and Don fires Lane, who then kills himself rather than face the disgrace of exposure as a embezzler. He hangs himself in his office, leaving Roger, Pete, and Don to cut him down. Nobody knows the reason behind his suicide but Don.
Megan (who has returned to acting) seeks Don's help to secure a commercial role for her. Megan's visiting mother cruelly denounces Megan's ambitions and demands that Don not help Megan, as she believes that Megan's dream of acting must be crushed and for her to behave like a "proper" wife of a wealthy man like Don. While Don is at the dentist, Megan's mother reduces her daughter to a quivering wreck, resulting in Don forcing her from the house and agreeing to help Megan get the role in order to secure her the happiness she needs to function. Eventually, she gets the role, and after dropping her off at the studio, Don leaves to a bar where he sits alone by himself and orders a drink.
Megan (who has returned to acting) seeks Don's help to secure a commercial role for her. Megan's visiting mother cruelly denounces Megan's ambitions and tells Don that he should not help Megan, as she believes that Megan's dream of acting must be crushed and for her to behave like a proper wife of a wealthy man like Don. While Don is at the dentist, Megan's mother reduces her daughter to a quivering wreck, resulting in Don agreeing to help Megan get the role in order to secure her the happiness she needs to function. Eventually, she gets the role, and after dropping her off at the studio, Don leaves to a bar where he sits alone by himself and orders a drink.


The season ends with a montage of all the main characters having realizations about themselves. Pete, in the aftermath of his affair with Beth, is seen sitting alone on his couch with his headphones on and eyes closed. Peggy, having quickly risen through the ranks in her new career, is shown toasting a single glass of champagne to herself with a smile on her face. A naked Roger looks out the window of his hotel room at the city, in the throes of an LSD trip, and raises both of his arms into the air. And lastly, Don is seen at the bar, where a woman begins to flirt with him and asks if he is alone. He turns and looks at her ambiguously.
The season ends with a montage of all the main characters having realizations about themselves. Pete, in the aftermath of his affair with Beth, is seen sitting alone on his couch with his headphones on and eyes closed. Peggy, having quickly risen through the ranks in her new career, is shown toasting a single glass of champagne to herself with a smile on her face. A naked Roger looks out the window of his hotel room at the city, in the throes of an LSD trip, and raises both of his arms into the air. And lastly, Don is seen at the bar, where a woman begins to flirt with him and asks if he is alone. He turns and looks at her ambiguously.

Revision as of 02:29, 24 November 2012

Mad Men season 5
Season 5
Season 5 promotional poster
No. of episodes13
Release
Original networkAMC
Original releaseMarch 25 (2012-03-25) –
June 10, 2012 (2012-06-10)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 4
Next →
Season 6
List of episodes

The fifth season of the American television drama series Mad Men premiered on March 25, 2012, with a two-episode premiere[3][4] and concluded on June 10, 2012. It consisted of thirteen episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length. AMC broadcast the fifth season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States.

Season 5 takes place between Memorial Day (May 30) 1966 and spring 1967. The season explores Don Draper's new marriage to Megan, which leads him to ignore his work at the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising agency. Meanwhile, Pete, Roger, Joan, and Peggy learn that it is "every man for himself" in their personal and professional lives, as they each face painful new beginnings.

Cast

See also: List of Mad Men characters

Main cast

Recurring cast

2

Plot

Don Draper has married his secretary Megan Calvet, who throws a surprise birthday party for Don and their co-workers. Don is embarrassed by the party and Megan serenading him in front of his co-workers. Megan (who has been promoted to copywriter) meanwhile struggles with Don's growing detachment with work, as he is constantly having Megan come in late and leave early to the agency. This alienates Peggy, who is being made to train Megan, and Bert, who feels that Don has gone "on love leave" and not caring about his job or turning in quality work.

Feeling her chances at work have been undercut by Don's detachment, the couple have a fight while touring a Howard Johnson motel. Don leaves Megan behind in a huff when she tells him that she's come to find the advertising industry hollow and superficial. Megan manages to hitch a ride back to their new apartment, where they fight and ultimately reconcile.

Don's slacking at work coincides with the arrival of a new hire, in the form of young advertising phenom Michael Ginsberg. Young, aggressive, and anti-social, Ginsberg proves to be a rival for Don and Peggy. When the two are made to pitch advertisements for a snow cone company, Don purposely leaves behind Ginsberg's child-friendly campaign material in order to pitch a darker, devil-themed campaign instead that is ultimately chosen. Meanwhile, Peggy finds herself reaching a glass ceiling with regards to Ginsberg being a male, allowing the ability to rise within the company faster than Peggy. However, one evening Ginsberg confides his dark secret to Peggy: that he was born in a Nazi concentration camp for Jews, where his parents died and that he spent his childhood in an orphanage before his last surviving adult relative (an uncle) found him and took him to America to live. By the end, Peggy decides to leave the agency for another firm in order to fulfill her full potential. Don attempts to keep her by offering her a raise but ultimately concedes that Peggy has to leave him to continue out of his shadow. Before she leaves the office forever, Don kisses her hand, finally realizing how important she was to him.

Elsewhere, Roger struggles to remain relevant in the company as Pete Campbell schemes to steal his plush office for himself. Roger begins to secretly pay Peggy and Ginsberg to produce material for him to pitch to clients. He also experiments with LSD, which has a profound impact on him and his own marriage to Jane; under the influence of the drug the two confess that their marriage has failed and they divorce. Roger meanwhile begins pursuing an affair with Megan's mother, culminating in Don's daughter Sally catching her step-grandmother performing oral sex on Roger.

Pete Campbell, having moved to the suburbs, begins to become more and more detached from his life and the missing the big city. His relationship with Lane Pryce collapses and the two fight, with Lane beating Pete up in front of the other partners. He also begins a relationship with Beth Dawes, the wife of a fellow train commuter, who later breaks off the affair out of guilt even though she and Pete know that her husband is unrepentant in his own adultery. She later tells Pete that her husband is forcing her to experience electroshock therapy because of her manic depression. Pete visits his mistress one last time in the hospital, who has already had her memory cleared of the affair. He confronts Beth's husband later on the train, revealing the affair and culminating in a fist fight. Returning home defeated and alone, his wife Trudy agrees to allow Pete to rent an apartment in the city for overnight stays.

Joan struggles with single motherhood while her husband is overseas, with help from her mother. However, when she discovers that Greg has signed up for another tour of duty in the army medical corps without consulting her, Joan confronts Greg and in the process denounces him for his earlier rape of her and orders him out of her and their son's life. Greg reluctantly agrees but then files for divorce, which upsets Joan as she fears that Greg will paint her as the villain in their divorce case. Further complicating things is the firm pursuing Jaguar as a client, as Pete is able to get a promise that the agency will get the account if Joan sleeps with one of the executives at the car company. Pete arranges a vote behind Don's back, with the other partners reluctantly agreeing to pay Joan to have sex with the executive to secure the account for them. However, Lane convinces Joan to take an ownership percentage of the company instead as Don tries (and fails) to stop Joan from doing the deed. The firm wins the account, but alienates Joan and Don from the rest of the partners and from each other.

Lane Pryce struggles with his own demons as he is revealed to be greatly in debt and owing a good amount of taxes from when he moved his money to the US last season to help keep the firm afloat. When his scheme to use his Christmas bonus to pay off his tax debt fails, Lane is forced to steal from the company to pay his debt. Bert and Don discover this and Don fires Lane, who then kills himself rather than face the disgrace of exposure as a embezzler. He hangs himself in his office, leaving Roger, Pete, and Don to cut him down. Nobody knows the reason behind his suicide but Don.

Megan (who has returned to acting) seeks Don's help to secure a commercial role for her. Megan's visiting mother cruelly denounces Megan's ambitions and tells Don that he should not help Megan, as she believes that Megan's dream of acting must be crushed and for her to behave like a proper wife of a wealthy man like Don. While Don is at the dentist, Megan's mother reduces her daughter to a quivering wreck, resulting in Don agreeing to help Megan get the role in order to secure her the happiness she needs to function. Eventually, she gets the role, and after dropping her off at the studio, Don leaves to a bar where he sits alone by himself and orders a drink.

The season ends with a montage of all the main characters having realizations about themselves. Pete, in the aftermath of his affair with Beth, is seen sitting alone on his couch with his headphones on and eyes closed. Peggy, having quickly risen through the ranks in her new career, is shown toasting a single glass of champagne to herself with a smile on her face. A naked Roger looks out the window of his hotel room at the city, in the throes of an LSD trip, and raises both of his arms into the air. And lastly, Don is seen at the bar, where a woman begins to flirt with him and asks if he is alone. He turns and looks at her ambiguously.

Episodes

See also: List of Mad Men episodes
No. # Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(million)
53–541–2"A Little Kiss"Jennifer GetzingerMatthew WeinerMarch 25, 2012 (2012-03-25)3.54[5]
553"Tea Leaves"Jon HammErin Levy and Matthew WeinerApril 1, 2012 (2012-04-01)2.94[6]
564"Mystery Date"Matt ShakmanVictor Levin and Matthew WeinerApril 8, 2012 (2012-04-08)2.75[7]
575"Signal 30"John SlatteryFrank Pierson and Matthew WeinerApril 15, 2012 (2012-04-15)2.69[8]
586"Far Away Places"Scott HornbacherSemi Chellas and Matthew WeinerApril 22, 2012 (2012-04-22)2.66[9]
597"At the Codfish Ball"Michael UppendahlJonathan IglaApril 29, 2012 (2012-04-29)2.31[10]
608"Lady Lazarus"Phil AbrahamMatthew WeinerMay 6, 2012 (2012-05-06)2.29[11]
619"Dark Shadows"Scott HornbacherErin LevyMay 13, 2012 (2012-05-13)2.13[12]
6210"Christmas Waltz"Michael UppendahlVictor Levin and Matthew WeinerMay 20, 2012 (2012-05-20)1.92[13]
6311"The Other Woman"Phil AbrahamSemi Chellas and Matthew WeinerMay 27, 2012 (2012-05-27)2.07[14]
6412"Commissions and Fees"Christopher ManleyAndre Jacquemetton & Maria JacquemettonJune 3, 2012 (2012-06-03)2.41[15]
6513"The Phantom"Matthew WeinerJonathan Igla and Matthew WeinerJune 10, 2012 (2012-06-10)2.70[16]

Production

Crew

Series creator Matthew Weiner also served as showrunner and executive producer, and is credited as a writer on 10 of the 13 episodes of the season, often co-writing the episodes with another writer. Erin Levy was promoted to co-producer and wrote two episodes. Victor Levin joined as co-executive producer and wrote two episodes. Frank Pierson joined as consulting producer and wrote one episode. Semi Chellas was promoted to co-producer and wrote two episodes. Jonathan Igla wrote two episodes. Writing team Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton were promoted to executive producers and co-wrote one episode together. Other producers included Blake McCormick and executive producer Scott Hornbacher.

Jennifer Getzinger, Scott Hornbacher, Michael Uppendahl, and Phil Abraham each directed two episodes for the season. The remaining episodes were directed by Matt Shakman, cast member John Slattery, Matthew Weiner, who directs each season finale; with cast member Jon Hamm and cinematographer Christopher Manley each making their directorial debuts.

Reception

Critical reception

The fifth-season premiere received "universal acclaim" from 24 critics on Metacritic with a score of 88 out of 100.[17]

Lori Rackl of Chicago Sun-Times gave the season five premiere four stars: "After a dark and often depressing season four, it's refreshing to start things off on a more jovial, lighter note. That's not to say the premiere is devoid of angst, disappointment and drama. It's just buoyed by an unusually high amount of humor."[18]

The Los Angeles Times' Robert Lloyd spoke about the series' continued success: "It works because it's less about who we were then—it's a fantasy of who we were then, really—than about who we are now."[19]

Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times, however, was one of the very few reviewers to give the season premiere a low score: "A show that became a hit because it seemed so original has been so co-opted that it now looks like a cliché. The personalities on Mad Men don't change, but the times do. At this point, the context may be more interesting than the characters."[20]

The two-hour premiere garnered a 2.5 household rating, delivering 3.5 million viewers; an increase from the season four premiere of 2.92 million. Ranked as the most-watched episode in the series' history, the premiere's core viewer demographic was adults aged 25–54 at 1.7 million viewers. This was an increase from the same core group during the season four premiere at 1.4 million viewers.[21]

Accolades

The fifth season received nominations from the Television Critic's Association Awards for "Program of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Drama". Jon Hamm was also nominated in the "Individual Achievement in Drama" award for his portrayal of Don Draper during the fifth season.[22]

64th Primetime Emmy Awards

Season five received 17 nominations for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, although it did not win any.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Lambert, David (July 23, 2012). "Mad Men - This Just In! DVD and Blu-ray Street Date, Extras and More for 'Season 5'!". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Mad Men - Season 5 (Blu-ray)". Amazon UK. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 14, 2012). "AMC Sets 2-Hour Premiere For 'Mad Men' & 'Killing' Return, Supersizes 'Walking Dead', Promises 'Killing' Killer Will Be Revealed". Deadline. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  4. ^ "Episode 1-2: A Little Kiss". AMC.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  5. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (March 27, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball, 'Mad Men' Season Premiere + 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  6. ^ Bibel, Sarah (April 3, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings:'Game of Thrones' Returns To Series High; + 'Khloe & Lamar,' 'The Killing', 'Mad Men, 'Army Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  7. ^ Bibel, Sarah (April 10, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Leads + Atlanta 'Housewives,' 'Mad Men,' 'Khloe & Lamar,' 'Army Wives,' 'The Client List' & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  8. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (April 17, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones,' + 'Real Housewives ATL' 'Mad Men,' 'Khloe & Lamar,' 'The Client List' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  9. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (April 24, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones,' + 'Real Housewives ATL' 'Mad Men,' 'Veep,' 'The Client List' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  10. ^ Bibel, Sara (May 1, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Rises, Ties NBA Playoffs + 'Real Housewives,' 'The Client List,' 'Army Wives,' 'Mad Men' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  11. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 8, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs + 'Game of Thrones', 'The Client List', 'Army Wives,' 'Khloe & Lamar', 'Mad Men' + More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  12. ^ Bibel, Sara (May 15, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Tops 'Real Housewives NJ,' 'The Client List,' 'Khloe & Lamar,' 'Army Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  13. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 22, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs, + 'Game of Thrones', 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Ax Men', 'The Client List', 'Sister Wives', + More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  14. ^ Bibel, Sara (May 30, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, 'Game of Thrones', 'Mad Men', 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Girls', 'Pawn Stars', & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  15. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 5, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs + 'Game of Thrones' Finale, MTV Movie Awards, 'Sister Wives', 'The Glades', 'Longmire' + More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
  16. ^ Bibel, Sara (June 12, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood' Wins Night, 'Mad Men', 'Longmire', 'The Client List', 'The Glades', 'Drop Dead Diva' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  17. ^ "Mad Men: Season 5". Metacritic. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  18. ^ Rackl, Lori (March 22, 2012). "After Draper delay, 'Mad Men' returns". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  19. ^ Lloyd, Robert (March 22, 2012). "Review: Like Don Draper, 'Mad Men' Season 5 is a work in progress". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  20. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (March 22, 2012). "Oblivious to the Battle Raging Outside, 'Mad Men' Opens Its Fifth Season on AMC". The New York Times. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  21. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (March 26, 2012). "Season Five Premiere Is Most Watched 'Mad Men' Episode Ever". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  22. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (June 6, 2012). "TCA Awards nominees include 'Breaking Bad', 'Mad Men', 'Game of Thrones', and 'Homeland'". HitFix. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  23. ^ "Mad Men - Emmys". Emmys.com. Retrieved July 19, 2012.

External links

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