Mad Men - Layers of Meaning

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  • čas pƙidĂĄn 19. 05. 2024
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    Mad Men, a show about mid-twentieth century American advertising, skillfully employs text, subtext, and symbolic imagery to emotionally sway the audience. In this video, we break down the acclaimed season 1 finale, "The Wheel", to uncover how the show's protagonist, Don Draper, utilizes all the meaning-making tools at his disposal to make a sale, even as the show's creators use those same tools to evoke a response in us.
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Komentáƙe • 1,1K

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +137

    *What other TV shows would you like us to cover in a future episode?*
    Start your 2 month free trial of Skillshare by going to skl.sh/lfts16

  • @maxmooreish
    @maxmooreish Pƙed 3 lety +4187

    Don Draper is the best at selling happiness but the worst at grasping it.

    • @goofygoosed
      @goofygoosed Pƙed 3 lety +42

      damn that was good

    • @fatninjacatmatt
      @fatninjacatmatt Pƙed 3 lety +71

      Can’t dip into your own supply

    • @kalstonii
      @kalstonii Pƙed 3 lety +40

      Sales is embellishing the reality. Happiness is naivete of reality

    • @freddogrosso9835
      @freddogrosso9835 Pƙed 3 lety +15

      Who was really happy in that show? Cosgrove? Sterling?

    • @imperfect_dan7519
      @imperfect_dan7519 Pƙed 3 lety +13

      That is until the end. It may not be lasting happiness but he did find it

  • @russellgarifulla1114
    @russellgarifulla1114 Pƙed 3 lety +2551

    CZcams doesn't have enough Mad Men essays.

  • @sebastianconrad6823
    @sebastianconrad6823 Pƙed 3 lety +3283

    This show is highly rated yet still underrated

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Pƙed 3 lety +23

      Big agree.

    • @alejandradelcid3143
      @alejandradelcid3143 Pƙed 3 lety +43

      Its the weirdest show i ever watched but my favorite

    • @rgng
      @rgng Pƙed 3 lety +102

      Under-appreciated*

    • @jashshah1033
      @jashshah1033 Pƙed 3 lety +35

      @@alejandradelcid3143 how is it weird?

    • @fabc1966
      @fabc1966 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      Cool call-back to Joan's line to Duck 👍

  • @maxhydekyle2425
    @maxhydekyle2425 Pƙed 3 lety +2210

    You could analyse basically every episode of Mad Men this deeply. Everything is so well written and so perfectly acted. Every line has multiple meanings and every story is actually multiple stories.

    • @TheAARBAND
      @TheAARBAND Pƙed 3 lety +39

      Highly recommended Matt Zoller Seitz's book if you haven't read it already. Perfect companion piece to the show

    • @kckazcoll1
      @kckazcoll1 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      @@TheAARBAND thanks for this recommendation!

    • @TheAARBAND
      @TheAARBAND Pƙed 3 lety +3

      @Henrique amazon probably sell it - please pay for it if you're going to download it, support creators!

    • @poodleman3356
      @poodleman3356 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      you are exagerating man

    • @kanakangi
      @kanakangi Pƙed 3 lety +2

      So true. Every scene every eye movement tells a story

  • @dinothegonzo
    @dinothegonzo Pƙed 3 lety +991

    Just thinking about Don Draper's "The Wheel" pitch makes me teary eyed. It's how universal the lonely prison Don has built for himself.

    • @scottslotterbeck3796
      @scottslotterbeck3796 Pƙed 3 lety +32

      Well put. We make decisions without knowing all of the ramifications of those decisons.
      As Joni Mitchell put it, you don't know what you've lost 'till it's gone.

    • @frankcolumbo9615
      @frankcolumbo9615 Pƙed 3 lety +13

      “Don’s” aka:Dick’s, theft of another’s identification and living a lie can only exist in solitary confinement or risk Public Exposure,
      humiliation, ruin and the legal ramifications (federal charges: Army Desertion)

    • @TiffanyTurquoise
      @TiffanyTurquoise Pƙed 3 lety +3

      Kodak and Hallmark commercials were always great at summoning waterworks for me.

    • @catherinedankens9823
      @catherinedankens9823 Pƙed rokem +1

      One of my fave scenes in the whole show

  • @maxhydekyle2425
    @maxhydekyle2425 Pƙed 3 lety +270

    Don's pitch was so good he even sold himself on it.

    • @rottensquid
      @rottensquid Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +11

      That's always his secret. As the show goes on, he loses his mojo because he finds himself unable to fool himself anymore. He sold himself this "good life" the way he sells that carousel, Lucky Strike, etc. But the problem with advertising is that sooner or later, you realize that the product sold to you on all these grandiose fantasies doesn't deliver. Cigarettes DO cause cancer, the happy memories promised by the carousel weren't really happy at all... products aren't the answer to the big hole in your heart. Nor is a picture-perfect marriage to a beautiful blond, a big house in Ossining, two kids, or a baby blue Cadillac. The whole show is a slow reveal of the profound falseness of advertising, as a metaphor for the cost of self-delusion.

  • @fieldofsenses
    @fieldofsenses Pƙed 3 lety +684

    one of the deepest, most nuanced, detailed and well written series i've ever watched. calling it a masterpiece ain't enough.

    • @vc6218
      @vc6218 Pƙed 3 lety +14

      The writers fucking did that! MASTERPIECE!

  • @sleepingsleepsleep
    @sleepingsleepsleep Pƙed 3 lety +1154

    Well. I just realized I haven't absorbed even half of the meaning in this show.

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +223

      There is a _lot_ of meaning going on, it's hard to get it all on the first pass.

    • @skipcubic4567
      @skipcubic4567 Pƙed 3 lety +57

      Even after 3 or 4 viewings, you'll still miss things.

    • @dayofthelords8371
      @dayofthelords8371 Pƙed 3 lety +5

      How many tiiiimes 😭😭

    • @andreylucass
      @andreylucass Pƙed 3 lety +12

      You should write something every season to fully understand

    • @Schmidtelpunkt
      @Schmidtelpunkt Pƙed 3 lety +50

      The funny thing is: I think I got everything of it. I just would not have been able to express it in words. Which I think is the perfect indicator of something being art. But also shows a quality of this channel.

  • @evandrobatista7086
    @evandrobatista7086 Pƙed 3 lety +580

    There is a saying in Brazil that says: "In a blacksmith's house, his tools are made of wood". Which means, in general, that a great business manager is a bad manager of his own life.

  • @matuk3200
    @matuk3200 Pƙed 3 lety +627

    I think Don is more cynical than he seems. He did not "discover" his family. He thought he had discovered the formula for it. He was melancholic about a concept he can't understand.

    • @scottslotterbeck3796
      @scottslotterbeck3796 Pƙed 3 lety +72

      Yup. He wanted his family as well as his various lovers. He felt ordinary rules didn't apply to him.

    • @bradmarchant7822
      @bradmarchant7822 Pƙed 3 lety +40

      very interesting! Don has always been a sorta fake it till you make it kind of character, but always hallow in the middle. so what you say makes perfect sense.

    • @Ikaros23
      @Ikaros23 Pƙed 3 lety +21

      @@scottslotterbeck3796 he is a intelligent/shallow and a machiavellian. And he know how insecure and shallow and selfabsorbed most humans are. Betty was no better than him, she just wanted the image of the perfect alpha man. Not a real man with scares.

    • @partycitydumpster
      @partycitydumpster Pƙed 3 lety +24

      @@BlazeOrangeDeer you nailed it. The pitch scene where he shows the photos feels empty and tragic for Don, while being hopeful and full of yearning for us. The photos communicate nostalgia for others (nostalgia for someone else's life is a wild phenomenon), but they are props to him. He wants to feel nostalgic about them, but he continually prioritizes other things over his family. They're missed opportunities, they represent yet another period of time when Don wasn't fully present in his life or committed to his family.

    • @lukesmith1818
      @lukesmith1818 Pƙed 3 lety +9

      I forget the episode but there's one where Don vanishes and calls Betty to say "I had to do some thinking." She snaps back that that must be nice for him. That's his problem. His instinct is to get away instead of stick around and work things out with a family to support him. The expectation from his end is that if he just has time he will figure it out when in fact its driving people further away.

  • @CocktailsConsoles
    @CocktailsConsoles Pƙed 3 lety +330

    OMG “The Wheel” was one of the BEST episodes! So emotional and evocative!

    • @mastermindmartialarts
      @mastermindmartialarts Pƙed 3 lety +4

      so, so good. Truly an amazing and unforgettable episode

    • @smarkslowplay3512
      @smarkslowplay3512 Pƙed 3 lety +7

      I felt so bad for Don in the empty house. So heartwrenching. He makes mistakes, but we want him to improve and do the right thing

    • @randywhite3947
      @randywhite3947 Pƙed rokem

      It’s my favorite episode

  • @4KToday
    @4KToday Pƙed 3 lety +297

    When there’s that one CZcamsr who has NEVER released a bad video!

    • @rufaiajala
      @rufaiajala Pƙed 3 lety

      @Rahul Manne what does this mean? 😅

  • @762x69
    @762x69 Pƙed 3 lety +400

    Literally said oooh. Been waiting for this and I didn't even know it. Might even have an old-fashioned later đŸ’đŸœâ€â™‚ïž

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +41

      đŸ„ƒđŸ„‚

    • @josemsalvadorg.5623
      @josemsalvadorg.5623 Pƙed 3 lety +4

      @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay You see the episode and particularly the carousel scene once and love it, but don't know why entirely.

    • @PeterZeeke
      @PeterZeeke Pƙed 3 lety

      nothing beats an old fashioned www.podbean.com/eu/pb-2zusw-dfba77

  • @michaelluciano1980
    @michaelluciano1980 Pƙed 3 lety +709

    This may be the only episode where Harry Crane has a redeemable personality 😂😛

    • @BlueisNotaWarmColour
      @BlueisNotaWarmColour Pƙed 3 lety +198

      He was the nicest guy at the office in the beginning. By the end, he was the worst.

    • @wintaffy23
      @wintaffy23 Pƙed 3 lety +93

      He really does put the junior in junior executive

    • @willd6215
      @willd6215 Pƙed 3 lety +7

      Ha I love Harry

    • @bulaluigi
      @bulaluigi Pƙed 3 lety +90

      A lot of characters start out awful and improve, but he went the other way

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Pƙed 3 lety +78

      @@BlueisNotaWarmColour I find that so captivating. He starts out as a slightly naive emotionally vulnerable guy who isn't as sleazy as the other guys in the office. He ends up turning into Homer Simpson.

  • @barrymoton1
    @barrymoton1 Pƙed 3 lety +452

    Can I just talk about your absolute brilliance?! You are able to break down these concepts for people thriving to attain that level of artistic/intellectual prowess. I hope all the likes, subscribe notifications, and private messages serve as a source of affirmation for you and your team. I'm sure you've been told this before, but I TRULY want you to know that.

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +35

    • @themothermarkos
      @themothermarkos Pƙed 3 lety +6

      This guy has it dead on. There's a whole community of people who have been saved by these endeavours that want to achieve this level. I went to university for four years but none of that captured the cathartic soul of creating the way you guys do.

    • @barrymoton1
      @barrymoton1 Pƙed 3 lety

      @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay do you/y'all do any consultation work?

    • @wong03333
      @wong03333 Pƙed 3 lety

      Wow i don’t think I can give a better compliment

  • @LeonardoDiCapri-Sun
    @LeonardoDiCapri-Sun Pƙed 3 lety +44

    Wow what weird timing... I'm in the middle of writing an essay about photography in the film One Hour Photo (2002) and what Harry and Don say in this episode reminds me of what Robin Williams' character says about what a photo can communicate to another person: 'I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.'

  • @dyg_bonvi
    @dyg_bonvi Pƙed 3 lety +327

    This is mad. I literally just finished watching Mad Men two days ago. This channel is a true blessing.

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +40

      I love it when we nail the timing ;)

    • @seaque.
      @seaque. Pƙed 3 lety

      i watched the finale on the same day the video got released :)

    • @emilymartinez6061
      @emilymartinez6061 Pƙed 3 lety

      i finished it last month! This was the fix I needed lol. I need to find another show like it

    • @BaffledApe
      @BaffledApe Pƙed 3 lety

      Same here, just 2 days ago. Now I'm looking for the analysis and explanation as to why I became so engrossed. I think I've found out why in this video. Thank you 'Lessons From The Screenplay' :)

    • @daviswendye
      @daviswendye Pƙed 3 lety

      @@emilymartinez6061 good luck with that!

  • @scenealizer
    @scenealizer Pƙed 3 lety +284

    Me: (Has not seen Mad Men) LFTS: (Uploads an analysis of Mad Men) Me: Right I know what I’m watching tonight

  • @ebbyc1817
    @ebbyc1817 Pƙed 3 lety +59

    "And it takes us to a place, where we ache to go again"
    God. This took me right back.
    Mad Men hit me in a place that few other shows have. From the first episode to the last.

  • @adamkandalaft3307
    @adamkandalaft3307 Pƙed 3 lety +104

    Please break down more episodes. There are so many good ones like this one throughout the show that has different themes and meanings. Your breakdowns are very thorough and enlightening, so as an avid mad men fan i really appreciate them.

    • @sandranorman5469
      @sandranorman5469 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      If you can buy or rent the seasons from your library -go to the analysis by Wiener. It will make you think about every “ Mad Men” episode you ever watched and go back and watch it again.

  • @Graenelolz
    @Graenelolz Pƙed 3 lety +25

    I rewatch Mad Men in its entirety at least once every year since 2012/13. I never stop being amazed at the episodes and always pick up another layer and little cues. Best show ever.

  • @joshgoodman9882
    @joshgoodman9882 Pƙed 3 lety +141

    This show is the show that truly cuts the deepest to the difficulty of becoming happy.

    • @hunter9mm
      @hunter9mm Pƙed 3 lety

      Is it on Netflix?

    • @joshgoodman9882
      @joshgoodman9882 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      HunterFTW they JUST removed it! Should be picked up by another streaming service soon!

    • @efroster123
      @efroster123 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      Josh Goodman they did WHAT??!!

    • @joshgoodman9882
      @joshgoodman9882 Pƙed 3 lety +6

      IAME-MAN I know! But there will be a huge bidding war over this one. My bet is it goes to HBO Max.

    • @kckazcoll1
      @kckazcoll1 Pƙed 3 lety

      on Stan in Australia

  • @KainedbutAble123
    @KainedbutAble123 Pƙed 3 lety +103

    The Wheel may be one of the greatest hours of Television ever produced.

  • @CriticalCulture
    @CriticalCulture Pƙed 3 lety +172

    The greatest television show ever made.

  • @Juan_Teppa
    @Juan_Teppa Pƙed 3 lety +35

    "The Suitcase" might be one of the best episodes in the whole series. Personally, is still one of my favorites.
    This was a brilliant essay.

    • @viniciusbicudo6266
      @viniciusbicudo6266 Pƙed 2 lety

      the moment when don hang up the phone with stephanie and peggy is already staring at him...Gets me every time

  • @JiveTAB
    @JiveTAB Pƙed 3 lety +198

    Soooooo stoked for this one. I watched all of Mad Men because, in my favorite course during college, we spent two entires classes analyzing a single episode. Few TV series have so much that can be analyzed as Mad Men.

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +21

      Ooh that's cool-which episode?

    • @JiveTAB
      @JiveTAB Pƙed 3 lety +32

      @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay 01.06 "Babylon" -- it was a textual criticism course, and my professor laid down a very strong argument that the entire episode is framing Don as a woman, doing so subtly in the first half of the episode, to the point of literally framing him in a shot through the bodies of women in the second half. It was incredible, and I'm so glad it convinced me to watch the whole series after graduating college.

    • @JiveTAB
      @JiveTAB Pƙed 3 lety +1

      @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay By the way, I wrote my original comment before even watching your video, but great work, as always!

    • @ProjectileBurn
      @ProjectileBurn Pƙed 3 lety +5

      @@JiveTAB This is wild, need to watch the episode again!

    • @scottslotterbeck3796
      @scottslotterbeck3796 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      @@ProjectileBurn So well written. If I could write as well, well, I'd be in a writer's room!

  • @responsiblejerk2328
    @responsiblejerk2328 Pƙed 3 lety +16

    The most brilliantly written show in TV history. They should have entire semesters of film school studying these scripts.

  • @thef1dude501
    @thef1dude501 Pƙed 3 lety +70

    Mad Men is the only show that I went out of my way to buy the DVD's for all seasons, I don't think we'll ever get another Mad men

    • @scottslotterbeck3796
      @scottslotterbeck3796 Pƙed 3 lety +4

      Maybe not. Such a great combination of retro and yet timeless themes.

    • @battle_born
      @battle_born Pƙed 3 lety +1

      We won't.

    • @munnak3695
      @munnak3695 Pƙed 3 lety

      So this series is just about men crafting advertisements but also struggling tk be happy ? Is that it ?

  • @satviktejasvi9228
    @satviktejasvi9228 Pƙed 3 lety +14

    Even though I've watched this show twice, it feels like I haven't watched it at all. This is a show that never stops giving. Thanks for the video!

  • @yumihan6132
    @yumihan6132 Pƙed 3 lety +31

    I was so caught up on Don's storyline that I completely missed Betty's. Your videos are truly amazing. Please do one on the Don-Peggy dynamic, too!

    • @rottensquid
      @rottensquid Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci

      Right! This is such a great analysis of Betty's story. It's all buried in subtext, because Don doesn't talk, and Betty isn't allowed to speak up. Until she finally does.

  • @hellopaolo
    @hellopaolo Pƙed 3 lety +6

    Mad Men is full of subtexts and symbolism. Everything pretty much has a meaning without being flashy - just regular mundane workplace and home life. Every rewatch is peeling layers meaning and of course your more mature worldview and empathy also helps each time. Soooo poetic. Brilliantly written. Sublimely acted. And of course the most impeccable props, make up and costume.

  • @bradmarchant7822
    @bradmarchant7822 Pƙed 3 lety +46

    Although this was the episode that truly hooked me for life on this series (every episode to this point was also good, but this felt flawless), I want to give an honorably mention to my favorite symbolism is season five episode five. Pete and his Leaky faucet. That one is my personal favorite!

    • @brianbitner
      @brianbitner Pƙed 3 lety +4

      Yes! I brought that up when we were brainstorming this. That one always stuck with me.

    • @emilewagenaar8397
      @emilewagenaar8397 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      czcams.com/video/xLULTl3nMeY/video.html an essay i liked about that episode

    • @Flutterbyby
      @Flutterbyby Pƙed 3 lety

      đŸ„°

    • @isakenstrom3375
      @isakenstrom3375 Pƙed 3 lety

      Haven't seen that episode yet but there is an Elementary episode in which a leaky faucet is present and Sherlock uses it as a metaphor too.

    • @luizfelipesturza6556
      @luizfelipesturza6556 Pƙed 3 lety

      czcams.com/video/cI6v858LeTU/video.html The ending of season 5 is one of the greatest moments on TV in my opinion.

  • @ShadowedAgony
    @ShadowedAgony Pƙed 3 lety +23

    I love when people talk about this show.

  • @just_doug
    @just_doug Pƙed 3 lety +28

    This is one of my favourite scenes in any series or film, being analysed by one of my favourite youtube channels. Today is a great day.

  • @thescreening5329
    @thescreening5329 Pƙed 3 lety +29

    Love how they used a mock ending of Don coming home this episode, it really helps you understand a character’s expectations

    • @RomanZolanski123
      @RomanZolanski123 Pƙed 2 lety +3

      I love how the sentiment is repeated in Leonard’s speech in the finale. It’s bad to come home and your family has gone without you. It’s worse to come home, your family’s there and they look right through you.

  • @SYNTHSTRUMENTALS
    @SYNTHSTRUMENTALS Pƙed 2 lety +7

    I love Mad Men, so much timeless wisdom in it. I'm still using lessons learned from the show and quoting it in life situations all these years later.

  • @jualiet2212
    @jualiet2212 Pƙed 3 lety +4

    This is my favorite thing about Mad Men, and also the reason why I could every episode over and over: Every sentence that is spoken, means at least three things at the same time.

  • @LeviBulger
    @LeviBulger Pƙed 3 lety +4

    Mad Men is a clinic on subtextual storytelling. Greatest show ever IMO.

  • @smpdevelopments
    @smpdevelopments Pƙed 8 měsĂ­ci +1

    mad men has so many moments which completely blow you away in a subtle way. I just love what they did with this show

  • @TrupimOkiemTV
    @TrupimOkiemTV Pƙed 3 lety +33

    This material made me want to binge watch Mad Men again. Sorry, Final Space, I loved first season, but get in line.

  • @skipcubic4567
    @skipcubic4567 Pƙed 3 lety +50

    This scene was tied with the ending of season 5 for me in terms of how much I was moved by it, with Nancy Sinatra's You Only Live Twice playing in the background as Don slides back into the darkened corner of his old life and away from the literal spotlight his wife stands in.

    • @MyRitieli
      @MyRitieli Pƙed 3 lety +9

      Same. And Megan starring in a Beauty and the Beast themed ad. Don is leaving the fairytale that he tried to live in the whole season.

    • @Ratchet2431
      @Ratchet2431 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      And the Hershey's pitch in the finale of season 6.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Pƙed 3 lety +3

      Ugh, all the musical choices are so good. But yes, that scene was especially strong.

    • @spoonman73
      @spoonman73 Pƙed 3 lety

      @@MyRitieli I had a bit of a crush on Megan lol. Was so pissed at Don for cheating on her.

    • @CarlosVasquezmdq
      @CarlosVasquezmdq Pƙed 3 lety

      In that scene I understood Don completely, i mean he want to be like a (james bond 007 Sean Connery You only live twice) even when in the serie that movie maybe does not even exists, here the director plays with all of us, we understand the meaning of the scene (don walking away the set).Then the bar scene is excelent, the best end for season 5. Then all fall apart, its just like real life tied up in a chapter.

  • @Mrn0sferatu
    @Mrn0sferatu Pƙed 3 lety +11

    You really shouldn't die before watching Mad Men I mean really. A true masterpiece.

  • @alexkasper5029
    @alexkasper5029 Pƙed rokem +2

    One of my favorite examples of subtext on Mad Men (and there are SO many) is in the season 5 episode Lady Lazerus. A big part of Don's season arc is focused on his relationship with Meghan and how when they married he felt like they had this deep connection, that they were so similar. Her youth made him feel younger and it was invigorating. But these feelings slowly fall away as he realizes that in reality they are so fundamentally different and he is shaken by it. At the beginning of the episode, they are working on a pitch (I can't remember what for) that is aimed at a younger audience. He thinks it would be great to use music that has a Beatles quality to it, early Beatles, young wholesome and optimistic. The younger team members are amused by the fact that Don thinks that the Beatles still sound like that, their music has evolved into something much more experimental that reflects both what is exciting about the changing times but it is also darker. The characters don't need to explain that, their amusement at Don's disconnection with the younger generation says everything you need to know. And for the audience who are unfamiliar with the Beatles, the payoff comes at the end of the episode. The episode in general shows the characters dealing with change in their lives, coming to terms with the reality of relationships in particular. At the end of the episode Meghan comes home and has bought the new Beatles album Revolver for Don to listen to and tells him to listen to the last track bc to her, and her generation, it is something totally new and exciting. Don puts on the record and goes straight to the last track, "Tomorrow Never Knows". I still think that song sounds exciting and like nothing else, but I can imagine for the older generation in the 60s it was terrifying. It includes snippets of music played backwards, dreamlike lyrics from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, psychedelic in the extreme. The band who wrote "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is unrecognizable in this song and it shows that the world Don is familiar is evolving into something unrecognizable as well. He can't endure listening to the entire song and yanks the needle off the record in disgust. But the song resumes seconds later as the credits roll. He wants to stop the reality this song represents, but it cannot be silenced. It is one of the best moments of subtext that shows that Don's relationship with Meghan is doomed. What she sees as exciting he finds terrifying. It also shows that Don, who has always been able to control his environment and communicate in a way that resonates with what is happening now is losing his power and that is a scary reality. He in the past embraced progress as positive bc he understood its importance to the world he understands. The realization that progress could leave him behind is hard for him to face. He can try to resist it, but time move forward regardless. Apparently AMC had to pay millions for the rights to use the song but it was totally worth it. It has such powerful subtext and communicates when pages of dialogue never could.

  • @IvanLendl87
    @IvanLendl87 Pƙed 3 lety +16

    Mad Men is the most well written show I’ve ever seen. It’s brilliant. Love analysis of any aspect of that show. Well done 👏

  • @jeremiahgallagher
    @jeremiahgallagher Pƙed 3 lety +7

    Great job. Somehow Mad Men has been talked about a lot and was one of the biggest shows in the world, but I think still wildly underrated. I feel like you may be able to do this with so many of those episodes. Incredible writing, acting and directing every week. Phenomenal show

  • @sanathrajesh5580
    @sanathrajesh5580 Pƙed 3 lety +2

    I’ve watched Mad Men about two times at this point, and I learn something new on every single rewatch.

  • @blangblang3hunna591
    @blangblang3hunna591 Pƙed 3 lety +2

    I can watch Mad Men material being broken down like this ALL DAY. Truly the greatest TV drama ever

  • @raphaelaube7527
    @raphaelaube7527 Pƙed 3 lety +8

    This video's text : analysis of an episode of Mad Men about nostalgia
    This video's subtext: i miss Mad Men

  • @LeoBan99
    @LeoBan99 Pƙed 3 lety +11

    Everytime I see the scene of "Daddys is coming" I get fooled just to be brought back to the reality of Don's life. I love this series, my fav of all time.

  • @dustmighte
    @dustmighte Pƙed rokem +2

    The whole thing at the Kodak pitch was so moving I actually burst in tears more or less at the same time as Harry

  • @simonakatsman974
    @simonakatsman974 Pƙed 3 lety +3

    I love the new love that Mad Men is getting lately. This show is so underrated.

  • @losalfajoresok
    @losalfajoresok Pƙed 3 lety +6

    I watched this year for the first time Mad Men and in this episode turned an instant classic for me. Amazing show.

  • @joshuapatrick682
    @joshuapatrick682 Pƙed 3 lety +6

    Still my favorite live action drama. There’s a reason it was the highest rated show for its run... powerful stuff man. What we don’t know about Don yet is that he’s a narcissist and a sociopath so he still seems redeemable at this point.

  • @Tysonyar
    @Tysonyar Pƙed 3 lety +2

    This has always been my favorite episode of Mad Men. I have not seen it in 10 years and I still remember the line, “it’s not a wheel; it’s a carousel.” This is one of the best written episodes of television ever.

  • @lost1croc
    @lost1croc Pƙed 3 lety +3

    I have probably watched the entire series 9-10 times all the way through and yet I discover another hidden layer every time. The subtleties, that’s where the magic is in a show or movie.

  • @rubyangel9707
    @rubyangel9707 Pƙed 3 lety +6

    Once again, you have produced an amazing lesson. Like a good advertiser, you capture the emotions and thoughts that we the audience cannot express.

  • @daraamadea4413
    @daraamadea4413 Pƙed 3 lety +10

    You know a show is great when people keep talking about it even years after its finale.

  • @x0xtran9x0x
    @x0xtran9x0x Pƙed 3 lety +4

    I need Michael to do this full-time. Someone please just sponsor him for life.

  • @AledOwen07
    @AledOwen07 Pƙed 3 lety +10

    LFTS + Mad Men = Instant click, Instant like. Perfection!

  • @NaiveDJack
    @NaiveDJack Pƙed 3 lety +25

    I remember Mad Men also being used for what they called 'reverse sci-fi', it creates an imaginary past to talk in depth about present issues: and you can all see them peppered in even some singular shots. Environment, race, gender, sexuality, all these characters are not real - but they connect us through time.
    The episode during the Moon landing stuck with me most in that sense, but I'm sure everyone has their favourite.

  • @aghasarmad
    @aghasarmad Pƙed 3 lety +6

    You forgot the biggest subtext of the show - Don as an advertiser sells dreams, dreams which he himself couldn't live.

    • @Ikaros23
      @Ikaros23 Pƙed 2 lety

      He do have the product’s and lifestyle. It’s just that the products don’t give you mental health, or a perfect family.

  • @hellopaolo
    @hellopaolo Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Mad Men is full of subtexts and symbolism. Every episode gives you new surface to scratch because you know it’s gonna be more profound. Everything has a meaning without being flashy - just regular mundane workplace and home life. Every rewatch is peeling new layers of meaning and of course your more mature worldview and empathy also helps each time. Soooo poetic. Brilliantly written. Sublimely acted. And of course the most impeccable set design, props, score, make up and costume.

  • @SALEEM95507
    @SALEEM95507 Pƙed 3 lety +93

    Damn man right after they took it off Netflix.. that hurts

    • @SALEEM95507
      @SALEEM95507 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      BrandonScott RobinsonMusic yeah I know..

    • @kckazcoll1
      @kckazcoll1 Pƙed 3 lety

      it is now streamed on Stan in Australia, not sure about the rest of the world though

    • @tenzero5274
      @tenzero5274 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      BrandonScott RobinsonMusic why what’s wrong with mad men

    • @Koschiiii
      @Koschiiii Pƙed 3 lety +3

      Its on Amazon Prime

    • @user-uv6iw1yg3j
      @user-uv6iw1yg3j Pƙed 3 lety

      I just finished season 5 and they decided to take it off damn

  • @NotAurichu
    @NotAurichu Pƙed 3 lety +38

    I’m so salty this show left netflix before i could finish it :( I only had one season left 😭😭😭

    • @haeschensk8er
      @haeschensk8er Pƙed 3 lety +2

      omg same! also had left only 1 season.
      ended up watching the rest here:
      www.putlockers(dot)io/tvshows/mad-men
      i have 0 problems with the site, but im using an adblocker as well

    • @scottslotterbeck3796
      @scottslotterbeck3796 Pƙed 3 lety +4

      Try your local library. I binged the whole thing without spending a dime. One of the top TV series of all time. Up there with The Wire.

    • @dinothegonzo
      @dinothegonzo Pƙed 3 lety

      I just checked. It's no longer on Netflix. Now I have to find a way to watch everything again...and I just saw it for the third time last year.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Pƙed 3 lety

      @@dinothegonzo oh no! That's true for the UK as well.

    • @kckazcoll1
      @kckazcoll1 Pƙed 3 lety

      I'm in Australia and it is now on Stan

  • @efroster123
    @efroster123 Pƙed 3 lety +10

    Michael, you’re on a roll! Keep up the amazing, inspiring work. ‘Mad Men’ is one of the my favorite tv shows of all time.

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +4

      Thank you! The whole team is really doing great work, and we've got some more videos we're excited about coming your way!

  • @kobiosama
    @kobiosama Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Madmen is best written show highly acknowledged but yet not many people have watched it. One of my favorite indeed. Character growth, writing. Its so good.

  • @tommycundy
    @tommycundy Pƙed 3 lety +2

    Fantastic video essay! I've watched many on Madmen and I clicked this out of habit but this was honestly put together like a Don Draper pitch - bravo!

  • @andypahwa
    @andypahwa Pƙed 3 lety +7

    wow, this was incredibly well done - very smart minds plucked these scenes and edited this beautifully

  • @00andreoliveira
    @00andreoliveira Pƙed 3 lety +18

    Mad men is the greatest show ever

  • @dpoisonedburritos
    @dpoisonedburritos Pƙed 3 lety +1

    This essay is so brilliant. Well told, edited, everything. I'm in awe.

  • @beatrizfernandes1506
    @beatrizfernandes1506 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Thank you so much! I loved Mad Men, it's one of the few shows that I'm willing to rewatch as many times possible because of how good it is, and how well concived the episodes are.

  • @esotericsean
    @esotericsean Pƙed 3 lety +4

    Yes! Right from the start of this video I was hoping you'd mention the carousel episode. I went out and bought a working carousel and have been shooting slide film ever since I saw this episode of Mad Men. Such a good show. Thanks for making this, Michael. :)

  • @Composerben555
    @Composerben555 Pƙed 2 lety +3

    This is a great video, thanks for making it. As someone who has worked professionally in movie soundtracks for most of my life, I must make a correction. Music is almost entirely emotional subtext, not text. Once in a while, a song is chosen as background for a bar scene, cafe, etc. that might be considered only “text.” But even then, we are making very deliberate decisions about how the characters are feeling in that environment, other characters or about the situation. There is as much intention, detail and depth to editing/writing the music as there is to writing a screenplay.

  • @BestBuzzHoneyBees
    @BestBuzzHoneyBees Pƙed 3 lety +1

    This episode is one of, if not the best of the entire series.
    The only show in my opinion that you actually feel like you're going on the life journey with each character.
    Such a well written and thought out series, I miss this show so much!

  • @ruthnaranjo957
    @ruthnaranjo957 Pƙed 2 lety +1

    mad men its the show that everyone recomends and says its the best and once you watch it you realize its waaay better that you thought

  • @saravanakumarmuthusamy9769
    @saravanakumarmuthusamy9769 Pƙed 3 lety +3

    No matter what anyone says, for me, this is the greatest show of all time. I have watched it four times so far and each time, I've learned new things. Matthew Wiener and his team of writers along with the brilliant cast, the costume designing, pretty much everything about this show is of high quality.

    • @JustinRM20
      @JustinRM20 Pƙed 2 lety

      Nothing I’ve watched recently managed to surpass Mad Men. Recency bias lasts only briefly, before I realize what my favorite show is. It’s become sort a comfort food, amazing what a compelling show does to you.

  • @durdydurds301
    @durdydurds301 Pƙed 3 lety +4

    dons arc in this particular episode is also mirrored in harry cranes subplot as he struggles with his infidelity. the moment where he realizes the gravity of his fault during the presentation and is brought to tears of remorse is a great deviation from dons character - harry can fix things if he tries bc he wants to, whereas dons reluctance to change will always hinder his ability to love.

  • @sybilla_qoj
    @sybilla_qoj Pƙed 3 lety +2

    My favourite tv-show of all time. Deep, well-written characters that flow beautifully with a compelling, somehow familiar story. Great video!

  • @makmart5298
    @makmart5298 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Thank u so much for this video! By breaking this episode down, I see so many details I overlooked and it still makes me emotional. Mad men works so well through subtext in silently twinging at my heart

  • @SCBLGamingFilm
    @SCBLGamingFilm Pƙed 3 lety +28

    i've learnt more from LFTS than i ever learnt in film school

  • @alisterfolson
    @alisterfolson Pƙed 3 lety +4

    Binged the series...
    Let's it 'settle' for a day....
    Proceeds to watch any documentary videos on it

  • @daraamadea4413
    @daraamadea4413 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Honestly I cried so much at this episode but now your explanation makes me cry even more.

  • @Kim-mg6bo
    @Kim-mg6bo Pƙed 3 lety

    I remember watching that episode during the original airing and I was brought to tears. Thanks for the detailed explanation of subtext.

  • @joshgoodman9882
    @joshgoodman9882 Pƙed 3 lety +13

    Would love to see an episode on The Sopranos! Maybe the Heidi & Kennedy episode.

    • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
      @LessonsfromtheScreenplay  Pƙed 3 lety +6

      The Sopranos! I still need to finish the final season... 😬

    • @joshgoodman9882
      @joshgoodman9882 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      Lessons from the Screenplay you won’t be disappointed!

    • @JamesB00n
      @JamesB00n Pƙed 3 lety

      @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay last season has a really interesting arc for Tony at the beginning.

    • @sandranorman5469
      @sandranorman5469 Pƙed 2 lety

      Add the West Wing, the Sopranos and Mad Men -was truly the Golden Age of TV

  • @Lemoncloak
    @Lemoncloak Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Mad men is, in my opinion, one of the most skillfully written TV shows in history. Only fitting that you make something this fantastic to both complement and compliment it. What a video Michael!

  • @ambientq7299
    @ambientq7299 Pƙed 3 lety

    Beautiful analyst. I just finished watching Mad Men couple of months ago and I can't get enough of scouring for these kinds of video's. Really makes me appreciate the series more. Well done.

  • @humanvoice369
    @humanvoice369 Pƙed 3 lety +10

    I was in advertising. And this show made it easier for me to let go of it. Kind of like a laxative 😂

  • @yojetsharma7549
    @yojetsharma7549 Pƙed 3 lety +11

    The Wheel is why and how I started this beautiful show.

    • @davidmckesey7119
      @davidmckesey7119 Pƙed 3 lety

      I have only watched 2 episode the pilot and the wheel. I Am afraid it's so good the other episodes can't live up. Because I bet it doesn't get bad

    • @Ratchet2431
      @Ratchet2431 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      @@davidmckesey7119 Wait to see The Suitcase.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Pƙed 3 lety

      @@davidmckesey7119 there's definitely a lot of other episodes that live up or even surpass those two! Although I agree they're both very strong. "The Good News" is one of my favourites, but it's also very melancholy.

  • @josephgavrilides8383
    @josephgavrilides8383 Pƙed 3 lety

    My favorite show of all time! Thank LFTS team! I never thought you would’ve made a video about this.

  • @ManSeekingMeaning
    @ManSeekingMeaning Pƙed 3 lety +2

    One of my favorite episodes of television of all time.

  • @jesusregalado9765
    @jesusregalado9765 Pƙed 3 lety +20

    TĂș canal es de lo mejor es todo CZcams, saludos desde MĂ©xico.

  • @Vince009
    @Vince009 Pƙed 3 lety +36

    Do The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!

  • @vivianwakoff
    @vivianwakoff Pƙed 3 lety +1

    I've been literally waiting years to see you tackle Mad Men!
    It was worth the wait!

  • @EdShank
    @EdShank Pƙed 3 lety

    You are not just a great writer and editor, but CRAZY insightful! I look forward to each new post and this one certainly did not disappoint. Keep up the good work.

  • @MrHEC381991
    @MrHEC381991 Pƙed 3 lety +18

    5:21
    Every time I see a married woman sitting by themselves with a glass of wine in a show/movie, sh*ts about to get real.

  • @CocktailsConsoles
    @CocktailsConsoles Pƙed 3 lety +19

    I would love to read the scripts for the rest of the Mad Men episodes - there’s probably a lot of subtlety that I’m missing. Where do you find these? 😊

    • @scottslotterbeck3796
      @scottslotterbeck3796 Pƙed 3 lety

      Try...the internet.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Pƙed 3 lety +4

      A lot of scripts are available online, though not all. Googling the episode name or number and script is usually the easiest way to find them. The sites they're hosted on don't seem to have great indexing, and they're just plain text files so there's no website banner or anything once you click on them. They're pretty fascinating, as they tend to reveal deleted scenes that were never released, or sometimes never even filmed if the production team realises they have enough footage already from the dailies. Plus they show off little line changes the actors did on set - though a lot of productions are intolerant of too much changes, Weiner allowed quite a lot of leeway for the actors to chime in with their interpretations and to make changes. Eg when Don takes his kids to see the house he grew up in at the end of season 6, it was written "THIS is the house I grew up in", but Jon Hamm insisted it was "This is the house _I_ grew up in", and Weiner later agreed with him. And that's how they shot it.

  • @clairemackey7540
    @clairemackey7540 Pƙed rokem +1

    Its a masterpiece. Every scene, detail, and
    prop has its purpose. I love rewatching this series because there is just so much depth that you dont catch the 30th time you watched lol

  • @williamkistler3660
    @williamkistler3660 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Michael, the form of this video is low-key brilliant. You stir nearly as effectively as the episode did. Well done.

  • @IAmFJ1
    @IAmFJ1 Pƙed 3 lety +6

    Something interesting about Mad Men that nobody seems to realise is the importance of choosing MAD MEN for title of the show because I feel like it's a reference to Medmenham Monks and the Hellfire Club. An exclusive club of powerful and rich men who together did all sorts of forbidden activities and adultery and everything that happened in that club was common secret between the members.
    Honestly I don't buy the "called themselves Mad Men because they were ad MEN working in MADISON ave" title explanation because there's no real source for the said use of such phrase.

    • @jk4351
      @jk4351 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      I thought it was word play: ad men--- > Madmen