Bring on the Madness: Season 3 Premiere

After having watched the majority of Season Two on my iPod on the elliptical at the gym last semester, it was nice to enjoy Mad Men in a social atmosphere once again; it merits a little bit of festivity. Luckily, since I don’t have cable, I have some new friends in Chicago who are just as enthusiastic about the addictive combination of classy and scandalous that is Mad Men. And, the screening soiree I attended last night was surely fitting to get back in action with the hard-hitters and harder-partiers of Madison Ave.

Channeling the leading ladies of the show, Betty, the picture-perfect domestic goddess, and Joan, the powerhouse queen of the office, Marie and I donned our pedal pushes, pencil skirts and pearls and arrived with hor d’oeuvres in hand. Though we didn’t stay quite as true to the gender-roles of the era—our host whipped up a delicious dinner while we ladies barely lifted a finger—in the drinks department we would have made Don Draper proud: gin martinis and old-fashioneds all around.

The episode itself, though lacking in a couple areas, certainly lived up to the angsty drama and flawless production of the previous seasons. The characters are up to the same old tricks: Don’s still manages to be a convincingly doting husband despite his shameless cheating; Campbell’s perpetual whining still grates on me; and Salvatore is still teetering on the edge of coming out of the closet, or at least blowing his cover. Peggy’s sparse presence was noticeable, especially considering last year’s shocker, but I’m expecting some resolution to that in upcoming weeks. I hope they continue keeping us abreast of Don’s ingenious ad ideas (London Fog: Limit Your Exposure), and I’m hoping to see some more emphasis on contemporary happenings, as the characters enter the tumultuous 60s. 

Here's what some others thought (careful! some contain spoilers):

Newsweek

Tribune

NYT