All the Essential 'Mad Men' Resources at One Place
Mad Men is entertaining TV but it is also much more than that. A lot of ink has been poured writing about this masterpiece of the golden age of television. It is a show with novelistic ambitions. The world of Mad Men has so many layers that it takes a while to understand all that is happening on screen. The cinematography is so gorgeous that every scene is a visual feast. The series is famous for its attention to details. All this warrants repeat viewing and many pauses to think and rethink. In return you are rewarded with a richer understanding of the complexities involved. As a Mad Men superfan, I have researched a lot of material I could find on the web about the development of the series, character arcs, episode reviews, discussions, costume designs, and musical numbers. I have decided to put the very best of material here for anybody who is starting/restarting Mad Men journey to aid to his/her understanding of the narrative.
1. The most comprehensive guide to Mad Men’s episodes including recaps, reviews, with a lot of extra material such as commentary and interviews, is available at Vulture, arranged neatly in order of episodes for Seasons 1 to 7. It was very satisfying to find.
2. James Poniewozik has written perhaps the best tribute to the show. I have read his long essay for TIME magazine many times. It is a spellbinding read. I can’t think of any aspect of the show that is left out. Read it for yourself.
3. Buzzfeed has ranked all 90 episodes of Mad Men. If you want to get a quick recap of any of the episodes or just remember what made an episode memorable, it is a good place to go.
4. Mad Men features great soundtracks and musical scores which amplify the effect of the visuals. NPR has accomplished the impossible job of identifying and enumerating all the music featured in every episode of the series in great detail. A fantastic find for Mad Men lovers.
5. And finally the inside scoop — from the takeoff of the show to the actual mechanics of making it, casting and many other interesting tidbits — from Hollywood Reporter.
And that is about it.