DVD Review: Mad Men Season 2

Sexy. Dark. Powerful. Engaging. Mad Men Season 2 brings to life the tumultuous world of the 1960s with gripping realism and heart-pounding passion.

Ad man Don Draper may be sitting on top of the advertising business, but a changing business world and torn marriage are seeking to break his tranquil-glorious lifestyle. Season 2 delves further into the ramifications of Don’s sexual promiscuity and how it affects both his job and family. As he struggles to maintain his relationship with Betty, he continues to maintain his outwardly stolid-committed composure.

But, Don’s sexual escapades are only the beginning of the personal problems plaguing the shadows of Sterling Cooper’s outwardly clean-cut-corporate face. Peggy Olson is the voice of feminism at Sterling Cooper, rising up the corporate ladder, but still contending with choices she made with Pete Campbell in Season 1. While Joan Holloway gets a brief taste of the male-driven-corporate lust after working with Harry Crane.

Mad Men is one show that requires absolute attention in watching. Missing just a single line from Draper, a brief expression from Salvatore Romano, or a snide comment from Joan and Pete could leave you in the dark. Each character is completely engaging and you will be locked into their stories, begging for more.

The DVD set comes with several special features, including full audio commentaries with cast and crew on all 13 episodes. There are also several featurettes that will bring you closer into the world of the 1960s Mad Men.

Mad Men season 2 is one DVD set that you’ll want to rewatch again and again just in case you missed a line or word the first time. This may be a series based in the 1960s, but Mad Men’s humor and passion are timeless.

Bonus Features:
- “Mad Men Commentaries” - feature-length audio commentaries with cast and crew on all 13 episodes
- “Birth of an Independent Woman, Part 1 and Part 2” – From housewives to working women, this video featurette examines the rise of female independence in the MAD MEN era.
- “An Era of Style” – explore the fashion of the 1960s and its lasting influence on designers today
- “Time Capsule” – Interactive video featurettes paying homage to historical events of the 1960s and the daring generation that lived through them.