Press Tour '08: AMC's Mad Men Returns for Season Two

By Kristin Dos Santos Jul 09, 2008 9:08 PMTags
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Ladies and gentletubers, this summer's Television Critics Association Press Tour has begun at the Beverly Hills Hilton, and I'll be bringing you news and scoop from the panels and the parties. And to start this Wednesday off right, AMC hosted a Mad Men panel featuring the show's stars along with creative mastermind Matt Weiner.

Click in to find out Weiner's master plan for the series and more...

In Soviet Russia, the Story Tells You: Just like the Ruskies once did, Matt Weiner has a five-year plan in store for us all. Every episode typically covers a month of the year, but he worked out a significant jump forward for season two, because having the long lapse between the end of this season and the next means that "all of these events that happened in between [the two dates]" provided a lot of additional storytelling opportunities. And, ironically, even though in season two the characters have grown older and the '60s have progressed forward, Matt Weiner said, "They do seem more innocent." Hmmm...

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: According to Weiner, episode two, in which Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) experiences a major tragedy, "The second episode is about the experience that people have—for all the people in the characters in that episode—about how you're supposed to react, how you should react. The word should is 100 times in that script." In this context, Matt also talked about how "maybe I'm a monster" but he didn't have a head over heels reaction to his first newborn (like they say you should), but he grew into it later. Hmmm...I wonder if that experience has had any influence on Peggy's baby storyline?

Don and Peggy Forever: Am I the only one envisioning a series finale set in the present day, where Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) is being honored as a pioneering ad woman whose groundbreaking work made her a legend in the industry? Anybody? No? OK, well at least Jon Hamm (Don Draper) seems to agree. "I think he sees in Peggy a lot of what he admires in a coworker or colleague or person to be trusted. That's fairly high praise from someone like Don." Indeed. (Don't-Get-No-Respect Pete would give his eye teeth for it!)

No. Corsets. Ever: The ladies of Mad MenJanuary Jones, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss—were in agreement that being in costumer Janie Bryant's period-perfect clothes has ruined the '60s look for them forever. Christina worries that if she wears something with a '60s flair (including something designed just this season), "People will think I'm in costume." As for Elisabeth, since being on the series, "I don't want to go vintage shopping. Ever." Hee.