Mad Men
Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men, by all accounts, ushered in the second Golden Age of Television, so ending it in a satisfying way seemed as though it would be impossible. Yet here we are, able to enjoy the totality of Weiner’s ode to ennui and identity. Weiner owes a debt to great American authors like John Updike and John Cheever – much of Mad Men’s final season had echoes of Cheever’s story “The Swimmer” – yet he never lost his own voice among those of his influences.
Mad Men has entered the cultural canon, and should be discussed and dissected in the same way that great works of literature are. Taking detours into black humor and surrealism, Mad Men never failed to capture the spirit and the essence of America in a time of transition, as the country reconsidered itself in the wake of JFK’s assassination and the tumultuous 1960s. Mad Men is more than just a show now – it’s a genuine cultural artifact.
Best episodes: “The Milk and Honey Route,” “Person to Person”
Before we get to my #1 pick, which you have probably already guessed, let’s take a look at my pick for worst show of the year, which you could also probably guess…