Yesterday AMC finally announced when the new season of Mad Men would begin! And they released these gorgeous (and slightly funny) black-and-white images to go along with the announcement. Season 6 will premiere on April 7th with a two-hour episode, which is what they did last season too – remember that extended premiere episode which filled us all with hope that Megan Draper would be a spectacular addition to the Mad Men family? And remember how terribly everything turned out?
So… yeah. While I’m excited about the new season and I’m beyond thrilled to see Jon Hamm in a tux and little Peggy Olsen sitting by herself on the stairs (couldn’t you see Sally in the exact same position in a few years?), I not AS excited for this new season as I have been in the past. Season 5 was rough on all of us, especially when it seemed like the writers were focusing way, way too much on Megan Draper and not enough on the business of the agency. I was sorry to see Peggy leave the agency, and I was sorry to see Elisabeth Moss’s role in the show diminish so much in favor of Jessica Pare.
So if we’re trying to glean anything from these promotional images, I guess we can say that Peggy is still around, but that she seems “apart” from the drama. We can also see that Megan Draper is still around, although I think it’s funny that Jessica Pare looks so bad (horrible angle for her face) in the one image.
Photos courtesy of AMC.
Maybe “Megan” has had her big season and now the writers can focus on the other stories….I hope!
I’m looking forward to the Don/Peggy showndown. I would think that they would have to compete for a client at some point.
I love those two characters and their loyalty to each other, so this would make for a great storyline. Of course, I’m not a writer for the show so this may never happen, but I hope it does!
THANK YOU for the Mad Men post 😀 I know it’s sooo 2010 of me but I’m still apesh*t crazy for this show (and True Blood, also very 2010 of me), and more importantly the Hamm Dong. So I will ceremoniously have to re-watch everything because I had to leave off at season 2 but I have Netflix and Apple TV now.
I look forward to absolutely loathing Megan Draper, and to see WTF happened to Peggy and her baby and staring at Vincent Karthesier’s character in complete wonderment at why I find him eerily attractive. OH and that silver fox boss of theirs. SQUEEEE
Agree on VK. Love the sideburns on him in the photo. Times are a changin’!
Right! He is sexy in a really creepy way. Like the stalker you fall in love with. Or something. I don’t know, it’s weird.
I read in a RS interview he did that he lives in a tiny sh*thole apartment with barely any furniture, and at the time there was no working toilet in it for the past 3 months. He prefers to sit on the floor… So in real life he comes off weird as hell, too.
PS Bring on the seventies!! Okay, late sixties.
Girl, I’m all 2010 with you! I’m really excited about Mad Men’s return. I’m probably one of the few who didn’t hate last season. My only complaint was seeing Peggy go but it was a natural progression. You can only take so much. I actually enjoyed seeing Don try to be the happy husband and realize that’s not him. It was good to shake things up. But yes, less Megan is better.
Yeah, I guess I’m stuck in 2010, too because I still love “Mad Men” even though I wasn’t crazy about last season. My biggest complaint wasn’t Megan, though-my issue was that I didn’t like how dark in tone it was. I really wish they wouldn’t have killed Lane off.
I’m interested to see what year it will take place as Weiner said it would be skipping forward a bit. How does that work for Kiernan Shipka’s character? Will she have to play older? I can so see her rebelling and becoming a hippie.
You think that’s a bad angle for Megan? I think she looks gorgeous.
Also, apparently Betty has lost the weight…Season 5 left off with her still “fat,” right?
And, I’m hating Joan’s illusion neckline, at least in B+W.
I LOVE this show, but the seemingly years long hiatus between seasons really pisses me off.
It started in 2007…That seems like SO long ago! And it seems like so few episodes in all that time.
That’s how all shows on cable operate though. I hate having to wait a year but I much prefer it to the way the broadcast networks operate. They take a really good show and at 22 episodes a season they then stretch it waaay past the point that its any good. Breaking Bad, Dexter, Walking Dead all do it. I actually don’t mind it to much cause then I get to re-watch the series again between seasons. Oh there was an unusually long hiatus for MM the one year tho cause of contract disputes and that sucked!
I must be thinking of that extra long one! Because you’re right, all the really good shows do it! It just always seems so much longer for this show in my head!
I know..the wait for MM always seems sooooo long! A super long hiatus really bummed me out because it was when I was really getting into the show.
Cn we just stop complaining about Megan, please? The show is freakin fantastic and, like it or not, she’s a part of the show for now. I think she will end up being a major catalyst for change in Don and others so let’s just accept her.
Seriously. I thought last season was amazing, Megan or no. Don’s wife is always going to be a big part of the show, so complaining about her before the season starts is just lame.
Never! Megan ate the show ~ Weiner is a weiner!
Betty’s BACK and lookin’ fierce. I really hope they incorporate her more into this season. I enjoyed the one episode that really included her this past season (when Sally got her period at the museum) and would love to see more.
I love Betty! Bring back Betty!
Though, if her real-life baby is the son of a producer or writer or something, I totes understand why his wife made her kick Betty off.
Yep. Missed Betty last season. Sure she’s a WASPy & needy woman but love seeing her as the thorn in Don’s side.
I guess I’m in the minority but I don’t hate Megan. I think she’s compelling.
I would like to see more Peggy. And some more Peggy/Don interaction. But I’m fine with sitting back and watching whatever happens unfold with no complaints.
You’re not the only one. I expected a terrible Megan character after everything I had read and was positively surprised.
Me too! But I didn’t get into Mad Men until right before the last season so I watched the entire series in a month and jumped in on Season 5!
His character is so flipping hot. Apparently cold and aloof is appealing to my demented mind.
Ahhhh I can’t wait! My only complaint is that there can never be enough Ken Cosgrove for my liking. Or Ginsberg. God I love Ginsberg.
I was always a big Pete fan and then I had an erotic dream about Ken. No Joke. Now I think he’s sexy as hell.
Wow, Kiernan Shipka looks so much older!
The only thing that redeemed the endless Megan-fest that was last season for me was Michael Ginsberg, and I have this weird sinking feeling they might have written him out, because the actor hasn’t said anything about filming anything for season 6. It wouldn’t be the first ridiculous, unpopular decision the writers have made.
As long as Peggy and Joan get more to do this season, though, it’s all good. That’s why I loathe Megan. I don’t think she’s a horrible character or that bad of an actress, but I hate the way she’s used. It’s painfully clear that Matt Weiner has an obsessive crush on the actress and thought she needed a whole season all to herself, at the expense of established characters that people really like. I watch the show for Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, and I don’t want to see them being shoved off to the sidelines and thrown meager plot crumbs anymore while Megan gets the lion’s share of the screentime. Here’s hoping that all the Emmy snubs for season 5 helped Weiner come to his senses.
LOVE your comment! I didn’t hate Megan either, but completely agree that I want to see Peggy and Joan much much more!
sidenote ~ I have to stop using the word hate in my posts….They have to go to moderation!
Yes, you nailed it. I don’t hate Megan and like watching the dynamic between her and Don but it was too much Megan.
I love Meghan. She’s modern, doesn’t take shit, and is pretty cool. And SHE ACTUALLY MADE DON A BETTER PERSON.
Now if we are complaining about Meghan because we miss seeing Don be an asshole….well I can get aborad that. But don’t hate her on her own merits. She’s adorable, and a decent enough character.
In any case, I think Don WILL be back to his own ways. As soon as he needed to “do everything” for Meghan (by getting her the commercial), I think he stopped being taken with her. He’ll start treating her worse.
But don’t even START on whythefuck a francophone woman born in the 40s would be named “Meghan”. I can’t go there. There is not even on the map.
When exactly did Don stop being an asshole? When he abused Megan? Or when he chased her in their apartment? Or when he left her alone at a parking lot miles away from home (right after the episode about Richard Speck BTW)?
VERY true.
I guess she just changed SOME of his assholisms, like the cheating and work bs…
I get that we like watching the antihero. But hating Megan for mellowing him out? Seems weird. Hate Matt Weiner.
Actually, we can hate Matt Weiner for his invention of Glenn, and his self-congratulatory DVD commentary, alone.
She didn’t make him a better person at all. He was just trying on a different identity as a husband and now’s he’s decided he didn’t like it. He’s the same jerks he’s always been.
I’m so stoked!
I don’t like Megan either and hope that this season deals with their growing apart…
That header pic is GORGEOUS 🙂 So I guess from these pics we can also deduce that Betty has lost all of the weight by the start of this season? Ugh. I liked heavy, insecure Betty; particularly when little Sally put her in her place post family ski trip 😀
I have to majorly disagree with one thing though: I ADORED season 5!! Really, everything about it: all of the totally different, mod 60s fashions; newly independent teen Sally; the hippie-fication of Roger with the LSD usage; seeing into Joan’s home life & watching her finding/standing up for herself; and especially the diving into all things Megan! I love her totally cray cray relationship with Don and I liked how we got to see deep into her life and personal interests totally unlike when he was married to Betty-it coincides perfectly with the time period; Betty D. was the stereotypical unaffected “50s housewife”. Megan is much more Don’s equal and at the end of the day she makes him a better and happier dude (remember how he wouldn’t hook up w/the prostitutes at the party and openly judged Pete when he did??).
I can’t wait to see what season 6 brings 😀 Particularly for Peggy!
how is Megan Don’s equal? She’s a trophy wife who throws tantrums until he gives her want she wants. Even Sally is more mature than her.
No Megan shows a great deal of maturity in life especially on how to handle family and children. Megan’s a good person she’s just like her dad though. She has a dream she wants fulfilled. And she’s willing to go to any length to get it. It just consumes her because she wants to be good at it, but the reality is she might not have the talent for it. Or it’s just an mpossibly hard dream to attain.
Peggy Olsen fan here! I am looking forward to her “burning” her bra–those were the days (*nostalgic sigh*).
Guess I’m in the minority here. I loved season 5 and although I’m not a fan of Megan, she didn’t piss me off. I loved her French song act for Don for his birthday and Don’s reaction was epic. I’ll miss Lane. I want more of Betty, Peggy/Don, Joan, and Pete this season. I’m guessing there will be major cracks in the Don/Megan marriage considering how the season ended last year. I want to know what Don’s response was when the lady asked him if he was alone. April 7th is so far away….anyone know when The Walking Dead is starting?
I believe The Walking Dead starts again on February 10th. I’m ready for that too!
Yes! More Betty! Megan I don’t mind. Don was having a mid-life crisis with her anyway.
I love these photos.
Great thing about Megan is we’ll see how Don destroys his women and marriage. When the show began we saw the ending of Betty/Don relationship. Didn’t get to see how it devolved. Many blame Betty because we never really did see how Don deconstructs his ladies. We will see through Megan how Don is self-destructive and turns women into desperate housewives.
Ooh- I like that idea. That would be fascinating.
I absolutely adore Betty and have never understood all the hate for her. Don is an asshole. Yes he has his moments of being a good guy, but generally the guy just treats people like $***.
I didn’t hate Megan (though I think that the actress is definitely the weak link), but I definitely hated how much screentime she got…because we got way less of Joan and ESPECIALLY Peggy and Betty in season five, which was really disappointing.
I just hope that they’ll reel the Megan storylines back in a bit this season. We got more than enough last season.
I’ll really miss Lane.
Would someone be a dear and explain when I will be seeing the next installation of “Mad Men” episodes on Netflix? I’ve watched 52 episodes, I think, so I’m not really sure what season that is. All that I know is that I have been spoilered to death on the season(s) missing from Netflix and I’d like to get caught up! I figured my fellow CB-ers would know the scoop.
Try watching it on Movies2k.to
That’s where I watched all the seasons.
And it looks like Betty is thin again and back to being the icy blonde that she is. I love these photos, so glamorous and dramatic. I’m looking forward to the new season. I really hope it’s more balanced on all of the characters.
I lost interest in the show due to Megan’s presence last season (can’t stand her) and can’t even bring myself to watch re-runs.
I know that the s.o. will want to see the new episodes, but I think I’m done. I just can’t take anymore Megan.