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Is Betty (Draper) Francis Don’s Quintessential Customer in “Mad Men”?

Betty (Draper) Francis’ lung cancer diagnosis in the penultimate episode of Mad Men (2007-2015) is a little on the nose. Cigarettes are almost worthy of a credit as series regular in the cast and some of the most famous scenes in the show…

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How Do the Set Decorators and Art Department on “Mad Men” Handle Time Transitions?

The Mad Men (2007-2015) writers aren’t the only storytellers on staff. The set designers and decorators use subtle clues to propel the narrative forward throughout the series from 1960 where to the show beings to where it ends in 1970. We see,…

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Mad Men: The Many Loves of Don Draper

Don Draper is the ultimate ladies’ man—but what’s his type? Who does he really love? And what do his many loves tell us about the man himself? TRANSCRIPT Mad Men: The Many Loves of Don Draper Don Draper is the ultimate ladies’ man. But…

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Who is Don Draper at the End of “Mad Men”? Is He Static in a World Roiling With Change?

Don Draper is the fulcrum around which the world of Mad Men (2007-2015) pivots. Don’s mastery of deception, in both his personal and professional lives, weaves through the entire series. In the seventh and final season, all of Don’s artifices…

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How Does “Mad Men” Make Viewers Nostalgic For a Time They Themselves Don’t Remember?

It is almost impossible to talk about the impact of Mad Men (2007-2015) without addressing the nostalgia factor. Nostalgia is the pleasure and sadness that caused by remembering something from the past and wishing you could experience it again. So…

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Mad Men Character Study: Joan Holloway

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Mad Men: The Tragedy of Betty Draper

We’re celebrating moms today with a video about one of the worst TV moms ever, Betty Draper of Mad Men. Watch to understand the tragic flaw in Betty’s character that kept her from finding happiness. Then call your mom.

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What Happened to Don Draper at the End of “Mad Men?” Did He Create the Iconic Coke Ad?

In the near final scene of the season finale of Mad Men, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) sits cross-legged with the Pacific Ocean behind him. He looks content, cleansed, and rejuvenated. His eyes open wide; he looks directly into the camera and smiles (a…

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What Happens to the “Mad Men” Women?

While Mad Men is, undoubtedly, Don Draper’s story, the series has always provided viewers with complicated, diverse, and challenging female characters. In the final season, viewers can move toward closure on the stories of Betty (January Jones),…

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Why is “The Americans” so complicated? Is this to the show’s advantage?

Quick Answer: Now in its fourth season, The Americans is the story of married KGB agents posing as a normal family in suburban 1980s Virginia. With an exceedingly complex web of characters, plot lines, and Cold War-era details, The Americans is…