Product Details

• Actors: John Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Lionsgate
• DVD Release Date: October 16, 2012
• Run Time: 611 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (618 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004HW7JH4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #455 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #68 in Movies & TV > DVD > Drama
• Learn more about "Mad Men: Season Five" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

At the end of the eighth episode in this Mad Men season-five set (with 13 episodes, plus bonus material, on four discs), Don Draper (Jon Hamm) sits listening to "Tomorrow Never Knows," one of the more sacred items in the Beatles' catalogue. Licensing an original Beatles recording isn't just expensive, it's almost impossible, so the mere fact that it's there is a testament to this show's popularity and acclaim. It also speaks to creator Matthew Weiner and his team's uncanny skill at weaving together multiple storylines while also immersing viewers in the time and place they happen; this season it's the seminal years of 1966 and '67, when folks started smoking joints instead of cigarettes, dropping acid instead of sipping scotch, and seeing their casual racism and misogyny begin to give way, albeit stubbornly, to more enlightened views.

Of course, Mad Men is mostly about the characters who work at the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising agency, as well as those in their orbit. Don, who remains the most compelling character and is still at the center of this universe, has a hot young wife, Megan (Jessica Paré), who seems to have tamed his wandering eye for now; but although she shows a genuine flair for the ad game, she still wants to be an actress. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), who's grown from an obnoxious little twerp into a marginally less obnoxious, slightly older twerp, has issues at work, at home… and outside the home. Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), a likable sort trying to keep her head above water in a world dominated by arrogant, entitled men, makes some serious life changes. Roger Sterling (John Slattery), still a cad and still cracking wise ("Listen honey," he tells a prostitute, "I'm not going to bore you with compliments"), enters into a most unexpected affair. Joan (Christina Hendricks) deals once and for all with her soldier husband. And Lane Pryce (Jared Harris)… well, suffice to say that it's not a good year for SCDP's money man.

As always, the show's production values--art direction, sets, clothes, music--are brilliant and spot on. So is the writing, especially the dialogue ("You're a grimy little pimp," Lane says to Pete, knocking him silly in a fist fight). The writers also manage to seamlessly interpolate current events like the Richard Speck and Charles Whitman murder sprees, England's victory in the World Cup, and author Truman Capote's Black and White Ball (the subject of a separate bonus feature, as is the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which formalized daylight savings). The best show on TV? That's arguable, but there are very few worthy competitors. --Sam Graham

Product Description

Mad Men" is back. Season Five of Mad Men, four-time Emmyr winner for Outstanding Drama Series and winner of three consecutive Golden Globesr, plunges into the seductive and intriguing world of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Jon Hamm and the rest of the award-winning cast continue to mesmerize as they adapt to changing times, social revolution, and a radical world. Lust is back. Adultery is back. Deception is back.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 161 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "What is wrong with you people? You're all so cynical. You don't smile, you smirk." - Megan Draper June 30, 2012

By D. C. Obraztsov TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

While this wasn't my favorite season, it's still an easy five stars since it's in the top 3 of best shows currently on television. I know there have been a lot negative reactions towards this season, and I think maybe it's for a few reasons. Lots of people despise Megan. And others say that "nothing really happened". I don't really like Megan either, but I've come to accept her character. She is SUPPOSED to be annoying (or at least can easily be interpreted as so). We don't have to like her. As far as nothing happening, plenty of things happened, although I admit it was a little slow-paced, but I think it's building up for better seasons to come.

This season takes place between Memorial Day 1966 and Spring 1967. The season focuses on Don Draper and Megan's relationship and how distracting it is from his job, and most of the main characters are facing painful new beginnings and realize it's a "dog-eat-dog" world. The season starts out light (probably because of how dark season 4 was), but by the end of the season things are gloomier than ever. So never fear, Mad Men isn't going soft.

Don - one reason I enjoyed season 4 so much is that we had a break from Don being in a dramatic, serious relationship. He was just casually dating and we were able to see more of SCDP. Now he's married to Megan, and that opens up a lot more storylines. You'll either love or hate Megan. She shows signs of being very independent and mature, but then will surprise you by suddenly doing something very stupid and childish. The big question is: how long is it until Don cheats on her? I don't believe that Don will be in a monogamous relationship for the rest of his life. It's also interesting how it's reminiscent of the beginning of his relationship with Betty.... Betty was a beautiful young model and Don swept her up. When Betty got older and he got bored, he lost interest. Megan is also a very young girl, an actress, and pretty (in Don's eyes). What's going to happen to his fidelity to Megan in a couple years? Or 10? Or even by the end of the season? When Don loses respect for someone, a lot of feelings for them deteriorate quickly.

Don also has to deal with Megan's Canadian parents, who have a very bizarre marriage and her father is not a total believer in Don. He thinks Megan took the easy way out by marrying a rich guy. Megan's mother is also incredibly insecure, which is a recurring theme throughout the season.

Betty - since January Jones is pregnant, they decided to put her in a fat suit to hide it, and turn that into a storyline. Perfect Betty has to deal with being overweight, which makes for some interesting television. Her appearances are very sparse, however, and you can go episodes without seeing her at all. There is a lot of pressure on Betty to compete with Megan, especially when her children are involved. As far as Sally goes, she goes through a lot of childhood development this season. Glen the creepy kid also makes a couple appearances, and their relationship is really open for interpretation. Kiernan Shipka is also a great young actress. We also get to see Henry Francis' mother a little bit, especially when she babysits Sally.

Pete - Pete is...well, Pete. But cockier than ever. He feels that all is owed to him, even as only a junior partner. He gets incredibly demanding this season and enters into some interesting affairs. Pete is honestly one of the most difficult characters for me to empathize with, especially this season. Almost every thing he does is just obnoxious, not to mention he is a total hypocrite. Vincent Kartheiser is great, however.

Peggy - as my favorite character, I liked what they did with her this season. She has to balance romance and work in a very sexist society, and makes some life changing decisions several times throughout the season. I love how strong Peggy is, and in these days she would easily be a partner already. Peggy also is Megan's boss...which is really quite inappropriate and causes a lot of awkwardness in the office.

Joan - remember that jerk she's married to? Yeah. They're still married when the season starts, unfortunately. Joan is strong though, and without spoiling anything, she makes some very questionable and life altering decisions this season regarding her romantic and work life. I think her and Peggy learn the most this season about how when it boils down to it, it's every wo/man for themselves.

Lane - bitter about not getting the greatest deal out of this partnership, Lane makes some...questionable business decisions this season. He becomes much more prevalent later in the season, and without spoiling much, he gets into a very....entertaining "discussion" with Pete. I think Jared Harris is amazing for this role.

Roger - talked into taking LSD with Jane, Roger has a very memorable and insightful trip. Although the acid trip was a little stereotypical, there's nothing funnier than watching Roger doing acid. The trip also has longer implications for him in the season. Additionally, Roger enters into a very odd romantic relationship with an unexpected character.

And it's not just the characters that will suck you in and keep you watching. The context of show is amazingly interesting. We get to see references to the Richard Speck murders, Charles Witman's shooting rampage, toxic clouds of smog over NYC, the Hare Krishnas, and the Rolling Stones. Also some interesting clients this season: Heinz, Jaguar, Mohawk Airlines, American Cancer Society, Manischewitz, Dow Chemical, and Virginia Slims.

You could watch this show for the amazingly intricate characters, the interesting portrayal of life in the 60s, or both. This show is highly entertaining, addictive, and one of the best on television today. Read more ›

52 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best season since Season 1 and that is saying a lot April 29, 2012

By K. Krauser

Format:Blu-ray

I looked at a couple of the negative reviews and found them to be bizarre. This is very thoughtful and well-written show that stands head and shoulders above the vast majority of what is currently out there. A couple of people seem to be fixated on the Betty episode which I would agree was the weakest of the first six that I have seen but that is only relative. The other episodes have been among the best of the series with the the further fleshing out and development of the older characters going hand in hand with surprisingly strong and complex new(er) characters such as Megan and Ginsberg, not to mention Mrs. Francis (Henry's mother). I just think that this show continues to be a wonderful window into upheaval of the 1960s that still affects to this day. The early comments do not reflect the high quality of the fifth season at all and are misleading. Update: I just completed watching Episodes 7-11 and found two of the very best episodes ever produced including The Other Woman which really exposes the seamy underbelly of the "getting ahead at all costs" nature of the world of advertising and of the corporate mindset in general.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a sense of entitlement and its power to corrupt May 29, 2012

By carol irvin TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

i've read the other reviews here and i have a bit of a different take on this episode. what really stands out for me is the sense of entitlement which wholly engulfs some characters and the way it has thoroughly rotted their characters. the most obvious two are roger and pete. they hate one another yet are cut from the same cloth.

roger inherited his job and money from his father. he feels owed anything he desires. the proposition made to joan is going to affect his wealth so there is no other thought but that she should do it, even if she is the mother of his child.

pete came from old money and family. they lost the money but he married for money to climb back up. every "sacrifice" he's had to make climbing back up annoys him greatly. he shouldn't have to put up with this, he feels. any sacrifices others have to make don't matter as long as they don't inconvenience him.

meagan is a much more charming and beautiful version of the same. she knew what the deal was, that she marry don and reap the considerable benefits of being married to a wealthy and powerful man in exchange for being a stepmother on weekends and primarily his wife the rest of the time. first. she feels entitled to be an ad agency pitch person and now she feels entitled to become an actress even if it means three months out of town and neglecting her other duties. some reviewers feel don is being sexist for being against this but i feel she is violating their basic contract with one another. she is not entitled to these dreams. she could have made sacrifices to achieve them instead, like the legions of waiters/actors who surround her.... instead, she expects don to sacrifice so she can achieve her newest dream (he already made it possible for her to achieve her ad account dream with no struggle up the ladder). there is also no indication that she has any talent at acting. so she is expecting sacrifice by others for what may well be a mediocre talent.

around these three are the people who have sweated for one reason or another to get where they are. often, sheer talent and/or perseverance alone has kept them afloat. just a few of these are: peggy, ginsberg, don, and joan.

there are obviously other things going on in this episode but this is what really stood out for me. i think it is a marvelous parable on the dangers of a sense of entitlement. all three of these characters also manage to burn through their relationships because they are never satisfied with what they have, they always feel they are due more in a spouse or significant other.

as an added note, i don't think it is a coincidence that the jaguar car is most likely to appeal to one of these entitled characters instead of the ones who've had to claw their way up the ladder. they would feel entitled to own such beauty and could care less about its impracticality (mechanically faulty). it is don from the hard scrabble background who sneers at it and its humongous toolkit. remember, don could fix a faucet with his bare hands, not the entitled pete with his huge toolbox of wrenches. Read more ›

42 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Paradise Lost and Innocence Corrupted May 28, 2012

By Anastasia McPherson TOP 1000 REVIEWER

A lot is happening in this episode of Mad Men, all of it heartbreaking and it all makes for one of the best episodes of the season. The race to get the Jaguar account is still on and difficulties abound. The Jaguar continues to be an expensive and unreliable car and the agency hopes to compare it to a mistress, but needs the slogan - a slogan that Don is having trouble creating. One of the Jaguar executives wants Joan's company for an evening, and not as Pete puts it for dinner and dancing. It is right that Pete should define the terms as he is the weasel who pimps and pitches the propisition to Joan. The rest of the men are aghast and don't want Joan to do it but Pete is convinced that this is the only way they will get the account - even if Don comes through with his ususal brilliance. In his stress, Don is lashing out at both Peggy and Megan and Peggy is considering pursuing another opportunity. Megan is hoping she gets a part with an out of town try out.

The episode highlights the differences for women and working women in particular without preaching or being heavy-handed. All of the female characters are asked to prostitute themselves in some way, either literal or metaphoric and their femininity is still their defining characteristic to the men in their world, despite what they do and how they function. Don is surprisingly moral and Pete unsurprisingly adds pander to his many slimey accomplishments. Lane is pragmatic and fond of Joan and advises that if forced to sell oneself to get the best possible price and to get it up front. Roger and Cooper are as ineffectual as ever. The editing of Don's pitch and Joan's decision about what to do is a brilliant bit of filming.... The depth of Don's feelings for Peggy are finally revealed and end by being as sad as the rest of tonight's show.

These characters were never paragons but tonight they all participated in the corruption that would emblematize America as it went forward into the seventies and eighties; they did it for understandable reasons and they remain good but flawed people but the worm is in the apple. A brilliant, brilliant episode that shows us why Mad Men is not only one of the best shows on television but is destined to be remembered as a classic. Watch this episode at your earliest possible convenience. Read more ›