Welcome Back, "Mad Men"

Image Credit: AMC

"But what is happiness? It's a moment before you need more happiness," is one of the many statements overheard in a flashy, thirty second montage of past seasons' footage of a trailer for the newest season of Mad Men. When we last left Matthew Weiner's world of alcoholism, sexism, adultery, and counterculture, each of our characters were alone. Whether it was stark naked Roger surveying the New York City skyline after his most recent LSD trip, or Peggy noticing the intimacy of two canines outside of her hotel room, each character's trajectory had led to another stage in life. Cutting through each location, the scene's background music was "You Only Live Twice," by Nancy Sinatra. Don had just left the set of the Butler Shoes commercial, right before Megan's acting career re-commenced, and strolled into a bar, sat down, ordered an Old Fashioned, then lit a cigarette. Nothing like fueling the inevitable coronary. Not too long after, a lovely young blonde approached Don, politely asking for a light. Yet, her diminutive screen time didn't cease there. She informed Don of her friend sitting across the bar, and solicited, "are you alone?" All the viewer received was the turning of our favorite ad-man's face from his beloved drink, revealing his emotionless expression before the screen cuts to black.

Happiness has always been a dominant theme in the series. A lot of Mad Men's core development is built on its characters striving for what they want, hoping to obtain their definition of happiness. All of season five, we saw a content Don Draper. One who was patient when Peggy and Stan's pitch was rejected by Heinz, one who Bert Cooper deemed as on "love leave," and one who simply watched from his perch as everyone scrambled to make sure the company remained stable. But towards the end of the season, Don's hunger re-emerged. Megan quit the agency. Peggy quit the agency. Everything around him changed. He landed the Jaguar account (with the help of Joan's prostitution), but he wasn't content. He fervently launched a pitch about contentment and happiness in an attempt to acquire Dow Chemical as a client. Even though the result of that meeting is yet to be resolved, we glimpsed a bit of the old Don Draper. Which leads us to the big question: which Don Draper returns next Sunday night? The content, patient, loving newlywed, or the eager, earnest, adulterous ad man?

Back to question, "are you alone?" at the end of season five. It took a long time for me to grasp something from "The Phantom," as I really didn't comprehend it as a finale of sorts, even with that final scene. Don's in "bad shape" as Adam's apparition points out. But, is Don really as "rotten" as his brother claims? I really can't answer that. Though, what I could answer is the underlying message regarding the final line of season five. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield recently connected it to an old fifties film noir starring Robert Mitchum and Ava Gardner as two lovers who convene in a graveyard at midnight. While one asks, "are you alone?" the other poses an even better (answer) "isn't everyone?"

Just take a look at the final scene of last season and prove that isn't the case. A day doesn't go by without feeling alone, lost, and trying to find our place in this world. It's just human nature. Don's aging (he's 40), and he's trying to keep up with the ever-changing culture within the 1960s. The only person that understands Don more than Don is Anna Draper. Sadly, she's gone.

Where do we go from here? I guess we'll just have to wait until Sunday, April 7th at 9pm (EST) on AMC.

Until then, watch the newest (well, more like week old) trailer, featuring a montage of quite ambivalent happiness coupled with Elle King's "Playing For Keeps." Strangely enough, Weiner's chosen a song from the 80s. Yet, I highly doubt we're in for such a gargantuan time jump.