In a recent interview, actress Elisabeth Moss revealed that she would say yes to returning for a Moss plays Peggy, the ambitious secretary who earns a spot as an ad man herself.
Moss recently appeared on Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen where she explained that she would not only be open to returning for a Mad Men revival, but would almost definitely say yes to it. Her reasoning behind this is that, as an actress, she dislikes leaving behind her favorite roles. She believes Mad Men is one of the best projects she has ever worked on, so returning to Peggy would be a no-brainer. Moss's comments do not confirm any sort of Mad Men reboot, which is a good thing considering the show's perfect ending.
Mad Men Had A Near-Perfect Ending
Mad Men's Ambiguous Ending Was Its Greatest Strength
Hollywood loves to bring back beloved projects, but Mad Men is a series that should not get a reboot. Over the course of seven seasons, audiences watched Don tackle countless issues, from company rebrandings and marital spats to social dilemmas and traumatic memories. All of this culminated into a strong final season, where Don was finally forced to confront the changes that had been taking place for years. In the last episode, Don has run away from his life and finds himself at a spiritual retreat where, finally, he seems to find some semblance of peace.
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In many ways, "Person to Person" was Mad Men. Not only did Don get to break out of his gilded cage at home and at work, but the other characters also found solace. Peggy earned the job she deserved, Joan got to start her own company, and Pete left advertising completely. Plus, the final scene hinted at an ambiguous future that made perfect sense for Mad Men, and Don's character. When his spiritual retreat turns into the iconic 1971 Coca-Cola commercial, audiences are made to wonder if Don's breakthrough brings him back to advertising after all.
Mad Men Ended At Exactly The Right Time
Mad Men's Time Period Is Essential To The Story
A Mad Men reboot is also ill-advised because the show's ending came full-circle. The first season kicked off in the year 1960, where the straight-laced traditions of the 1950s were still popular, but were slowly being ushered out by new ideals. Mad Men season 7 ended in 1969, nearly a decade later. For those who have seen the show, it is an understatement to say that the development from season 1 to 7 is astonishing. The clothes, the settings, the ideals, and society have all changed. In this way, Mad Men perfectly encapsulates the turbulence of the 1960s.
If Mad Men got a revival, this perfect representation of the 1960s would be tainted.
Mad Men's time period is not just a set piece either, but is truly pivotal to the story as a whole. Through Don's eyes, viewers see how the silent trauma and high expectations of the 1950s broke down in favor of free expression and the deterioration of certain societal norms. Don's marriage goes from picture perfect to publicly thorny. Peggy goes from invisible secretary to opinionated career woman. If Mad Men got a revival, this perfect representation of the 1960s would be tainted. The story is less about Mad Men's characters in general, but about their experiences in this specific decade.
What Could Happen In A Mad Men Revival?
There Should Be More Shows Like Mad Men
Of course, a Mad Men revival could happen whether viewers like it or not, and truthfully, there are a lot of avenues to go down. The most obvious idea would be to revisit the original characters in 1979, ten years after Mad Men's ending. There is also the possibility of a spinoff series following beloved characters like Joan or Sally. A new project could even turn Mad Men into an anthology, where a new set of characters exist in a new decade, but are part of the same Mad Men universe, featuring cameos and references to the original cast.
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As much as a Mad Men revival would be nostalgic, the better option is to simply make a new television series that evokes the same feelings as Mad Men. In line with the anthology idea, producers could create another show centered on a specific type of job in a particular era of American history. Series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel have done this successfully, so there's no reason why another show couldn't either. Perhaps diving into the Wall Street businessmen of the 1980s, or something similar, could be a way to honor Mad Men without ruining the series' integrity.
Is A Mad Men Revival Likely?
Moss's Comments Could Lead Somewhere
At this point, there has been no news about a Mad Men reboot. The potential is certainly there, but no one has definitively picked up the series with the intention of bringing it back. That being said, Mad Men could certainly come back at some point in the near future. Like Moss, Kiernan Shipka has publicly stated her interest in returning to her Mad Men character, and there's no telling where other actors might stand. Jon Hamm has seemed less thrilled with the idea, but that likely wouldn't stop a Peggy spinoff or a sequel following Sally in L.A.
Moss's comments make a Mad Men revival more likely. By openly stating her desire to return to Mad Men, producers may start considering this as an option. Additionally, audiences who are interested in this type of project could start rallying for it as well. Moss's recent interview is far from a guarantee, but once the idea is put into someone's head, it could grow into something massive. Ultimately, I think a Mad Men revival would go against what the show originally intended, but there are ways to make a potential return more compelling than just revisiting the same old characters.
- Directors
- Michael Uppendahl, Jennifer Getzinger, Scott Hornbacher, Matthew Weiner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Tim Hunter, Jon Hamm, Barbet Schroeder, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Ed Bianchi, Jared Harris, Matt Shakman, Lynn Shelton
- Writers
- Jonathan Igla, Robin Veith, Carly Wray, Kater Gordon, Bridget Bedard, Cathryn Humphris, Chris Provenzano, Brett Johnson, Rick Cleveland, Tracy McMillan, Andrew Colville, David Iserson
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