The first season of "Mad Men" contained some of the greatest character drama I had ever seen on television. This second season, while not becoming totally irrelevant by any means, severely lacks the "punch" of that original slate of episodes.
In terms of the overall plot, this second season focuses on pretty much the same characters as the first. Donald Draper (Jon Hamm) is always at the center of things, while secretary-turned-copywriter Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) gets a lot more screen time in this season. Up-and-comer Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) and dutiful (but frustrated) Draper wife Betty (January Jones) also garner major plotlines of their own. The usual supporting cast is present, augmented by new ad man Duck Phillips (Mark Moses).
The trouble with this season is that whereas the previous season emphasized the period (1960s) and the location (Madison Avenue ad agency), this season focuses almost exclusively on the characters themselves. That first season was just so slick and allowed the viewer to feel as if they truly were living in that 1960s time period. In this second season, though, that period luster seems to wear off in the face of almost a soap-operatic slew of plotlines.
Though disappointed by the sophomore effort of "Mad Men", I'm not giving up on this interesting show quite yet. It still intrigues me just enough to keep clicking the "PLAY" button again and again. In the third season, though, I just hope that the focus shifts again to the time/locale (what I feel to be the hallmark of the show) instead of trying to be strictly about the individual characters.