The low ratings of Mad Men has never surprised me. For most of the general population, Mad Men is boring. There's almost no action. It's almost entirely dialogue. The writers don't hold your hand, and they force you to pay attention and figure out on your own what just happened. Characters don't say out loud everything they're thinking.
Nearly everything that happened in this series that really mattered was subtle...or it slowly & quietly happened over the course of several episodes. I've read a blog or two online that think the Peggy & Stan relationship happened out of nowhere and is basically a jump-the-shark moment. But the reality is that relationship has been brewing for years...the writers just didn't beat us over the head with it like Ross & Rachel from Friends.
Nearly everything that happened in this series that really mattered was subtle...or it slowly & quietly happened over the course of several episodes. I've read a blog or two online that think the Peggy & Stan relationship happened out of nowhere and is basically a jump-the-shark moment. But the reality is that relationship has been brewing for years...the writers just didn't beat us over the head with it like Ross & Rachel from Friends.