As a beauty industry expert of over 10 years, the drugstore is my bread and butter when it comes to shopping for beauty products. I specifically stock up on affordable finds at CVS that consistently outperform products that cost triple the price. Between the affordable prices, reputable brands and weekly beauty offers, it’s a treasure trove of goodies for beauty gurus like me.

Not only does the retailer carry some of the best affordable brands in the business, but it doubles as a place to grab everyday essentials on the same trip (at heavily discounted prices, might I add). As someone who tests beauty products for a living, these are the CVS finds I keep on rotation.

Affordable Beauty Staples I Always Restock at CVS

1. Customizable Skin Tint: What I love about this under-$20 skin tint from Maybelline is its versatility. Layer it on for a more full glam moment, or sheer it out with just a few drops.

2. Sun-Kissed Glow: If a bronzer can warm up your complexion without turning you orange, it’s a winner in my book. This super blendable pick from Physician’s Choice does just that.

3. Baked Blush Staple: Milani baked blush formula never appears chalky, and it instantly enhances the texture of your skin — all for just $13! Plus, there are eight gorgeous shades to choose from.

4. Hydrating Facial Spray: My dry skin drinks this glycerin-infused spray right up. Great for throwing in your gym bag, beach tote or car for on-the-go hydration!

5. Gentle Face Wash: Sensitive skin, rejoice! La Roche Posay’s creamy cleanser removes makeup, oil and grime, prepping it for whatever skincare you put on top.

Related: 13 Suncare Products From CVS That Go Beyond Just SPF

Sponsored content. Us Weekly receives compensation for this article as well as for purchases made when you click on a link and buy something below. Getting outside every day is a huge priority when the summer weather is that good. But — and we know you’ve heard it a thousand times — you must protect […]

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6. Dazzle and Glow: Highlight powders are a quick way to add luminosity to your complexion. This incredibly soft formula has a silky texture that melts in for a second-skin finish.

7. Under-$6 Concealer: I’m a huge fan of the brush-tip applicator on this lightweight concealer — it allows the product to go on evenly without running the risk of over-application.

8. Tint-Highlighter Hybrid: On days I’m feeling extra dry, this luminous skin tint is what I reach for — it has coverage, gives my skin a dew and can even be applied to just the tops of the cheekbones for a natural-looking highlight.

9. Frizz Tamer: Right out of the shower, this frizz-defying spray gets spritzed in my hair. The result: soft, shiny and smooth strands no matter what style I go for.

10. Va Va Volume: Red carpet hair, but make it drugstore. For a hairspray that locks in my style without the crunch, this volume-boosting formula is it.

11. Makeup Remover: This micellar water has served as my first step of a double cleansing routine for decades. The reason? It doesn’t dry my skin out.

12. Plumping Moisturizer: What hydrates deeply, looks good under makeup and protects from harsh UV rays? This $14 moisturizer.

13. Acne Saviors: I like these invisible pimple patches because they’re discreet, gentle and absorb acne-causing gunk overnight.

NASCAR driver Kyle Busch has died after being hospitalized with what his family called a “severe illness.” He was 41.

“We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers,” NASCAR said in a statement via X on Thursday, May 21. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”

The organization released a longer statement minutes later on behalf of the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR, saying it would provide more information as it becomes available.

“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement began. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series.

Related: Former NASCAR Driver Chase Pistone Dead at 42, Family Confirms

Former NASCAR driver Chase Pistone has died at age 42, his family confirmed on Monday, March 2. A cause of death has not yet been revealed. “Well my young brother and best friend is gone,” his older brother, Nick Pistone, wrote via Facebook on Monday. “I’m broken hearted and don’t know if I’ll ever get […]

The statement continued, “His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’ Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.”

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was scheduled to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, but his hospitalization led to his withdrawal. Richard Childress Racing, Busch’s team, announced on Thursday that Austin Hill would take his place in the race.

Busch’s family first broke the news of his illness in a statement via X on Thursday morning.

“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization,” they wrote. “He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”

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Related: Greg Biffle’s Former NASCAR Opponent Breaks Silence After Tragic Accident

Greg Biffle’s former NASCAR rival, Kasey Kahne, has broken his silence regarding the racing legend’s untimely death. “The impact of [losing] Greg has been immense,” Kahne posted via X on Thursday, December 25. “From all the heartfelt posts I have read to our waiter tonight at dinner; everyone that knew him has lasting impressions. Greg […]

The family did not specify what Busch was suffering from.

RCR also released a statement via X asking for prayers and privacy for Busch’s family.

“Kyle Busch’s health is our upmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them,” the statement read. “Kyle is an integral part of our organization and we wish him a safe and speedy recovery. His No. 8 Chevrolet will be ready and waiting for him. We’re thankful to Austin Hill for stepping in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend. Please keep Kyle and the Busch family in your prayers, and help us respect the family’s privacy at this time.”

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Busch is survived by wife Samantha as well as the couple’s son, Brexton, 11, and daughter, Lennix, 4.

Kyle’s last Instagram post was a tribute to Brexton, who celebrated his birthday on Monday, May 18.

“Happy Birthday Brexton!!!” he wrote alongside a carousel of photos. “Your mom & I are so proud of who you’re turning out to be! You’re the best kid on & off the track, you amaze us every day. Keep doing what you’re doing and there is no limit to what you’ll accomplish! Love you buddy!”

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 1 hour ago

Here’s some free advice for anybody who doesn’t like living outside of a jail cell or a coffin. If you hire somebody to commit crimes on your behalf, the kind of crimes that result in the death penalty if you get caught, make sure you properly vet the person you’re working with. Because they don’t in 2011’s Killer Joe, and everything goes exactly how you’d expect. The crime in question is murdering a family member to cash in on their life insurance policy, and the desired criminal is actually a cop who moonlights as a contract killer.

I’d call Killer Joe a comedy of errors, because it certainly feels like it falls into that territory, but make no mistake. This movie goes beyond dark, and most of the humor, outside of Matthew McConaughey’s pithy observations, is situational. Here we have two would-be criminals who are too cowardly to do the deed themselves, but don’t have the funds to outsource it, culminating in the kind of family-annihilating disaster that could only truly be captured with a gritty Southern Gothic aesthetic.

It Won’t End Well For Adele

Killer Joe boasts a stupid-simple premise, but it doesn’t take much to understand the stakes. We’re introduced to Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch), a young drug dealer who owes $6,000 he doesn’t have to his supplier, Digger Soames (Marc Macaulay). The reason he owes money is because his abusive mother, Adele, stole the drugs he was supposed to sell and kicked him out of the house. Confiding in his not-so-bright, trailer park-inhabiting father, Ansel (Thomas Haden Church), who’s also not on the best of terms with Adele, his ex-wife, Chris comes up with what, in his mind, is the most logical plan: kill Adele, collect her $50,000 life insurance policy, and split the money evenly with Sharla (Gina Gershon), Ansel’s current wife.

The problem is that Chris and Ansel are profoundly stupid and unwilling to carry out the dastardly deed themselves. Chris has a solution in the form of “Killer Joe” Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a respected detective with a dark streak and secret double life as a contract killer. The terms of the deal are simple: Joe kills Adele, her insurance payout goes to Dottie (Juno Temple), Chris’ younger sister and the sole beneficiary of the policy, and everybody splits the money.

Here’s where things get very messy. Joe demands a $25,000 advance and has very strict operating rules since his day job puts him on the right side of the law while his extracurricular activities could land him in a whole heap of trouble. Unable to pay the advance, Chris and Ansel reluctantly agree to use Dottie as his “retainer” because she’s allegedly a virgin and Joe is very interested in her, with the promise that everybody will go their separate ways once the deed has been done.

As you would expect from this arrangement, nothing goes according to plan. Joe very quickly marks his territory by seducing Dottie, who often says cryptic things suggesting she knows about the entire murder plot even though nobody told her about it. She even recalls an incident from infancy when Adele allegedly tried to kill her. Joe’s presence is intrusive, invasive, and aggressive, and he’s hellbent on not only finishing the job, but also running off into the sunset with Dottie if he can help it.

Alright, Alright, Alright … 

Everything goes horribly wrong for Chris, Ansel, Sharla, and Adele in Killer Joe while Dottie, naive enough to not know any better, sits in horror on the sidelines. Loyalties are betrayed, motives are revealed to be dubious, and the third act gets so violent, among other things, that it’s hard to maintain eye contact with the screen but equally hard to look away. If you’re not quite picking up what I’m throwing down, here’s a spoiler-free hint: the most upsetting sequence in this movie involves a bucket of fried chicken, Matthew McConaughey’s performative Southern charm thinly veiling his sadistic tendencies, and everybody at the table trying to act like they didn’t completely screw up what should have been an incredibly simple job.

Killer Joe is a uncomfortable viewing experience, and every character in it is the worst person you’ve ever met. They’re so stupid, though, that you can’t help but laugh at their misfortune, of which there is plenty, when everything begins to backfire and they have nobody to blame but themselves.

As of this writing, Killer Joe is streaming on Netflix.

Whew, Roommates! K. Michelle still isn’t letting up on Tamar Braxton. Fans know they have been beefing for a minute, and it looks like the smoke isn’t clearing anytime soon. Even though K. still isn’t cool with her, she’s now suggesting that they do a Verzuz together, and of course the internet is seated waiting to see if Tamar accepts.

RELATED: K. Michelle Gets Real About Why It Took Her Husband 10 Years To Marry Her (VIDEO)

K. Michelle Keeps The Pressure On Tamar Braxton With Verzuz Talk

Okay, so BOOM! K. Michelle recently sat down with Shannon Sharpe and chopped it up about her career, love life, and beefs. While chatting with Shannon, K. seemingly spoke about her issues with Tamar Braxton and she didn’t hold back. When Shannon asked if she’d do a Verzuz, she said she was definitely down. Then, when he asked who she would face off with, she didn’t drop any names, but fans quickly caught the subliminal shade. “Probably the muppet.” She continued, “I’ve been quiet on your attack, so get up there and do your Verzuz little lady.” 

From there, she kept going in, saying Tamar has spent years acting like she was better than her, but she’s the one who keeps getting caught up in a lot of different situations.

“She’s suppose to be so much better than me […] as an elitist and Black person and she’s so refined, but she’s the one with teeth knocked out sleeping with married men, not me!”

More About K. & Tamar’s Long-Simmering Beef

K. Michelle and Tamar have literally been going at it for 40 days and 40 nights. K. shared her side of their beef during her 2025 interview with Cam Newton. She told Cam Tamar keeps poking at her behind the scenes, and she ‘s tired of her speaking on her name.

“All because you ain’t got no edges. All because your sister really star. This is what this is really about. All because the man that you loved tried to talk to me before you, in the middle of you, and after you. She continued, “All because I’m from the country, but you are the bumpkin. It is always something with this loud mouth coyote.”

K. Sets The Record Straight On Where She Stands With Porsha Williams

K. Michelle has been airing out her past exchanges recently. She also set the record straight on where she stands with Porsha Williams after they previously traded words on social media. The ladies went back and forth after K. reacted to an episode of ‘RHOA.’ That led Porsha to step in and tell her to bring that energy to her “front door.” THat’s when K. fired back and accused her of allegedly being intimate with her ex. Now, K. Michelle says she’s open to clearing things up with Porsha.

“When it comes to her, I feel like she feels like it’s her show or whatever.” She continued, “So hopefully, you know I’m always open. Especially in this type of arena and things you have to forgive.”

She also said she doesn’t have any ill feelings towards her. “I don’t hate her. That’s not that.” 

RELATED: K. Michelle Shocks Fans After Admitting She Was In Love & Intimate With R. Kelly But “Wasn’t The Woman He Wanted” (VIDEO) 

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

Confession time: when I heard that Nicolas Cage would be acting in a live-action Spider-Noir TV show, I thought it was the worst idea I had heard in a good, long time. Sure, Cage had done an excellent job voicing this Spider-Man variant in Into the Spider-Verse, but I always thought his casting was a bit of cheeky meta-humor. The idea of putting the 62-year-old actor in spandex and actually having him fight crime on a prestige TV show? Now, that seemed laughable in the worst kinds of ways.

Now, the trailer for this show (premiering on Prime Video on May 27th) has me eating a few healthy heaps of humble pie. It seems like Spider-Noir is going to find that elusive balance between being a superhero show and being (what else?) a noirish detective show. Similarly, it found just the right amount of humor, all while leaning into Cage’s quirkiest strengths as an actor. If the actual show can deliver the goods, then Spider-Noir is shaping up to be the rare Sony production with the potential to blow the MCU out of the water.

Letting Cage Be Cage

To my surprise and relief, one of the first things the Spider-Noir trailer does is address the fact that Nicolas Cage is seemingly too old to play a high-flying superhero. Instead of being a plucky hero suiting up for the first time, Cage plays a character who has happily hung up his spandex, leaving his wall-crawling days behind him. Now, though, with his city going to hell thanks to a Kingpin-like criminal (played by Silvio Manfredi), he returns to having two lives: private eye by day and spectacular superhero by night. 

If the trailer is any indication, Spider-Noir also leans into Cage’s larger-than-life screen presence as one of Hollywood’s weirdest actors. He gruffs his way through some appropriately noirish lines (including an ironic “Because with no power, there’s no responsibility), but there’s also some of Cage’s wonderfully weird humor. When asked if he’s “going to be a dick about” starting his life anew, the actor replies, “Uh yes, actually, a private dick, to be exact!” It’s such a delightfully strange delivery of such a basic line, which gives me hope that Cage will be able to elevate the source whenever the writing is lacking.

The Anti-MCU Is Here

Based on the trailer, the writing for the show is solid and shows a remarkable amount of restraint. I feared that producers would try to jam Spider-Noir with Spider-Verse levels of chaos or otherwise try to one-up the MCU with multiversal superhero shenanigans. But the trailer makes it seem like the show will mostly be a grounded, noir-style story, one in which special powers are treated like something more than a bit frightening. That’s kind of an exciting prospect, really: a low-tech fictional universe where superpowers are treated with horror instead of reverence? It’s basically the anti-MCU, and I’m here for it.

Overall, the trailer did a gangbusters job of making a show I had no interest in seem like appointment television. I still have a few doubts about the show. For example, I think it’s super-cowardly to provide audiences with both color and black-and-white viewing options (if you wanna go noir, guys, then go freakin’ noir!). But this trailer presents a superhero show that is drenched in style, one that has found the perfect balance between humor, world-building, and even horror. Will it stick the landing, or will this show have its own long goodbye in the ratings? Fans and haters can find out together when Spider-Noir comes out on Prime Video on May 27th.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 18 seconds ago

Not all RoboCop imitations are created equal, but I keep watching them whenever I get the chance because some are a whole lot of fun. Upgrade (2018) takes a classic revenge-thriller approach not unlike the John Wick movies, while films like Nemesis (1992) lean hard into shadow government conspiracies and all-out cybernetic warfare. 1995’s The Demolitionist does some heavy lifting of its own by asking the question we’re all dying to have answered: what if RoboCop was a smoking hot blonde, and every villain was so comically evil that you could fully switch your brain to the off position?

I recently reviewed Future Force (1989), and the biggest problem I had with that film was how unlikeable its protagonist (portrayed by David Carradine) is. He’s a fascist police officer who carries out the “law” as oppressively and aggressively as possible without ever considering the consequences of his actions. The Demolitionist is the exact opposite, which allows it to go as ultra-violent as its $1 million budget can afford, and you never once have to question who you’re rooting for.

It’s a simple good gal versus very bad guy story, and it’s such an enjoyable watch because of how simple it is.

Girl Gets Dead, Pumps Bad Guys With Lead

The Demolitionist kicks off by introducing us to “Mad Dog” Burne (Richard Grieco) and his little brother and right-hand man, “Little Henry” (Randy Vasquez), two street criminals who are comically evil. They escape from death row and kill everybody in their sight on the night of their well-deserved execution and immediately go back to their old tricks, which mostly involve assaulting women and shooting their guns in the air. Working undercover, Alyssa Lloyd (Nicole Eggert), along with her partner Daniel Dupre (Andras Jones), has been trying to take down their gang. When her cover is blown, Mad Dog kills her, and that’s the end of that. Or so he thinks.

What Mad Dog isn’t prepared for, however, is Doctor Jack Crowley’s (Bruce Abbott) Lazarus-style project, which allows Alyssa to come back from the dead with advanced healing powers, superhuman strength, and enhanced reflexes. The project is funded by Mayor Eleanor Grimbaum (Susan Tyrell), who’s also comically evil, though mostly for political reasons. She knows Mad Dog’s antics are tanking her approval ratings, and all she cares about is the upcoming election.

With all of that setup out of the way, The Demolitionist becomes a supremely fun action thriller because the formula is completely locked in. We’ve got the well-meaning but God-playing scientist, the corrupt politician bankrolling his crime-stopping project, the criminal ringleader who’s so blatantly horrible, and finally Alyssa Lloyd, who’s hellbent on revenge and equipped with a brand-new, perfectly form-fitting tactical suit that highlights all of her best physical attributes, along with a bunch of cool future tech to help her along the way.

As Alyssa takes on her new alter ego, The Demolitionist, she actually feels morally conflicted in a way similar hero archetypes in lesser films rarely do. Her arc plays out firmly on the right side of history because the villains she’s fighting are so over-the-top that you never once question her moral compass. When she’s put in compromising positions, though, like having to choose between saving a girl who accidentally picked up a grenade or continuing to chase the bad guy, she chooses the latter, forcing her to wonder if she sold her soul just to help Jack fulfill his primary objective: shoot bad guys.

Low-Budget, Scenery-Chewing, B-Movie Fun

The Demolitionist is not a satire like RoboCop, and it’s not preachy with its messaging. It’s a simple story about a woman who’s killed, turned into a soulless killing machine, and driven by revenge, only for her conscience to occasionally remind her that she’s no longer the person she used to be. That’s all you need to know to enjoy this movie, and that’s all this movie aspires to be.

There are plenty of practical effects holding the action sequences together, and nearly every bad guy you see on screen is somehow cheesier than the one before him. When every villain has names like Boxer, Hammerhead, Skin, Ram, Wolf, or Lipps, you know exactly what kind of leather-jacket-wearing, bandana-sporting, switchblade-wielding, gun-toting maniacs you’re about to deal with.

My favorite bad guy, however, has to be “One Eye” (David Anthony Marshall), yet another Snake Plissken wannabe floating around this subgenre. His finest moment comes after he gets shot in the butt by our hero and dragged back to Mad Dog’s home base, only to learn the bullet contains a tracking device while everybody, including a smiling, uncredited Bruce Campbell, giggles with delight.

If you like your action thrillers hot, violent, and packed with walking, talking stereotypes who shamelessly lean into every single genre trope imaginable, The Demolitionist should be the next thing you watch on Tubi, where it’s currently streaming for free.

Actress Scarlett Johansson had nice things to say about Adam Driver, and now it seems he is returning the favor! The “Jurassic World Rebirth” actress first worked with the “Star Wars” actor on 2019’s “Marriage Story” before teaming up with him again on 2026’s “Paper Tiger.” The comments come on the heels of Lena Dunham and her 2026 memoir “Famesick,” in which she alleged that the actor threw a chair in her direction after she forgot her lines and screamed in her face while they were filming the hit HBO comedy “Girls.”

In 2019’s “Marriage Story,” Johansson starred opposite Driver in the acclaimed Noah Baumbach drama that follows two parents navigating a tumultuous custody battle amid their divorce. In September 2025, she told PEOPLE magazine that it was “great” working with the “Paterson” actor.  

“I love Adam as a person, and he is an absolutely extraordinary actor,” she said at the time. “If I could make every movie with Adam Driver, I would.”

Scarlett Johansson Recalls Their ‘Brutal’ Scenes In ‘Marriage Story’

In 2019, she opened up to As If magazine about how “brutal” some of their scenes were to film. “We spent two entire days screaming at each other, brutally screaming and fighting for two full days,” she shared at the time.

“It was exhausting, but if I didn’t have as strong an actor as Adam to take all the stuff I was giving him, I would have been lost,” she added. “For me, working with other actors is a really important part of what I do … it’s everything.”

In “Paper Tiger,” she isn’t married to Driver, but the two did share a few scenes together. “I would’ve loved to have had even more scenework with him, I love working with him,” she told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the film’s premiere at the Cannes film festival last week.

Adam Driver Recalls His ‘History’ With Scarlett Johansson On ‘Paper Tiger’

While speaking to Collider about his relationship with his “Paper Tiger” costars, Driver praised Miles Teller, who is married to Scarlett Johansson’s character in this film, as “very generous and prepared.”

“Scarlett, I’d worked with before, so we immediately had a history and a familiarity that we didn’t have to work at that,” he continued. “And it really, honestly, wasn’t a big thing to work out with Miles. He was very forthcoming with how he related to the script, and I was too.”

Adam Driver Describes Filming ‘Some Very Intimate Moments’ With Scarlett Johansson On ‘Marriage Story’

He went on to discuss their working relationship on “Marriage Story,” which he described as a “challenging shoot” due to their intense argument scenes.

“We had some very intimate moments on Marriage Story — on set, to be clear. That was a challenging shoot, and a lot of people were being very generous in the shooting of that,” he explained. “So, I felt immediately familiar with Scarlett. She’s great.”

“She’s another actor where she’s not only thinking about her character, she’s thinking about the culture on set and making sure that the whole system is operating,” he continued. “She’s generous, she’s prepared, she’s awesome, awesome to work with.”

11 years since its finale, it’s hard to find many shows that even brush up against the greatness of Mad Men. Released during the peak of the prestige television boom, airing the same year as The Sopranos‘ conclusion and one year prior to the start of another AMC masterpiece, Breaking Bad, Matthew Weiner‘s historical drama, lasting seven seasons across 92 episodes, is still a worthy binge in 2026. With the series now available on HBO Max, it’s never been easier to be fully immersed in the world of advertising in New York City during the 1960s. Its lead star, Jon Hamm, who plays the inscrutable but captivating Don Draper, is one of television’s hottest stars thanks to the hit Apple TV series, Your Friends and Neighbors. Mad Men signaled the beginning of a remarkable career, as well as a profound evolution of the medium.

‘Mad Men’ is a Novelistic Examination of the American Dream

Mad Men‘s brilliance stems from the boldness of its concept and execution. Where contemporaneous prestige dramas were set in worlds of organized crime, the drug trade, and fantastical kingdoms, Mad Men‘s central storylines centered around meetings with clients, corporate finances, and family stability. Weiner and his writers refused to hold viewers’ hands, throwing you into this intricate and opulent world of advertising. Because of the alluring nature of the offices of Sterling Cooper and the intrepid lives of each employee, audiences wanted to be privy to the jargon and inner-workings of this world. Executed with superb confidence, exemplified by its subtle tone and thematic explorations, Mad Men turned office chatter and restrained emotionality into riveting action that keeps you clicking on the “Next Episode” button. The level of depth, thematic grandeur, and general ambiguity of its intentions are novelistic.

At first glance, the glossy aesthetic of Mad Men paints a nostalgic glow of a romanticized period, particularly the early ’60s, prior to John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the Vietnam War. While the series is deeply immersive and handsomely crafted as a period piece, Weiner and his writers undermine the veneer of innocence and prosperity every episode. Don Draper (an alter ego to his real identity, Richard Whitman) and his colleagues create and sell dreams to consumers, but their own lives are unfulfilled. Mad Men underscored that America has always been better at marketing its morals and values than they are at abiding by them. The series is unflinching in its commentary on class, racism, and office sexual harassment that legend-makers tend to minimize, without ever feeling too heavy-handed for the audience.

‘Mad Men’ is a Brilliant Character Study About Unknowable People

Anchoring this profound series is Jon Hamm in his breakthrough performance as Don Draper. His turn on Mad Men was so groundbreaking that most prestige dramas are still aspiring to reach his level of charm, gravitas, and taciturn moodiness. A man of contradictions, Don’s aspirations and goals are indecipherable across the show’s seven seasons. He seems to value family and strong morals during the day, but as the clock turns midnight, we see him engaging in adulterous affairs. Does he take pride in his trade as the creative director of Sterling Cooper, or does he just use the position as a vessel for his emotional expression? His sullen demeanor and standoffish aura signal that he’s perpetually miserable with the life he’s made for himself, despite all the luxuries to his name. However, considering he took the place of a deceased soldier in the Korean War, guilt understandably runs through his DNA.

What takes Mad Men to the next stratosphere of excellence is its remarkable supporting cast, which is on par with any drama before or since. As a performer, Elisabeth Moss went toe-to-toe with Hamm every episode, from her scene-stealing character, Peggy Olsen, starting as a timid secretary, to her ascent up the corporate ladder to becoming an accomplished copy and creative editor. The outwardly vulnerable and determined Peggy is the needed foil to the reticent Don. Each character arc is marked by triumph and tragedy, with the complex dynamics of Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), Betty Draper/Francis (January Jones), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks), and Roger Sterling (John Slattery) rich enough to carry shows on their own.

In the end, Mad Men extends beyond the trials and tribulations of Sterling Cooper and the tumultuous domestic life of Don Draper. As a story about aspirational, often morally corrupt, people who find success and failure in a capitalist world, the series captures the American experience with as much austerity and nuance as any show in history.