Arts: A Conversation With Matthew Weiner

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Interrogation A Conversation With Matthew Weiner The Mad Men master talks about Peggy's evolution, Betty the bad mom, and Flashdance. By John Swansburg Posted Wednesday, Mar 21, 2012, at 03:37 PM ET I approached my interview with Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner determined not to fall into the familiar trap of trying to get him to reveal even the most trivial detail about the coming season, which premieres Sunday night on AMC. Instead, I asked Weiner to reflect on what, if anything, his characters have learned over the course of four tumultuous seasons. But at the end of our time together, my curiosity got the better of me. I just had to know: Is account executive Ken Cosgrove still writing fiction on the side? Or was his deliciously titled short story "Tapping a Maple on a Cold Vermont Morning"—published in Season 1 by The Atlantic Monthly!—just a one-off? "We will see," Weiner said maddeningly. "We will see." Slate: I think one revealing way to contrast the great cable dramas of the last decade is by looking at the degree to which they allow their central characters to change. Tony Soprano's trajectory is different from Walter White's is different from the city of Baltimore's. Do you believe that characters can, and should, change over the course of a series? Has Don changed? Matthew Weiner: You know it's all about your philosophy of entertainment versus your philosophy of real life. One of the great revelations of The Sopranos for me was realizing that Tony Soprano's psychotherapy just made him a better criminal. What I like is that on our show the characters are really trying to change ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate French Police Surround Suspect in Jewish-School Shootings, Prepare To Storm His Apartment Lithwick: Will the Supreme Court Finally Stop Waffling on Juvenile Sentencing? Stop Calling Newt Gingrich "Mr. Speaker"	Advertisement
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