AMC Keeps Teasing Us with Nothing’s-New-Here ‘Mad Men’s’ Promos

It's been well over a year. Don't the AMC suits think the ever-patient Mad Men fans deserve a little something new to tide us over until the two-hour season five Mad Men premiere on March 25? Although AMC did release a series of season five promos, all of them contain footage from previous seasons.

Despite the lack of new scenes, is there anything we can glean from the videos which might provide us with some clues as to what to expect in the fifth season? The choice of scenes and adjectives, may -- I repeat, MAY -- be informative, but likely only in hindsight once the season has concluded:

• Style, featuring Don Draper driving a red convertible along a shoreline
• Debauchery, featuring Roger Sterling, and then Don alongside Peggy Olson, drinking
• Deception, with Pete asking Don why he should keep something secret
• Adultery, punctuated by Joan Harris and Roger's impromptu baby-making session in a Manhattan alley after they were mugged
• Jealousy, showing Roger lunging at Pete as Don leaps between the duo

Sadly, the new videos didn't thrill me, nor have the teasers told us anything which, after the yawning gap between season four and this new one, was a disappointment. Show us a little ankle, a short new scene or a wry glimpse, something new, won't ya? It's not too much to ask.

The only image featuring a cast member that is fresh and new is one that I happened to see yesterday when I was outside of Zabar's in New York City. (I was in the city for a few days with the family.) It appeared on the side of a bus. A New York-based Mad Men fan posted a photo of the bus billboard I'd seen:

In this photo, Don's image is reflected in a store's front window where two, faceless mannequins -- a naked female one is standing next to a seated male who's wearing a red robe, striped pajamas and red slippers in what looks like a hotel room. Possible interpretations:

Don is looking at a glimpse of his past, the times when he would sit in a chair while some nameless, faceless female would parade around in front of him. (In the season three promo poster, an unsmiling

Don was pictured, seated in a chair in an office, casually smoking a cigarette while he's in some pretty treacherously deep water.)

Don is looking at a reflection of his current, philandering situation and hoping he won't be found out . . . again.

Don is looking at the faceless couple and imagining that he and Betty were back sharing a boudoir.

Don is looking at scene he'll soon have played out in his new life and in his new digs with his new, spry wife.

Either way, the photo is similar to the season three teaser photo featuring Betty, although Betty wasn't looking at her reflection and the window display contained a long, glamorous glove, perfume, pearls and a hat atop the head of a mannequin, which had a face:

Are the Mad Men/AMC folks just trying to string us along by telling us next to nothing? Speaking for myself, I find the lack of any real scraps irritating.

Image credits: AMC's Mad Men season five open thread and Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC.