Summary

• Don Draper returns in 2024 in the Netflix movie 'Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story', in a controversial manner.
• The movie is set in 1963, aligning with 'Mad Men' timeline, featuring Jon Hamm and John Slattery as advertising agents.
• 'Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story' is a comic parody that lacks the serious tone of 'Mad Men', making Draper's return unsatisfying.

Jon Hamm has finally returned as Don Draper from Mad Men nine years after the series ended, but the character's return is really conflicting. Don Draper is one of the most iconic shows in television history, and while Mad Men has been over for nearly a decade now, Draper has just made his surprise return in a big way. While Mad Men fans will undoubtedly be happy to see Don Draper return once again, the method by which the character came back is quite odd, with Jon Hamm's 2024 Mad Men return being pretty controversial.

Mad Men is one of the most successful shows to ever come from AMC, with the critically acclaimed series running from 2007 to 2015. Mad Men follows Don Draper, an advertising agent who operates in the world of the various advertising firms on Madison Avenue in New York. The series takes place throughout the 1960s, with it exploring many of the pitfalls of the era and the realms in which Don Draper operates. While it has been years since Don Draper has been seen, Jon Hamm's character finally returned in 2024.

Jon Hamm Reprises His Role As Mad Men's Don Draper In Unfrosted

The Jerry Seinfeld Pop-Tart Movie

Don Draper's 2024 is a weird one, as Jon Hamm reprises his role as the Mad Men character in a strange place: the Netflix movie Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story. Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story stars and was written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld, with it chronicling the not-so-true origin story of the titular Kellogg's breakfast pastry. The film goes in-depth while exploring how the Pop-Tart came to be, with Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story exploring the business side of the product, including the advertising campaign of the Pop-Tarts.

When attempting to the Pop-Tart, it is explained that Kellogg's is working with an advertising firm from Madison Avenue. Shortly after, two advertising agents played by Jon Hamm and John Slattery, both of whom played major characters in Mad Men. Although Jon Hamm's character is never called Don Draper, Hamm does refer to Slattery's character as Roger at one point. Since Slattery's Mad Men character is named Roger Sterling, it only makes sense for these two characters to be from Mad Men's Sterling Cooper advertising firm.

When Don & Roger's Unfrosted Pitch Would Take Place In Mad Men's Timeline

The Movie Is Set In 1963

Mad Men takes place from 1960 through 1970, causing many fans of Mad Men to wonder when Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story's Don Draper appearance takes place in the show's timeline. As it turns out, Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story takes place in 1963, meaning that the movie is set fairly early in the Mad Men saga.

In the Mad Men timeline, season 3 takes place from the Spring of 1963 until December of the same year, meaning that Don and Roger undoubtedly went to Kellogg's to pitch the Pop-Tart advertising campaign during season 3. Much like Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story, Mad Men season 3 takes place after the Cuban Missile Crisis, with it again focusing on Don Draper's role in the advertising agencies of Madison Avenue. Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story seemingly fits right into the Mad Men timeline, meaning that the cameos could be considered canon to the series.

Jon Hamm's Don Draper Cameo In Unfrosted Doesn't Feel Like A Worthy Mad Men Return

It Doesn't Feel Like Mad Men At All

While Jon Hamm and John Slattery's role in the Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story cast is fun, it doesn't feel like a worthy Mad Men return. Mad Men is a pretty serious drama known for its slick style, witty dialogue, and dark themes, with Don Draper's shady character being one of the reasons why the series is so beloved. However, Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story doesn't feature any of these elements, meaning that Don Draper's 2024 return is missing out on a lot of what made Don Draper so great in the first place.

Instead, Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story is a goofy and unserious comedy that feels nothing like the original seasons of Mad Men. The movie parodies the sexuality of Mad Men with Don Draper's Pop-Tart presentation, but it doesn't show the respect that the series deserves, making Draper's return more frustrating than anything. While Don Draper's return in Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story is a nice wink at the camera for fans of the show, it is far from Mad Men, making Don Draper's return in the Netflix movie feel a bit pointless.