The recent release of “Mad Men” in 4K on HBO Max was meant to offer fans an improved viewing experience. But, instead, viewers spotted a noticeable production mistake in a classic scene, exposing the crew operating a fake vomiting machine.
This flaw is found in the first season’s episode titled “Red in the Face,” where Roger Sterling, played by John Slattery, feels nauseous after indulging in oysters and a martini, then trudges up 23 flights of stairs.
When Roger begins to throw up, the enhanced version reveals a crew member crouched behind him with a hose, creating the fake vomit effect. At one moment, another hand is quite clearly seen resting on the operator’s shoulder.
Fans quickly took to social media to share their amusement over the blunder.
“HBO’s latest 4K transfer of ‘Mad Men’ seems to lack post-production editing, leading to scenes like this of Roger and the crew in the vomit machine,” one viewer commented.
Another shared, “This is hilarious! The extra hand on the crew member is just too much. It’s as if someone is offering extra support while he uses the puke tube.”
A third viewer quipped, “Isn’t it nice that they assigned an intern to check for errors before it went live?”
However, that’s not the only scene that didn’t quite make the cut with this release.
There’s also an incident in the second season, specifically in Episode 4, where Peggy Olson, played by Elisabeth Moss, walks past a SIM card advertisement alongside a promotion for a restaurant in Los Angeles—clearly an anachronism, given that the series is set in 1960s New York City.
Those familiar with remastering point out that the conversion from 35mm to 4K often reveals portions of the original shot that were omitted in the initial broadcast. These revealed areas may display equipment or crew that would typically be edited out in post-production.
Additionally, some episodes from Season 1 were inaccurately labeled or out of sequence upon launch, causing further confusion for viewers. Reports indicated that clicking on one title might lead to an entirely different episode, though that issue has since been addressed.
Insiders disclosed that incorrect 4K files had been delivered to HBO Max and that Lionsgate was working on rectifying the situation by sending the correct versions.
“Mad Men,” which aired on AMC from 2007 to 2015, was created by Matthew Weiner and starred Jon Hamm as the iconic Don Draper. The series garnered 16 Emmy Awards along with 116 nominations throughout its seven-season span.
Warner Bros. Discovery later remarked, “’Mad Men’ is a fantastic addition to HBO Max’s impressive collection of content,” after acquiring the series from Lionsgate last month. They also expressed excitement for fans to enjoy it anew in a high-quality 4K format.
