'Mad Men' Fans Spot Major Error in HBO Max's 4K Version

Fans of Mad Men have identified a striking mistake in HBO Maxs newly released 4K version of the iconic AMC drama. The upgraded release appears to be missing some key post-production edits, most notably the removal of background crew members in at least one memorable scene.

Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) have shared clips highlighting the blunder. One particularly discussed scene is from Season 1, Episode 7, Red in the Face, where Roger Sterling (John Slattery) becomes ill after consuming oysters and martinis, followed by a stairwell encounter with Don Draper (Jon Hamm). In the 4K version, a crew member operating a vomit machine is visible, disrupting the intended illusion of the moment.

One fan posted a screenshot, noting: The new 4K transfer of Mad Men on HBO somehow does not include the post-production edits, which means you can see a crew member operating the puke machine after Roger overindulges on oysters.

Another fan shared a video of the scene, humorously commenting: HBO, you will pay.

In addition to visual errors, some viewers have noticed inconsistencies in episode ordering. A Reddit user wrote: Are the episodes out of order as well? I found this under episode 1.6, but it should be 1.5. Maybe its misplaced somewhere else in season 1. Others confirmed the issue, reporting mislabeling and incorrect titles in the HBO Max interface.

Mad Men became available in 4K on HBO Max for the first time on December 1, 2025. Some fans speculate the mistakes may be linked to the change in aspect ratio for the 4K release. One Reddit commenter suggested that rescanning the original 35mm negatives could have caused earlier post-production edits, like digitally removing crew members, to be missed. Another fan noted this oversight adds an unexpected layer of authenticity, if not meticulousness.

Author: Caleb Jennings