Apologies for the lateness--it's deadline week, and work did a good job of getting in the way of life yesterday and today.
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
For a season-ending episode, this wasn't what I was expecting. I feel like Matthew Weiner and company threw us a little bait and switch here. Story lines took surprising turns that I'm sure not everyone feels happy about.
We had the big buildup about the uncertainty of the agency's future, and the only real change there was the pantyhose account, not exactly a big deal. No disrespect to Peggy and Ken; they saw the opportunity and made it happen. But didn't you feel like something bigger was about to happen? So the agency is still in business for now, and maybe everything's going to turn out fine, but it ended up being anticlimactic.
It looked like Don was moving toward a serious commitment to Faye, then he gets stars in his eyes for Megan. I think this had at least something to do with Faye's reaction to Sally's behavior and her admission that she isn't comfortable around children, and Megan's subsequent comforting of Sally after she fell down in the hall. Don saw Megan's maternal side in that situation, and I think it affected his judgment.
Don's proposal ended up seeming like a bit of a desperation move, like grabbing onto the first thing he could, and it was out of character--maybe that was the point? It's even more puzzling than Betty's attraction to Henry. And of course Roger, having married one of Don's previous secretaries, is congratulating Don the quickest and loudest.
Remember, too, that when Faye and Don first met, she told him he'd be remarried within a year. I assumed at the time that the line would end up coming true in regard to Faye herself.
And even the answer to Joan's situation was a bit of a fake-out, though certainly the one most people saw coming. But again, it doesn't fit with everything else we've seen. What if the baby looks like Roger? Greg is so jealous, he's not going to miss that. Or is this maybe the clue that Greg won't be coming back from Vietnam after all? And the business about her breasts being bigger from the pregnancy was kind of a sideways smirk at all the fuss made about Christina Hendricks's voluptuousness.
I guess we'll all have plenty to ponder and discuss until next summer. First question to my mind is, when will the story pick up? Will we see Joan in the last trimester of her pregnancy? The poor woman will barely be able to stand. Will we see Don and Megan's wedding? I kind of think they'll just go down to city hall.
Showing posts with label Mad Men Season 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mad Men Season 4. Show all posts
19 October 2010
11 October 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 12: "Blowing Smoke"
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
I felt like we were treading water a bit this week. Not a lot happening at the agency, other than the start of layoffs. Of course they're saving any significant events for the final episode of the season, but I'm not expecting anything as big as last year, mainly because from the story-telling point of view, it doesn't make sense to have a game-changing scenario two seasons in a row.
The writers used this episode to have some fun at the expense of the tobacco industry. Aside from the obvious, we had Danny asking if the ad meant Don was going to stop smoking (the same thought had crossed my mind before he said it), Roger puffing away while telling the partners about the call from the American Cancer Society, and Glen offering Sally a cigarette, which she declined. (Where does a kid his age get cigarettes? Probably stealing them from neighborhood houses.)
Even though Don's encounter with Midge ultimately gave him the idea for the Times ad, the incident still left a bitter aftertaste. I think we have a tendency to think of the first half of the 1960s as a more innocent time, but people were still struggling with drug addiction before the Summer of Love. I think Don wanted to help Midge, but knew there was nothing he could do.
Betty says she doesn't need to see a psychiatrist, but she still wants to have her monthly chat with Dr. Edna. Sally's probably made more progress than Betty has, though now it looks like the Francises will be moving away from Ossining, which could wipe out whatever progress Sally has made.
Harry's desk is completely ridiculous.
Did Cooper just give up?
I felt like we were treading water a bit this week. Not a lot happening at the agency, other than the start of layoffs. Of course they're saving any significant events for the final episode of the season, but I'm not expecting anything as big as last year, mainly because from the story-telling point of view, it doesn't make sense to have a game-changing scenario two seasons in a row.
The writers used this episode to have some fun at the expense of the tobacco industry. Aside from the obvious, we had Danny asking if the ad meant Don was going to stop smoking (the same thought had crossed my mind before he said it), Roger puffing away while telling the partners about the call from the American Cancer Society, and Glen offering Sally a cigarette, which she declined. (Where does a kid his age get cigarettes? Probably stealing them from neighborhood houses.)
Even though Don's encounter with Midge ultimately gave him the idea for the Times ad, the incident still left a bitter aftertaste. I think we have a tendency to think of the first half of the 1960s as a more innocent time, but people were still struggling with drug addiction before the Summer of Love. I think Don wanted to help Midge, but knew there was nothing he could do.
Betty says she doesn't need to see a psychiatrist, but she still wants to have her monthly chat with Dr. Edna. Sally's probably made more progress than Betty has, though now it looks like the Francises will be moving away from Ossining, which could wipe out whatever progress Sally has made.
Harry's desk is completely ridiculous.
Did Cooper just give up?
05 October 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 11: "Chinese Wall"
This episode was almost entirely focused on the agency, as Lucky Strike's decision to take its business away from SCDP got out (given what we already know about Lee Garner Jr., did you really think he would keep his 30-day promise to Roger?) and began to affect their relationships with other clients. Only two episodes left--wait, what?
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
After this dramatic development emerged last week, I was thinking that I would have expected it to ramp up closer to the end of the season, as has been the case with the agency storylines in the past two seasons, so I guess we should be expecting at least one or two more twists in the story before this season is done.
The other thing I thought of after last week's writeup is Conrad Hilton: Hilton Hotels would be a large enough client to keep the agency afloat. I admit that it seems sort of obvious, but Hilton did tell Don that he hoped they could work together again at some point, and the show has a tendency to revisit significant characters, so maybe Don reaches out to him.
If you're the sort who likes to dig really deep for possible signs or clues, let me point out that when Roger called Joan during his faked trip to try to salvage the Lucky Strike account, he told her he was staying at the Statler, the full name of which at the time was the Statler Hilton (it's now the Hotel Pennsylvania, across from Madison Square Garden).
Speaking of Roger, he's a mess. The loss of his only real work-related responsibility has left him questioning his identity, his self-worth, and his very existence (he made vague noises about ending his life last week) and his partners certainly feel that he has let them down. Even Joan, who probably understands Roger better than anybody, is no comfort to him when he needs her--she has her own reasons for feeling that way, but she made it clear she's with the others regarding the agency's situation as well, and she sees what I think maybe Roger doesn't, at least not yet: that he brought this on himself.
When Roger finally goes home, to the person who should be his primary source of comfort, he looks and acts like he doesn't even want to be there. Jane shows him his memoir (vanity published, it would seem)--well-intentioned, but at the worst possible moment. And it's obvious he hasn't told her a thing about what's going on at work. I couldn't help but think that if Roger had stuck with Mona (and stayed faithful to her), she would have been able to give him the support and comfort he so desperately needed at that moment.
Don would have liked some comfort from Faye, but they had a disagreement about business ethics, which made his behavior with Megan even more ethically questionable than it would otherwise have been. I'm not necessarily trying to be a defender of Don here, but I could see how Faye might have made him think she wanted to break up with him, and Megan really threw herself at Don, and he did make at least a token attempt to resist, but can a man really resist a woman in that situation?
Megan made it clear that she knew what she was doing. She is certainly more self-possessed than lovestruck Allison; in fact, she acted like a man, and on some level I think that bluntness, that open display of her desire, was what Don was responding to. But I suspect Megan wants something, in the way that Jane wanted what Roger could give her.
And then Don goes home and finds Faye in the process of slipping a note under his door, so of course we're supposed to think she is breaking up with him, but no--she's arranged a meeting for him with a potential client. Now Don has to lie to another woman, after he's tried to be (at least partially) honest with her, and after she's decided to breach her Chinese wall for him.
Parallels again: both Faye and Megan seem to be trying to help Don keep his drinking under control. Jane snugged up against Roger on the sofa, then in the next scene Faye did exactly the same thing with Don.
Meanwhile, Peggy takes it to the next level with Abe, who still hasn't quite learned when to keep his mouth shut (she points this out to him), and floats into work late the next day, all dreamy until she learns what's happened. She reacts as though it's some sort of punishment--Catholic guilt, still undefeated--but that struck me as somewhat out of proportion. Peggy's had four or five lovers that we know of, so does she always feel this way the first time she has sex with someone?
To the surprise of exactly no one, Stan manages to be an even bigger jerk. Payback's a bitch, buddy. Plus, Lucky Strike's exit--assuming the agency survives--opens the door for the possible return of Sal Romano. Who would you rather work with?
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
After this dramatic development emerged last week, I was thinking that I would have expected it to ramp up closer to the end of the season, as has been the case with the agency storylines in the past two seasons, so I guess we should be expecting at least one or two more twists in the story before this season is done.
The other thing I thought of after last week's writeup is Conrad Hilton: Hilton Hotels would be a large enough client to keep the agency afloat. I admit that it seems sort of obvious, but Hilton did tell Don that he hoped they could work together again at some point, and the show has a tendency to revisit significant characters, so maybe Don reaches out to him.
If you're the sort who likes to dig really deep for possible signs or clues, let me point out that when Roger called Joan during his faked trip to try to salvage the Lucky Strike account, he told her he was staying at the Statler, the full name of which at the time was the Statler Hilton (it's now the Hotel Pennsylvania, across from Madison Square Garden).
Speaking of Roger, he's a mess. The loss of his only real work-related responsibility has left him questioning his identity, his self-worth, and his very existence (he made vague noises about ending his life last week) and his partners certainly feel that he has let them down. Even Joan, who probably understands Roger better than anybody, is no comfort to him when he needs her--she has her own reasons for feeling that way, but she made it clear she's with the others regarding the agency's situation as well, and she sees what I think maybe Roger doesn't, at least not yet: that he brought this on himself.
When Roger finally goes home, to the person who should be his primary source of comfort, he looks and acts like he doesn't even want to be there. Jane shows him his memoir (vanity published, it would seem)--well-intentioned, but at the worst possible moment. And it's obvious he hasn't told her a thing about what's going on at work. I couldn't help but think that if Roger had stuck with Mona (and stayed faithful to her), she would have been able to give him the support and comfort he so desperately needed at that moment.
Don would have liked some comfort from Faye, but they had a disagreement about business ethics, which made his behavior with Megan even more ethically questionable than it would otherwise have been. I'm not necessarily trying to be a defender of Don here, but I could see how Faye might have made him think she wanted to break up with him, and Megan really threw herself at Don, and he did make at least a token attempt to resist, but can a man really resist a woman in that situation?
Megan made it clear that she knew what she was doing. She is certainly more self-possessed than lovestruck Allison; in fact, she acted like a man, and on some level I think that bluntness, that open display of her desire, was what Don was responding to. But I suspect Megan wants something, in the way that Jane wanted what Roger could give her.
And then Don goes home and finds Faye in the process of slipping a note under his door, so of course we're supposed to think she is breaking up with him, but no--she's arranged a meeting for him with a potential client. Now Don has to lie to another woman, after he's tried to be (at least partially) honest with her, and after she's decided to breach her Chinese wall for him.
Parallels again: both Faye and Megan seem to be trying to help Don keep his drinking under control. Jane snugged up against Roger on the sofa, then in the next scene Faye did exactly the same thing with Don.
Meanwhile, Peggy takes it to the next level with Abe, who still hasn't quite learned when to keep his mouth shut (she points this out to him), and floats into work late the next day, all dreamy until she learns what's happened. She reacts as though it's some sort of punishment--Catholic guilt, still undefeated--but that struck me as somewhat out of proportion. Peggy's had four or five lovers that we know of, so does she always feel this way the first time she has sex with someone?
To the surprise of exactly no one, Stan manages to be an even bigger jerk. Payback's a bitch, buddy. Plus, Lucky Strike's exit--assuming the agency survives--opens the door for the possible return of Sal Romano. Who would you rather work with?
28 September 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 10: "Hands and Knees"
No one died this week (that would be tough for even this show to pull off two episodes in a row), but plenty of other stuff happened. It feels like the show is revving up and moving the pieces into place for whatever is going to happen in the last few episodes.
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
Several unexpected, unwelcome surprise visitors popped up this week: Don's past, in the form of the two G-men; Lane's horror show of a father, in place of his expected son; the fetal product of Joan and Roger's tryst.
Don's panic at the possibility of being exposed was far worse than when Pete confronted him about his identity back in season one, perhaps because he feels he has more to lose now, perhaps more because he walked right into it by not paying attention. Those were the exact words Pete ended up using to explain the "loss" of the North American Aviation account. It was one thing for Pete to keep quiet all this time, but now Don has asked Pete to fall on his sword for the sake of helping Don keep his secret. That isn't going to sit well with someone as ambitious as Pete, and eventually he's going to expect Don to repay the favor somehow.
Faye handled Don's revelation pretty well, considering. She immediately began to analyze the situation, trying to find a workable solution. I got the feeling it wasn't the first time someone close to her was in a tight spot, given what she's said about her father.
Roger was not literally on hands and knees with Lee Garner, but he might as well have been: he did say "I'm begging you" twice. The agency has done well, but they are still too heavily dependent on the business from the American Tobacco account, which now looks like it's going away. Given that cigarette advertising will be banned from American television in about five more years, SCDP would be losing some business there anyway, but now the situation is much more urgent. Storywise, this could go a few different ways: a last-minute account acquisition to save the day, a merger or takeover, the failure and dissolution of the agency as we know it, or possibly some other scenario I haven't thought of.
My heart broke for Joan, again. She's had to endure so many setbacks, affronts, and indignities that I can't help but wonder if she'll ever have her share of true happiness. Her decision to abort the baby was more for Roger's benefit than her own, though surely part of her must have wanted to keep it regardless of the circumstances. Joan's in her mid-30's (we know this because of the driver's license prank from the first episode of season two) and very much wants to be a mother, but she may not have much time left, and after three abortions she may not even be able to conceive again.
When Joan lied to the woman in the doctor's waiting room, it made me wonder how old she was when she had her first abortion; when she said, "Fifteen," was it just a number she chose at random, or was it because the other woman said she had gotten pregnant at fifteen, or did Joan abort a pregnancy early enough that she would now have a fifteen-year-old child had she not had the abortion? I think Joan is the most tragic character on the show, and if we ever learn more about her background and earlier life, I have a feeling we'll find that her pain goes way, way back.
I've seen a lot of speculation (some simply because people dislike the character so much) about whether or not Joan's husband Greg is going to make it back from Vietnam; Roger even suggested that if he was killed in action, it would be a solution to the baby problem. When Greg told Joan he had enlisted I immediately pegged him as a goner, but given the way the show continues to heap suffering on Joan, I now think it may be more likely that he comes home wounded and in need of care, becoming another burden for her to bear.
Regardless of what happens between Sally and her parents, I have no doubt she will always remember seeing the Beatles. That was about the only light moment in the whole episode, save for Trudy, in her summer maternity nightgown, looking like a decorated Easter egg.
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
Several unexpected, unwelcome surprise visitors popped up this week: Don's past, in the form of the two G-men; Lane's horror show of a father, in place of his expected son; the fetal product of Joan and Roger's tryst.
Don's panic at the possibility of being exposed was far worse than when Pete confronted him about his identity back in season one, perhaps because he feels he has more to lose now, perhaps more because he walked right into it by not paying attention. Those were the exact words Pete ended up using to explain the "loss" of the North American Aviation account. It was one thing for Pete to keep quiet all this time, but now Don has asked Pete to fall on his sword for the sake of helping Don keep his secret. That isn't going to sit well with someone as ambitious as Pete, and eventually he's going to expect Don to repay the favor somehow.
Faye handled Don's revelation pretty well, considering. She immediately began to analyze the situation, trying to find a workable solution. I got the feeling it wasn't the first time someone close to her was in a tight spot, given what she's said about her father.
Roger was not literally on hands and knees with Lee Garner, but he might as well have been: he did say "I'm begging you" twice. The agency has done well, but they are still too heavily dependent on the business from the American Tobacco account, which now looks like it's going away. Given that cigarette advertising will be banned from American television in about five more years, SCDP would be losing some business there anyway, but now the situation is much more urgent. Storywise, this could go a few different ways: a last-minute account acquisition to save the day, a merger or takeover, the failure and dissolution of the agency as we know it, or possibly some other scenario I haven't thought of.
My heart broke for Joan, again. She's had to endure so many setbacks, affronts, and indignities that I can't help but wonder if she'll ever have her share of true happiness. Her decision to abort the baby was more for Roger's benefit than her own, though surely part of her must have wanted to keep it regardless of the circumstances. Joan's in her mid-30's (we know this because of the driver's license prank from the first episode of season two) and very much wants to be a mother, but she may not have much time left, and after three abortions she may not even be able to conceive again.
When Joan lied to the woman in the doctor's waiting room, it made me wonder how old she was when she had her first abortion; when she said, "Fifteen," was it just a number she chose at random, or was it because the other woman said she had gotten pregnant at fifteen, or did Joan abort a pregnancy early enough that she would now have a fifteen-year-old child had she not had the abortion? I think Joan is the most tragic character on the show, and if we ever learn more about her background and earlier life, I have a feeling we'll find that her pain goes way, way back.
I've seen a lot of speculation (some simply because people dislike the character so much) about whether or not Joan's husband Greg is going to make it back from Vietnam; Roger even suggested that if he was killed in action, it would be a solution to the baby problem. When Greg told Joan he had enlisted I immediately pegged him as a goner, but given the way the show continues to heap suffering on Joan, I now think it may be more likely that he comes home wounded and in need of care, becoming another burden for her to bear.
Regardless of what happens between Sally and her parents, I have no doubt she will always remember seeing the Beatles. That was about the only light moment in the whole episode, save for Trudy, in her summer maternity nightgown, looking like a decorated Easter egg.
21 September 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 9: "The Beautiful Girls"
I've only been able to watch this episode once so far, so I may not have picked up as much as I might otherwise have.
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
As the title implies, the ladies were the focus of this episode. Don has decided that he's ready to be more deeply involved with Faye, and they're even sneaking away from work for nooners. Made me think of Don's fling with bohemian Midge from season one, and how different things are for him five years later.
Peggy's crusading journalist flirtation Abe from back in episode 4 returns to give it another try (dude, that was what, four months ago in show time--what took you so long?), only to blow it by basically telling her that he doesn't consider women's rights as important as civil rights. He then tries to make up for it by writing an expose of an SCDP client's hiring practices, which only makes things worse. But even so, you can see that these issues are getting under Peggy's skin, and you know that in a few more years, when the women's movement becomes a serious societal force, Peggy's going to be right in the thick of it.
Sally shows up in the middle of a presentation, having sneaked onto a commuter train--I guess things aren't going so well with Dr. Edna after all. (When Don first went out to the lobby, I thought that was Dr. Edna with Sally.) And then, as if one minor crisis in the midst of a client meeting wasn't enough, Miss Blankenship strokes out at her desk. This was a great scene, with Don sitting in the conference room watching Joan and Pete struggling to get the deceased out of sight without the clients knowing, distracted from the meeting by both that and the thought of Sally sitting in his office.
At first I thought the simultaneous occurrence of these two events was meant to be seen as parallel, the way parallel structure has been used several times this season. But after some thought, the more obvious parallel for Don is between Sally and Faye, being pulled in different directions by them, and what each of them represents and means in his life. Poor Sally is so needy right now, with good reason, and Don can't see it. Obviously having Sally live with him isn't going to happen, and I can't see Betty ever agreeing to that anyway, but if he could somehow meet Sally halfway, she would be so much the better for it. But I fear that connection is going to elude Sally, until it's too late for Don to have any sort of meaningful relationship with her.
Meanwhile, Sally's outburst gave Don (and us) the chance to see Dr. Faye's maternal instincts, or lack thereof. "I feel like that was a test, and I failed." Well yeah, you kinda did. I'm not criticizing her; like a lot of people, she just isn't comfortable with kids. But she lies and says she loves kids, and it would have been much better if she had just admitted as much. In the mid-60s she still would have been seen as unusual not being maternal, and she ends up having to defend her choice to be a professional woman rather than a wife or mother, which brings us back around to... Abe and Peggy's conversation. And how ironic that the glamorous, young, single, thoroughly un-maternal Megan is the one who ends up comforting Sally after she falls.
Viewers hoping for a Roger-Joan hookup got their wish, and in a doorway, after a mugging, no less. But Joan never would have done this while Greg was around; he's thousands of miles away, and she's scared and lonely. She is willing to accept it as a one-time thing, and reminds Roger that they are both married, but is that enough to keep him in line?
And then we had the final image of Joan, Peggy, and Faye on the elevator, each with something on her mind, all of them looking unhappy, or at least unsatisfied. What I want, vs. what is expected of me... Don does not have a monopoly on that dilemma.
French toast with rum sounds like a good idea. Remember, Sally used to be the Draper household bartender.
"My mother made that!" (Harry, in the background, about the afghan from his office they used to cover Miss Blankenship's body)
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
As the title implies, the ladies were the focus of this episode. Don has decided that he's ready to be more deeply involved with Faye, and they're even sneaking away from work for nooners. Made me think of Don's fling with bohemian Midge from season one, and how different things are for him five years later.
Peggy's crusading journalist flirtation Abe from back in episode 4 returns to give it another try (dude, that was what, four months ago in show time--what took you so long?), only to blow it by basically telling her that he doesn't consider women's rights as important as civil rights. He then tries to make up for it by writing an expose of an SCDP client's hiring practices, which only makes things worse. But even so, you can see that these issues are getting under Peggy's skin, and you know that in a few more years, when the women's movement becomes a serious societal force, Peggy's going to be right in the thick of it.
Sally shows up in the middle of a presentation, having sneaked onto a commuter train--I guess things aren't going so well with Dr. Edna after all. (When Don first went out to the lobby, I thought that was Dr. Edna with Sally.) And then, as if one minor crisis in the midst of a client meeting wasn't enough, Miss Blankenship strokes out at her desk. This was a great scene, with Don sitting in the conference room watching Joan and Pete struggling to get the deceased out of sight without the clients knowing, distracted from the meeting by both that and the thought of Sally sitting in his office.
At first I thought the simultaneous occurrence of these two events was meant to be seen as parallel, the way parallel structure has been used several times this season. But after some thought, the more obvious parallel for Don is between Sally and Faye, being pulled in different directions by them, and what each of them represents and means in his life. Poor Sally is so needy right now, with good reason, and Don can't see it. Obviously having Sally live with him isn't going to happen, and I can't see Betty ever agreeing to that anyway, but if he could somehow meet Sally halfway, she would be so much the better for it. But I fear that connection is going to elude Sally, until it's too late for Don to have any sort of meaningful relationship with her.
Meanwhile, Sally's outburst gave Don (and us) the chance to see Dr. Faye's maternal instincts, or lack thereof. "I feel like that was a test, and I failed." Well yeah, you kinda did. I'm not criticizing her; like a lot of people, she just isn't comfortable with kids. But she lies and says she loves kids, and it would have been much better if she had just admitted as much. In the mid-60s she still would have been seen as unusual not being maternal, and she ends up having to defend her choice to be a professional woman rather than a wife or mother, which brings us back around to... Abe and Peggy's conversation. And how ironic that the glamorous, young, single, thoroughly un-maternal Megan is the one who ends up comforting Sally after she falls.
Viewers hoping for a Roger-Joan hookup got their wish, and in a doorway, after a mugging, no less. But Joan never would have done this while Greg was around; he's thousands of miles away, and she's scared and lonely. She is willing to accept it as a one-time thing, and reminds Roger that they are both married, but is that enough to keep him in line?
And then we had the final image of Joan, Peggy, and Faye on the elevator, each with something on her mind, all of them looking unhappy, or at least unsatisfied. What I want, vs. what is expected of me... Don does not have a monopoly on that dilemma.
French toast with rum sounds like a good idea. Remember, Sally used to be the Draper household bartender.
"My mother made that!" (Harry, in the background, about the afghan from his office they used to cover Miss Blankenship's body)
14 September 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 8: "The Summer Man"
After last week's tour de force, I expected a slightly more low-key episode, and that's what we got--which isn't to say that this episode wasn't interesting or satisfying.
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
After we saw Don so drunk that he couldn't land a punch on the equally drunk Duck Phillips, it seems he took that as a sign that he needed to get his act together. As the summer begins, Don is making a conscious effort to drink less and take better care of himself. The pool was a pretty obvious symbol of cleansing, of purification, but the use of "Satisfaction" reminded us that Don has a long way to go on his journey, and there's no guarantee he'll make it.
I don't recall Mad Men using a voiceover before, but I quickly realized it was being done in order to allow us to share Don's thoughts as he wrote them down. This raised the question: is he in some kind of therapy? That seems unlikely, but it also seems unlikely that Don would begin such a self-examination process on his own. AA? Probably even less likely, given the fact that he's still drinking, somewhat.
Joan was a bit on edge due to her husband's impending departure for basic training, and was having a rough time at work with Joey the freelancer, and with the whole class-clown boys' club in general. Perhaps the looser environment at the SCDP office lends itself to creativity, but you know this sort of behavior never would have been tolerated at the old Sterling Cooper.
Peggy tried to help Joan, and in doing so thought she was standing up for her, but Joan pointed out that firing Joey was really about trying to feel powerful, like a man, and that there were other ways of accomplishing the same thing without either of them ending up being disliked. Peggy still has a lot to learn, both about being a woman and about making it in a man's world.
Don had a good time on his cab rides, especially with Bethany. But the idea of engaging in any sort of intimate behavior in a taxi is completely unappealing to me. In a limo with tinted windows and an opaque divider, maybe.
In spite of Bethany's effort to keep Don interested, he overheard Faye break up with her boyfriend (in the lobby phone booth, just like Peggy last week) and seized the opportunity to ask her out again. It's been fairly obvious since they met that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. Not only is she closer to his age, but she's much more intellectually interesting to him. But even with her being newly available, I'm inclined to think that if Don hadn't gotten himself straightened out, Faye would not have accepted his invitation. And I think that he chose not to go home with her (or to go to his place, "right around the corner") showed that he's serious about her.
There was a nice reprise of the parallel structure used in "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," with Betty's therapeutic conversation with Francine followed by Don's similarly insightful dinner conversation with Faye; afterward, each was able to let go of at least some of the lingering anger and resentment, and put the hurt feelings aside for the sake of Gene's birthday party. That image of Don holding Gene aloft at the end may be one of the series' most touching moments to date.
P.S. Little Gene's cake looked awfully lopsided when Betty was frosting it.
[Standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
After we saw Don so drunk that he couldn't land a punch on the equally drunk Duck Phillips, it seems he took that as a sign that he needed to get his act together. As the summer begins, Don is making a conscious effort to drink less and take better care of himself. The pool was a pretty obvious symbol of cleansing, of purification, but the use of "Satisfaction" reminded us that Don has a long way to go on his journey, and there's no guarantee he'll make it.
I don't recall Mad Men using a voiceover before, but I quickly realized it was being done in order to allow us to share Don's thoughts as he wrote them down. This raised the question: is he in some kind of therapy? That seems unlikely, but it also seems unlikely that Don would begin such a self-examination process on his own. AA? Probably even less likely, given the fact that he's still drinking, somewhat.
Joan was a bit on edge due to her husband's impending departure for basic training, and was having a rough time at work with Joey the freelancer, and with the whole class-clown boys' club in general. Perhaps the looser environment at the SCDP office lends itself to creativity, but you know this sort of behavior never would have been tolerated at the old Sterling Cooper.
Peggy tried to help Joan, and in doing so thought she was standing up for her, but Joan pointed out that firing Joey was really about trying to feel powerful, like a man, and that there were other ways of accomplishing the same thing without either of them ending up being disliked. Peggy still has a lot to learn, both about being a woman and about making it in a man's world.
Don had a good time on his cab rides, especially with Bethany. But the idea of engaging in any sort of intimate behavior in a taxi is completely unappealing to me. In a limo with tinted windows and an opaque divider, maybe.
In spite of Bethany's effort to keep Don interested, he overheard Faye break up with her boyfriend (in the lobby phone booth, just like Peggy last week) and seized the opportunity to ask her out again. It's been fairly obvious since they met that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. Not only is she closer to his age, but she's much more intellectually interesting to him. But even with her being newly available, I'm inclined to think that if Don hadn't gotten himself straightened out, Faye would not have accepted his invitation. And I think that he chose not to go home with her (or to go to his place, "right around the corner") showed that he's serious about her.
There was a nice reprise of the parallel structure used in "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," with Betty's therapeutic conversation with Francine followed by Don's similarly insightful dinner conversation with Faye; afterward, each was able to let go of at least some of the lingering anger and resentment, and put the hurt feelings aside for the sake of Gene's birthday party. That image of Don holding Gene aloft at the end may be one of the series' most touching moments to date.
P.S. Little Gene's cake looked awfully lopsided when Betty was frosting it.
06 September 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 7: "The Suitcase"
Hard to believe we're already at the halfway point of the season, and last night we got quite a juicy episode.
[Last week I neglected to attach my standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
It was interesting to realize that after working together in various capacities for five years, there's a great deal that Don and Peggy don't know about each other (and that we don't know about either of them), and though Peggy said she preferred it that way, it seemed that by the episode's end she had changed her mind. I don't think we've ever seen an episode with this much interaction between the two of them, and after some shouting and some consoling, each knows some fairly personal stuff about the other.
The Samsonite campaign that gave the episode its title and served as the focus of the story also gave us some handy metaphors. When Betty first banished Don from the house in season two (suspecting him of having an affair, but having no proof at the time), he stayed at the Roosevelt, essentially living out of a suitcase. Later, when he decided to abandon his business trip in Los Angeles to go off to Palm Springs with the beautiful people, he left his suitcase and all his belongings behind, because he no longer had to pretend to be "Don Draper" with them, or on his subsequent, revelatory visit to Anna.
During last night's scene at the Greek diner, Don talked about his uncle Max, who had a saying about how a man always needs to have a packed suitcase ready. This was still Don in season one, when he tried to get Rachel Menken to run away with him. Later that night, in the midst of his drunk-sickness, Don awakened to a ghostly vision of Anna in his office, carrying a small suitcase (no way to know whether or not it was a Samsonite) and knew that she had died.
Of course, the suitcase also represents baggage, of which Don and Peggy both have their share. When their talk at the bar turned to Peggy's pregnancy and Don asked if Peggy knew who the father was, I thought for a moment that Peggy was going to tell him, but I also got the feeling that Don was not especially interested in knowing the answer; he was more interested in whether or not Peggy ever thought about it, which makes perfect sense given his own past.
Peggy's baggage is also in the form of her family, her rather unimpressive (now ex-)boyfriend Mark, and of course, the even less impressive Duck Phillips, whose drunken late-night visit to the SCDP office in search of Peggy led to a most pathetic excuse for a fight between him and Don (and a hilarious attempt to leave a calling card, of sorts).
I think the boxing match was meant to represent Don's inner battle between his Don and Dick selves, his drunk and sober selves, his humble and proud selves. His comments about the fighters Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston could be interpreted as comments about himself, particularly in the wake of the Clio victory.
Don is at a crossroads, and clearly his life and career could go either way at this point. Now that we have seen just how deeply into the bottle Don has sunk, Duck's miserable attempt to prop himself up with the crutch of Peggy showed us very clearly where Don is headed if he is unable to straighten out. The question still remains as to whether or not Don got that message.
[Last week I neglected to attach my standard disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
It was interesting to realize that after working together in various capacities for five years, there's a great deal that Don and Peggy don't know about each other (and that we don't know about either of them), and though Peggy said she preferred it that way, it seemed that by the episode's end she had changed her mind. I don't think we've ever seen an episode with this much interaction between the two of them, and after some shouting and some consoling, each knows some fairly personal stuff about the other.
The Samsonite campaign that gave the episode its title and served as the focus of the story also gave us some handy metaphors. When Betty first banished Don from the house in season two (suspecting him of having an affair, but having no proof at the time), he stayed at the Roosevelt, essentially living out of a suitcase. Later, when he decided to abandon his business trip in Los Angeles to go off to Palm Springs with the beautiful people, he left his suitcase and all his belongings behind, because he no longer had to pretend to be "Don Draper" with them, or on his subsequent, revelatory visit to Anna.
During last night's scene at the Greek diner, Don talked about his uncle Max, who had a saying about how a man always needs to have a packed suitcase ready. This was still Don in season one, when he tried to get Rachel Menken to run away with him. Later that night, in the midst of his drunk-sickness, Don awakened to a ghostly vision of Anna in his office, carrying a small suitcase (no way to know whether or not it was a Samsonite) and knew that she had died.
Of course, the suitcase also represents baggage, of which Don and Peggy both have their share. When their talk at the bar turned to Peggy's pregnancy and Don asked if Peggy knew who the father was, I thought for a moment that Peggy was going to tell him, but I also got the feeling that Don was not especially interested in knowing the answer; he was more interested in whether or not Peggy ever thought about it, which makes perfect sense given his own past.
Peggy's baggage is also in the form of her family, her rather unimpressive (now ex-)boyfriend Mark, and of course, the even less impressive Duck Phillips, whose drunken late-night visit to the SCDP office in search of Peggy led to a most pathetic excuse for a fight between him and Don (and a hilarious attempt to leave a calling card, of sorts).
I think the boxing match was meant to represent Don's inner battle between his Don and Dick selves, his drunk and sober selves, his humble and proud selves. His comments about the fighters Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston could be interpreted as comments about himself, particularly in the wake of the Clio victory.
Don is at a crossroads, and clearly his life and career could go either way at this point. Now that we have seen just how deeply into the bottle Don has sunk, Duck's miserable attempt to prop himself up with the crutch of Peggy showed us very clearly where Don is headed if he is unable to straighten out. The question still remains as to whether or not Don got that message.
31 August 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 6: "Waldorf Stories"
When I saw the title of this episode, my first thought was that there might be an appearance by Conrad Hilton, but as usual, that's too obvious for Mad Men's writers. However, I'm sure Connie is keeping tabs on Don and his work, and we may yet see him--the show does tend to bring people back. Like Ken--now we know why we've been seeing Aaron Staton's name in the opening credits each week, even though he had only appeared in episode 4 this season. It remains to be seen how well he and Pete can work together.
So Roger's wife's cousin Danny is looking for a job in advertising, even though he doesn't seem to have much in the way of original ideas. This is presented in contrast with Don's first encounter with Roger and subsequent pursuit of a job at Sterling Cooper. Danny is trying to get a job through connections rather than real talent, whereas Don at first tried to impress Roger with his ideas, but when that didn't work, he apparently took advantage of Roger's inebriation to trick Roger into believing he had offered Don a job and didn't remember.
Of course, Don wasn't remembering much of anything over the course of his lost weekend, causing him an assortment of problems: his misplaced award, his obligation to his children, the fact that the slogan the Life cereal guys liked best was the one Danny had used over and over in his work. The missing Saturday was especially jarring, and a sign that Don's drinking is seriously out of control. I liked that Peggy told him off; her instruction to "fix it" refers to much more than just Don's borrowing of Danny's phrase. Peggy is also angry with Don about not sharing the recognition for the award, but that may not be as easily fixable. What's it going to take for Don to wake up?
Meanwhile, Peggy has to deal with the unorthodox work style of the agency's new art director, Stan Rizzo. He's supposed to be this free spirit, but Peggy manages to embarrass him, which presumably removed the roadblock to their making progress on the Vick's project. He's no Sal, that's for sure. Clearly we are supposed to dislike Stan, at least not now, but we'll need to see some demonstrable talent from him to justify his presence. I didn't care for wormy Danny either, but my opinion of him is colored by knowing the actor playing him, Danny Strong, also played the weasely Jonathan on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
So another little piece of Don's past is filled in, and it's as nearly checkered as his assumption of the real Don Draper's identity.
So Roger's wife's cousin Danny is looking for a job in advertising, even though he doesn't seem to have much in the way of original ideas. This is presented in contrast with Don's first encounter with Roger and subsequent pursuit of a job at Sterling Cooper. Danny is trying to get a job through connections rather than real talent, whereas Don at first tried to impress Roger with his ideas, but when that didn't work, he apparently took advantage of Roger's inebriation to trick Roger into believing he had offered Don a job and didn't remember.
Of course, Don wasn't remembering much of anything over the course of his lost weekend, causing him an assortment of problems: his misplaced award, his obligation to his children, the fact that the slogan the Life cereal guys liked best was the one Danny had used over and over in his work. The missing Saturday was especially jarring, and a sign that Don's drinking is seriously out of control. I liked that Peggy told him off; her instruction to "fix it" refers to much more than just Don's borrowing of Danny's phrase. Peggy is also angry with Don about not sharing the recognition for the award, but that may not be as easily fixable. What's it going to take for Don to wake up?
Meanwhile, Peggy has to deal with the unorthodox work style of the agency's new art director, Stan Rizzo. He's supposed to be this free spirit, but Peggy manages to embarrass him, which presumably removed the roadblock to their making progress on the Vick's project. He's no Sal, that's for sure. Clearly we are supposed to dislike Stan, at least not now, but we'll need to see some demonstrable talent from him to justify his presence. I didn't care for wormy Danny either, but my opinion of him is colored by knowing the actor playing him, Danny Strong, also played the weasely Jonathan on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
So another little piece of Don's past is filled in, and it's as nearly checkered as his assumption of the real Don Draper's identity.
24 August 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 5: "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword"
All right, let's see if I can decipher the notes I made in the dark while watching last night...
[As usual, the standard disclaimer applies: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
I liked the balance in this episode between the office stuff and the family stuff, plus that meant not a lot of room for Mopey Don. He seems a little better, but not much. He's still seeing Bethany, but just barely--three dates in five months, according to her. By my count it's been four months since the events in the season's first episode, but whatever.
It seemed like the meeting with the executives from Honda had everyone off balance, at least at first. Even putting aside Roger's feelings about doing business with the Japanese (certainly valid, but also short-sighted), it must have been strange in this era to have to navigate business dealings with foreigners.
But once things got rolling, we got some classic Don Draper gamesmanship, tricking rival agency CDC into making a spec commercial by making them think SCDP was making one. I was wondering, though: when Don returned Honda's front money, why was it from his own bank account and not the agency's?
Poor neglected, misunderstood Sally. There are so many places her story can go, but I have to admit I didn't see this one coming. Henry seems to have much more of a clue than Betty regarding parenting; I don't think we know anything about his first wife, but I'm hoping some of the details get filled in. Meanwhile, if Sally does have to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Edna seems like she's a pretty astute and kind one, so we'll see how that goes.
Speaking of Dr. Edna, the scene with her and Betty nicely dovetailed with the one just before it with Don and Dr. Faye in the SCDP kitchen. Each former spouse is speaking with a mental health professional (though in different contexts), and each reveals something fairly personal and intimate.
Don says, ”Why does everyone need to talk about everything?” but then he does just that: he talks to Dr. Faye about how difficult it's been to deal with being a father to his children in the aftermath of the divorce. Don rarely opens up to anyone the way he did in this scene. Dr. Faye tells Don that people feel better after they express their feelings, but we don't get any sense about that from Don either way, at least not yet. However, I assume that this growing intimacy between them is eventually going to lead to some sort of romantic encounter, or at least a tryst on the SCDP conference table.
Betty brushed off Dr. Edna's suggestion that Betty should come in for sessions as well, but when the doctor rephrased it as a monthly progress report on Sally, Betty seemed okay with it. Then at the end of the scene, Betty looks wistfully over at the dollhouse in Dr. Edna's office. For the childlike Betty, it represents both her memories of childhood, as well as her wishes and dreams for what she thought adulthood, marriage, and motherhood would be.
Will either Don or Betty ever come to a deeper understanding of their inner struggles? I don't know.
Apparently, Roger's reference to "Dr. Lyle Evans" was nothing more than a joke on the part of the writers--there was no such person. (I looked this up on Google last night, but didn't read anything else spoilery.) Weird.
Don's secretary was trying to place a "call to California" for him--was he trying to reach Anna?
Oh, hi there Smitty. How do you like working for that dick Ted?
[As usual, the standard disclaimer applies: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
I liked the balance in this episode between the office stuff and the family stuff, plus that meant not a lot of room for Mopey Don. He seems a little better, but not much. He's still seeing Bethany, but just barely--three dates in five months, according to her. By my count it's been four months since the events in the season's first episode, but whatever.
It seemed like the meeting with the executives from Honda had everyone off balance, at least at first. Even putting aside Roger's feelings about doing business with the Japanese (certainly valid, but also short-sighted), it must have been strange in this era to have to navigate business dealings with foreigners.
But once things got rolling, we got some classic Don Draper gamesmanship, tricking rival agency CDC into making a spec commercial by making them think SCDP was making one. I was wondering, though: when Don returned Honda's front money, why was it from his own bank account and not the agency's?
Poor neglected, misunderstood Sally. There are so many places her story can go, but I have to admit I didn't see this one coming. Henry seems to have much more of a clue than Betty regarding parenting; I don't think we know anything about his first wife, but I'm hoping some of the details get filled in. Meanwhile, if Sally does have to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Edna seems like she's a pretty astute and kind one, so we'll see how that goes.
Speaking of Dr. Edna, the scene with her and Betty nicely dovetailed with the one just before it with Don and Dr. Faye in the SCDP kitchen. Each former spouse is speaking with a mental health professional (though in different contexts), and each reveals something fairly personal and intimate.
Don says, ”Why does everyone need to talk about everything?” but then he does just that: he talks to Dr. Faye about how difficult it's been to deal with being a father to his children in the aftermath of the divorce. Don rarely opens up to anyone the way he did in this scene. Dr. Faye tells Don that people feel better after they express their feelings, but we don't get any sense about that from Don either way, at least not yet. However, I assume that this growing intimacy between them is eventually going to lead to some sort of romantic encounter, or at least a tryst on the SCDP conference table.
Betty brushed off Dr. Edna's suggestion that Betty should come in for sessions as well, but when the doctor rephrased it as a monthly progress report on Sally, Betty seemed okay with it. Then at the end of the scene, Betty looks wistfully over at the dollhouse in Dr. Edna's office. For the childlike Betty, it represents both her memories of childhood, as well as her wishes and dreams for what she thought adulthood, marriage, and motherhood would be.
Will either Don or Betty ever come to a deeper understanding of their inner struggles? I don't know.
Apparently, Roger's reference to "Dr. Lyle Evans" was nothing more than a joke on the part of the writers--there was no such person. (I looked this up on Google last night, but didn't read anything else spoilery.) Weird.
Don's secretary was trying to place a "call to California" for him--was he trying to reach Anna?
Oh, hi there Smitty. How do you like working for that dick Ted?
17 August 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 4: "The Rejected"
I'm trying something different here: normally I watch the episodes twice, on Sunday nights when they are broadcast, and again on Monday evenings with the Mrs., because she goes to sleep too early to watch the Sunday broadcasts. I usually do the writeups on Monday mornings, but it seems like after watching the episodes a second time, I often find that I feel differently about something and want to go back and revise what I've written, so I thought I would try watching twice before doing the writeup. Of course, this means it doesn't get posted until Tuesday (or, theoretically, late Monday night), but I just thought I'd experiment with it...
[As usual, the standard disclaimer applies: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
This week's episode was titled "The Rejected," and there was plenty of rejection going on. It was also decidedly less Don-centric than this season's episodes so far, and that's a good thing, because we needed a bit of a break from his moping and drinking and leching. Instead we got Pete, Peggy, a touch of Pete and Peggy together, and a return appearance by Ken Cosgrove.
We've all had to deal with rejection, and it comes in many forms. Pete is told he has to reject his father-in-law's business due to a (questionable) conflict, and that he has to do this for the good of the agency. He in turn feels like his work is being rejected by Roger and Lane. Peggy rejects the advances of a lesbian, whose friend's photography has been rejected by Life magazine. The ladies in the focus group end up talking about the things they do for the men in their lives, men who end up rejecting them. Allison rejects Don's rejection of her by quitting, with a flung paperweight for emphasis. Don rejects Dr. Miller's analysis of the focus group, after they rejected the concept of beauty products and rituals as an indulgence. Did I miss any? (Probably.)
Here's a question: if Joyce's friend the photographer wouldn't want to have anything to do with working for an ad agency, why would he want his photos to appear in Life? It seems like a countercultural rebel would consider a glossy, mainstream weekly magazine (one full of advertising) to be just as much a part of the establishment as an ad agency. Perhaps because, had they been published (which they never would have been, at the time) they would have been considered transgressive and boundary-breaking?
Unfortunately Peggy didn't get to probe that far, because her conversation with him at the party was interrupted by the police raid, but lucky for her she was swept off her feet and into a hiding place by Abe, the crusading journalist. Could Peggy become a Factory girl? Probably not, but she's getting exposed to new ideas and subcultures that are bound to affect her own thinking, and ultimately her work. And I do wonder if she has ever thought about writing anything else besides ad copy.
Pete's finally going to be a dad (for real this time). It's still difficult for me to think of Pete as anything other than a petulant, spoiled little boy, but he takes the news in a pretty grown-up way. Pete also showed his business acumen (with a little nudge from his conversation with Ken) by turning the rejection of the Clearasil account into an opportunity to capture the business of his father-in-law's entire company. Does this mean the agency will then have to reject the Pond's account?
Since Peggy rejected both Pete and his baby, I also tend to see her as no longer having any feelings for him, but the news of Trudy's pregnancy obviously affected her. Perhaps her status as a single career woman (which she gave up Pete's baby to preserve) isn't quite everything she hoped it would be, or maybe she's just at a point where she's feeling a desire for motherhood, but I don't really think she's ready. I think her path is going away from normalcy, from the accepted and expected roles for women of this time, and away from Pete; the symbolism of the two groups of people on opposite sides of the glass doors at the end of the episode reinforced this.
When Joyce came to invite Peggy to the party, did you notice that she called Megan, the receptionist, "sweetheart"? Just like a man (or a mannish woman who likes other women). By the way, the actress who played Joyce is the daughter of David Mamet and Lindsay Crouse. Trivia: Back around 1990, I was working at a local cultural institution, and I can remember seeing Mr. Mamet on a couple of occasions with his children (I believe he was living in Boston at the time, but that may not be correct), so it's entirely possible this young lady was one of them.
I loved seeing Peggy's head pop up in the transom window after Allison and Don's dustup.
Nice job by John Slattery (Roger) in what I believe was his directing debut.
[As usual, the standard disclaimer applies: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. If you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
This week's episode was titled "The Rejected," and there was plenty of rejection going on. It was also decidedly less Don-centric than this season's episodes so far, and that's a good thing, because we needed a bit of a break from his moping and drinking and leching. Instead we got Pete, Peggy, a touch of Pete and Peggy together, and a return appearance by Ken Cosgrove.
We've all had to deal with rejection, and it comes in many forms. Pete is told he has to reject his father-in-law's business due to a (questionable) conflict, and that he has to do this for the good of the agency. He in turn feels like his work is being rejected by Roger and Lane. Peggy rejects the advances of a lesbian, whose friend's photography has been rejected by Life magazine. The ladies in the focus group end up talking about the things they do for the men in their lives, men who end up rejecting them. Allison rejects Don's rejection of her by quitting, with a flung paperweight for emphasis. Don rejects Dr. Miller's analysis of the focus group, after they rejected the concept of beauty products and rituals as an indulgence. Did I miss any? (Probably.)
Here's a question: if Joyce's friend the photographer wouldn't want to have anything to do with working for an ad agency, why would he want his photos to appear in Life? It seems like a countercultural rebel would consider a glossy, mainstream weekly magazine (one full of advertising) to be just as much a part of the establishment as an ad agency. Perhaps because, had they been published (which they never would have been, at the time) they would have been considered transgressive and boundary-breaking?
Unfortunately Peggy didn't get to probe that far, because her conversation with him at the party was interrupted by the police raid, but lucky for her she was swept off her feet and into a hiding place by Abe, the crusading journalist. Could Peggy become a Factory girl? Probably not, but she's getting exposed to new ideas and subcultures that are bound to affect her own thinking, and ultimately her work. And I do wonder if she has ever thought about writing anything else besides ad copy.
Pete's finally going to be a dad (for real this time). It's still difficult for me to think of Pete as anything other than a petulant, spoiled little boy, but he takes the news in a pretty grown-up way. Pete also showed his business acumen (with a little nudge from his conversation with Ken) by turning the rejection of the Clearasil account into an opportunity to capture the business of his father-in-law's entire company. Does this mean the agency will then have to reject the Pond's account?
Since Peggy rejected both Pete and his baby, I also tend to see her as no longer having any feelings for him, but the news of Trudy's pregnancy obviously affected her. Perhaps her status as a single career woman (which she gave up Pete's baby to preserve) isn't quite everything she hoped it would be, or maybe she's just at a point where she's feeling a desire for motherhood, but I don't really think she's ready. I think her path is going away from normalcy, from the accepted and expected roles for women of this time, and away from Pete; the symbolism of the two groups of people on opposite sides of the glass doors at the end of the episode reinforced this.
When Joyce came to invite Peggy to the party, did you notice that she called Megan, the receptionist, "sweetheart"? Just like a man (or a mannish woman who likes other women). By the way, the actress who played Joyce is the daughter of David Mamet and Lindsay Crouse. Trivia: Back around 1990, I was working at a local cultural institution, and I can remember seeing Mr. Mamet on a couple of occasions with his children (I believe he was living in Boston at the time, but that may not be correct), so it's entirely possible this young lady was one of them.
I loved seeing Peggy's head pop up in the transom window after Allison and Don's dustup.
Nice job by John Slattery (Roger) in what I believe was his directing debut.
09 August 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 3: "The Good News"
[Disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. And as always, if you have not watched the episode, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
I guess I should have known better than to expect this episode to deliver some actual good news. Instead, we were dealt large helpings of irony, as there was plenty of bad news being learned.
We learned last week that Don is planning to spend the Christmas-New Year's break in Acapulco. He has arranged his trip with a stopover in Los Angeles, so he can swing down to Long Beach and visit Anna, the widow of the real Don Draper, that Don was last seen visiting during his attempt to escape from reality at the end of season 2. Don has taken care of Anna financially since she learned his true identity, in effect buying her silence, but he truly cares about her and has always felt very protective toward her.
When Don arrives he finds Anna in a cast from a broken leg. Her sister Patty and niece Stephanie soon come by; they have been helping Anna with her household needs while her leg heals. Stephanie is home from Berkeley for winter break; she's another fetching, nubile creature tossed in front of Don for him to make a pass at. He does, but his ardor is quickly doused when Stephanie tells him that Anna has cancer and has only a short time to live.
Anna is the only person who knew everything about Don's past as Dick Whitman, and how he switched identities with her dead husband in Korea (until Don confessed to Betty last season). She and her family call him Dick (I wonder if the sister and niece know the whole story? probably not), and he behaves differently around her. Anna is the only person who truly knows him, and learning that he will soon lose that connection weighs heavily on him.
Unable to be around Anna without telling her the truth about her condition (which has inexplicably been kept from her by her family), Don has lost his desire to go to Mexico and returns to New York and the office, to find Lane there, alone, working. Don introduces Lane to his classic shirk-work move of going to the movies, which leads to an evening of drink and debauchery, Don Draper style.
Along the way we learn the reason that Lane isn't back in London with his family: his wife has left him. He looks to Don for advice, which Don sidesteps, then distracts Lane with an offer of female companionship, which Lane accepts without much hesitation. It appears that Don is out to corrupt everyone around him in some way; maybe he thinks he will feel better by making sure other people are just as miserable as he is.
Elsewhere, Joan and Greg are trying to conceive a child (perhaps a hedge against the possibility that Greg won't come back from wherever the Army sends him). But we also learn that Joan has had two previous abortions (presumably in the days before birth control). I was a little puzzled as to why Joan wouldn't explain to Lane her reason for wanting time off--she did have a good reason. Maybe she just wanted to keep her personal life to herself.
I guess I should have known better than to expect this episode to deliver some actual good news. Instead, we were dealt large helpings of irony, as there was plenty of bad news being learned.
We learned last week that Don is planning to spend the Christmas-New Year's break in Acapulco. He has arranged his trip with a stopover in Los Angeles, so he can swing down to Long Beach and visit Anna, the widow of the real Don Draper, that Don was last seen visiting during his attempt to escape from reality at the end of season 2. Don has taken care of Anna financially since she learned his true identity, in effect buying her silence, but he truly cares about her and has always felt very protective toward her.
When Don arrives he finds Anna in a cast from a broken leg. Her sister Patty and niece Stephanie soon come by; they have been helping Anna with her household needs while her leg heals. Stephanie is home from Berkeley for winter break; she's another fetching, nubile creature tossed in front of Don for him to make a pass at. He does, but his ardor is quickly doused when Stephanie tells him that Anna has cancer and has only a short time to live.
Anna is the only person who knew everything about Don's past as Dick Whitman, and how he switched identities with her dead husband in Korea (until Don confessed to Betty last season). She and her family call him Dick (I wonder if the sister and niece know the whole story? probably not), and he behaves differently around her. Anna is the only person who truly knows him, and learning that he will soon lose that connection weighs heavily on him.
Unable to be around Anna without telling her the truth about her condition (which has inexplicably been kept from her by her family), Don has lost his desire to go to Mexico and returns to New York and the office, to find Lane there, alone, working. Don introduces Lane to his classic shirk-work move of going to the movies, which leads to an evening of drink and debauchery, Don Draper style.
Along the way we learn the reason that Lane isn't back in London with his family: his wife has left him. He looks to Don for advice, which Don sidesteps, then distracts Lane with an offer of female companionship, which Lane accepts without much hesitation. It appears that Don is out to corrupt everyone around him in some way; maybe he thinks he will feel better by making sure other people are just as miserable as he is.
Elsewhere, Joan and Greg are trying to conceive a child (perhaps a hedge against the possibility that Greg won't come back from wherever the Army sends him). But we also learn that Joan has had two previous abortions (presumably in the days before birth control). I was a little puzzled as to why Joan wouldn't explain to Lane her reason for wanting time off--she did have a good reason. Maybe she just wanted to keep her personal life to herself.
03 August 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 2: "Christmas Comes But Once a Year"
[Disclaimer: I have avoided reading any other recaps, writeups, or other commentary on this episode before writing this, so if I express something similar to thoughts you've read elsewhere, it's entirely a coincidence. And as always, assume there are spoilers ahead and act accordingly.]
It's Christmas 1964, and a few old friends stopped by this week, some more welcome than others. When we last saw Freddy Rumsen, it was two years (and two seasons) ago (in episode 209, "Six Month Leave"), and he was being let go due to his drinking problem. Now he's resurfaced, and we learn that he's been sober for14 16 months, which means he didn't clean up his act immediately, but it's still good to see him in a better place.
Not only does Freddy bring SCDP an account, but we also learn that he's acting as a sponsor for another alcoholic. Good for you, Freddy. I don't know if his character is going to stick around; I think someone mentioned that he was working as a freelancer, so hopefully we'll see him again at some point this season. I always liked his interactions with Peggy, and despite their somewhat awkward reacquaintance, each respects the other's talent, and they are both smart enough to know they can learn from each other.
Slightly less agreeable was the appearance of Glen Bishop, looking well-fed but as creepy as ever, or rather even more so now that he's doing neighborhood B&E's and petty vandalism. Next stop is peeping in windows, then torturing and killing small animals, and in another few years he'll be out in San Francisco committing the Zodiac murders, or something similar.
Of course, his behavior makes troubled Sally swoon--someone cares enough to pay attention to her! And he's a misfit bad boy whose parents are also divorced. (Was that a lanyard key fob thing he left on her bed? I never went to camp, so I never had any up-close experience with lanyard.) Loved Glen's line to Sally: "My mom said that would happen" (referring tothe Drapers getting divorced Betty remarrying). Right on, Helen, stay classy--and look what a good job you're doing as a parent.
At the bottom of the holiday gift pile, but the top of Santa's naughty list, is Lee Garner Jr. from American Tobacco. Lee is both a jerk and a bully, which we already knew from what happened with Sal last year (in episode 309, "Wee Small Hours"). But now you could see a deeper awareness on Don's face as he watched Lee order Roger to put on the Santa suit; it's one thing to treat a midlevel employee badly, and even to ask for him to be fired, but to turn that same behavior on one of the agency's top executives is another story. I hope SCDP finds a way out from under Garner's thumb.
As for Don, he continued to wallow in his loneliness and self-loathing, but now he's inflicting himself on others too, making him no better than Lee Garner. He didn't explicitly hire any prostitutes this week, but he effectively made his secretary into one by drunkenly pouncing on her, then giving her her Christmas bonus the next day. At first I thought he'd left his keys in the office on purpose, as a ploy to gether (I'm sorry, I didn't catch her name) Allison to come to his apartment, then I thought he was too drunk to be so calculating, then I changed my mind back after he so emphatically said (twice), "Thank you for bringing me my keys." The worst part of it is that his secretary thought it was more than just a drunken screw, that he was really interested in her. How much longer do you think she'll be around?
Don called Peggy "sweetheart" at the Christmas party. Again, kinda creepy. How long until he tries to have his way with her? The show is skirting the edge here with Don, in terms of his bad behavior. Viewers have had glimpses of Don's dark side before, but they can only take this so far before reaching the point where people will start to lose their feelings of empathy or good will toward him.
Hardly a word from Betty this week.
Peggy's dorky boyfriend Mark, trying to act worldly and sensitive at the same time: "I want to be your first." Oops, too late. Peggy, do you have anything you'd like to say?
It's Christmas 1964, and a few old friends stopped by this week, some more welcome than others. When we last saw Freddy Rumsen, it was two years (and two seasons) ago (in episode 209, "Six Month Leave"), and he was being let go due to his drinking problem. Now he's resurfaced, and we learn that he's been sober for
Not only does Freddy bring SCDP an account, but we also learn that he's acting as a sponsor for another alcoholic. Good for you, Freddy. I don't know if his character is going to stick around; I think someone mentioned that he was working as a freelancer, so hopefully we'll see him again at some point this season. I always liked his interactions with Peggy, and despite their somewhat awkward reacquaintance, each respects the other's talent, and they are both smart enough to know they can learn from each other.
Slightly less agreeable was the appearance of Glen Bishop, looking well-fed but as creepy as ever, or rather even more so now that he's doing neighborhood B&E's and petty vandalism. Next stop is peeping in windows, then torturing and killing small animals, and in another few years he'll be out in San Francisco committing the Zodiac murders, or something similar.
Of course, his behavior makes troubled Sally swoon--someone cares enough to pay attention to her! And he's a misfit bad boy whose parents are also divorced. (Was that a lanyard key fob thing he left on her bed? I never went to camp, so I never had any up-close experience with lanyard.) Loved Glen's line to Sally: "My mom said that would happen" (referring to
At the bottom of the holiday gift pile, but the top of Santa's naughty list, is Lee Garner Jr. from American Tobacco. Lee is both a jerk and a bully, which we already knew from what happened with Sal last year (in episode 309, "Wee Small Hours"). But now you could see a deeper awareness on Don's face as he watched Lee order Roger to put on the Santa suit; it's one thing to treat a midlevel employee badly, and even to ask for him to be fired, but to turn that same behavior on one of the agency's top executives is another story. I hope SCDP finds a way out from under Garner's thumb.
As for Don, he continued to wallow in his loneliness and self-loathing, but now he's inflicting himself on others too, making him no better than Lee Garner. He didn't explicitly hire any prostitutes this week, but he effectively made his secretary into one by drunkenly pouncing on her, then giving her her Christmas bonus the next day. At first I thought he'd left his keys in the office on purpose, as a ploy to get
Don called Peggy "sweetheart" at the Christmas party. Again, kinda creepy. How long until he tries to have his way with her? The show is skirting the edge here with Don, in terms of his bad behavior. Viewers have had glimpses of Don's dark side before, but they can only take this so far before reaching the point where people will start to lose their feelings of empathy or good will toward him.
Hardly a word from Betty this week.
Peggy's dorky boyfriend Mark, trying to act worldly and sensitive at the same time: "I want to be your first." Oops, too late. Peggy, do you have anything you'd like to say?
26 July 2010
Mad Men Season 4, Episode 1: "Public Relations"
I'm not going to write these as recaps per se, because there are plenty of other places on the web where you can find those, written by professional writers and critics. I plan to post just a few thoughts each week. One tricky thing about this is that I have to avoid reading what others have written until after I've posted my own thoughts, to avoid others' ideas seeping in and coloring my own.
Blanket warning: If you're reading these on Mondays and you haven't watched the episodes yet, you should assume that there will always be some spoilers ahead, and act accordingly.
First, I'm glad the show skipped ahead almost a year. Each season has moved ahead in time from the end of the previous one, which works well for the show's structure and approach to storytelling. And after the way the principals' departure and the formation of the new agency was portrayed so thrillingly in "Shut The Door. Have A Seat," seeing mundane things like finding new office space would have been a letdown. I'd rather be jumped ahead, after all the dust has settled.
It's weird to see everyone working in the new office. I didn't realize how used to seeing the surroundings of Sterling Cooper I'd gotten. It feels a little claustrophobic with that long corridor, as opposed to the open steno-pool area back at SC, and I really hope they get a conference table--what kind of impression does that convey to potential clients?
Don is obviously uncomfortable with the attention he's getting (which, ironically, probably came about because he was so emphatic about wanting to get out from under McCann and form a new agency). It was terribly unprofessional of him to order the two guys from Jantzen out of the office, but it was also pretty funny, because they just weren't getting it.
I like Don's apartment. Wonder what rent would have been on such a place, back then? The bunk beds for the kids were a nice touch (my brother and I had them when we were young), but shouldn't Don be taking Sally and Bobby out to do something fun during his limited time with them, instead of sitting around working while they watch TV?
What was with the prostitute slapping Don? Has he always been like this? Creepy moment. And did he address Peggy as "honey" at one point? Did I hear that correctly? Also a little creepy.
More Joan, please. I think she had just that one scene where she spoke with Harry. But she has her own office!
Betty seems almost as unhappy as when she and Don were still married. I didn't find this surprising at all.
Sally, overheard from off-camera after her Thanksgiving dinner antics: "Ow, stop pinching me!"
One more thing, though it's not from this episode. Last week I rewatched the last two episodes from season three, and in the scene where Don and Roger come to Pete's apartment to ask him to join them in their new venture, Pete (who is faking being ill) is wearing a flannel bathrobe. I didn't catch it when I first saw the episode, but the robe is the Campbell tartan, and Pete is Peter Campbell. Perfect. Pete is just the sort who would think it was important to wear his namesake pattern.
Blanket warning: If you're reading these on Mondays and you haven't watched the episodes yet, you should assume that there will always be some spoilers ahead, and act accordingly.
First, I'm glad the show skipped ahead almost a year. Each season has moved ahead in time from the end of the previous one, which works well for the show's structure and approach to storytelling. And after the way the principals' departure and the formation of the new agency was portrayed so thrillingly in "Shut The Door. Have A Seat," seeing mundane things like finding new office space would have been a letdown. I'd rather be jumped ahead, after all the dust has settled.
It's weird to see everyone working in the new office. I didn't realize how used to seeing the surroundings of Sterling Cooper I'd gotten. It feels a little claustrophobic with that long corridor, as opposed to the open steno-pool area back at SC, and I really hope they get a conference table--what kind of impression does that convey to potential clients?
Don is obviously uncomfortable with the attention he's getting (which, ironically, probably came about because he was so emphatic about wanting to get out from under McCann and form a new agency). It was terribly unprofessional of him to order the two guys from Jantzen out of the office, but it was also pretty funny, because they just weren't getting it.
I like Don's apartment. Wonder what rent would have been on such a place, back then? The bunk beds for the kids were a nice touch (my brother and I had them when we were young), but shouldn't Don be taking Sally and Bobby out to do something fun during his limited time with them, instead of sitting around working while they watch TV?
What was with the prostitute slapping Don? Has he always been like this? Creepy moment. And did he address Peggy as "honey" at one point? Did I hear that correctly? Also a little creepy.
More Joan, please. I think she had just that one scene where she spoke with Harry. But she has her own office!
Betty seems almost as unhappy as when she and Don were still married. I didn't find this surprising at all.
Sally, overheard from off-camera after her Thanksgiving dinner antics: "Ow, stop pinching me!"
* * *
One more thing, though it's not from this episode. Last week I rewatched the last two episodes from season three, and in the scene where Don and Roger come to Pete's apartment to ask him to join them in their new venture, Pete (who is faking being ill) is wearing a flannel bathrobe. I didn't catch it when I first saw the episode, but the robe is the Campbell tartan, and Pete is Peter Campbell. Perfect. Pete is just the sort who would think it was important to wear his namesake pattern.
There Will Be Writeups
Last year I posted thoughts about certain Mad Men episodes after they had aired, but I wasn't doing it in a consistent way. This season I will attempt to post something each week on Mondays, assuming I've watched the episodes as they air on Sunday nights. Look for the first one later today.
25 July 2010
This Week in Awesome: Mad Men Season 4 Bonus Edition
The New York Times City Room blog has been running pieces all week under the heading "Mad Men City," placing the show in the context of Manhattan during the period when it takes place. (There are a couple of very minor spoilers, such as where the new agency's office is, and how much time will have passed since the events at the end of season 3, so if you would prefer not to know these things ahead of time, skip this one.)
New York magazine's Vulture blog talks to show creator Matthew Weiner.
(By the way, if you happen to be in New York, you can go to Times Square tonight and watch the premiere outdoors on a big screen. In the Boston area, the place to be is the Noir bar in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square.)
You may remember last year's "MA Men" spoof. They surprised us with a sequel, just as vulgar and potentially offensive to some. (Funny or Die)
Addendum: I forgot this amusing little video compilation of some of Betty Draper's more memorable parenting moments. (Vulture)
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