This review is kinda okay, but the second comment in the comments section I think is a pretty good fan breakdown. I'm just going to spoiler it. Spoiler A List of Fictional Characters, Ranked by Their Success or Lack Thereof: The Wallpaper Doesn't Line Up Edition 10. Pete -- "I'm sure you can make your money back on a Movie-of-the-Week next Fall about the death of a great man!" In an episode full of callbacks, probably the most painful was Pete's phone call with Trudy. Season 3's The Grown Ups probably marked the high water mark of Pete and Trudy's relationship, after two seasons in which he'd cheated on her with Peggy and the neighbors' au pair, and tried to pimp her out to get a short story published in The Atlantic. Somehow, between Seasons 2 and 3 they turned things around, and by the time we got to The Grown Ups, not only did Pete and Trudy have the best marriage on the show, it was pretty much them against the world. Faced with a similar crisis, Pete knows where he's supposed to be--but he can't go home. Heck, just the fact that Pete's offer to come home made her hesitate a moment got him disinvited from whatever family shindig she had planned for the weekend. After a season-plus of acting like an animal, it's horrifying and sad to see Pete's humanity resurface now that it's too late, and he's trapped in the dimly-lit bachelor pad of despair (very similar now to Don's S4 bachelor pad in the Village). 9. Don -- "…and you feel that feeling you were pretending to have, and it feels like your heart is going to explode." Unlike Todd, I'm really happy that we finally got a Bobby Draper episode. We've only ever been given a reason to care about Sally among the Draper children, so Bobby has served little function other than to occasionally give Betty someone to snarl at or Sally someone to complain about. As characters go, he might as well not exist, he's practically invisible. Here, with the awesome cut between "Tell me exactly what your mother said," and Bobby and Don watching Dr. Zaius on the big screen, Bobby comes to life for us, and Don finally gets the moment where he no longer has to fake his feelings for his son. (This is a weird statement on the world of the show, because Bobby only becomes a real character around the same time Don finally takes notice of him.) As heart-warming as the moment in the movie theater (and Don's subsequent monologue about it) is, the fact is that in the final scene with Bobby, Don has it wrong. He'd like to shrug off Henry as "Not that important," but he's missing the point: in Bobby's life, Henry's much more important than Don (and maybe even Betty). Prior to this episode Henry's the only character who seemed to give a damn about Bobby. He's the guy who's there for Bobby every day, not just on alternate weekends, if he doesn't forget. 8. Dawn/Phyllis -- "I knew this was going to happen. He knew this was going to happen." I'm sure that people are already furiously condemning this episode for failing to really find time for black characters during a storyline that deals with MLK's death. Still, as much as I want a larger role for Dawn, limiting her and Phyllis's screen time here was appropriate. For better or for worse, we've been following this set of predominantly white characters for five-plus seasons, and it makes sense to see this event from their perspective. Indeed, the big reason that this episode worked better than The Grown Ups is that unlike the Kennedy Assassination, this time the characters we follow are at a remove from the big, historical event. Other people, like the worker at the diner who staggers to take a seat after he hears the news--those are the people directly impacted by MLK's death. Our characters are just tourists to their pain. Only three characters dare to address the issue to actual african americans: you have Bobby Draper's words of wisdom to the usher at the movie theater; Peggy's genuine, if slightly awkward, hug with a grieving Phyllis; and then there's Joan's cleavage trying to hug Dawn's shoulder in a maneuver that redefines awkward. Teyonah Parris's uncomprehending look as these white folk try to treat her as if she's just suffered a death in the family really sells the scene. 7. Roger -- "The man knew how to talk. I thought it would save him. I thought it would solve the whole thing." Roger looks OK, but how well can he be doing if Molotov Cocktail Randy had to talk him down at some point? 6. Harry -- "No one will be happy until they turn the most beautiful city in the world into a shithole." The Harry Crane "eat first" philosophy has gone into full effect… 5. Jim Cutler -- "What happened?" "What do you think?" Harry Hamlin, Ted McGinley…who's the next 80's actor to hit the Mad Men circuit? Hard to think that Michael Kuzak is now "Roger Sterling with bad breath." Also, since there's no place else to say it, was that the worst Paul Newman impression ever, or what? Any bar in New York has at least one bartender (male or female) who could do a better job. 4. Ginsberg -- "…I'm very anxious about it. I've never had sex, not even once." Oh, Ginzo, we've missed you. Welcome back! Not sure if Ginsberg, Sr. is the most offensive Jewish dad stereotype since Judd Hirsch in Independence Day, but he sure brought a cutey home for Ginzo, so he can't be all bad. 3. Megan -- "You don't have Marx, you've got a bottle!" I actually kind of hated that line, but it fits Megan's character, wanting to know why all the men in her life are jackasses. For a second there, it looked like Megan knew that Don's thoughts were all with Sylvia down in DC, but instead she got him to open up about his kids. 2. Peggy -- So did Peggy get sandbagged by her realtor because of her unorthodox relationship with Abe? Is Teddy Chaough hitting on her in front of his wife and her boyfriend? It's hard to parse her scene with Abe at the end--does she really want to live on the West 80s? It'll be a pretty nice neighborhood in 10 or 15 years. Then again, it's likely she didn't hear anything past Abe's offhand reference to raising their kids. 1. Henry and Betty -- "Betty, they're gonna burn down the city!" So it'll be State Senator Henry, now, and the heat will be on Betty to be a political spouse on display. I hope this isn't going to be Mad Men going all Requiem for a Dream on Betty as she tries to slim down in order to be put on display. Notables: Bert ("Gentlemen! I urge you to shake hands in the spirit of erasing these remarks." Totally going to use that next time I'm trying to break up an argument. This likely means I'll be uttering it to four-year-olds. It's sweet that Bert still thinks you can break up a Pete Campbell fight without someone Lane Prycing him first.); Bobby ("Everybody likes to go to the movies when they're sad." Bobby Draper in da house! It only took us six seasons to get a Bobby Draper episode. At this rate, we'll catch up to him again around the Bicentennial.); Ginny ("When they build the Second Avenue subway, this apartment will quadruple in value!" I love it when Mad Men does New York humor…); Abe ("Peggy, it's too late…I'm going to Harlem in a tuxedo." Abe's a big Gene McCarthy man.)
I think I have it kinda figured out. Pete and Peggy are two halves of Don's personality. And it makes sense, considering hes had more influence over these two people than anyone else in the show including his own children. Pete is the womanizing, brooding side and ends up exactly in the same spot Don did (i.e. kicked out of the house when caught cheating). Peggy is the other side of that coin. The workaholic, creative mind that drives the success beyond his flaws. She even uses his catch phrase to win over Heinz. Both of these sides of his personality are now personified, which is why hes been somewhat off his game in every area in the last season or two. He really is just a hollow shell now. Im willing to bet the end of the show will be ambiguous to whether or not he commits suicide.
Matthew Weiner has already stated the ending of the show will be ambiguous. If anyone expects a satisfying/explained ending, they are retarded.
Holy shit this was a lot of show. It was great, it was epic, it was beautiful. I actually feel bad for Pete in this episode, he is trying to be Don so badly, but can't pull shit off. Peggy is somehow becoming the hero character, because even though Megan had a throwaway line about Don being Superman, no one is looking to him to be the hero. He thinks he is, but what he is doing is executing plans that give him a thrill, so he can win and doesn't think about if it works out for everyone else. Joan's reaction was just money, killer scene by her. The best scene of the night definitely goes to Megan's mom during the dinner. God that was epic.
I know there was a little bit of talk about it before, but, what do you guys think the deal is with Bob? I can't tell whether he's going to bring about some huge plot point later on in the series, or if he's kind of a red herring to distract us with wondering about his importance. So far, his involvement in the show has been pretty pointless, but I feel like with this type of show he can't be taken at face-value. We have plenty of other background characters to sneak in throwaway lines now and then, but they don't get used every episode with as much attention focused on them as they've been doing with Bob. But, I felt the same way about Ginsberg last season and, while he's had some awesome scenes so far, hasn't yet gotten to the level of importance I was expecting/hoping him to. I'd still like that to happen. Also, is the head of accounts (or at least I think that's his role) at Peggy's new firm gay? It made me miss Sal.
Bob could be a plot device representing the coming 1970s. As the show moves ahead in time, the main characters are more and more out of place. Another theory which Ive heard is that he's an undercover FBI agent. SCDP did work with Dow Chemical, and it's during the Vietnam War when Dow was historically into sketchy dealings. Dons past could come out somehow because of his presence.
That's the main theory I've been seeing too. I'd be disappointed if that's the case. It seems like kind of a cheap shot for Mad Men.
Agreed. With all the nuance in the show, it would be way too hackneyed. I thought the merger was way too abrupt and shoe-horned. It seemed very uncharacteristic for Don to reach out to a competitor and just want to share the profits like that. But I guess thats the theme this season.
The merger was supposed to be abrupt, and quick. It ties into what Joan said about Don. One of the themes of this episode was Don thinking he's a Superhero (and getting Superhero head) but no one else looking at him like that. On top of the fact, they lost Jaguar, and weren't going to win Chevy without Ted's agency. The money they're going to splitting Chevy is going to be more than Jaguar was, so there is that. The Head of Accounts isn't gay, I think he was making pretty sexual comments at the dinner, hitting on Peggy kind of. Matthew Weiner made a comment about not integrating Ginsburg or Stan into the story more by saying something like "Is everyone in your life a main character? Well sometimes there are people that are in the background that still exist. Just having everyone on screen for some major point is too TV-ish, too obvious." Oh Matty... I have no idea what Bob's situation is.
Don Draper is keeping a sex slave locked up in a hotel room? What is this, ripped-from-the-headlines "Mad Men: SVU"? I half expected Charles Ramsey to kick in Sylvia's door. Also, loved the scene where Ted gets Drapered, which Merriam-Webster defines as "getting someone deliberately shitfaced as a way to mark your territory". It doesn't matter how many CGC employees stay on the new firm's payroll: the Jane Sterling-designed decor and furniture means they will forever be living in a house that Don Draper built. Get used to the flexible working schedule, Chaough. And I'm glad for Don that Peggy is back to set him straight(er). Clearly, the past year has been tough without someone in the office to hold a mirror to his face and call him on his bullshit. Welcome back, Miss Olson. Also, another Betty-free episode. I guess January Jones really must be a cunt in real life for Weiner to have essentially written her out of the show.
You guess? I think it's fair to say that she is a raging bitch when kids are calling her that. I like the episode, the whole sex slave thing was a weird twist, Pete is still a slimy douche.
What. The. Fuck. I'm going to need a few reviews and write-ups to realize what the fuck happens. Usually its the 7th episode Weiner has be all crazy and weird, but more with the basic conventions of the show. He just went balls deep on this one. Holy hell.
That "elderly negro woman" and her scene was one of the most uncomfortably creepy and unsettling scenes I've seen on TV in a long time. Something about it was just terrifying. So clearly it was well done. But damn if it didn't make my skin crawl. And that's all just cause she was black, huzzah! Terrible jokes aside, that episode was ALL over the place. Time jumping, drugs injected into your ass, hippies trying to bang everyone, good gawd.
Well, I really don't have real thoughts yet, but this helped a little. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-crash,97442/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-crash,97442/</a>
This episode was all over the place, and it seems people love it or hate it. It beats over the head with symbolism, much more than Mad Men usually does, but I enjoyed it. I think the AV Club review nailed it as it being more about Wiener's creative process than anything else. I don't think anyone really knows what to make about the Aunt Ida storyline, it was just so off-kilter and weirdly unsettling. If there's symbolism there, it's over my head. Whenever the show ends, I would rather see something other than Don dying or ending up alone. It's so blatantly obvious at this point, it will be anticlimactic if that's what happens. C'mon Parker, you usually have good assessments of these episodes. What do ya got?
I would be astonished if they killed him. Death in the show is used pretty exclusively to demonstrate its effects on the other characters, the clearest example being Price's suicide. He killed himself out of shame, his conduct was a burden on his perfect English manners, etc., etc.. It was unexpected but the motivation tied itself up very neatly. Don's death wouldn't tie anything up neatly, in my opinion. I'm not sure how I'd be affected by seeing him end up alone. I remember feeling satisfaction that he started railing Megan, but I didn't really have much investment in the relationship itself. He strikes me as being alone even when he's servicing his most intimate relationships (the woman in California). The last episode just confused me and the AVClub thing was interesting but didn't really answer my questions. I'm not very circumspect in keeping up with all the balls the writers are juggling from week to week, but last week's was the first episode I haven't enjoyed this season. Just felt messy to me. Also, the flashbacks to Don as a boy are fucking uncomfortable. Ditto with the race thing and the thieving maid.
I'm assuming you guys don't follow the fashion recaps, sohere's something to mull over. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN
That's pretty damn interesting, but Mad Men isn't a show where I want people dying. Especially Megan. Also the Bobby Draper meta joke was fucking hilarious. He's actually the 4th Bobby, but the joke about him being Bobby give is great. You know who I don't miss? Glenn.