"The truth is, people may see things differently, but they don't really want to." — Don Draper
Because he's an adman, Don Draper is a master of perception. Or maybe it's the other way around, but I think he's bought into a little too much of his own way of thinking. In any case, Sunday's episode of Mad Men, like many in the show's history, dealt with the two-sided coin of perception. While Lane Pryce perceives New York City to be his home, his wife continues to rant about the city's worthlessness compared to London. Paul perceives Peggy to be his competition, while she looks at their assignment as a team effort. Anyone who doesn't know Roger Sterling as well as the audience might perceive him and Don to be the chummiest of chums based on the glowing speech he makes at the agency's 40th anniversary gala. And that whole celebration is an exercise in futility once it's revealed that Sterling Cooper is again for sale.
But what happens when perceptions are altered, or better yet, disproved? When Don gets some alone time with Miss Farrell's brother, Danny, Don preaches the message of his life to another impressionable youth. But his sermon falls on deaf ears. And when Betty meets Dick Whitman for the first time — or more accurately, the early life of Don Draper — everything her life is built upon comes crumbling down around her. I think it's about time Don started to look around and see just how he's really being perceived once all that applause finally stops...
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