Well, I guess I should start at the end. A few reviewers I read regularly warned me that something would happen in tonight’s storyline with Peggy that might derail my enjoyment of the entire episode. I was surprised (as I’m sure most of you were) to discover she’s pregnant and apparently in labor when she goes to the hospital with a stomachache. I had assumed her weight gain was just the manifestation of her sublimated desires, but I was obviously wrong. I guess we all were. But I do have a few questions: Didn’t she notice she was no longer having periods? Weren’t there other signs to clue her in? I know it’s possible, even today, to be pregnant and not know it, but I’m just not buying it. I liked the rest of her storyline, though, so maybe I’ll focus on that for a bit.Peggy is really coming in to her own at the office. I liked her interplay with Ken during the casting and recording sessions for the Relaxacizor. Even more impressive is the pro...
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The drama of election night can barely compete with the drama of office politicking that was going on tonight. This was a great penultimate episode. So let’s get right down to it.Quite a few things in tonight’s episode surprised me. I’ll start with Harry. He always comes off as such a stand-up guy. He’s married and although he sees no harm in looking, he’s certainly never made a move on any of the girls in the office. Until tonight. His relatively harmless kiss with Hildy turns into a full-blown affair. The next morning they both seem uncomfortable — Harry can’t stop trying to fix his broken glasses, and Hildy, in an effort to put him at ease, tells him it didn’t mean anything. This is an interesting development and I have to say I really feel like Harry has finally broken himself out of the pack. Before tonight I always kind of thought he blended into the background, but tonight he really stood out to me.Other office shenanigans include Ken c...
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Poor Adam. He seemed like such a sweet kid, although I’m sure he bore some pretty serious psychological scars from having the mother he did. I didn’t see the suicide coming although maybe that’s because we didn’t get to know him very well. I guess he had problems Don’s money couldn’t fix. I’m even more afraid of what Adam might have put in the box and how Pete might use the box’s contents — if he opens it, and we know he won’t be able to help himself — against Don. Cue the foreboding.The more Don has the more he has to lose. I thought after Jim Hobart tried to woo Don away from Sterling Cooper we would see Don leave the ad game before accepting any more responsibility at the firm. Maybe eventually he’ll move on to something else, but I think he might actually be enjoying his life right now. The power, prestige and money finally got to him. Can you blame him? Being one of the Mad Men in those days was probably pretty heady s...
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Long weekend indeed. I’ll start with my favorite line because it speaks volumes. It was uttered by twin Eleanor, “Everything he says means something else, too.” It’s a great line. She is, of course, referring to Roger’s double entendre but I think she’s really talking about all the characters, both male and female. Many conversations and even looks have double meanings, a lot is left unsaid, and sometimes someone says too much. It’s amazing that human beings are so bad at communicating what they want. Rachel and Don don’t have much of a problem with that at the end of the episode, but it takes them a while to get there.But let me start at the beginning. Betty’s off to the beach with her father and his new “friend,” Aunt Gloria. Betty can’t understand why her father needs someone else so soon after her mother’s death, but Don thinks she should “let him have this.” Her father needs a female companion and Betty ...
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“Shoot”
Season 1, Episode 9
A photo shoot, to shoot a BB gun, to shoot your mouth off. There was a lot of good stuff going on in this episode. Let’s start with Don’s job offer.According to Jim Hobart, a millionaire in the ad game, Sterling Cooper is a mom-and-pop shop, while his company is international. He likes what Don did with the Jesus-over-Brazil campaign and now he wants Don to join his firm. He offers Don perks and money, but Don’s holding out for something more.On the home front, Betty’s bored with her job as a wife and mother. She’s looking to get back in the workforce and Jim Hobart, in a bid to win favor with Don, gives Betty his business card. Coca-cola is doing a new campaign and they might be looking for someone with a Grace Kelly look, someone like Betty. Betty shows up, overdressed in an evening gown, and she gets the job. Looks like they were looking for someone just like her.Jim continues with his overtures. Was that first item he sent a robe? I don’t get the si...
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First, let me say thanks for all the great comments. I’m happy there was so much to talk about after last week’s episode. I learn a lot from your posts, so I hope you’ll keep educating me.Who knew Midge’s male friend — Tom, was it? — was Don’s romantic rival? We all suspected something was going on there but I wouldn’t have guessed Midge was in love with Tom. I’m sure some of you guessed exactly that two weeks ago, but I didn’t see it coming. It makes sense that Midge would ultimately go for a more artistic, downtown sort of man. Our uptown, uptight, mysterious Don isn’t doing it for Midge anymore. Maybe she wants to settle down? Maybe she wants someone who will be himself around her? I, for one, am totally fine with him ending things with Midge. I can’t see how he would have been able to make something work with Betty and Rachel and Midge. I’m not sure I would have given her that $2,500 check though. But she will need...
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Very interesting speculation about Don’s roots in last week’s comments. Please feel free to keep it coming. I love hearing (well, reading, I guess) your thoughts.What is this crazy fascination with milk? We’re all aware of the "Got Milk" ads (started in 1993), but was milk thought to have some sort of strange restorative power in the 1960s? Please enlighten me if you have any theories.I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this episode and I think it’s because all the grown-ups are acting like children. Roger hits on Betty and not in a subtle way. He’s all over her, touching her inappropriately and trying to kiss her. Don thinks Betty’s been flirting with Roger all night in front of him and calls her a child to her face. Another married man having no luck with his wife is Pete, who doesn’t consult Trudy before returning a Chip 'n Dip they received as a wedding present. He buys a gun with the store credit he receives and Trudy is not pleased...
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"Babylon"
Season 1, Episode 6
Babylon. Zion. Utopia. Is there anyplace Don and Rachel can go to be happy? She’s weakening towards his advances, calling her sister Barbara and telling her she might have met someone. For some reason I’m very invested in this relationship and I think you are, too. My romantic sensibilities seriously run away with me. Sigh. OK, back to reality. Don’s about to have some serious woman trouble. His wife’s so hot for him all the time, all she really thinks about is being with him. They seem to be connecting on a physical level (very important), but is that it? Does Betty really think all she adds to their relationship is her looks? I think (hope, really) he married her for more than that. Later Don and Midge are interrupted as things are about to get hot and heavy. She urges him to be patient, promising to "wear a skirt and nothing else" when they have to go out. And Rachel, of course. He’s interested and she’s thinking about overlooking his "serious limita...
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“5G”
Season 1, Episode 5
# 5G vs. 5Gs. Clever. This show keeps me on my toes.We don’t know Dick about Don. I guess changing your name was once all the rage. But what he really wanted was for his family, and in particular his horrible stepmother, to believe he was dead. Did you catch his reaction when Adam told him Abigail died from stomach cancer? Yowsa. She must have done a number on him. He wouldn’t or couldn’t even bring himself to refer to her as his mom or stepmom. I can’t wait to learn more about her. The insight it will give us into Don’s personality and his relationships will be interesting. We know he can turn it off and on, often charming and disarming his critics. I think it’s most interesting to observe him when he’s unguarded and can’t control the situation — we saw that tonight with Adam and we’ve seen it in the past with Rachel. I mean, if Don’s own brother can’t convince him to open up, I have my doubts about Rachel being able to ...
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Poor Pete. I'm not talking about his long-term earning potential, mind you. He comes from the New York Dykemans, who own everything above 125th Street and would own even more land in Manhattan if Pete’s forefathers hadn’t panicked and dumped their land in the crash of ’29. Even with all that wealth and privilege — or maybe because of it — Pete doesn’t appreciate what he has. He appreciates what money can buy him but he wants to earn it himself. Noble. And almost impossible to believe about Pete. That’s all well and good, but his new bride Trudy wants to buy an apartment. She thinks they can get something on Park and 83rd for the bargain-basement price of $30,000. Pete’s worried. His salary for a year will barely cover the down payment. Can you imagine being able to buy an apartment for $30,000 in Manhattan today? If such an apartment even exists it’s probably the size of a closet in a very scary part of town.Trudy convinces Pete the apart...
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Is Don Draper an alias for Richard Whitman? That was a very interesting interaction on the train. Don just gets more complicated by the week and I have to admit... I like it.I was hoping Rachel would turn up again. She is such an interesting paradox. She’s the president of a department store, she’s Jewish and she’s smart. In the 1960s. There is something about her that draws Don in, and they share a kiss on the roof of Menken’s. I thought it was hot. Even though he’s married and already has a mistress, I still enjoy seeing these two together. They make for very compelling television.On the other end of the spectrum (in more ways than one), Pete returns from his honeymoon a changed man. He persuades Peggy that their night together "never happened" and forgoes a night out on the town with his coworkers for a quiet night at home with the wife. He's astounded that his wife will have his dinner on the table for him when he gets home. I can’t wait until he re...
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So, things we know about Don:— He doesn’t like to talk about himself.— He didn’t have a nanny growing up. In fact, his exact words were, “No, of course not” when his wife asked him about it.— He doesn’t vote.Great lines:“You never forget your first.” Joan’s not talking about a paycheck, although Peggy probably assumes she is.“Greetings from the wettest place on earth.” Pete is referring to Niagara Falls, where he’s on his honeymoon, but I think we all know what he means. Ewww.“What do women want?” “Who cares?”“They’ll say anything you pay them to,” from Don after Betty saw the doctor.“Pat McGroin.”I enjoyed spending time with Don’s family. His wife seems like the perfect woman: She’s attractive, blonde, and doesn’t ask too many questions. But how well does she even know her husband? I shouldn’t be, but I’m surprised she doesn’t know more ab...
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In some ways I was a little intimated by the thought of blogging for this show. Here’s what I thought might be daunting:— It’s a period piece. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning more about bygone eras, but it’s a little weird to talk about a time period I have no familiarity with. I mean, I hadn't even been born yet in the early '60s.— It’s from one of the producers of The Sopranos. This actually doesn’t carry too much weight with me because I never really got into the show. It potentially does the writer/creator a disservice because even though I personally wasn’t a fan of his last show, I do expect a superior level of writing and storytelling. And Mad Men delivers.I find this world fascinating. I love that these men (that’s right, the ladies are relegated to the steno pool) are quintessential men; they smoke, drink and have sex with practically anything with legs. Umm, can I please have that job? But seriously I feel like I’m...
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