“Were taught to think function is all that matters, but we
have a longing for this other thing.” –Don Draper
This was an episode where many members of Sterling Cooper
Draper Pryce face the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, all for the sake
of what they want but can never truly have.
And what everyone working at SCDP thinks they want is
Jaguar, no matter the cost. Unfortunately that cost comes most of all for Joan
Harris. Joan is an extremely strong-minded woman who would normally not
entertain such a notion of prostituting herself, but after being poked and
prodded and assessing her financial situation she eventually gives in the
superficial wants of hers and those around her. Maybe if Don had been able to
talk to her earlier it would have been enough to stop her from going through
it. But she did go through it, and they got Jaguar.
Peggy has come to a fork in the road. She finds herself
slowly sliding back to being the girl on the outside looking in as Don and
others don’t appreciate the skills she can bring to the table. It’s clear what
Peggy thinks she wants, and that is to be an admired creative writer and be
rewarded justly for her ideas. After consulting with her old chum Freddy Rumsen
she realizes the best way to go about this is to leave SCDP and, by accepting
the offer from the hated Teddy Chaough, she does just that. However, the thing
she truly wants, the thing she’s wanted since she first started working at
Sterling Cooper, is the approval of one Don Draper. And although she thinks a
big payday will substitute that need, it won’t be long before she again craves
that acceptance.
That brings us to Don. Oh Don. To say he experienced a
roller coaster of emotion in this episode would be the understatement of the
year.* The women in Don’s life are all going through a multitude of problems,
all at the same time. Firstly, he’s extremely distraught about what the other
partners have assuaged Joan to partake in. Don is the only partner who realizes
that this isn’t a way to go about conducting business, and he proves once again
that even though he’s had more affairs than we can count, he has a higher moral
standard than most of the advertising world. Then he returns home only to find
out that the woman who is his very Jaguar might be leaving him for three months
to follow her acting career. And to top it all off he’s losing his best friend
and confidant in Peggy Olsen. Boy did my heart go out to him when he finally
realized Peggy wasn't bluffing about leaving and he was going to lose her. She wasn’t
just another “creative” he could throw at a client, she’s someone who brought
him fresh ideas and different perspective, and pushed him to do the same.
*Which indulges me to point out how impressive Jon Hamm was
here. This should definitely be the episode he submits for Emmy Consideration
for best lead actor and I have to assume he would be the favorite to win it at
this point. (Although Bryan Cranston will have his say when Breaking Bad starts
up on July 15th)
One thing is clear, lots of shake-up is occurring at SCDP
and with only two episodes left it looks like season five of Mad Men is going
to end with a resounding roar.
Some other quick
notes on the episode:
- “Well we wanted to be in the car business” –Ken Cosgrove
- How do you go about selling a car that is simply a luxury? This was also a really great “advertising” episode of Mad Men where we get to see their entire process of breaking down what a product is and why the consumer would want it.
- Lane is still financially screwing around. This isn't going to end well for him.
- 5 seconds is not enough time to sit down Harry.
- There’s a scene where Pete is reading Goodnight Moon to his child and it definitely brought me back to personal memories of when it was read to me when I was younger. However, it feels a little tarnished knowing that sleazy Pete reads it to his kid as well.
- Loved the quick scene with the rival advertising companies top guys passing each other in the Jaguar showroom. Very well done.
Comments are certainly welcome whether they are for
agreement, disagreement, or indifference.
