Mad Men: ‘The Flood’

“The man knew how to talk. I don’t know why but I thought that would save him. I thought it would solve the whole thing.” –Roger Sterling

It’s easy to presume that when a show or movie revolves around real time events the writing comes easy; that all one really has to do is allow for pre-existing knowledge to set circumstance into motion. But what makes Mad Men so special is the reaction factor. Just like in real life, a tragedy happens and we all scramble for explanation. And also just like in real life, after anger and mourning, life has to go on and it forces change both immediately and gradually.

I doubt there are many are people who aren’t aware of what Martin Luther King Jr. did for a race, a country, and humanity as a whole so Matthew Weiner isn’t here to tell us that story. Matthew Weiner is here to tell us the stories of Don Draper’s flaws as a parent and a husband, Peggy Olsen’s attempt to build a future, and Michael Ginsberg’s social struggles when it comes to dating a girl his Dad set him up with. But instead of all these stories going by the wayside in the wake of MLK’s assassination, they get the same amount of attention they would get any other time because the world doesn’t stop turning. As Mr. Ginsberg explains to Michael: “Nonsense! There’s no time like the present.”

But the bigger news of the episode, enough to overshadow MLK, is that Bobby Draper can indeed speak! And peel wallpaper off the wall! Yes this is the first, and I’m assuming last, time young Bobby gets a storyline and of course it comes in the midst of all of this. I have always wondered why they never tapped into the well of how Don would deal with having a son, and how he would relate those experiences to his younger self and in this case the payoff was more than worth the wait because it was an absolutely heartbreaking moment of realization(*) that Don let’s Megan witness. Also, I can’t think of a time I didn’t thoroughly enjoy a “Don hits the movies” segment, this time watching the classic Planet of the Apes. Weiner obviously wanted us to watch the end of the movie when the audience is blown away by the revelation that humans had gone on to blow up the world, leading the way the apes evolving and moving to the top of the food chain. But despite it being such a heavy-handed metaphor to the riots it was fantastic to watch the parallels between a movie and the real-life events going on at the same time of its release.

(*)“You want to love them but you don’t. And the fact that you’re thinking that feeling makes you wonder if your own father had the same problem. And then one day they get older and you see them do something and you feel that feeling that you were pretending to have and it feels like your heart is going to explode.” –Don Draper. This is by far the earlier frontrunner for Jon Hamm Emmy submission episode.

I think it might take a few re-watches (or some LSD in Roger’s case) to fully understand what the deal was with Randall Walsh(**) but this whole endeavor seemed very off in the Mad Men world. That being said it was a hilarious transgression as I wasn’t sure whether or not to laugh harder at Roger’s one-line responses or Stan’s reactions and utter disbelief that this guy was pitching them such an absurd concept. I’m not sure if there is any more to this story but I would have liked to see it saved for an episode that had a little less going on.

(**) Played by William Mapother who also played the equally creepy character Ethan on Lost. This guy is definitely getting typecast.

After setting up some character development for Dawn last leek I figured we would have gotten a much more focused reaction from her after these events. Instead she was relegated to one scene where she essentially seemed unaffected by the news and got a big hug from Joan. Peggy’s secretary had a little more to day on the situation as she pointed out to Peggy that “these fools running in the streets? It’s exactly what he didn’t want.” However; the most devastating moment and reaction from an on-screen African American came when Ginsberg was on his date and the busboy entered such a state of shock upon hearing the news that he dropped the dishes he was carrying and had to sit down because his legs could no longer support his body.

Other moments of note:

• Okay how many times can Don realistically run into Sylvia and Dr. Rosen in the lobby/elevator? Does no one else live in this apartment besides the heart attack doorman? It is interesting, though, to see Don is so concerned about Sylvia being in DC that he actually tries to get in contact with them after the riots break out. That’s an awful lot of caring for an “affair”.
• “He’s the head of accounts. He’s like Roger with bad breath.” – Peggy describing to Megan her agency’s head of accounts.
• Ted was in Abe’s seat. Uh oh. Peggy might soon have two guys seeking her affection as Teddy has shown a great deal of interest in young Ms. Olsen of late. It would be such a shame for Peggy to do anything to ruin what she has with Abe now that we know he’s thinking about having some kids with her and raising them among all different kinds of people. Aww Abe, you adorable little hippie you.
• Pete always has been on the higher end of the moral compass in terms of progressively looking at racial issues so it seemed true to character that he would be upset with Harry and tell him off: “Let me put it in terms you might understand: that man had a wife and four children.” Also, I loved how radically 70’s the two of them looked visually in that argument.
• I’m guessing the real Paul Newman wasn’t available?

What did everyone else think? Comments are always welcome.

Mad Men: “The Phantom”

“It’ll go away, it always does.” – Don Draper

What a strange, adventurous, dark, wonderful season it’s been for Mad Men, and it’s only fitting it would end it in such a vintage Mad Men fashion. In the first episode of the season Roger asked Don “when were things going to get back to normal?” Of course we knew at the time that Roger would never see his version of “normal” again as the 60’s transitioning into the 70’s marks one of the biggest, fastest cultural changes in our country’s history. What we didn’t know was that over the coming months we would witness Megan serenading Don in front 40 of his closest “friends” with a little "Zou Bisou Bisou,” Pete getting into a fistfight (twice!), Roger taking LSD (twice!), Joan terminating it with Greg and prostituting herself out to Jaguar, and Lane ending it all in his office. As for Don? Well it seems our anti-hero may in fact fulfill Roger’s wish after all.

The episode begins with Don experiencing tooth pain, but instead of going directly to the dentist he determines that the pain will eventually go away, symbolic of how Don treats every disturbance that crops up for him. But once the pain doesn’t go away, and he finally gives into the pleads of those around him, he goes to the dentist and is greeted with instant relief and freedom once his tooth is extracted. At this point it seems as though Don Draper finally figures out that things don’t just go away, they become phantoms or demons that will lay in wait and return to you when you are at your most vulnerable. One of those phantoms being the guilt eating away at him on the inside in the outcomes of Adam and Lane, both of whom were victims of his actions that he is now forced to bear alone. The other being that inescapable self-loathing that Dick Whitman developed as a young boy and has followed him throughout his entire life. And for Don the only the only way to feed these ghosts that are constantly on his tail is to give into their desires, to overindulge them so they will leave him alone long enough to think. And the only way he knows how to do that is through women and alcohol.

The final scene certainly gives us a lot ponder about. Will Don again give into his temptation? The temptation he’s so easily thrown by the wayside since he committed himself to Megan? My money is on “of course she will,” for the simple reason that it’s the only life he’s been truly comfortable in. We also see in this scene that Megan is reprising the roll of Belle in the “Beauty and the Beast” themed commercial they are shooting, are we then to assume that Don is the Beast in this scenario? It’s certainly interesting to examine it in that light because in the fairy tale Belle gets to live in the Beasts’ exquisite castle and is given whatever she wants or desires upon her arrival. To the same accord Megan has gotten to live this same life of luxury and it has become quite apparent to her that she hasn’t done anything to deserve it. It certainly looks like Don and Megan’s’ marriage has more than a couple speed bumps ahead for it.

We also see that Pete is starting down the same path Don, albeit in much more punch-able fashion. Pete is suffering from his fear of complacency. When he was just starting out at Sterling Cooper he had goals in mind: move up in the company, start landing accounts, start a family, become successful. And now that Pete is starting to reach his goals he’s starting to question them and beginning to wonder what else is out there and how can he get it for himself? Much like Don, Pete’s destined to live a life that is unsatisfying. Sure money, women, and  a new apartment in the city will give him that momentary triumph that can tide him over for a while but unlike Don he’ll never be “top dog,” the guy that other guys aspire to be, and for that reason he’d rather get banned from a train than apologize for his fantasies.

Overall, this season of Mad Men was extremely dark, from shootings across the country, a cancer scare, a murder hallucination, a suicide, and many more. Because of this I’m not sure how enjoyable this season really was, especially in comparison to last season which still remains my favorite. I’m not entirely sure what to expect from Mad Men next season but I’m pretty positive it won’t be nearly as grim. Heck I think even Matthew Weiner alludes to that very fact when Trudy tells off Pete for sulky attitude: “all this doom and gloom, I’m tired of it!”

Some other quick notes on the episode:

• Even the now despicable Harry doesn't want Lane’s old office, can’t say I blame him.
• Ginsberg really does seem to be from another planet at times as his shirt was covered in stains during their meeting with Topaz. Also, interesting to note that Topaz was disappointed to not have that woman’s perspective SCDP clients had grown accustom to.
• Speaking of Peggy, I absolutely loved the scene with her and Don in the movie theatre and the mentor returns to the mentee. She wisely explains to Don about her departure that “That’s what happens when you help someone, they succeed and move on.” Yeah I’m glad you get to move up and all Peggy, but we need you back at SCDP before the end of next season.
• I laughed out loud twice during the finale. The first being when Pete demanded fresh Life Savers from his secretary when he was on the phone with Beth. The second when we discover the prank caller to the Draper residence is none other than Roger Sterling who puts on a fake French accent when Don picks up the phone.
• Looks like they finally have that second floor they've been telling clients they had from the beginning, I’m sure we’ll get more than a few good moments out of the agency’s new work-space next season.
• Pete needs to take a martial arts class or something.
• There was something hauntingly beautiful about Don watching Megan’s’ screen test. It’s like he realized who she was and who she wasn't at the same time.
• Also, I loved the moment when the five partners are looking out at the view on their new floor, but I’m a sucker for that kind of cinematography.
• Roger takes LSD again. I don’t think that could ever get old.

Comments are certainly welcome, whether they are for agreement, disagreement, or indifference.

Mad Men Season 5 Episode 11: "The Other Woman"

“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 15^th)

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.