Draper is good. Hamm is a magnificent actor. I believe his Draper character is truly good at heart, but wrestles with so many demons, many viewers aren’t going to believe it. He desperately wants to be Johnny Six-Pack and exemplify Midwestern values, and he wants to be happy with his beautiful wife and perfect family and perfect life. The most powerful scene was when he came home and wife, Betty, was discussing whether their daughter would be allowed to go with Mom to the riding club. Dinner was on the table. He kissed his wife and daughter and sat down to a dream-come-true, only to also find that Betty had his watch fixed and engraved. Only one problem. He had just come from banging a woman in a parked car. Draper didn’t want to do it, but old habits die hard, I guess.
I liked how Salvatore chastised Harry Crane for being a nancy-boy and telling his wife about opening his friend’s paycheck. I also liked how Salvatore is playing this closeted man in the early ’60s, and how he bumped into the man who tried to seduce him. I don’t necessarily need an entire episode devoted to Salvatore, but I like to see updates on him and I’ll enjoy how the gang of chauvinistic, macho-men handle it when he’s inevitably outed.
Also loved how Harry tried to pitch the episode of The Destroyers to a client saying women will find ways to watch it, then wouldn’t tell his wife about the show.
Questions? Is Betty building up the nerve to cheat? Or does she just like the attention. Or had Don Draper done just enough good, romantic things over the last 15 months that she isn’t as unhappy as she was? What’s going on with Don Draper? Last week he was at a doctor’s appointment and then a lunch by himself, and didn’t tell anyone. This week he was at a French movie by himself, and also didn’t tell anyone, and now he had to fire his secretary. How could she have covered for him? He seems to have shored up things at home, but his career is slowly unraveling.
I missed Pete Campbell. I enjoy episodes with Pete Campbell more than I enjoy those without his character.
This may have been among the best episodes of Mad Men‘s entire run.
Myndi
Don (Draper) is struggling. He tried to resist the comedian’s wife in the car, but his impulses are just that. When he came home and washed up as inconspicuously as possible before sitting down with his family and agreeing to watch the kids on Saturday, you could see he was disappointed in himself. I know it sounds strange that a woman feels bad for a married man who so callously cheated, but I feel like, compared to where we know he’s been, he is trying to be better. Or, I’m way off base and he turned down the waitress last week because he was afraid he couldn’t perform, while this week in the car with Bobbi, he was ready for action, so he went for it.
Betty continues to be a pretty, pretty shell of a person. She’s charming at dinner with Don’s client and the talent, but cold at the stables with the younger man, Arthur, when he makes an advance. She definitely got some joy out of turning him down. And she is so “profoundly sad”, as he put it. Witness the tears of gratitude she cried when she and Don were a successful team at the Lutece dinner…or so she thought. Marvelous acting all around.
I really enjoy Harry, and I know how awful it feels to find out that other people make more money than you do. Sure, when I found out it was at a photo lab and the girl made a quarter more per hour, but it’s the principle, isn’t it? And in the end, he found the strength to make a pretty bold move and probably head straight down a new and exciting career path in the process. I don’t mind that he didn’t tell Jennifer what the show was about…she’s a pregnant woman. There are many levels on which she could have felt it was horrifying when you factor everything in. I don’t know that it means anything in the grand scheme. They at least seem like nice, normal people and actual partners in their marriage.
I loved the scene with the Belle Jolie client. The little touch of he and Sal (who we found out is not just dating, but married to that poor woman) exchanging pleasantries was the type of thing this show always does just right. You could also see the client’s wheels turning as far as whether or not to associate his product with controversy. The same scenario plays out today time and time again, only in 2008 it’s grown exponentially as far as all the mildly to massively offensive and/or controversial programming you could consider.
Roger, Ken, Freddy and Duck all converging on Don’s office for a little crisis management was perfect. I love John Slattery in this role. His line, “I miss the 50s”, was a classic.
I also continue to marvel at the blatant sexism which was totally acceptable at the time. Don telling Lois to “stick to the switchboard” was nasty, but at least relevant, as he reminded her she had failed to properly “manage people’s expectations” rather than “cover for” him. However, Arthur’s line to Betty as he moved to kiss her and she moved away, “Don’t tell me what to do”, was jarring. Not to mention the ol’ hair pull and crotch grab combo Don did on Bobbi in the restaurant. I believe that qualifies as assault. Maybe I don’t feel bad for Don anymore.
And then there was Joan, using her one scene to remind us that she kicks ass and takes names while single handedly running the office. I can’t wait until we fast forward ten years and she’s running the place for real.
EJ
