Mad Men Roundtable – “The Summer Man”
Don’s exhibiting a growing awareness of his alcoholism – he writes about it, it’s on his mind when he’s in the office watching everybody drink. I don’t think we ever saw Don drunk before last season (and even then it was more “drunk enough that he shouldn’t be driving” than “Freddy Rumsen”), but we’ve seen him sloppy drunk several times this year. Between losing his family and the stress of starting a new business and a new life, he drinks more than ever, and he’s smart enough that he’s aware it’s a problem. And yet, he doesn’t seem to be taking any steps to solve it. Even when he writes about drinking, he’s got a Budweiser at hand.
I just rewatched this episode during its rerun on AMC Sunday mornings – the first time I saw it, I noted that it was the first time “Mad Men” ended with the credits rolling but no music playing over them. I wondered if there was something particular in the episode that made it special (like the silent clock in “24”). However, I wasn’t certain, so I’d be interested in hearing what you or other readers have to say about the matter.