Mad Men Roundtable – “The Summer Man”
Betty immediately starts chain smoking and drinking, and January Jones is killing it in this scene. I tend to overlook her because she’s at her best when she’s being awful. It’s easier to praise Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, because I like their characters. But she is fabulous here, looking like a breakdown is imminent. She and Henry have a big fight on the way home, and Henry is livid. She acted like a child, which Henry’s not quite used to. “I hate him”, she says of Don, and Henry responds “Hate is a strong word. I hate Nazis.” Hee. As always, it’s important to step back from the analysis every once in a while and just enjoy the characters and the storytelling. Henry’s starting to think that he rushed into things, and Betty’s drunk and mean.
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.