Mad Men Roundtable – “The Summer Man”
And Don’s narration is making him start to feel like a noir hero, especially in the scene where he’s in bed – look at the shadows in that scene. Those are shadows that belong in a P.I.’s office when a dame walks in.
When Betty wakes up in the morning, Henry’s taken on a more fatherly demeanor. He’s indulgent of the drunken little screw-up. Betty actually justifies her behavior with a lie – “He was the only man I’d been with”. We know that’s not true, because she hooked up with Captain Awesome late in Season 2. And really, it wouldn’t be a great defense even if it were true. Henry then goes out to the garage and runs the car into some of Don’s boxes. Ah, grown-ups.
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.