Mad Men Roundtable – “The Summer Man”
Don’s almost unrecognizable when the episode begins. There’s a shot of him swimming at a public pool, and I don’t think of him as a swimmer. And then he’s writing in a notebook, narrating in voiceover about what it means to have a drinking problem. Don is not a guy who puts his feelings on paper. I’m curious as to what specifically motivates him here. I have to think it was Anna’s death, leaving him in a world of people who don’t really know him. He’s lonely in a way most of us don’t know. If he doesn’t have anybody, he needs to learn how to handle himself. It’s weird to think of Don keeping a journal, especially after he mocked Roger’s attempt at an autobiography. Don doesn’t put effort into things that don’t have a payoff, so if he’s really just trying to put his feelings on paper, he’s truly shaken.
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.