Oh I agree completely. It has really been exceptional writing and story in this season after an ok start. That was bizzarre with Don and the elevator doors and I imagine it represents the possible fall that Don could experience. He is always so close to the edge.
And yet another good episode! * "Pizza House!" * Just as he reflected his own (at the time) contract-less status through Don Draper being contract-less at Sterling Cooper a few seasons ago, Matt Weiner similarly reflected his own difficulty getting the rights to actually play a song from The Beatles on the show with the apparent impossibility of the agency to do the same for its client. * Speaking of which, very interesting choice of Beatles song to use ("Tomorrow Never Knows"). Though it's one of the lesser-known ones (at least to casual fans and especially to today's young folk), it fit in very well. * For some reason, Beth's voice seemed somewhat "young" (for lack of a better word) for someone married to Howard. I can't quite put my finger on exactly why, though. * I suppose that Michael Ginsberg is currently the show's voice of the young generation as he balked at the use of "September in the Rain" (first released in 1937, though the version they listened to was a later, "Sixties-fied" version of it) for the commercial. * Was there an ulterior motive behind Roger "gifting" those skis to Pete, particularly in revenge for the Mohawk Airlines incident? * It was also interesting that Roger mentioned how he wasn't given a choice by his father about being in the advertising business. Was that the first reference since the first (or perhaps the second) season that his father co-founded Sterling Cooper with Bert Cooper and that Roger was basically "born" into the industry? * Don seems to be in a lose-lose situation as far as his marriage to Megan is concerned. As was pointed out earlier here, him letting her quit the agency and pursue acting could eventually lead to the marriage's disintegration. On the other hand, him not letting her do that could've eventually turned her bitter like Betty, leading to the marriage's disintegration anyway. * A friend pointed out something that I hadn't really thought of until he said it: despite the series' story starting out in 1960, the look, tone and atmosphere of past seasons seemed much closer to the 1950's because the first half of the decade basically was still culturally the 1950's. It wasn't until about 1966 or so (where the series is now) that the decade really began to become "The Sixties" in earnest, which certainly explains why the look, tone and atmosphere of this season seems somewhat different. As always, I again look forward to next week's episode! -G
Nah, Pete is heading for a meltdown of epic proportions. He feels he's being deprived of the life he's entitled to, and he's starting to lash out. Roger seems to be on a relatively good track for now.
They certainly made a point of mentioning Pete's rifle in an earlier episode. That can't bode well. And when he walked in that house and grabbed that woman by the shoulders, I thought things were going in a very different and darker direction. Phew, to a degree. "So you don't like my eyes." Too great.
Roger? He seems to be in a great mood. Getting divorced, some quick action for Megan's mother... he's flying high. Think he enjoys life too much to end it. Plus, he's one of the most popular characters on the show. Pete on the other hand is miserable and can never really achieve what he ultimately wants. My question is... When does Don veer off the marraige track and go back to his Wilt the Stilt ways with women?
The elevator meeting with the freelancer fling hinted he's already cheated on Megan (it's not like Mad Men to get historical dates wrong). Still, he's trying really, really hard to stay on the straight and narrow. But not having Megan in the office is going to make it easier for him to stray.
? Think I missed something. Was there a timeline clue to that woman? Because I assumed Don has been faithful to Meagan and that the elevator woman was an older fling. Also: Pete was reading Pynchon's "Crying of Lot 49" on the train in the opening scene. I recognized that glyph on the cover. I just saw the ep last night so I'm sure the intertubes are flush with analysis about that. But Pete has always had an interesting intellectual quality. It's why he's not a cartoon. Also2: That version of "September Song" was also stabbing me through the heart. And speaking of music I'm surprised that Don lasted that long through "Tomorrow Never Knows" (and Why on earth would Meagan suggest he start with one of the trippiest songs in pop history at the time?, he said as if these people were real and not fictional characters). But do you know what that question means? -- Don Draper is actually a square. (!) Put that in your bathtub and sleep in it. (And how did Mad Men get the rights to that tune? I cracked up when they reused it for the credits. "Well, we spent a gahjillion dollars. May as well use it as much as we can.....") Also3: Peggy rules. Bonus! Lou Reed's awesome cover of Kurt Weil's September Song. Highly recommended.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/...3/mad_men_don_s_lincoln_center_timeline_.html One of our readers, Gary Rosen, emailed to point out that Lincoln Center did not open until the autumn of 1962. In the comments, Marc Geelhoed added that the New York City Opera started performances there in 1964, and the Metropolitan Opera did not begin performances at Lincoln Center until 1966. So either:a) the writers have made an historical error (highly unlikely)b) the Lincoln Center hookup never happened in the first place, and is a just a raunchy figment of Don's fantasy (also unlikely, I think), orc) when Don tells Megan that he was involved with Andrea six years ago, he's lying (decidedly likely, it now seems). Though I guess it's totally plausible that the whole Andrea thing, from the elevator encounter, was imagined?
Weiner has too much artistic integrity to let a character's popularity affect how the story plays out. He wouldn't give "The Story of Roger" a happy ending (hehe) just because everybody loves him. Anyway, a lot of Roger's current behavior is consistent with someone contemplating suicide. He's giving away possessions (and accounts), he's tied off the loose ends by getting a divorce, he's somewhat forlornly reexamining how he got to where he is, and there are a few others that are slipping my mind right now. Basically, he's a dude who's made a decision, but hasn't quite realized it yet. Besides, if it turns out that Pete is the one who kills himself, it'll be so, so much of a sledgehammer. That's not really Weiner's style.
More thoughts -- It occurred to me that during that great conversation about music ("When did music start to matter?") between Don and Meagan, I believe one of them mentioned 'You can't keep up, because it keeps changing.." (very true to this day). Which is interesting in the context of the episode: The client wants the mop-top good-natured mayhem of The Beatles' 'Hard Day's Night.' But that is already two years old and The Beatles have moved on to make Revolver, beginning their psychedelic period. And speaking of out-of-touch: I was really expecting a much bigger fall-out from last week's bombshell about Don being a pariah to the nation's biggest companies. I can't tell if that's a potential death knell, or if things are changing so rapidly that SCDP will simply continue to be or become a successful boutique shop that does cool and interesting stuff. And I have I mentioned that Peggy Rules?
So far, it doesn't seem to matter very much because Don has been so disengaged this season that the firm might as well be Sterling, Cooper, Price, Olsen and Ginsburg at the moment.
Not that Roger's doing much either, beyond martini lunches with potential clients, and Bert's just watching everyone pass by. Also, Jon Hamm:
It's weird in this high speed world we live in people can watch this very slow and dull show. It's bleak and depressing as well.I managed to get through the first two of the new series (in England) but I've still got a couple on Sky+ I just can't face. Then again I've got about six Homelands I can't face.
I don't think anyone ever answered, but I knew I'd seen her before. They updated the casting on imdb. It was Hayley McFarland. She played Cal Lightman's daughter, Emily, on Lie to Me.
Where is all this talk about killing a character off coming from? Was this something that Weiner hinted in an interview. I personally don't see it so far. Comments in the show regarding Pete's rifle or gun seem a stretch.
I don't think Don had sex with Andrea at his and Megan's place. It was a fever induced dream. No question he previously slept with her, but I doubt Don has strayed on Megan since they were married. He genuinely seems sincere in changing his ways. As Bert said to Don in the conference room, he has been on his honeymoon for quite a while and it's time to get back to work. I believe that Megan's decision to pursue acting will lead to greater involvement in the day to day operations of the firm for Don and will cause distancing and an erosion in the intimacy and quality of the relationship between Don and Megan.