Grid Effect

We found a little time to post about Mad Men before tonights episode, which we won’t get around to, nor will we find ime for any other series tonight, and we still haven’t seen last night’s South Park. Essentially, what we’re trying to say is, we’ll have like four posts on Monday. For now, here’s one to tide you over until then. Enjoy the weekend.

Episode ten of Mad Men is one of the most troubling, depressing, desperate, soul searching episodes of television I’ve ever seen. Don confronts his own mortality after Roger sustains a heart attack during the climax of an incredibly creepy courtship, Joan’s roommate Carol concedes her affections for Joan and Pete further demonizes Peggy, and she begins to reciprocate a little.

We’re not sure what Don’s motives are with Rachel. He either laid it on thick either to get laid or out of actual fear (similar to Carmela in episode eleven, season six of The Sopranos, “Cold Stones”…I know entirely too much about that series) after seeing his mentor sprawled out and helpless on the floor. Also, he’s undoubtedly an atheist, and seemed sincere in his confusion. This all brings us to the question: is there any less of a stereotype than a Korean War veteran working on Madison Avenue and denouncing religion in 1960? This character is so layered. He had two great moments in this episode, slapping Roger while he was being carried out on the stretcher, and hobnobbing in order to impress Rachel’s dad in their proposal meeting (shut down their store and reopen it with a “day of indulgence” theme that includes dining and other ventures), both of which seemed effective.

His confession to Rachel (and somewhat foreseeable, based on past, more vague references) that his mother was a prostitute that died while in labor, this was as bluntly revealing of an episode that we’ve had. Rachel said it best when she explained, “you’ve never talked this much”, indeed. Some have complained that this was out of character. But it has been established that Don feels isolated, even from his wife, and is hesitant to convey anything to anyone. She probably knows little to nothing about his childhood and is obviously occupied with her own (relatively petty) concerns. It is hard to imagine where else he would open up at then in the naked arms of a woman who challenges him.

Don’s demeanor towards twin #2 shows he does’t go for simply cheap thrills when he cheats on Betty, whch is in stark contrast to a more mainstream approach to adultery like Roger. His “you’re selling too hard” line managed to be pointed advice and a reminder of his position. This is yet another reason why he opened up to Rachel, not only the physical attraction but the spiritual/emotional.

Even with Don’s existential crisis, it was Roger with the most on the line. You have to hand it to John Slattery being so unabashed with the part. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy who plays the walking bag of cliches on Desperate Housewives. Fucking surreal, actually. He manages to be sympathetic yet despicable, and the audience isn’t really grief stricken when he gets sustains his heart attack and confronts his wife and eventually his daughter. The lack of eagerness to see him recover probably correlates with him riding a girl half his age like a horse, then pining to want to “eat her skin”, and “suck her blood like dracula”. It’s a damn shame Roger Sterling is set in present day, he’d have to be a internet porn king of some kind. Actually, strike that. It’s probably great that he fictionally exists in the 60’s.

This snap shot pretty much sums up the lifestyle of Roger Strerling. And Robert Plant. And Isiah Thomas.

Carol’s confession struck me as odd, because I’m not sure if she’s had more than two lines all season, now we’re supposed to be distraught that her roommate won’t succumb to the revelation of her spontaneously wiley charms? I guess my bias is starting to show, because I really didn’t mind. Carol, a spoiled princess living out of daddy’s wallet is clearly unaware of how to address her obvious homosexuality, and when she finally does, the person Carol’s pined for, for years, shoots Carol down by sleeping with a random schlub, just to emphasize her heterosexuality. Pretty harsh. But maybe its so relatable because Joan is a fucking goddess, I’d be devastated as well. And I don’t have any repressed issues with my sexuality. Or, at least none that I’m fully aware of.

Other notes-

-Never seen The Apartment, but picked up on the significance of the reference as Joan left the office with Cooper. Her having to bite her tongue (though we found out Cooper is aware of their relationship) and write out all of those notices in the middle of the night seemed daunting. Then Joan pushing the elevator button after Roger earlier dismissed the notion of a white, female elevator operator that was portrayed in the movie.

-Kind of a coincidence, but the same day I watched this, I watched Colbert Report and he had a guest on pimping this website. Between the interview and this series, its been a joy watching the birth of superficial politics.

-Pete and Peggy’s verbal spat did nothing more than solidify how meant for each other they are. They’d be the type of married couple that only had sex after they destroyed everything in their house.

The writing on this series is amazing, here are some quotes that were either funny, or illustrated and explained so much about the character that they need to be echoed:

“You don’t like my driving, who do you think taught me?” -Betty about her father
“He’s gray and weak, his skin was like paper” -Don, without hesitation after Rachel assured him that she wasn’t closing her account with them regardless.
“This is all there is and I feel like its slipping through my fingers like a handful of sand.” -Don, explaining his disbelief in an afterlife
“Don’t waste your youth on age”. -Cooper, to Joan after Roger’s heart attack.

Just a great episode, and a fantastic way to ring in the news of their renewal. Tonight, Peggy is used some more, and Pete continues to be meddlesome.