Grid Effect

We’ve always wondered when watching Mad Men, how do Mathew Weiner and the rest of the writers decide when to make these series altering revelations? It seems to appear that the fifth episode is a favorite location during the season, if you remember the episode “5G” we were introduced to Adam Whitman and it was finally made clear to us that Don was someone other than he claimed to be.

This time around, even though we knew of Peggy’s bastard child, we didn’t know the details of who was covering for her at Sterling (though we assumed, quite rightfully, I might add), what exactly were the details of her institutionalization and how she recovered. Well, it is simple, really, the answers to all three were: Don, she was heavily medicated and unable to cope with the notion that she had a child, Don.

It was Don by her bedside assuring her to move on, “It will be amazing how much this never happened”. Why he takes such a liking to Peggy is beyond me. maybe he sees her potential? She certainly has a lot, but it doesn’t seem like Ken, Paul or even Pete are lacking in it. Maybe this is his swan song, to promote a woman through the ranks. Or maybe he just likes how reserved and stoic she can be.

Whatever it is, we now have two people hiding three enormous secrets from everyone else in their lives, two of them are between Don and Peggy (only Pete and sort of Bert are aware of Dick Whitman). Ah, so that’s why he was by Peggy’s bedside, to curry favors with the leverage of being her confidante. Peggy, in so many ways, was full of one-liners. Most notably about Don and more specifically, “You never expect him to be any other way than he is”. With Bobbie’s invasive ass asking entirely too many questions, all she could do to retain a semblance of sanity was fend her off with non-committal claims.

A lot of speculation has been made about Bobbie’s parting advice, whether she was advising Peggy to sleep with coworkers for professional gain or simply use a sort of feminine charm (no idea) to her advantage. In this humble writer’s opinion, while I think she meant the latter is effective, I doubt Bobbie has ever ruled out the former. I mean, she is in the predicament because she is sleeping with the married Don Draper and sustained injuries during a car accident which she is partly responsible for. And now she is hiding out from her husband at Peggy’s apartment so he doesn’t get suspicious. So unless Bobbie said, do as I say not as I do, then I kind of have to assume she wasn’t suggesting Peggy approach the edge and not cross it, she was saying do whatever it takes to, “get the corner office”.

Peggy made small steps into treating Don like an equal. I mean, asking for money that he owes you isn’t exactly pinning his lapel to the floor, but it is a start. the much more significant step to treating him as an equal was referring to him as “Don” as opposed to “Mr. Draper”, which even made Don do a double take. Women with confidence, and even a suggestion of arrogance (as evident by Bobbie) are who Don seems to be the most attracted to, if Peggy ends up being a sex partner for Don it would be an interesting dynamic for the series. One which they would handle appropriately and with the delicate nuance this series is famous for…but lets just say we are hoping this doesn’t come to fruition. Most great television series’ are ruined when the main characters begin fucking each other, Mad Men (much like Sopranos and The Wire) is probably above that, but we don’t want to see the risk taken.

One subplot we loved this weekend was the continued evolution of Joan, who couldn’t pretend to be more proud of that ring on her finger. This marriage seems to lack so much sincerity that she might as well have her hand bronzed and placed on a trophy case, because that would symbolize the extent of the bond she has formed with her new doctor of a husband. Her schooling and disapproval (at least for her “decolletage”. Sweet) for Jane, Don’s new secretary (the new Peggy, but probably without the Peggy-ness) was palpable, but certainly not unforeseen.

"You might have everything I want, but you definitely want what I have."

Jane is what Joan once was, and longs to still be. She can be, but over thirty and unmarried seemed to carry a certain social stigma in 1962 that even though I am sure Joan is comfortable with it, she’s uncomfortable with everyone else being uncomfortable. So why not force yourself into a marriage you don’t want? Ahhh the good ol’ days. At least Roger sees what a mistake it is, even if it’s out of his own self interests.

And lastly, Pete is very much fertile and, much like we all were, completely understanding of his fertility. His inflection for the word “absolutely” was probably the funniest line of this season, a season filled with funny lines. It was like he hit every syllable but emphasized the wrong ones: Ab-sol-ut-ley. Or something. Whatever it was, it is why we tend to think Vincent Kartheiser gives the stand out performance on this series, which is saying something.

Even more memorable was his celebration over his wife’s barren womb. I’m sure that’s not how he meant it, but it is certainly how it was received. The callous ignorance seems to cause more of a rift between married couples on this series more than any social arrangements (though those are certainly not helping). In an off way, this brought me back to the “Long Weekend” episode in which after Roger had his heart attack, he called Betty to inform her of the details and to vent a little, but before he can get a word out she goes off on a tangent about some trite incident with her dad’s girlfriend. Much like Betty was preoccupied with her own problems, Pete was overcome with joy that his tadpoles were still eager.

Even when he is being an asshole, Pete provides some progressive wisdom that everyone else in his office seems to be lacking. This time in the face of the assumption that everyone married has to have kids. I kind of loved that explanation he had in the middle of his prickery, and it would have went over better if his Trudy didn’t legitimately want kids, and then we immediately felt bad for her and being married to Pete. Just a tremendous writing and a tremendous scene between Kartheiser and Alison Brie.

Side notes:

-Seeing Rachel married to her Dad’s protege was somewhat surprising. After the roller-coaster she went through with Don, someone a little more conventional was probably a relief.

-We didn’t mention it before, but second to the argument between Pete and Trudy, the scene with Don at the hospital with Peggy took us back to when she was crying in his office over the two building employees that were fired over her complaints about her locker being raided.

-January Jones got limited screen time compared to the last couple weeks, but I’ll be damned if she didn’t utilize it well. Fucking Draper, his infidelity has cost him so much and now he can’t even get salt on his roast beef.

-We loved the cop taking a hard line with Don, kind of wish he had been a little more stern to be honest.

Probably their best effort of the season, if not the series. There is so much set up for the next seven episodes that it will be hard to cover thoroughly in these reviews without notes (something we haven’t done for at least twenty months). We’ll probably never figure out why they randomly decided to have a car accident (something utilized quite regularly in The Sopranos) this episode and have everything spiral out of that, but we are certainly not complaining.

Back with some links to finish the week.