Grid Effect

Sorry we are so late with this today. We were halfway done when a coworker needed a ride to get his car from the mechanic and everything went to hell from there. On the bright side, we got to watch the USA-Argentina game. Anyhow, it turned from being halfway done to 2/3 done. So enjoy the mailed in recap.

I guess tinkering with the format in any way is ill-advised because it seems a decent number of viewers were dissatisfied with this episode. This episode was much more sprawling than the two that preceded it and we enjoyed it as much as any of first three this season, but will admit that no plots were really advanced. Throughout the course of the series (not this season specifically), it will be interesting to see how much Don lets his family know about his past, particularly his son if Betty is going to continue being such a raging bitch towards him. Which I suppose is partially Don’s fault.

For all his absentee dad-ism and borderline neglectfulness, Don does seem to care immensely about his offspring. Betty does as well, but manages to play favorites in what I’m sure is a common 1962 manner of doing so. Since she is constantly preoccupied with them and their primary caregiver, the damage she is doing to Bobby will likely be fleshed out in some Woody Allen like therapy session, and I’m sure it will be hilarious.

The fight — and this was the second time it got lightly physical, but with Betty as the aggressor — was mounting for some time. If Betty had one iota of what Don’s childhood was like she probably wouldn’t be recommending that he beat his son as a disciplinary tactic. But she is clueless. I mean, she usually is, but this time its her husbands cryptic, concealed past that’s at fault. I think as Don continues to get older and his kids begin to develop independent thought, more and more will be revealed to them and everyone else. Some are indifferent (Bert Cooper) and some are curious and spiteful (Pete Campbell). In other words, it is impossible to understand how Betty and their kids would take the news.

Bobby wasn’t the only Draper kid under the microscope last Sunday, Sally — and she was certainly elated about the prospect — got to accompany her dad to work on a Sunday after her brother donated his lip to the cause. And did she ever put her time to good use. Talking cup size with Joan, interracial relationships with Paul (Did the “Do you lay on top of her?” inquiry stem directly from busting in on her parents the previous Sunday?), eavesdropping on Pete and his band of cronies (something no little girl should ever hear) and getting soused off someone’s unattended half full glass of scotch. See, being Daddy’s personal bartender teaches you to enjoy the glory that is a glass of scotch neat early in life. At least she was to passed out by the time they left to see Dad’s disappointment.

Someone is a little too excited to be head of TV.

To the naysayers of this episode, we will also admit that the failed courtship of United was inevitable. If they are going to make Don an impotent, cheating prick, they have to at least make him business savvy. But at least they aren’t turning Duck into some caricature of an antagonist. He had some redeeming scenes, keeping the minions in line when they complained about Don’s scatterbrained decision making, and assuring the woman with the gum that she wouldn’t be fired (”how can it be my gum? My gum’s in my mouth”, was probably one of the oddest takes of this series, I couldn’t tell you why.)

Peggy’s storyline is quite tense, and bitter, and typical of this show. We can fully understand where her sister is coming from, though. She probably grew up being jealous of Peggy’s petite figure with everyone constantly reminding her about it. She does as she is told: Gets married, has kids, is a devout member of the church; and even the priest seems to favor Peggy over her. I like how her sister took it upon herself to confess her sister’s “sins” along with her own, that was some creative vitriol.

Speaking of the priest, he was aptly played by Colin Hanks, who we were once worried about being a distraction. We mentioned it before and we’ll mention it again, despite his likeness to his father, we didn’t really recognize him at first. Well done by the makeup team. Or our idiocy.

Other notes:

-We like how Roger is buying his extra-marital affairs just like he doesn’t smoke anymore, but constantly bums cigarettes from his employees. The actress playing Vicki was stunning, to say the least. And quite fashionable for a call girl. Very Tony Soprano-esque going back to cheating on his wife after supposedly a long stint of not doing so.

-So, is Bobbie going to be around for the extent of the series in random, miscellaneous scenes that seem to have nothing to do with the episode? We absolutely loathe that character, so if she is going to constantly be seen, we hope it is to an avail.

-Intertwined with the gum scene was Bert Cooper acting as loopy as ever. Is he supposed to be growing senile?
We had to cut this short due to work issues. We’ll try to get some links out but can’t make any guarantees.