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I love the way the social changes of the 60's have been slowly coming to light on this show. Peggy's steps out of the traditional roles for women and the way Pete is almost always right are a couple examples.
I think Don is starting to turn a page in his life and redefine himself. He's aware of his drinking and is trying to curb that, he is swimming, he didn't bag Faye, although he could have. I loved some of the slow motion shots (him focusing on his co-worker's drinking, smoking a cigarette and watching people on the streets to the music of the Stones, swimming), the self narrative--voice over. Sort of reminded me a bit of Goodfellas. I like it.
Great episode. I felt bad for Joan ... poor thing is losing her position at the agency. And it must burn her <body part> that Peggy is weilding more power than her.
Great episode. I felt bad for Joan ... poor thing is losing her position at the agency. And it must burn her <body part> that Peggy is weilding more power than her.
And you could see (though it was a bit heavy handed) that using Faye's fable, Joan is the sun and Peggy is the wind.
Was that Joey in the next lane in the swimming scene towards the end?
I thought the same thing, but I don't think so. I actually rewatched that scene twice to see if it was Joey and I'm 99% sure it wasn't. You can tell as Don finishes and glances over, the other swimmer is taller than Joey was.
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Originally Posted by cobolt
I loved some of the slow motion shots (him focusing on his co-worker's drinking, smoking a cigarette and watching people on the streets to the music of the Stones, swimming), the self narrative--voice over. Sort of reminded me a bit of Goodfellas. I like it.
Definitely reminded me of Goodfellas too. And did you notice there wasn't music in the closing credits this week? That is unusual for this show.
Lots of good camera work that (while maybe a tad melodramatic) emphasized Don's increasing alienation with the drinking culture and realizing he has hit rock bottom.
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Originally Posted by domergurl
Great episode. I felt bad for Joan ... poor thing is losing her position at the agency. And it must burn her <body part> that Peggy is weilding more power than her.
You know, as cruel as Joey was to say that to Joan, he was right in some degree. I guess Joan's power has always come from her sexuality whereas Peggy's has come from her business acumen/timing. It will be interesting to see if Joan starts wearing more conservative attire commisurate to her standing as the backbone of SCDP...or if she'll continue to flaunt what the good Lord gave her. And who knows what will happen when Dr. Rapist heads off to basic training and Vietnam? Poor Joan is getting it rough on both ends of her life: her personal life is collapsing with Greg heading of to Vietnam and she realizes she's not being treated with respect at work. It's going to be a lonely season or two for Joanie, I'm afraid.
I thought it was very telling how Don treated Bethany and Faye on their respective dates. Don allows Bethany to "go downtown" in the back of the cab, whereas Faye is ready and willing to have sex with Don, but he declines. I think Don realizes that Bethany's just a kid/fling for him and probably doesn't have any long term prospects with her. She is the kind of girl he used to be drawn to...young, pretty, blonde, well-connected. Likewise, Faye represents what Don needs now...professional, mature, and able to be an emotional anchor for him (like Anna Draper used to be). He doesn't care to ruin the fling with Bethany...but he does respect Faye enough not to hop into bed with her just yet. Or it could just be that he REALLY likes to sleep alone.
I wonder what Bethany thought of Betty? She said something like "Her?" As in surprise...not sure if that was a "wow, she's so beautiful" surprise or a "she's a cold chainsmoking lush" surprise. And I just thought about this...Betty...Bethany...names are basically the same derivative of Elizabeth. They're so much alike. Plus Sally dislikes them both. Where Faye has some sketchy family history and the clinical training to help Don cope with his demons.
I thought the diary/inner monologue was decent. While that's often a little cheesy and over-the-top way to tell a story, I thought it was necessary to show the internal changes Don is going through. I have to wonder if he's been looking at AA material or having conversations with Freddy Rumsen.
And as much as I hate Betty, I thought it was really good of her to react the way she did when Don showed up at the party. And I liked the look she had as she saw him play with Gene...wonder if she sees (deep down) that he's changing? I think we will look back on this episode (and last week's episode) in the future as a turning point for Don...when he began to repent from his old self. All that to say, I'm sure he'll probably slip up and be a real jerk at least one or two more times.
I wanted Peggy to respond to Joan in the elevator, that Peggy had fired Joey not because of the incident, but because of his overall attitude. She didn't fire him until he came back with that chauvinist comment about how he hated to "work with women." Well, it showed. He made a mistake, picking Joan as his target, because first of all he thought she was more vulnerable than she actually is. And secondly, because he underestimated Peggy. Peggy's empowering moment didn't come from firing him, it came when Don told her to handle it, that she could handle it, that she didn't want him handling it. And she got what he was telling her. That she was in a position of authority, and that he would back her when she used that authority, but if she had him do her dirty work, then she would be acting as if she doesn't have any authority. And Joan didn't handle Joey, and I think she knew that. But Joan represents an older dynamic, where women manipulated men to get men to do things for them. She even alludes to that in her elevator conversation. Peggy's success does stem from her own talent, and hard work, but it also stems from Don's recognition of that talent and hard work. Don's ability to not be sexist when dealing with Peggy while being sexist in so many other areas of his life comes from his ability to compartmentalize the different aspects of his life. I think that the slow-mo scenes with Don looking but not being a part of his environment were demonstrations of that ability to separate himself, to sort of "Spock" it out.
It's interesting, too, that Betty is completely opposite this. She fosters this cool, sophisticated veneer that is so thin, so brittle, it shatters whenever she sees Don. To Henry's dismay. Her reaction to Don and his date, there is so much pent-up rage there, was so telling. And the way she told Henry in the car afterwards that if he didn't like it, he could basically get out of her life? He's already out of her life. She's made so little room for him, it's a wonder he can even breathe. And her anger's contagious, as evidenced by Henry deliberately running the car into Don's boxes, as evidenced by the way Henry turned his back when Don picked up the boxes, as evidenced by the way Henry reacted when Don showed up for Gene's birthday. And yet while Betty had told everyone how she didn't want Don showing up for this party, she was absolutely serene when he did. Because it confirmed to her that in addition to the older children, that Gene is a weapon in her arsenal against Don?
If Don continues with Faye, I can't wait for Betty to meet her. Because Faye is nothing if not clear-sighted. She's a suitable challenge to Betty. As for Bethany when she learned that Betty was the ex, I think it was an OMG moment. Betty's beautiful, more beautiful than Bethany. And I think that surprised Bethany, who is quite lovely, and used to being considered beautiful. I think that undermined her confidence. And Betty's hostility, if Henry could sense it, if even the man they were eating dinner with could sense it, Bethany most certainly could sense it. That intense hostility, combined with Henry's attempt to be cordial, sent mixed messages to Bethany that I think undermined her confidence even more. And that's what led to Bethany's sexual aggression. And I think Don's acceptance of that aggression also means the relationship with Bethany is over. She's playing for marriage, Don knew that all along, but she went all-in when she should have folded, and now she has no more chips to play.
I thought I saw some real longing from Betty towards Don. Both in the restaurant and at her home. Didnt expect that, and I dont beleive her line that she "hates'' him. Angry,yes.
I wanted Peggy to respond to Joan in the elevator, that Peggy had fired Joey not because of the incident, but because of his overall attitude. She didn't fire him until he came back with that chauvinist comment about how he hated to "work with women." Well, it showed.
Right on. I suppose Peggy was so taken back that Joan didn't recognize and appreciate what Peggy did that she didn't fully explain the situation. Then again, it probably wouldn't have mattered since Peggy was being semi-patronizing to Joan in the first place by bringing it up to her that she fired Joey. Kind of a "look what I did for you" tone in her voice.
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Peggy's empowering moment didn't come from firing him, it came when Don told her to handle it, that she could handle it, that she didn't want him handling it. And she got what he was telling her. That she was in a position of authority, and that he would back her when she used that authority, but if she had him do her dirty work, then she would be acting as if she doesn't have any authority.
Very true. I think that was a big thing that came from last week's episode...Don is letting Peggy know she needs to have the freedom to run things her way, and that he has her back. But I'm sure that means he expects results.
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I think that the slow-mo scenes with Don looking but not being a part of his environment were demonstrations of that ability to separate himself, to sort of "Spock" it out.
That makes sense.
And I also thought it interesting that the "Satisfaction" musical interlude was so appropriate. "Some man comes on and tells me how white my shirts can be, but he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me" is a pretty damning line of 1960s marketing/advertising...and of course we all know that Don hasn't been able to get no satisfaction much at all this season. Either personally or professionally.
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It's interesting, too, that Betty is completely opposite this. She fosters this cool, sophisticated veneer that is so thin, so brittle, it shatters whenever she sees Don. To Henry's dismay. Her reaction to Don and his date, there is so much pent-up rage there, was so telling. And the way she told Henry in the car afterwards that if he didn't like it, he could basically get out of her life? He's already out of her life. She's made so little room for him, it's a wonder he can even breathe. And her anger's contagious, as evidenced by Henry deliberately running the car into Don's boxes, as evidenced by the way Henry turned his back when Don picked up the boxes, as evidenced by the way Henry reacted when Don showed up for Gene's birthday. And yet while Betty had told everyone how she didn't want Don showing up for this party, she was absolutely serene when he did. Because it confirmed to her that in addition to the older children, that Gene is a weapon in her arsenal against Don?
Henry's been on the side of reason most of this season...but I think he's beginning to realize how foolish Betty really is. I really enjoyed the scene in the car when he finally had enough of her. You're spot-on in your assessment of Betty's thin veneer. It's like the only strength she's ever shown is tied to her anger for Don. When it was justified, it empowered her. Now that her lingering anger is not justified (get over it, already), it is actually tearing her down/apart. I thought her friend's advice "you've got everything to lose" was pretty interesting. It's all a sham for Betty I think. Her marriage, her parenting...it's all a well-crafted piece of fiction. She has nothing to fall back on. A twice-divorced mother of three doesn't have a lot of options in 1965, so her friend's advice to basically get over it was very wise. Especially considering she also had to get over her own husband's infidelity in season 1.
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And that's what led to Bethany's sexual aggression. And I think Don's acceptance of that aggression also means the relationship with Bethany is over. She's playing for marriage, Don knew that all along, but she went all-in when she should have folded, and now she has no more chips to play.
Interesting...maybe it was an attempt to "mark her man"...to keep Don interested (she already thought he was seeing someone else). And I tend to agree that Bethany was impressed with Betty...and intimidated too. I definitely believe that the Bethany ordeal is probably over. Or at least will be wrapping up soon.
And, jeez, what the heck happened in cabs back in 1965? I'm reminded of a line from DeNiro's character Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver...talking about having to clean up the backseat of his cab after his shift. Get a room!
It was odd how jealous Betty was of Don going out with a new girl. But, it was good to see that she welcomed him to his son's second birthday party. Don really seems to be turning a corner now and hopefully for the better. It just wasn't fun watching the trainwreck his life was turning into.
I also thought that Peggy should have stood up more to Joan. I don't think she has more of an attitude than she should towards the girls that were equal with her for some time. Most of the girls in the office tend to love high school drama and that isn't Peggy's thing. Joan is really starting to annoy me with her attitude. Funny that she could judge Peggy by a false rumor when she actually fits the rumor to a T - with the exception of Roger being her fling.
I think that her storyline will become more interesting once her husband leaves.
Overall, I really liked the episode and wish that the sneak previews at the end of the next episode actually told you something!
Last night's episode was my favorite of the season up to this point. It wasn't fraught with the exquisite drama and emotional pain of last week's episode, instead it showed Don finally getting his fastball back and putting up 100 on the radar gun. He looks to have climbed himself out of his funk and is now ready to get back to being the bad ass he was, but better. It seems that he's on the path to being able to have more genuine relationships with women instead of tawdry one night stands. From what I've read it seems that people are a little split on the voice-over but I thought it was really well done. Anyway, almost as much fun as watching a smart show like Mad Men is reading smart people write about Mad Men. Here are some good ones:
Also, here is a neat story about a guy who was one of the inspirations for Don Draper: I Married a Mad Man
Finally, here is a story all about Christina Hendricks' boobs: Internet Debate
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