I couldn’t watch Mad Men on Sunday night like I normally do, and spent most of the day avoiding spoilers. (I was successful on that front, save for knowing that at some point, Pete Campbell would fall down a set of stairs.
) I’m glad, because the episode was very good and I wouldn’t have wanted to know anything going in. So if you’ve seen the episode, click through for a recap.
Even though I sensed something was coming, I didn’t exactly predict this – Peggy’s new agency merging with SCDP. But I think I like it. After all, I do love scenes with Peggy and Don together. And now that she’s moved on, all those relationships will be different. She’ll have to work with Stan again, and there will be more power players fighting for a piece of the pie. I loved the scene where Don and Teddy hatched the plan at the bar. I’m excited to get more of those two together.
Really, I thought this was a brilliant episode that showed the best and worst of Don Draper. He’s impulsive and selfish – he fired Jaguar without thinking of anyone but himself. He hated Herb, so he let them go without thinking of the agency, Pete, Roger or, worst of all, Joan. But those impulses can also be dead on, and his idea to merge with another agency in order to score the Chevy account was, I think, genius.
Still, I find I’m focusing the most on this line: “Just once, I’d like to hear you use the word ‘we’,” uttered with disappointment by Joan. It’s always seemed like Joan and Don have so much in common. They do. But even Joan can be fed up with Don and his selfish, arrogant ways sometimes.
I also loved the Roger scenes this week, because for so long it’s seemed like he’s been on the way out. Pete, Kenny and Harry have been bringing in business – but Roger’s still got it, and with the help of a flight attendant named Daisy he landed a very big fish. The price was angering Megan’s mother.
The personal drama was all fantastic this week, too. Dr. Rosen quit his job out of frustration, so I expect that might mean a move or some other upheaval for him and Sylvia. Pete spotted his father-in-law at a brothel, and in turn both lost Vick’s Chemical as a client and any remaining shot he had at getting back together with Trudy.
Enough about me – what did you guys think?
