Well the Mad Men Season 5 premiere has come and gone. So was it worth the wait? I have to say I think it was. I really enjoyed the premiere and it set the table for another great season. Mrs. put it best when she told me that you know it’s good when you watch it for over two hours and after it's over you still wish there was more.
SPOILERS ahead!
We got answers to most of the lingering question from my previous post:
- Season 5 picks up in June 1966 right after the Memorial Day holiday. Which means we’ve moved ahead about 8 months from the Season 4 finale. I for one am glad they didn’t move too far ahead.
- Don and Megan are indeed married and living in a posh Manhattan apartment. No kids (yet), but Don does seem to have at least partial custody of Sally, Bobby (another new actor?), and Gene. Only time will tell if Don can be faithful in his latest marriage. In a way Don isn’t Don (which Peggy pointed out) in this new happy newlywed state. One thing that should help is working in the same office with his new wife and going to work and then leaving for home with her. Much less likely he’ll end up lying to her about a late client meeting while he’s off with some new love interest.
- Yes Joan has had the baby (loved the name!) and it seems like Roger knows it’s his, right? I mean I know Joan told him she was pregnant with his child last season and he must have known she didn’t go through with the abortion (you know since she had a baby and all), so he must know. I’m pretty sure that was an admiring look he gave the little one when he was holding it.
- SCDP doesn’t seem to be rolling in cash yet. As Ken put it, the firm is “stable”, but they need to pick up some big clients soon. And it does look like Cooper is back, or at least back to sitting around without an office doing nothing. And it seems like Pete and Peggy are basically the stars of the show now, continuing the theme we’ve seen in past seasons of out with the old (Roger, Don) and in with the new. It will be interesting to see where this goes this season.
Some of my favorite moments from the premiere:
Loved the scene when Joan visits the office with the new baby, especially 1) Roger saying “there’s my baby” but meaning Joan (but of course implying something else), 2) Megan telling Peggy, when she’s left with the baby and asks what she should do, to just leave it on some church steps. Ouch. Now I’m of the opinion that this was an innocent remark by Megan and don’t think Don revealed Peggy’s secret to her, but either way, ouch, and 3) Pete’s face when he walks into the room with Peggy and the baby and their whole awkward encounter where Peggy tries to get him to take the baby.
Peggy’s quote about the newly happy Don, “I don’t recognize that man. He’s kind and patient.”
Pete becoming the new Don complete with the train ride in from the suburbs, a “trophy” wife he’s starting to resent, a baby, and even a house that looks eerily like Don’s old house (this is where Mrs. goes on a rant about all suburban houses looking the same). And note that after Pete gets home late he goes into the dark kitchen and does a shot – well, a handful of cereal at least.
The whole surprise party really, but especially Roger and Jane’s interactions. They really could be the ghosts of Christmas future for Don and Megan couldn’t they?
Pete tricking Roger into going to a fake meeting with Coca-Cola at 6am in Staten Island. Bravo Mr. Campbell, bravo.
Other random thoughts:
No Betty or Henry in this episode. Wonder what the state of their marriage is. And no Faye, but I still think we haven’t seen the last of her.
If the premiere is any indication it looks like this season will have the civil rights movement front and center. It will be interesting to see how this affects SCDP and if the old guard, like Roger, can get on board with the changing culture.
And thank you Mad Men for having Megan serenade Don with that “Zou Bisou Bisou” song. It’s stuck in our heads! Get it out!
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