It’s been several weeks since I’ve written anything about Mad Men. But as we’ve now passed the halfway point of Season 5 (wow, that went fast), I thought it might be a good time to check in with some thoughts. So here’s a "quick" recap on the past four episodes (and of course this will include spoilers!):
“Mystery Date” – I really enjoyed this “horror episode”. It was sort of gimmicky, and it seems the biggest complaint I've seen was that it didn’t fit the style of a typical Mad Men episode with some people put off by both the dark tone and of course the controversial fever-dream sequence. I’ll agree that the murder scene was disconcerting, but (not to toot my own horn) I told Mrs. right from the start that it had to be a dream. Anyway, I don’t mind the show branching out creatively and trying something different. I loved all the shots of people under beds and couches tying into the Speck murder theme. And we got to see Ginsberg in action pitching to the Topaz execs.
“Signal 30” – I was back and forth on this episode. Commenters on some of the blogs I read seemed to really enjoy the Pete and Lane fisticuffs. And although I didn’t love the fight scene, the reactions of Don, Roger, and Bert were priceless. I also thought the stuff with Pete in driver’s ed was a little creepy. But in the end, I loved the development we get with Pete, especially his scene with Don in the car and then at the end in the elevator where he tells Don he has nothing. Although I find it interesting that Pete, a partner in this firm, is still so desperately seeking Don’s approval. First with Pete telling Don at the dinner party how much of an honor it was to have Don in his house, and then in the car scene where he feels Don is judging him and he reacts so defensively. But the best part of the episode is that we find out Ken is still writing short stories (and doing quite well at it). Good for Mr. Cosgrove.
“Far Away Places” – This was yet another non-traditional Mad Men episode in many ways, but one in retrospect that was pretty amazing. And not just for the Roger/Jane LSD trip (although a lot for that). We also got to hear some back-story from Ginsberg as he tells Peggy that he’s a Martian because he couldn’t have been born in a concentration camp as his adoptive father told him. The Don/Megan fight was probably the weakest part of the episode, as their relationship continues to have wild swings, and the scenes with Don looking for her might have dragged a bit. And we won’t even talk about Peggy’s movie theater outing. The non-linear stories in this episode were confusing at first, but I do see how they fit in with the idea of being on an LSD trip.
“At the Codfish Ball” – And finally last week’s more traditional episode was Mad Men at the top of its game once again. Just an awesome episode, and probably the best of the season so far. Finding out Don’s anti-tobacco ad wasn’t the best idea after all. Roger just being Roger. Sally shining once again. The return of Glen (wait, that’s bad). And meeting the parents (Megan’s that is). If Don and Megan aren’t slowly turning into Roger and Jane, they could at least be transforming into her own parents. And by the way, are there no successful marriages in the Mad Men world? Maybe Ken and his wife? I mean, Don/Betty, Roger/Mona, Joan/Greg, Roger/Jane, Megan’s parents, Pete/Trudy, Lane/Lane’s wife, and I’m sure there’s more. It’s sad that Sal/Kitty might have had one of the more successful marriages.
And now some thoughts on where a few characters might be headed as we start the second half of the season:
Don – So we finally see a successful Draper pitch (it’s been awhile, huh?), even if it was mostly with Megan’s aid, but then Don gets hit with the blow that his anti-tobacco ad has backfired in a way he didn’t imagine. The question is, how does Don bounce back from this (or can he)? It might be time for another name change. I assume that he might have to take a more behind the scenes role in the firm, allowing one of his protégés to become the face of the creative team.
Peggy – She’s been trying to be the new Don and failing. Despite all the success we’ve seen from her, she’s still a woman in a man’s world. She’s caught between the traditional marriage route (Abe didn’t quite propose) and the working world (where she’s not quite a roaring success these days). She’s had to choose between the two worlds over the entire series, and now we see that both might lead to failure. Like Don, the question is how does Peggy bounce back from the adversity. My guess is that Abe is sent packing sooner than later. I mean he’s not the guy for her, right?
Roger – What can you say, Roger has just been awesome this season. The LSD trip, continuing to get all of the great one-liners, dropping cash left and right to bribe co-workers. Now that he’s cut bait with Jane and seems to maybe be taking a more active interest in work, I think we’ll continue to see a much happier Roger and I’m wondering if he won’t end up bringing in the big account that saves the firm (much to Pete’s chagrin). I'm still waiting to hear back from the owner of the wallet Lane found, and have we really seen the last of Connie Hilton?
Megan – Well, she finally has her big break out success, but I think she now fears she’ll always be in Don’s shadow. She sees that Peggy has only made it so far despite her talent. I’ve seen some opinions that after her conversation with her father she realizes that she shouldn’t be wasting her time in advertising, but instead chasing her dreams (whatever they may be). But I think she enjoys what she’s doing, but she knows that being married to the boss means she’ll never be taken seriously. I’m getting the feeling that Megan is not long for SCDP. I could see her spreading her wings and flying to another firm. I’ve also read several times that people think she’s going to be killed off (I’ve also seen the same about Pete and Roger – I’m not sure why everything thinks there will be a death this season). I’m not seeing it though, and in fact I think at season’s end Megan and Don will still be together and will be happy.
Pete – He’s definitely turning into the new Don, with maybe a touch of Roger. The house in the suburbs, cheating on the wife, getting in fist fights. All he’s missing is the drunken spiral and sleeping with a secretary. I’m interested in how it’s all going to work out for Pete. Maybe he'll go looking for his long lost son.
Joan – We’ve seen very little of Joan. Little Kevin must be taking too much of her time. Hopefully she finds a nanny so we can see some Joan and Roger interaction this season. They're both single now.
Michael – And don’t we also need more Ginsberg? Am I the only one who wants to hear another pitch like the Cinderella one? I have a feeling he’s going to play a bigger part for the rest of the season. Couldn’t he step up now that Don’s name is soiled in the industry? He’s got the personality and I could see him winning over some clients. And wouldn’t that cause some issues with Peggy?
Dawn – I really thought when Dawn was introduced that she would play a bigger role with the Civil Rights movement front and center. So far, not so much, but I’m curious if we’ll get more before season end.
Sally – If nothing else can we all agree that between the inevitable drugs and eventually therapy, the 70’s are going to be a wild ride for little Sally.
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