Mad Men: “For Immediate Release” Review: Some Quick Thoughts

 Roger and Don waiting for the Chevy pitch in Mad Men

A really quick array of bullets on tonight’s Mad Men (sorry I’m still in full exam mode) as soon as I fall down the stairs well being furious…

“Never felt better in my life.”

-Don

Wow that was amazing! If last week’s episode was my least favorite episode then this was easily my favorite (no contest)! What an entertaining hour of television! Here are some quick thoughts before I retreat back into my hiddy hole:

• Pete fell down the stairs! And there is a gif! http://i.imgur.com/oQnzqR3.gif  (sorry had to get that out of the way)

• So many parallels in this one (you’d think that David Simon wrote it). Let’s start with Don and Pete. At the premiere I mentioned that Pete was trying to do affairs like Don and ended up failing at it. Here he tries to get out of situations like Don and utterly fails at it. Mind you Don only gets out of it through a series of lucky coincidences and his actions will still have major consequences. It’s all about how it ends up though and Don’s impulses end up with a merger and Chevrolet and a dumping with Herb and Pete get’s a divorce and a loss of an account.  Both are reckless and utterly impulsive, one ends well the other ends with utter destruction.

• Speaking of the merger there were some great callbacks to the two best Mad Men episodes ever (“Shut the Door and Have a Seat” from season 3 and “The Suitcase” from season 4) in this one. First instead of yelling at her and breaking down crying when distressed Teddy kisses Peggy! And Peggy likes it! A great parallel drawn to Don before Don actually merges with Ted and his company! For Chevy! That scene in the bar was one that was absolutely fantastic, with the conversation of how they weren’t going to win apart but they could, crazily enough win together. So very, very great!

• Even better Peggy’s shock! Peggy get’s to walk in to that room expecting one thing and get’s Don telling her that they got it. The horror that Peggy was feeling in that moment was perfectly conveyed by Elizabeth Moss. Peggy has to go back to working for the man she tried to get away from for 2 seasons and when she finally did, she ends up right back where she started. I can’t wait to see how this new dynamic turns out in the next few weeks.

• Poor Pete, poor little piggy. While I mentioned him a bit above Pete really screwed up this episode. First off trying to go public behind people’s backs (at least it gave Bert something interesting to do) was interesting. Then trying to be impulsive with his father in law who saw him in a brothel and losing both the account and his dwindling marriage was just sad to watch. Then again he really diserved that one, he’s had it coming for a while.

• While Joan only got a few scenes in this one, her reaction to Don dumping Jaguar was easily one of the many highlights of the episode.

• It’s good to know Megan isn’t dumb and knows that her Marriage was slowly going down the toilet and so she impulsively put on a dress that made her and Don have some loud wall sex.

• Secret agent Roger! Sleeping with a flight attendant easily one of the best things that you can do I guess. By the way Mad Men, doing ABC’s Pan Am better then Pan Am ever could.

• More impulses with Arnold quitting his job! Giving Don the chance to give some interesting Don phrases (call back to some “Shut the Door and Have a Seat” stuff)

What an amazing week for this amazing show! I can’t wait to see how this will play out! Easily one of the most entertaining hours of television that I have watched in a long time.

Remember I’m busy with exams again next week so next week’s review will either be late or look like this again…

That’s just me though. What did everyone else think?