Don draper observing the creative room on Mad Men
A little bit of a longer (but still shortish) review of
tonight’s Mad Men as soon I introduce Bob Benson…
“First day of school, you nervous?”
-Ted
And so the morning after begins. After last week’s impulsive
decision to merge agencies Mad Men picks up with the direct aftermath. Egos
collide,mind games begin to be played, and history is repeated in another week
of great Mad Men.
Before we start with the office let’s begin with Don’s first
mind game target this week, Sylvia. The episode starts with Don overhearing
(through the elevator of course) a furious Sylvia telling off her husband and
him taking to the chase afterwards. Don’s attempts to control Sylvia once she
claims that he is all she needs, in a creepy yet fascinating turn of events
that takes on many forms. At first Sylvia is intrigued and almost turned on by
Don’s control, but slowly realizes what Don is doing isn’t very good at all, in
fact it’s brutally manipulative. Sylvia drops out of the manipulative affair
leaving Don lost as a puppy and doesn’t understand the situation, he’s lost
another mind game and is forced to return to his marriage looking worse than
ever before.
The power struggle in Don’s affair is a part of one of the
episode’s main themes history repeating itself. Peggy returns to the same
office with a similar introduction (although now on much friendlier terms then
way back in the first season) by Joan and to the same emotionally abusive and
self destructive boss she tried to get away from last season. Peggy is again
uncomfortable in the new environment with a group of people she didn’t want to
return to surrounding her again. Don hasn’t changed much since the last time
again using harsh words to describe his feelings towards her and often emposing
the same shadow upon her. He just isn’t empathetic and understanding like Teddy
was and still is. It’s a return to a familiar yet unflattering situation and
brings home how history is beginning to repeat itself.
But this time history is a little bit different. Last time
Peggy moved in and the agency was introduced Don didn’t have a near equal to
contend with like Ted. Ted is a Don who shows up on time with collaborative ideas
and not the self destructive mess of a worker that Don manages to be. Don tires
to take Ted down a peg with a drinking session (not unlike the one he tried to
put Roger through in season 1) and at first it seems to work, but ultimately it
seems childish and mundane. Ted rises above as he flies Don to a Mohawk airline
meeting and ultimately get’s Don to let him take the lead. While much is
parallel to an earlier time in the office much will change and the working
relationship between Don and Ted is one of those larger changes.
Then there is Pete who is now getting shut out and outmatched
in both his professional and personal lives. His dementia laden mother now has
to stay with him at the least opportune of times as Pete begins to be shut out
of his work (for example Don and Ted go to the Mohawk meeting without Pete).
Despite her Dementia Pete’s mother seems to be correct with her analysis of her
son and it seems to be hitting Pete in tough ways.
The episode ends with history repeating itself again with the
death of another Kennedy. As with the rest of the show history repeats itself slightly
differently with a different Kennedy being shot in a different way than before.
After the last Kennedy got assassinated Don’s life went into a downward spiral,
it will be interesting to see if history will repeat itself in that regard
again.
Some other Musings:
- Another point of history repeating itself Burt Peterson returned to the Sterling Cooper area again only to be fired by Roger right away. Roger seemed to take even more pleasure out of it as well.
- Bob Benson!!! Yes Bob learned the power of being nice to people this episode as him caring for Joan saved his job (and put him closer and closer to potentially screwing over Pete). Good old Bob also had a great scene with Burt Peterson after he was fired.
- While I feel bad for Peggy the character it’s great to see Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss getting to act in the same room again. They have always had great chemistry.
- With the relationship of Don and Meghan going the way it is do we need to see Betty ever again? I always ask this but I like the show so much better without her and Henry’s storylines.
- On the same kind of topic there hasn’t been much Sally so far…
For the last week I have exams so the review might be late
or super short again next week but after that freedom!
That’s just me though, what did everyone else think?
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