Mad Men “Field Trip” Review: Awkward Turtle

The Partners talk about some issues on Mad Men

Photo Credit: AMC TV

A Review of “Field Trip” as soon as I trade this second sandwich for some gum drops…

“I wish it was yesterday”

-Bobby

Don’t we all wish we could take back the things we do and say? As we move through this season of Mad Men we’re getting to the point where the characters of this show are beginning to look back on their actions and wonder if yesterday is better and whether going back to the way things were is the way to go. What we get is from this is a wonderful exploration of Don and Betty as each makes their awkward field trip and ends up (just like Bobby) looking for yesterday with varying results.

Don finally gets the old fashioned wake up call and tries getting back in action with some mostly positive results. The wake up comes with the fallout with Megan after he gets concerned with her slight meltdown in California (or at least so it’s described by her agent). The resulting concern gets them into a nasty argument that ends in Don spilling the beans of his work situation and Megan forcing him to leave out of a nasty (and mostly deserved) outburst from Megan. This is the first time that Don gets a wake up call and decides that now is the time that life needs to get back to the way it was, he needs to get his old job back and try to convince his wife that he is still actually in love with her. It’s an interesting step forward for Don one that he could have easily slid away from.

And Don is given a chance to slip away from his old life to in his old Hobo taught fashion, but alas he tries to actually make progress; there’s even a nice girl seemingly waiting in the wings for him to sleep with along the way. Don manages to persist and in a fit of determination he brings the offer to Roger and asks him to let him come back in. The scene between Don and Roger is magnificent both showing the decent and yet strange amount of trust and liking that the two share for each other. For Roger it’s a both a power move and a way to get someone he likes back in his office and for Don it’s a way to get his life back.

By the time Don ends up being told to come in is where the awkwardness begins. Roger in true Roger fashion doesn’t actually tell anyone about Don coming in causing a strange reaction of the whole office being mystified and confused, in many different ways to Don’s unexpected return. We get a very eccentric reaction from Ginsberg, a very awful reaction from Lou (who continues to be awful), and a very angry reaction from Peggy. The partners, on the other hand are concerned with the ongoing value of Don and whether he can actually be of use and how much the man will actually will cost both on a financial and personal level.

Turns out that after a fantastic scene with some shrewd negotiation from one Roger Sterling that they do end up wanting Don back on some very strict conditions; these conditions (which involved no alone time with the clients, sticking to the script, no drinking, and worst of all reporting to the awful Lou Avery) would force the old Don Draper to instantly turn it down, but we’re at the point with Don at the moment that he just wants to make it right and in a fantastically timed last shot Don agrees with an “ok.” This sets up a lot of awesome potential with either storylines of Don trying desperately to adapt or we could get an awesome Don versus Lou showdown that could make for some great psychological warfare. The whole awkward office situation was a wonderful sequence that sets up some hopefully great storylines as we get through the season.

The other major storyline involves the return of Betty for what the a field trip with Bobby that gives the episode its name. Betty tries to reconnect with her son throughout the trip and for a while it seems to be working (Bobby making sure his mother had a seat on the picnic towel is a very cute little scene) as Betty actually seems to be making an effort to reconnect with her son. Sadly it seems that Betty’s childish nature seems to catch up with her again (or maybe, as she tells Francine it’s “old fashioned”) as when Bobby trades Betty’s sandwich (without really figuring out that it’s Betty’s sandwich) for some candy leaving Betty on an all out tail spin. She goes into a mode of thinking that her kids don’t love her anymore and breaks down in front of Henry and really condemns Bobby after the food trade. It’s a familiar Betty arch but it will be curious to see if she ends up getting some redemption out of this arc as we continue to move through the season.

“Field Trip” was a wonderful episode that got Don back to work and Betty back on the show. I’m loving  the way the season is progressing and really looking forward to where we are going as we get closer to the end of this year (sadly due to the split we have only four left)

Some other thoughts:

• Along with the return of Betty we get the return of Harry Craine! He gets his moment in this episode with Cutler pointing out his dishonesty and the issue of a potential computer for the firm. It’s also great to see the blank reactions on the partner’s face when Harry’s name is mentioned, shows how much he really matters.
• Dawn seems to be adopting to her job decently despite the constant running around (and now dealing with Don again).

That’s all for this week folks! Exams are over so I should be back to a Sunday night review schedule next week! Sorry about the last two weeks...

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