Don and Roger waiting for an elevator on Mad Men
Photo Credit: AMC TV
It’s rewatch time!! For the first time ever this summer we
will be watching an old season of a television show over the course of several
weeks. Installments will be posted Sundays and Wednesdays with the posts
spoiling only the episode that is being talked about. This summer the rewatch
is on the first season of Mathew Weiner’s 1960’s period piece Mad Men, one of
the great first seasons of television.
Some thoughts on “Red in the Face” as soon as I explain what a chip and dip is…
“At some point we’ve all parked in the wrong garage.”
-Roger
The main conflict throughout Mad Men’s excellent seventh
hour involves both the battle of the era through childish means. In a meeting about
the Nixon campaign early on in the episode Pete is told off by Bert Cooper for
being young after he ways the positives of Kennedy going into office.
Throughout the episode the old and new generations clash for superiority and
the childish instincts of both parties begin to come out in many different
ways.
One of the more comedic areas of childish thoughts is Pete’s
manliness as personified through a rifle. After getting rid of a chip and dip
(which he is forced to explain many times hilariously) Pete uses his garnered
store credit to buy a ridiculous looking hunting rifle, which he proudly
parades in the office and gets into big trouble for back at home. The scenes
with the rifle (epically the very hilariously creepy fetishistic description to
Peggy) are on the one hand absolutely hilarious and on the other hand telling
of Pete in general. All Pete wants to be is wanted and desired and it seems
that with his little piece of manhood (the gun) he feels that way. The look of
both creeped out shock and potential awe that Peggy gives him after the hunting story
provides him with a strange sense of self worth and dignity. It’s clear that
Pete, despite getting yelled at at home that Pete gets more joy out of the
rifle than that chip and dip (you put chips on either side and dip in the
middle…).
The more disturbing example of childish thoughts comes on
Betty’s end. The opening of the episode continues Don’s spying on Betty via her
psychiatrist and while it continues to be wrong it does provide potential insight
into Betty’s character. Being stuck in the same routine for years with little
support at times from Don it seems no wonder that Betty is trapped in a bit of
a rut emotions wise. Mind you that doesn’t make the sequences any less
disturbing, in fact it makes it even more so during the sequence when she goes
directly to slapping Helen Bishop in the supermarket. It’s even worse when
Betty is trapped admiring Roger after Roger’s drunken run-in (more on that in
just a sec). She just seems trapped in these routines and thus her emotions and
thoughts seem to be trapped in childish routines as well.
Despite the gravity of both those subplots the true focus
was the generational battle between Don and Roger. Sure they are in a way
friends but lines were crossed and a test of might must be had. Yes at their unfortunate
drunk dinner Roger believes to be picking up vibes from Betty and in his drunkenness
came on to her while Don went into the garage to grab more boos. Don clearly
notices the flirting and even after Roger’s maybe heartfelt apology Don must
take Roger to task. Thus the childish drinking and stairs competition begins!
Don and Roger, after trading war philosophies go head to head in a high class oyster
and martini battle. Things work out just fine for the both of them until they have
to take the (gasp) stairs where Roger loses his grip on the boos and throws up
right before the Nixon campaign people. Don’s boyhood since of victory is a triumphant
feeling for him. Don has always seemingly had to prove his might against
certain people and the one against Roger is another notch in his belt. The behavior,
like most in “Red in the Face” is childish and provides Don with momentary (and
potentially permanent) since of victory.
“Red in the Face” continues Mad Men’s midseason run of
amazing episodes with one that finds similar inner emotions within its
characters. Not only that but the seventh hour of Mad Men provides its ideas in
all sorts of different ways from the humorous to the downright disturbing. It’s
a fine hour of television, one that keeps on analyzing the depth and complexity
that each of these characters are developing.
Some other musings:
- Peggy is gaining some weight. The reactionary snack cart scene is when it becomes increasingly noticeable.
- Man is Pete’s hunting story creepy, but at the same time hilarious. Vincent Karthiser has his moments of comedic brilliance and the intensity in which he told that hunting story gets lots of laughs out of me.
- Roger has the best drunken stories! Not only that but this is the first time where John Slattery really gets to be a bigger part of the show! He’s fantastic throughout all of this episode!
That's just me though. What did everyone else think?
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