Bert, Pete, and Don discussing matters 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.
Thoughts on the penultimate episode of Mad Men’s first
season right after I write an epic play in one act…
“Mr. Campbell. Who Cares?”
-Bert Cooper
After watching “Nixon vs. Kennedy” again it made me very
happy that I will ultimately end up doing articles on both this episode and the
final episode “The Wheel” over the time span of two days. Mathew Weiner and his
crew really did save the best two episodes for last. No matter how much I love
the rest of the season (and I really love the rest of the season a lot) “Nixon
vs. Kennedy” and tomorrow night’s episode “The Wheel” really bring it because
of just the sheer amount of satisfying resolution both these episodes bring. “Nixon
vs. Kennedy” is an excellent episode that provides many climaxes and
continuations to a lot of the show’s big arcs.
Let’s start right away with the Don, Pete, and Bert power
off. The tension that leads up to Bert’s fantastic shrug off is phenomenal. It’s
not that the reaction is all that surprising; it’s actually perfectly in
character for Bert and all his Ayn Rand lovingness. It’s a perfect climax to
the Pete, Don conflict that has been on a bit of rollercoaster throughout the
season as it shows really how ridiculous Pete has been making this conflict over
the course of these episodes. It doesn’t really matter where Don has come from
and Pete’s lust and slight stupidity short sights him from actually realizing
how bad this conflict is ultimately making him look.
Of course the other big plot point that gets resolved in “Nixon
vs. Kennedy” is how Dick Whitman became Don Draper. We find out through
flashbacks midway through the episode that Don stole a dead man’s identity and
not only that but he stole his dead lieutenant’s identity. After the explosion
all that Don could think about is a way out (as we see when he goes to Rachel
midway through the episode which we’ll get too) and thus we get the slow train
ride away as he watches Adam trying to get the family to recognize that he is
in fact the one on the train and not the one in the coffin.
The final point of Don’s arc in this episode is his brush
with trying to escape with Rachel. Before Bert Cooper gives his big “who cares”
speech Don is actually nervous about what is going to happen to the life that
he has built. So he goes instantly to the instinct that the hobo taught him and
that is to run away from the situation. Unfortunately for Don the whole running
away thing doesn’t sit right with Rachel and she turns him down with fantastic venom.
Rachel finally realizes that this guy is really a tragic coward and that he
will look for chances to run if he has to. Rachel smartly wants no part of him
and swats him like a fly in the form of kicking him to the curb.
The rest of the episode focused on the party held at the office
during the election night. “Nixon vs. Kennedy” through the lens of the party
provided some great insight into some of the supporting cast in ways not previously
done. Take for example the untold relationship between Paul and Joan that was
ruined by Paul having an unfortunately large mouth. The scene between the two
of them is brief but so sweet and telling of exactly who these people are and
how they interact.
The whole party sequence was just great in general thanks to
the brilliant fashion it was shot by director Alan Taylor. The sequence was
shot in such an energetic fashion with the camera moving in such a cinematic
fashion. Taylor has always had a great eye (I mean he did establish the look of
the series) and the flair he has in the party scene shows the best that the
show can look. Like this episode as a whole it’s fantastic stuff.
Man I love this show so very much!
Some other musings:
- While Harry Crain has been the least developed of the supporting cast so far the scene we get with him and Pete’s secretary is both a little beautiful and very heartbreaking as he realize what’s happened after the storm of drunkenness
- Jon Hamm is so great when he plays vulnerable. Hamm has always gone all out with the character never holding back when faced with a situation that makes his character look awful or cowardly. And boy does Don look bad in that sequence with Rachel!
This is a short one I’ll have a lot to say about “The Wheel”
and what makes this a great season in general tomorrow so let’s move on…
Coming up Friday: “The Wheel” the season finale!
That’s just me though. What did everyone else think?
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