Mad Men “The Collaborators” Review: Affairs Gone Wrong

Don Draper thinking alone at an Italian Restaurant in Mad Men

A Review of this week's Mad Men coming up just as soon as I choose my Italian meal…

“It’s all about what it looks like isn’t it.”

-Pete

The last season of Mad Men had really one noticeable dud and that was the Jon Hamm directed episode “Tea Leaves.” It was a dud for numerous reasons, the most glaring being it’s focus (and technically introduction) to fat Betty. The episode was the sour point on an otherwise pretty amazing season of television. Cut to season six with the second Jon Hamm directed episode “The Collaborators” and one will find no such blemish. “ The Collaborators” was another great Mad Men hour and continues a great rolling start to the season.

Don is really going through a lot right now that’s for sure. The season opened with him feeling lost in his own little world and this episode continued to bring that point home. It’s gotten bad with his marriage as at this point Megan is afraid to tell Don about her having a miscarriage. She’s so terrified to tell him at this point she confines with Silvia, the woman with whom Don is having an affair with, about the miscarriage before confining with Don about it. It’s scary that Megan is more intertwine with Sylvia then with Don at this point. Megan is so distraught she fires the maid! While it ultimately turns out to be fine once she tells Don it, it’s still telling about the state of their marriage compared to what it was way back in the height of last season.

But truthfully it’s all about how you handle it in public, and Don handles it exquisitely. Don handles being left alone with Sylvia at dinner brilliantly in one of the most dynamite sequences I’ve viewed in quite a while. The dance like dialogue intercut with the opera music and the sex was gloriously shot and edited in every way. Add on one of the fiercest and dynamic conversations in recent Mad Men memory and the sequence itself was nearly perfect intercutting both the awkward rules and feelings of the affair emotionally with the playful sexual desire of both parties.

At this Point that sexual desire is what’s compelling both Don and Sylvia through this affair that it seems that both parties aren’t emotionally comfortable with. Sylvia is close to Megan and has a liking for the woman so she feels rather uncomfortable at times with sleeping with someone whose friend next door is married to. Don seems to begin to get uncomfortable with the ladies being as close as they are and Megan ultimately finding out about the situation. Even so Don continues to go back to Sylvia and Sylvia to Don. Don seemingly can’t help himself, as was seen with his relationship with Betty, and is a machine of want. No matter how happy he seems to be in his marriage he will literally cheat under Megan’s nose to fulfill his want. It’s the deep dark cycle that doesn’t ever seem to end.

It may, ultimately, have something to do with his past. Through flashbacks we got to see the life that young Dick Whitman lived in that strange shared residence where he witnessed the sleazy Max sleeping with his mother while spying through a peephole. If there was one slight problem with the episode it was the strange flashbacks that were interspersed through the episode. The scenes felt a little out of place in the episode, and while they accomplished their goal theme wise, felt a little strange within the rest of the episode. That being said they were short enough to not harm the episode in any way they were just kind of strange.

While Don can’t seem to hold on to his personal life he sure can handle himself in the workplace. Good old Herb returns in this episode with a vengeance hitting on Joan and asking for a different style of advertising his product that would ultimately hurt the business as a whole. After a little consideration, and a good battle with Pete, Don throws the suggestion for a loop delivering one of the purposefully worst idea pitches of his career in the most hilarious scene of the last two episodes (it had me when Don was suggesting putting adds for Jaguars in the Sunday paper and talking about how they could sell them alongside used cars as well, brilliant!). Don will break the rules to get what’s best for the company and he shows a level of passion that he hasn’t placed in the job in a very long time.

Then there is Pete who after taking most of last episode off came back into focus in a most unfavorable light. Pete continues to have a tough time in almost every facet of his life, especially personally. In the office Pete seems to hang on by a thread as he seems to be a puppet for the companies that he represents, even more so than other accounts men. Pete looks like the fool when Don shows up Herb and ultimately get’s blamed for it. Also that young guy Bob seems to be after Pete in the long run.

Despite all that where Pete’s life seems to hurt the most is at home. Pete is trying to sleep around but is kind of doing it all wrong and thus makes things complicated. Pete is clearly, as usual, trying to imitate the Don lifestyle with the inner-city apartment and the many mistresses. The problem is that it’s obvious to Trudy exactly what he’s doing. Trudy always seemed savvier than any one of Don’s two wives and when Pete is foolishly sleeping with the woman who lives a few houses down from him, she’s sure to find out no problem. Trudy is clearly insulted when she puts the pieces together, not because he was cheating on her, but because he made it so obvious. It was fantastic to watch her say that she will destroy him if he even pisses on their property again without her permission. Pete’s marriage is now out the window and his personal life in mayhem, he’s beginning the trip to rock bottom much sooner than Don the man who he’s been, oh so poorly, trying to be.

Then there is the other half of Don’s presence Peggy who also is forced to break a few rules this week in the name of work. When her boss catches her usual late night call with Stan, who talked about the Heinz ketchup debacle, she is forced to go against friendship to get a head start on the account. While it’s hard to say where this will lead Peggy as the new Don of another office character arc intrigues me especially with her minions (that’s what I’ll call them) not liking her style of running things.

“The Collaborators” was another great episode in season six that continued to stick its characters down the rabbit hole. Lives and relationships are being tested in newer, more solid ways and thus are ultimately crumbling before people’s feet. It will be most interesting to see where the show takes these arcs over the next ten episodes.

Other Musings:

• Joan hasn’t gotten much to do in these last two episodes but what Christina Hendricks got to do with her two scenes here was absolutely excellent. I’m happy to see her and I’m sure we’re going to get tons more Joan as the season moves on.

• Go Trudy! It’s great to see a wife on this show that isn’t clueless to her husband’s affairs.

• Peggy (as glossed over a bit earlier) hasn’t quite gotten respect from her workers. It’s hard to use the Draper strategy when you’re a woman in the sixties I guess.

• This was a super well directed episode, including the great dinner and sex montage and a couple of wonderfully put together shots. Props to Jon Hamm indeed.

But that’s just me. What did everyone else think?

Mad Men “The Doorway” Review: Men of a Certain Age

Roger, Don, and Pete Return in Mad Men

Mad Men returned tonight and a review coming up right after lots and lots of new haircuts!

“Midway through my life’s journey I went astray to find myself in a dark world.”

-The Inferno

Have you ever felt lost? Maybe you’re a dining with two soul mates or lost in a club you were never support to be at. Or on a trip to Hawaii with a wife whom you don’t quite know how and why you’re with, perhaps. When Mad Men left last season Don Draper was being asked by a fairly attractive young club girl “Are You Alone?” Cut back to “The Doorway” and Don Draper’s answer would most certainly be yes, not only in his seemingly one sided marriage but also in his disconnection from the life that is progressing around him.

Matt Wiener and crew begin Don’s very wandering journey through his new life in the bright sprawling beeches of Hawaii. Through his speechless journey (other than the internally read Inferno quote seen above) in his marriage we see what Don’s once mutually happy relationship has turned into. Don doesn’t feel it anymore despite Megan clearly having full investment in their relationship. He doesn’t speak a word as Megan consistently attempts to give great affection to the man. It’s evident later on in the episode as the slideshow of Don’s relationship comes and goes that he really is nowhere to be found mentally as he plays bystander in his own marriage.

That leads of course to the reveal at the end of the episode that Don is sleeping around again this time with Rosen’s wife Sylvia. Even in affair Don Draper isn’t the same as he used to be he’s more aware of who he is and what he’s doing even as he continues to go down the same rabbit hole. His final resolution to Sylvia that “I want to stop doing this” is cold and unexpected. Don Draper is trapped by his own self it’s evident he wants and needs to change.

It’s not only Don’s marriage that he is lost in, but he’s just lost in his life in general. Sleepless in Hawaii Don wanders down to the bar alone (yet again) to find the wonderful spitting image of his past. PFC Dinkins is on his wedding day just off duty on his service in Vietnam. He says he’s got a better chance of surviving with something to fight for and asks Don about his life and job. He wants to steal Don’s life and escape just as Don stole the life of the man that came before him.

The experience of talking and ultimately giving the bride too the young man who is probably going to die shakes Don to the absolute core. We see Don return to his life in utter confusion as he feels lost in almost every facet of it. He returns to an office that has been rearranged for photos, and copywriters who look so very different than we all remember from earlier seasons. The world is changing but the man hasn’t changed; he’s a non changing man in a changing world and is suffering for it. Even his conversation habits are entirely predictable, as Pete points out mid way through the episode predicting every step of the conversation that him and Don were having. Don is a lost man in a new world and that wonderful symbol of the lighter, that reminds him of the young man on his way to hell, serves as a reminder to drive it home.

That being said Don’s not entirely on his old game either. His pitch to the Royal resort folks is reflective yet completely confusing resulting in the company executives thinking of death. As we’ve viewed through the last few seasons Don’s no longer in his prime often not being able to be social (as evidenced by his throwing up at Roger’s Mother’s funeral) nor display his ideas as an advertiser something he could do before as a younger man all these years ago.

The person who seems to be taking the mantle of Don Draper 2.0 is Peggy who seems to be fitting in quite nicely to her job at the rival agency. Peggy is now great under pressure saving the at risk add campaign at the very end with a cool idea that seems to work very well. At the same time Peggy seems to have picked up many of the habits of her old boss, she’s able to forcefully comfort the client allowing her to move on with the piece, and she’s very hard on her seemingly competent enough copywriters making them stay and come up with ideas for the campaign that she already has a better one for on New Year’s eve.

Of the character transformation progresses made in “The Doorway” Peggy’s is by far the easiest. She doesn’t have to give up her previous values and “die” to transform and change in the way many other characters on the show have to (more on that below). She seems to be happy and confident; she has a boyfriend who believes in her, and a life that, while dominated by work, is smoother and ultimately better than many of the other lives on the show.

The next closest to being happy surprisingly is Betty, and she’s nowhere close. While the Francis family life now seems to be comfortable, with wonderful Sandy playing violin in the background, Betty still doesn’t seem happy with where she is and what she is doing in her life. From her exceedingly dark humor towards her husband to the awkward search for Sandy, Betty just doesn’t seem to be as happy as she seems in the opening scenes (which nicely completely contrast that of the Drapers)

The bulk of the Betty story comes from wrestling with the social change monster that in Sandy. After not being accepted into Julliard Sandy is entranced with the hippy dreamer lifestyle and decides to move away from her now guardian, prompting Betty to get her own look at the changing world around her. What she finds is startling too her, and, as many characters on this show are now feeling, she feels lost in the new worldly ideals around her. Once she comes back with a new hair color and an attempted new style it is still the old Betty (now less fat but not quite her old self again) trapped inside the changing world.

If there was anything in the episode that did feel a tad awkward it was the Betty storyline. It didn’t feel as if it led to as much as some of the other character arcs and ultimately felt like a mumble jumble middle to the episode. Ultimately this doesn’t come as a surprise as Betty and what she stands for has always seemed to be the slightly weaker spot of the show. The story arc still worked well but compared to the rest of the storylines Betty still feels like the lesser one.

That leaves us with Roger, dear, poor can’t feel anything Roger. If Don Draper is lost Roger is even more lost in his life. He’s now been through two wives and is continuously trying to reinvent himself. In the episode we see Roger unable to feel anything about his mother dying and not being able to connect to his family whom he still holds dear. Roger can’t get anything out of his daughter other than a plea for money and she still sees him as a bag of cash just waiting to be exploited. Roger doesn’t have much of a workplace presence either as he is still left in the background as a figure of the past. He’s not yet at the Burt Cooper level of not being there but he’s no longer the talkative workman he used to be.

Roger seems to realize this change, and his inability to deal with it more than Don does though thanks to his newly instated therapist. He realizes that he essentially has to recreate himself completely or “die” to realize change within himself. He’s already done it a few times leaving a trail of destruction for the poor people behind him. He states his feelings in the thesis establishing monologue of the episode, “What are the events in life? It's like you see a door. The first time you come to it, you say, 'What's on the other side of the door?' Then you open a few doors, and you say, 'I think I want to go over the bridge this time. I'm tired of doors.' Finally you go through one of these things, you realize that's all there are: doors, and windows, and bridges and gates. And they all open the same way. And they all close behind you. Look, life is supposed to be a path, and you go along, and these things happen to you, and they're supposed to change, you, change your direction. But it turns out that's not true. Turns out the experiences are nothing. They're just some pennies you pick up off the floor, stick in your pocket. You're just going in a straight line to You Know Where.” He knows where he’s off too and where he is going and it all leads to yet another door that leads to nowhere.

Ultimately (as you can see by the amount of writing that has gone into this review) I’m just happy that this show is back. This was a great, dark premiere that had great moments all the way through the episode. I’m so very happy that this show is in my life again and I’m very excited to go through the next 11 episodes as the season progresses.

Other Musings:

• Not much Pete this episode but he had my favorite conversation with Don this episode and an awful haircut!

• Lots and lots of death imagery here. It definitely goes with the theme of the episode and created a very dark effect throughout the episode

• Sandy plays Chopin on the violin when she should be playing it on the piano

• Sally seems to be taking the Don advice on how to avoid conversations with Betty and is overall growing into quite an angsty teenager

• Great cinematography in Hawaii those scenes were absolutely gorgeous

• Ken Cosgrove was back into full dedicated to his job mode as he shut down a poor guy looking for some catering business. I guess writing didn’t go so well for the poor guy

• Oh Harry, sigh have you ever gotten disgusting

Let’s end it there though or I won’t be able to stop! Great Premiere! But that’s just me what did everyone else think?

“I’ll see you at the movies” Remembering Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

A Thumbs Up from the late great Roger Ebert

“So on this day, of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I’ll see you at the movies.”

-Roger Ebert

The final words that the great Roger Ebert wrote are of course ones of reflection and positivity. Roger Ebert’s final words to his readers, written less than 48 mere hours before his sudden and unfortunate death on Thursday, is his goodbye presented in only the way he could write them, with a smiling optimism and grace. Roger Ebert loved life and what he did; he lived his dream for 48 years and throughout transported his millions of readers and viewers on that dream along with him.

I never knew, nor would have imagined knowing, Mr. Ebert personally in any facet but his writing and life has left a giant impact on me. It seemed with every piece Mr. Ebert would write, whether in a review, a great movies essay, passionate political blog post, or a short twitter message that there would be a little piece of him inserted in everything. Not a write went by that one couldn’t see a piece of his heart present inside of it. 

Even when reviewing an awful film that he hated Mr. Ebert would let it out with a heated passion in his writing. Mr. Ebert’s enthusiasm was always on display and one can’t help feeling like they knew a part of Roger Ebert every time they read his works.

Then there is the writing itself. Roger Ebert was always the best, most creative writer in film critique. His 1975 Puzzler award is proof of that ability. Roger always had an eloquence and personality in his writing that only a select few contained. Reading a Roger Ebert review wasn’t like reading any other film review, it was introspective and critical, yet eloquent and deeply personal. It never followed any particular formula, never said the same things, and was always a blast to read.

Those reviews that he would write were also what revolutionized the art of film criticism forever. Roger Ebert and his partner the late and equally great Gene Siskel took film critique to a wide audience. They showed the world the power and emotion of film, from the great successes to the small films that they would champion. It was strange that two middle age men on public television would revolutionize the art film criticism forever but it worked and it was magical. Without the influence that Roger Ebert (and Gene Siskel) film criticism would not be the same today.

In the end Roger Ebert loved the movies. He was and will forever be a revolutionary writer and a kind and optimistic man. While one may not have agreed with everything he had to say one can’t deny the love and soul that Roger Ebert put into every one of his pieces. Roger Ebert was a massively powerful presence in American writing history and most certainly will be missed.

“I’ll see you at the movies.”

-Roger Ebert

The Walking Dead “Welcome to the Tombs” Review

 Carl looks at the badge in The Walking Dead

Some thoughts on the finale of The Walking Dead and the season as a whole coming right up right after another showrunner change…

“In this life now, you kill or you die. Or you die and you kill.”

-The Governor

Wow what a mess! The Walking Dead’s fall run was easily its best as producer Glen Mazzara seemed to balance the ship and deliver consistently good episodes that didn’t frustrate me to death week in and week out. Then the spring season came and returned the show into the uneven mess it has always been. Sure we got some very good episodes including the best of the whole series “Clear” and last week’s very solid “The Sorrowful Life” (both written by new showrunner Scott Gimple) but for every step forward the Walking Dead took two backwards. The season finale “Welcome to the Tombs” is a great representation of how the show has been as a whole throughout the spring half of the season, a series of good moments marred by some strange decisions and bad characterization that ultimately comes out as an utter mess.

Let’s start with Andrea, poor sweet Andrea who gets the big dramatic moment of the episode by, you guessed it, dying! The way the writers have treated Andrea as a character this season has been a big problem. The dumbness in which Andrea operated with this season was quite startling and her ultimate reasoning of “I wanted no one to die” was forced and really emphasized all the poor decisions the writers made with Andrea this year.  That being said the scene that she shared with Milton after the Governor stabbed him a million times so he would die and turned was fairly fantastic and was a great payoff to Milton’s fairly interesting character.

Andrea’s death itself was fairly well done. While her reasoning for being dumb throughout the season still felt forced, the scene that she shared with Michonne before offing herself was ultimately well done and worked on enough levels to be satisfying. While I didn’t like where the character went this season at least she got a decent, slightly redeeming death, in the vein of Laurie’s death in the first half of the season.

Then there was the Governor’s anticlimactic attack on the prison. The scene in the prison, while decent throughout seemed to drag for the ultimate payoff it gave. The Governor ended up retreating and alive without much harm. Then the scene that followed again seemed to take him away from reality as he went all boogieman and shot up the people he took with him before taking off with his henchmen. The writers don’t seem to know what the Governor character is and ultimately throughout the season he’s gone from kind of grounded to completely over the top. It’s a strange move and it will be interesting to see how the character comes into play come next season.

The other interesting character beat to mention was Carl’s sudden transformation into hardened, Governor like killer whose opinion seems to contradict Rick’s at every turn. I liked the turn and the potential tension it can bring but there didn’t seem to be a character arc to get us from the Carl presented as recently as “Clear” to the Carl presented here. There didn’t seem to be any strong evidence to back up the seemingly sudden turn and while it worked it seemed a little odd.

Ultimately the Walking Dead ends on a strange note. The idea of the Woodburry elderly coming to the prison seems odd even with the Governor’s wrath, as Woodburry seems to have resources and electricity and the prison is well a prison. Either way it’s going to be interesting to see how the next, showrunner/victim Scott Gimple will handle the show going into season 4. He did write the two best episodes of the season after all…

Some other Musings:

• I’m happy that Michonne has become a much better character throughout the last few episodes and her scene with Rick was one of her better efforts to become more sympathetic.

• R.I.P. Glen Mazzara as showrunner of The Walking Dead. Who knows what argument he got into with Kirkman that forced him to part ways with the show but for all intensive purposes he did well enough in his brief time as showrunner.

• Let’s hope Carol doesn’t re-become our super annoying female character that the writers have no idea how to write for. I actually liked her this season

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