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Shageletic posted:Hey the guy mentioned how silly the show and fanbase is. Sounds like a good critical take to me. I didn’t say the fan base was silly the show is. But it’s a TV show they are silly to a degree. Even the wire the king of the serious show is pretty silly. I know your a bit of a fanboy but it’s okay
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Feb 26, 2021 12:45
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vinylon you're saying that the message of the show is bullshit to a bunch of people who love the message of the show. there really isn't a critical response to "I think Weiner fails to deliver the message he thinks he's delivering" other than "okay." If you genuinely think that, there isn't any evidence or new information that will make you change your mind because death of the author is inherently based on opinion and not on fact. As a result, people naturally get frustrated because there's nothing for them to respond to in your screeds except to post about how they're frustrated now that I've explained the situation, please stop posting about this subject so we can all get back to arguing in spoilers about the best dance in mad men. personally I think it's Peter's jig at the beginning of this season when he thinks he's become head of accounts
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Feb 26, 2021 16:00
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The Klowner posted:
I vote for Sal demonstrating his choreography to Kitty, along with her reaction to it.
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Feb 26, 2021 16:06
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Cat Army
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I love Ken's tapdance and Cooper's the best things in life are free. But I also like Pete and Trudy's dance together at the derby day party.
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Feb 26, 2021 17:37
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MightyJoe36 posted:I vote for Sal demonstrating his choreography to Kitty, along with her reaction to it. Strong contender. Also high on the "most cringe inducing scene" list.
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Feb 26, 2021 17:57
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Surely the best dance is Peggy and Abe at Don's birthday?
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Feb 26, 2021 18:29
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The Klowner posted:
Zou Bisou Bisou
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Feb 26, 2021 19:34
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I think the best phone conversation is when Lane gets the call from London, firing him for firing everyone. He's just so  during it.
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Feb 26, 2021 20:28
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The best dance is the Pete/Trudy Charleston at the Derby Day party. It's such a fun moment and seasons later, when things are on the rocks, you remember it and think "These two crazy kids are more alike than they want to admit, they're going to work this out." Their dance is also a nice contrast to Don and Betty, who used to be the attention-getting happy young couple at work events. Now they're watching it from the sidelines, visibly cool on each other. (And Betty just let some creep rub her stomach.)Sash! posted:I think the best phone conversation is when Lane gets the call from London, firing him for firing everyone. He's just so Playing dumb the whole time and capping it off with a big, bright "Very good! Happy Christmas!"  Roger faking the call to Lee Garner after they get the Lucky Strike news is fun too, because you know Roger's having to improv his own little Bob Newhart routine in front of everybody.
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Feb 26, 2021 20:54
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The Klowner posted:vinylon you're saying that the message of the show is bullshit to a bunch of people who love the message of the show. there really isn't a critical response to "I think Weiner fails to deliver the message he thinks he's delivering" other than "okay." If you genuinely think that, there isn't any evidence or new information that will make you change your mind because death of the author is inherently based on opinion and not on fact. As a result, people naturally get frustrated because there's nothing for them to respond to in your screeds except to post about how they're frustrated This tbqh. It's very clear you're not going to change anybody's minds on what they think of Weiner's vision, and they can't change your mind on yours, so it's time for to agree to disagree on that. If you can't pack that part of your conversation up and move on to discussing different things about Mad Men, then it's highly possible people may be given the option to vote you out of the thread! So consider this a warning bb. quote:now that I've explained the situation, please stop posting about this subject so we can all get back to arguing in spoilers about the best dance in mad men. personally I think it's Peter's jig at the beginning of this season when he thinks he's become head of accounts 
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Feb 26, 2021 21:00
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CharlestheHammer posted:I didn’t say the fan base was silly the show is. But it’s a TV show they are silly to a degree. Even the wire the king of the serious show is pretty silly. My, what a wise and interesting poster you are. Taking up your time, to post in something so silly. I think I've asked this before, but are you 14?
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Feb 26, 2021 21:11
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Devorum posted:Surely the best dance is Peggy and Abe at Don's birthday? I was just reading the wiki about that episode. Intense contract negotiations between the end of the fourth and fifth season led Matthew Weiner to quit during the downtime between Season 4 and Season 5. AMC and Weiner were locked in intense negotiations, with AMC asking Weiner to cut two main cast members every season starting with the fifth, a shorter running time to make room for more commercials, and more product placement within the series.[7] During the negotiations, Weiner said, "First of all, the number that's been published is not true. Second of all, I offered to have less money, to save the cast, and to leave the show in the running time that it's supposed to be. The harder that I've fought for the show, the more money that they've offered me."[7] After conversations with the network stalled, Weiner gave up hope on returning to the series. "I quit ... during the negotiation. I had come to terms with the fact that it was over ... In the most protective and demanding way, I did not feel that it was worth going back to work to make a show that was not the show I'd been making. I had this argument with my wife, where I said: 'You don't understand - it's not just a matter of changing the show. I don't want to go to work and do it different. I just figured out how it works' ... [But] in the end, everything worked out."[8] AMC eventually relented, signing a new deal with Weiner that keeps him on board as showrunner for the fifth and sixth season, with a strong possibility for a final seventh season.[9] goddamn AMC almost ruined the show
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Feb 26, 2021 21:17
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New York's famous Pete Luger Steakhouse has placed wax figures of celebrities throughout the restaurant to make it feel more "normal" despite the reduced capacity due to COVID protocols - including the most famous New Yorker you would expect to see at such a storied Manhattan institution: "Helmo. I'm Domb Draber. Emjoy a refreshping Bold Fashion with me by the bar."
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Feb 26, 2021 21:58
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Dan drapl
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Feb 26, 2021 22:56
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He's not wearing a mask 
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Feb 26, 2021 23:01
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JethroMcB posted:New York's famous Pete Luger Steakhouse has placed wax figures of celebrities throughout the restaurant to make it feel more "normal" despite the reduced capacity due to COVID protocols - including the most famous New Yorker you would expect to see at such a storied Manhattan institution: Overrated as gently caress, btw. In the show they do go to Kean's Chophouse, which does live up to the hype.
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Feb 26, 2021 23:26
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JethroMcB posted:New York's famous Pete Luger Steakhouse has placed wax figures of celebrities throughout the restaurant to make it feel more "normal" despite the reduced capacity due to COVID protocols - including the most famous New Yorker you would expect to see at such a storied Manhattan institution: He looks like he's one second away from puking all over someone's funeral, again.
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Feb 27, 2021 01:03
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Shageletic posted:I was just reading the wiki about that episode. Jesus can you imagine if the show ended at tommorowland, absolute insanity. If he ain't lying ill give it to weiner for sticking to his guns, cutting cast and shorter episodes would've destroyed the show.
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Feb 27, 2021 02:01
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Gaius Marius posted:Jesus can you imagine if the show ended at tommorowland, absolute insanity. If he ain't lying ill give it to weiner for sticking to his guns, cutting cast and shorter episodes would've destroyed the show. Why the gently caress do channels keep insisting on this with their best pretsege shows? If you want to be taken seriously, it's going to cost money and the one way to gently caress that all up is to go cheap and alienate your audience. Look at SCFY and "The Expanse"
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Feb 27, 2021 02:49
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Solkanar512 posted:Why the gently caress do channels keep insisting on this with their best pretsege shows? If you want to be taken seriously, it's going to cost money and the one way to gently caress that all up is to go cheap and alienate your audience. Look at SCFY and "The Expanse" I wonder if it's better or worse than murdering the show because you didn't understand the legs it had. RIP Carnival and Rome
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Feb 27, 2021 03:36
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Gaius Marius posted:I wonder if it's better or worse than murdering the show because you didn't understand the legs it had. RIP Carnival and Rome I'm still salty about Carnivale. Everything was just coming together and it had so much drat potential.
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Feb 27, 2021 04:29
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Gaius Marius posted:I wonder if it's better or worse than murdering the show because you didn't understand the legs it had. RIP Carnival and Rome Not sure why this is a spoiler. And what HBO did to Rome is a crime.
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Feb 27, 2021 05:10
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Honestly, force of habit in this thread. Have you read the ideas they had? I don't know how well it would've worked out.
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Feb 27, 2021 06:18
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Cut two cast members EVERY season? Like, they axe Pete and Harry, then Roger and Joan, and so on until the last season is just Don in a room by himself? That’s a ridiculous way to make a show!
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Feb 28, 2021 14:07
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von Metternich posted:Cut two cast members EVERY season? Like, they axe Pete and Harry, then Roger and Joan, and so on until the last season is just Don in a room by himself? That’s a ridiculous way to make a show! The final episode is Don huddled in an abandoned house, a blanket wrapped tight around him. Through a massive hole in the wall, we see snow falling on a blasted wasteland littered with the detritus of a fallen civilization. Don has something clutched in his hands, and he stares at it intently as the light fades from his eyes. It's a snowglobe, miraculously intact, with a scene from a 1960's office inside. We hear the whispered lyrics of Bye Bye Birdie as the scene goes to credits.
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Feb 28, 2021 14:28
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Devorum posted:I'm still salty about Carnivale. Everything was just coming together and it had so much drat potential. Rome >>> Carnivale Heck, Rome S1 > Anything ever
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Feb 28, 2021 14:42
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TNG's Remember Me, but it's Don in the Sterling Cooper offices
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Feb 28, 2021 16:09
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Season 3, Episode 3 - My Old Kentucky Home Written by Dahvi Waller & Matthew Weiner, Directed by Jennifer Getzinger Peggy Olson posted:I'm in a very good place right now. Peggy Olson, Paul Kinsey, and Smitty Smith run casting auditions for the "Ann Margaret" type they're after for the Bacardi Account. Sal Romano and Harry Crane are also there, the latter wide-eyed (and mouthed) with delight as the latest hopeful explains her history of acting. It's not Hillary's resume that impresses him though, as he demonstrates by asking her to show him "The Twist" one more time and she happily accommodates. Peggy quietly dismisses her for a second time, and as Hillary leaves Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove are seen waiting outside the door. A little irritated at Harry treating the casting like he's a kid in a candy store, she reminds him he's here purely as a spectator and isn't involved in the actual creative process as well. She quickly regrets those words, as it turns out Pete and Ken weren't hanging around outside to leer at pretty girls but were simply waiting to deliver some bad news. It has "slipped through the cracks" that Bacardi's visit the next week necessitates showing Don several more Bacardi campaign ideas on Monday morning, which means the team is expected to work over the weekend. Harry takes some pleasure in reminding Peggy that this doesn't include him as he is only a "spectator", while Smitty tries to look on the bright side: as they've just admitted this "slipped through the cracks" that means that one of the two are responsible as Co-Head of Accounts... which also means they will need to make up for it by being creative's "slaves" over the weekend. It's an interesting reminder of a now largely bygone era of business, where the bosses might be expected to play along and "make up" for an unreasonable request of those beneath them. Ken and Pete, however, have their own ready-made excuses as to why they get to deliver the bad news AND get away scot-free: they've been invited to attend the Garden Party of Roger and Jane Sterling this weekend to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, and that's not the kind of offer you should (or would want to) turn down in their positions, even if Roger doesn't quite have the same ultimate authority he once did over them as co-owner of Sterling Cooper. More alarming still for the Creative Team, particularly Paul, is learning that Harry Crane will also be attending the party (Sal isn't, but wisely keeps his mouth shut, he just needs to draw up on Monday whatever ideas Peggy, Paul and Smitty come up with). Despite the half-hearted protests, the trio know that it is a losing battle: technically speaking they could probably argue they have no obligation to work over the weekend to cover for somebody else's mistake but they all know that would be career suicide. More troubling for Paul is getting yet another reminder of how far behind he is falling in the race: he started at Sterling Cooper at the same time as Pete, Ken and Harry and yet they're all racing up the ladder while he remains fixed firmly in place where he began. Sal, who as head of the Art Department does have at least a little clout but has also clearly reached the apex of his career at Sterling Cooper, wryly reminds Paul that HE started six years before Paul. That is true, but then while he might not be invited to the party, at least he also isn't expected to work the weekend.   Walking with a couple of other secretaries and sharing a laugh, there is no doubt that Joan Harris is the Queen Bee. She walks just that little bit ahead, she is the center of the group, the focus of attention... until they spot a familiar face who upends all that. It's Jane Siegel, now Jane Sterling, walking comfortably back onto the floor in a very different fashion to how she once spent her days there, wearing clothes that probably cost more than many of the secretaries make in a year. Everybody greets each other warmly, Jane expressing her genuine surprise that newlywed Joan is still working there and Joan agreeing that she won't be there for much longer. But when one of the other secretaries corrects herself for calling her Jane instead of Mrs. Sterling, there is a pregnant pause as Jane seems to be waiting for Joan to offer her the same acknowledgement of her status. Joan, of course, does not, more than comfortable with holding her silence and not feeling in the least intimidated by a woman she used to have total authority over. The other secretaries are excused, and Jane and Joan make empty pleasantries at each other, Jane asking where Joan is living and Joan happily telling her they're in the same place but also looking for a bigger place to move into now, somewhere with a yard. Jane explains she came in because Roger had her rings resized, noting that she keeps losing weight (she actually seems to be bragging about it). With that they part ways, and all in all it went better than might have been expected even if they were a little icy... until Jane offers Joan one final "gently caress you" reminder of the very real change in their respective statuses: her driver is circling the block due to construction outside, so she "asks" Joan to send one of the girls down to flag him down about 1:15pm. It isn't really a request but an instruction, and one that Joan can't ignore. Even though she won't be doing the task herself, the message is clear: the woman she clashed with in the past from a position of power is now somebody who can and will tell her to do things, and until she stops working at Sterling Cooper Joan will have to do as she is told. Peggy returns to her desk where her new secretary is waiting holding two mugs. An older woman, Olive seems professional if a little too eager to please, explaining she has brought tea and coffee for Peggy to choose from and she will drink the other. After instructing Olive not to Mr. Crane to the casting meetings anymore, Peggy reminds Olive that she always drinks coffee, and is a little perturbed to be told that Lola claimed she got edgy after her second cup. She can safely forget anything Lola told her, Peggy orders, and takes her coffee with her into her office. At the Draper Residence that evening, Don is greeted by Betty with a kiss before she points out today's latest mishap: Gene peeled an entire pot full of potatoes while she was out for an hour, mistakenly believing he was back in the army on KP duty. Don pours himself a drink, then without bringing up Gene's memory issues specifically uses them to remind Betty that they don't need to attend the Garden Party this weekend. Betty though is clearly keen to be out of the house, and excited to wear her new dress even if she isn't the biggest fan in the world of Roger and Jane. She also happily takes Don's drink and takes a sip for herself, a little hard alcohol to take the edge off being in the third trimester of a pregnancy! Upstairs, Sally is reading volume one of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire at Gene's beside, a bonding moment between Grandfather and Granddaughter. Some of the content is perhaps a little too adult for Sally, but thankfully she doesn't really know the meaning of the word licentiousness, or the significance of,"Fashion was the only law, pleasure was the only pursuit". Don walks into the door frame, carrying a pajamaed Bobby on his back, and Gene greets him with a smile, sardonically asking how things are in "Babylon" (i.e, Manhattan). Don is polite but also firm with Sally, instructing her that it is bedtime. She looks to her grandfather, who wisely doesn't try to question his son-in-law's authority about when the children go to bed, though telling her it is fine and to go clean her teeth does create the tacit impression that HE is the one giving the orders. He takes the book from her, promising her with a grin that all hell is gonna break loose (not really a spoiler, it's there in the book title!). Sally gives him a kiss on the head and says goodnight, leaving the room with Don carrying Bobby on to his bedroom. That leaves Gene behind, caught between a mixture of gratitude for his family's care, the pure love of his granddaughter but also the unshakeable fact that this is NOT his home and he's not the man in charge of the family anymore.   The next morning finds the brain-trust of Peggy, Paul and Smitty achieving very little of anything in Paul's office (he has one of his own at last it seems) as they waste away a weekend coming up with ideas for Bacardi. Peggy is dozing at her desk, Paul is "golfing" with Harry Crane's fraternity paddle, orange and trashcan, and Smitty is pouring them all rum so they can do "market research" on the product, one of the only real perks of being in today. It isn't exactly creatively stimulating though, as they best they've managed so far is,"Bacardilicious" and "Bacardilightful." Smitty complains that booze makes him sleepy, talking up the stimulating properties of grass instead. That gets Paul, now peeling his "golf ball" warmly recollecting writing his senior thesis at Princeton on the passions of the Stoics... and used "Mary Jane" as his muse. Peggy quips that when she wants to sleep she listens to Paul, getting a chuckle from Smitty, but it's not laughing matter when Paul instructs her to go get them the blender so they can try and make a frappe. "You get it," she hits back, offended at being treated like a secretary, but Paul insists that he's eating, as if that somehow prevents him from being able to pick up a blender. Surprisingly, Peggy acquiesces, stepping out of the office with a glare Paul's way. She enters the staff break-room, where she is surprised to find Olive watering the plants, and even more surprised to learn she's here because Peggy is and she considers it her duty to be there when she is. Peggy quickly assures her she doesn't need to be there, but Olive insists through a flat smile that she already canceled her plans to drive up to The Cloisters with her husband Phil, something to do with her son's planned trip down from Boston College being scrapped because of problems he is having with her girlfriend. So Phil is taking their rubbish to the dump and she's come in to Sterling Cooper for the day just in case Peggy needs anything. Not quite sure how to take in this flood of information, Peggy just gives a smile and then reaches for the blender. As she's doing that, in her office Paul is muttering away about the fact he can understand Pete's promotion over him but not Ken Cosgrove's. Smitty ignores all that though to focus on an earlier comment: he likes to get high? He notes that the "friend" who would supply him got married, as if that explains everything (in a way, it does... he grew up, Smitty didn't), but surely a guy like Paul must know somebody? Paul does, pulling out his little black book to thumb through it for a particular number. Betty calls Sally up to the bedroom to help her zip up her new dress, eying herself critically in the mirror to see how it works with her pregnant belly. "I just walked backwards all the way from the living room!" Sally exclaims with great pride when she arrives, something her mother really doesn't get at all though to Sally it is a great accomplishment. She zips her mother up and comments that Grandpa said she was going to a "soiree", clearly not knowing what that word means and wanting to be told. Instead she gets a grumpy admonishment not to bother Gene, and then dismissed to go watch TV. Sally, of course, is infatuated with the grown-up things her parents do and wants to share the experience with her mother, and is once again disappointed by her mother's unwillingness to take part. Betty in the past has seemingly resented these intrusions into her few private moments like horse-riding, but here she seems more distracted than anything else, not happy with how the new dress is showcasing her figure. Ignoring her mother's warning, Sally pops into Gene's room to see her grandfather, calling out to him. "I'm indisposed!" he yells back from the toilet, voice muffled, so she stands to wait for his return... and spots his money clip on the desk. Quickly she slips over and pulls $5 out, tucking it away as her own little reward. At the Harris home, Greg is vacuuming while Joan lays out the place-cards around the table: today they will be entertaining. It's a nice domestic scene, even their argument about how he forcibly tugs the vacuum cord out of the socket has an air of playfulness to it, and when Greg gets a whiff of himself and realizes he stinks, Joan has no issue with offering to complete the rest of the work while he takes a bath. But the talk gets more serious, and more strained, when he notices she has placed the Chief Surgeon Ettinger on the side rather than at the head of the table. He insists Ettinger must sit at the head, she retorts back with just as much certainty that Greg himself must be at the head of the table when he is entertaining at HIS home, while her place will be at the foot of the table, with everybody else laid out boy, girl, boy, girl. His concern is that Ettinger will be offended if he doesn't have pride of place AND Rick Stolich and Greg himself as his "footstools". Her concern is that Ettinger and Stolich's wives will think Greg has a wife that doesn't know how to set a table. Both are adamant, Greg snapping that he doesn't want a fight and Joan offering back with pure calmness if that's the case he can stop talking. But unlike with Jane, she doesn't allow the silence to remain unbroken this time, taking pity on her husband's insecurity and offering a compromise: if they arrange the food in a buffet style, then people can sit where they like and avoid the whole problem altogether. The icing on the cake will be that they can put the dish the Ettingers gifted them in pride of place. Greg is relieved, both by the solution and the fact they don't need to fight. Admitting it is a perfect solution, he starts to leave to take his bath, but she calls him back. She doesn't tell him what she wants, but he knows her well enough to read her meaning and give her a grateful kiss before departing. As he goes, he removes his shirt, and Joan enjoys the moment of both solving a problem AND getting to appreciate her very handsome husband's muscular back. It's an interesting look into their relationship, the last major scene with Greg involved him raping her without realizing that is what he was doing. Since then, on the surface it seems like Joan has adapted and figured out how best to manage him. But consider our introduction to Greg even before he appeared on screen was as somebody that Joan had wrapped around her finger. How much of Joan's easy management of their relationship comes down to Greg being happy to let her take the lead up until the moment where he feels inadequate or threatened? How much of her compromising is born out a genuine desire to find a mutual solution and how much comes out of fear of a repeat of something akin to that horrible night. Not to say that Joan lives in fear, far from it given her appreciative look his way as he left the room. But rather that even if only on a subconscious level she's having to always consider that he can overreact in truly terrible ways.   As Don checks his cuff-links in the living room ahead of he and Betty's departure for the Garden Party, he listens to the radio where the topic of discussion is corruption at the State Liquor Authority. Betty joins him as he compliments her appearance (she really does look phenomenal) and she allows at least that she looks good "for" her condition. Before they can make a happy exit though, Gene's yelling gets their attention, as he and Carla enter the room with Gene bellowing that he's been robbed. He shows Betty his money-clip, complaining that he had $35 but now he only has $30. Betty and Don, of course, both make the immediate and reasonable assumption that he's simply forgotten spending $5, or that he's lost it, though they try to be a bit more diplomatic about it than that. Carla, always trying to be helpful, recommends he sit down and relax while they search for the missing money, and with contempt he mutters that he bets she look for it, implying without much subtlety exactly who he thinks took the cash. Betty insists that she'll give him money to make up for his loss, but then realizes she doesn't have enough to cover it herself and asks Don to do so instead. Irritated but no objecting, Don pulls out $5 and offers it to Gene, who of course rejects it angrily. He doesn't want their money (ironically he complains that "you people" think money solves every problem, as if he isn't a wealthy man who raised his children in luxury), he wants HIS money. Bobby and Sally arrive and stand in the doorway, watching their exasperated father complain to their mother that he's ready to go now. They make their exit, Betty giving Gene a kiss before she goes, and Carla takes the kids outside to play in the yard (and keep clear of Gene). That leaves Gene alone in the house, still upset about his missing money but also over his lack of authority and the quick dismissal of his concerns by everybody. The powerful family patriarch is now an old man whose concerns aren't taken seriously, whose accusations aren't believed, and whose losses are assumed to be the result of a mind on some level he understands is failing him. It's emasculating and to some extent a little dehumanizing, but what the hell can he do about it? Paul's contact has come through, ushered happily into the office by Paul who introduces him to Smitty as simply Jeffrey. It's Jeffrey himself who has to explain their relationship, they were cocksmen in Princeton back in 1955, and now he's apparently doing quite well for himself selling all manner of recreational drugs above and beyond marijuana: dexedrine, benzedrine, methamphetamines... hell, he could even get them heroin if they really want some. Smitty is impressed, but all he really wants is dope, and Jeffrey can oblige, he has four joints he'll sell them for $10. He jokes that he should charge for delivery too, complaining that Paul hardly ever calls him any more. Smitty is eager to get smoking, for all his talk about once having a regular hook-up he seems rather over-excited about getting to smoke weed, and even Paul seems barely able to contain himself, even if he does take a moment to complain when Smitty asks for his mohair jacket so he can stop up the door-crack to prevent the smell getting out. Jeffrey though is an old hand, and lights up with a relaxed air, strolling away to enjoy the view out the window, in absolutely no hurry to be done with their business. As far as he's concerned, Paul is an old college buddy who wanted to hang out, and so he's going to hang out. Roger and Jane's Garden Party is at full swing at the Country Club, Don and Betty arriving and spotting Roger and Jane enjoying being the center of attention. As they approach the pavilion, they're spotted by Harry Crane and his wife Jennifer, who move to greet them but find themselves coming in second to Pete and Trudy Campbell. They all greet Betty, some for the first time and others - like a Ken Cosgrove who looks like he is deeply regretting coming stag - reminding her they have met before. She's charmed by them all, and enjoys joking at her own expense about her size when Jennifer asks when she is due. They all laugh and Jennifer and Betty talk warmly of their own children, watched longingly by Trudy who of course has still failed to get pregnant like she so desperately wants. Trudy does manage to get back into the swing of things again though by offering to take Betty on a tour, and comments happily as they leave that she practically grew up in a country club just like this one, and Betty notes just as happily that she did too. That at least is something they have in common which Jennifer will sadly never have: they come from wealth. Sensing this is a cue for their little group to break away, Harry and Jennifer make their exit and Ken disappears back into the crowd, while Pete takes the moment to enjoy some alone time with a less than enthusiastic Don. Pete points out some of the high fliers in business who are present for the party, and Don offers a quiet reminder to him not to hand out his card before abandoning Pete to stand alone. It was a little condescending, the assumption that Pete of all people would not know not to bother people at a society function like this with business... but then, what was the first thing that Pete talked to Don about when they were alone? Business, of course.   Carla unmakes the bed in Glen's room, pulling clear the sheets as he stands watching in the doorway, complaining that she is being ridiculous. She seems determined to find the money though, noting that it may have slipped out of his pockets before saying what is really on her mind: that SHE didn't take it. He complains that he never said she did, and she offers back a cold little,"Not yet" that is sadly born of too-much experience. Rolling his eyes at this, he complains to "Viola" to stop it, and testily she reminds him her name is Carla. Caught off-guard, perhaps forgetting for just a second where he is, Gene becomes confused and asks timidly if she knows Viola, and Carla turns a frown his way and points out that "We don't all know each other, Mr. Hofstadt", seemingly assuming his question was made knowingly (or just unwilling to put up with this poo poo even if it does come from a man whose mind is slowly failing him). He's on firmer ground when it comes to Sally though, he at least still remembers how to be a figure of authority to a little girl, and when he spots her walking out of her room carrying a doll asks if she is done looking for the money already? She nods that she had and he gives her a,"Really?" back that sends her scurrying back into her room to search more for a $5 note whose location she already knows. Peggy's attempt to think of new Bacardi ideas has turned into an unexpected nap on the couch in her office. She steps out, where Olive is still working at her desk, a meal left on a plate for Peggy to eat when she is ready. Peggy collects it without comment but asks if the others are still here and working, and is intrigued when Olive insists that she stay away from their office, warning Peggy that she knows what they're up to in there. Now Peggy REALLY wants to know, and heads straight to Paul's door and tries to enter, finding the room locked. She insists they let her in and so Smitty opens the door and waves her quickly inside, taking the sandwich from her as he shuts the door again and puts the mohair jacket back in place despite the fact it's clearly not been doing its job. She demands to know what they're doing before shaking her head and grunting that she already knows... then finally spots Jeffrey, who is clearly enamored as he leaps to his feet and introduces himself as Jeffrey Graves... Princeton, '55! Yes, he literally threw that he went to Princeton into his introduction in an effort to impress the pretty lady  Paul, trying to pretend he isn't terrified at being caught, insists that he needs "it" for inspiration, before finally complaining that it's Saturday for God's sake. In other words, he's in here working on his weekend, he should be entitled to some enjoyment from the day. Smitty considers bribery, saying that she's free to go home and they'll do all the work for her, and Betty's entirely unfiltered and matter-of-fact response of,"Are you kidding? We'll end up with nothing" must surely stab him deep in the soul. Jeffrey of all people confidently proclaims that HE has some ideas he'd be happy to kick around, but first he wants to know HER name. Peggy glares down at him, over at Paul, over these idiots who are making HER life and HER work harder, and responds in the only way that makes any sense at all. "I'm Peggy Olson, and I want to smoke some marijuana." Smitty is wide-eyed while Paul is instantly suspicious, grunting that she won't like it. Peggy snaps back that he wouldn't know what she likes, the only thing he ever asks her for her opinion on are brassieres and body odor. Jeffrey spots an opening and admits he'd love to know all kinds of things about what she likes, causing Smitty to roll his eyes and tell him to just give it a rest. But the die is cast, Peggy wants to smoke and its not like any of them have any moral authority to tell her no. So Smitty lights up a joint and passes it to her, suggesting she treat it like a strong cigarette. He watches, enthralled to see the office "good girl" taking a big ol' toke on Paul Kinsey's couch, while Peggy herself sits and waits to feel whatever it is that marijuana is supposed to do. At the Country Club, Roger has decided to serenade his young new wife, a romantic moment as in front of all the gathered guests he belts out,"My Old Kentucky home", on one knee in front of her staring her right in the face, the center of attention, giving it his all. It's an old song, but one with a strong abolitionist message that was taken up by those who wanted an end to slavery, a song promoted by Frederick Douglass himself as "awakening the sympathies for the slave in which anti-slavery principles take root and flourish." Yes, it's a song with a deep and abiding heritage of-  Oh for gently caress's sake, Roger  Because yes, whatever the intentions of author Stephen Foster, whatever the abolitionist background of the song... Roger is doing a minstrel act and the choice of song is purely down to the fact that it has a tradition of being performed at the Kentucky Derby. He's slapped on blackface and has put on the exaggerated nonsensical voice of a "black" singer, indulging in every demeaning aspect of this hateful form of "entertainment" designed to mock an entire race. And the sad thing is, of course, that as he performs this almost every single member of the crowd is having a great time, smiling and laughing and enjoying the performance. Surprisingly the only two people who seem less than impressed by this monstrous act are Don Draper and... Pete Campbell? The latter does put on a smile when Trudy turns a beaming grin his way, but he clearly doesn't understand what the appeal of this act is. Don for his part is disgusted, though it would probably be a mistake to assume any great sense of enlightenment on his part. It would be nice to think that his own childhood of desperate poverty and constantly being called a whore's son might have given him a level of empathy for the disenfranchised. But it is perhaps more likely that he considers himself a modern man, a creative person who remains on the cutting edge.... and he looks down on everybody else for lapping up this old, racist and despicable poo poo. Quietly he asks Betty if they can go, but she's having a great time and points out the race hasn't been yet, plus there is going to be supper. Fed up, he decides to go for a walk and she hurriedly tells him to make sure he doesn't disappear, because she'll want to dance later. He heads off as Roger enthusiastically tells the guests that he performed this act for Jane using shoe-polish once before and she thought it was a scream. Jane laughs giddily and agrees, and they share a kiss, the make-up on his face smearing her own before Roger begins belting out some more lines. Don heads inside the club, spotting an old man behind the bar and asking him to fix him an Old Fashioned. The man, wearing a white tux, turns and gives him a look, then lets him know they're on the same mission before complaining the bar was set up by a blind man. He's not a bartender, he's a guest, and he's come looking for a drink himself. Don vaults over the bar, the other man noting wryly that there is a hole at the other end of the bar he could have walked through. Don shrugs, he's in a hurry, and begins pulling out out bottles to fix a drink for the both of them. The older man introduces himself as Connie, and watches impressed as Don works away at mixing the drinks. They're attending different functions, there is a wedding being held in another part of the Country Club, but both the wedding and Roger's party are the same thing: work disguised as something else. For Don, despite his warning to Pete or the gleeful "apology" that Pete and Ken gave Betty and the others, this is a work day where he has to make nice and put in an appearance for the continued smooth operation of Sterling Cooper's upper management. For Connie, the wedding he's attending is a "match made in the boardroom", and he dislikes other people's weddings at the best of times. As Don continues working, Connie reminisces about his boyhood paddling in the river on a Jon boat past a mansion, where he'd hear the sounds of music, dancing, girls giggling etc. It is clear the sounds thrilled him, but as Don passes him a drink he admits that it ends up being a different experience once you're inside. They take a drink, and Don asks where he's from, Connie admitting that he hailed from San Antonio in New Mexico BEFORE it was a State (so 1912) which makes him very old. He shrugs at Don's comment that he looks fit (he does, he's old but well maintained) and complains that despite being rich and Republican just like everybody else at the Country Club, he still somehow manages to feel like he's got the head of a jackass whenever he's around them. Don considers, and then decides to share a story of his own in return for Connie's. When he was 15, he went to work parking cars at the roadhouse near where he grew up. They had live music, and "fancy" people would go there to get drunk and rowdy... but while Don was allowed to park their cars, he wasn't allowed to use the toilet there. So what did he do? Simple, whenever he needed to take a piss, he'd open the trunk of one of the "fancy" people's cars and piss in there. Connie laughs with pleasure at this story, and Don jokes that there's probably somebody in the parking lot of the Country Club doing the same thing to their cars right now. Connie repeats the same question Don asked him, where is he from? Don takes a moment and then decides there is no point in lying, especially to a stranger he'll never meet again, and so freely tells him he's from Pennsylvania by way of Illinois, they ended up in coal country after they lost the farm. So they both came from humble beginnings, and Connie is pleased to have finally met a kindred spirit of sorts, noting with satisfaction that now he's made it "here", or in other words to a position of wealth and influence. He compliments Don on the quality of the drink and makes his exit, and Don is left alone at last. He told this stranger more than he has told almost everybody apart from Anna and his wife (and her only barely a little more), and it probably felt good to share... but now it is time to finish his drink and put his guard back up.  
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 08:33 on Mar 4, 2021 |
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Feb 28, 2021 17:27
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In Paul's office the creative and stimulating effects of marijuana are on full display as.... they all lie around doing and saying nothing. Paul is eating chips, Jeffrey is laid out on the couch, Smitty looks asleep seated on the floor and Peggy is laying back in the chair with her eyes closed. "Rum. Have some. Some rum?" Smitty mumbles, a pathetic effort that goes ignored by the others. Paul is still suspicious of Betty, but for different reasons now, she hasn't asked for any chips which makes him think she isn't feeling the high. She is hungry, she assures him sleepily, but it's not worth the effort to move to do anything about it. Jeffrey is languidly delighted by this, noting that Peggy is a hoot and almost makes him wish he had a job. Almost. "Bacardi Eisenhower?" Smitty mumbles, which gets everybody but Jeffrey giggling. He asks what is so funny, and Paul reminds him that he does have a job... he's a drug pusher! Jeffrey isn't particularly happy about this designation, even if it's true, and lashes back in the most effective way he can think of... by revealing a truth that Paul has so carefully tried to hide. The measured, cultured tones of his accent... what are they meant to be, English? Because in Freshman year, Paul Kinsey spoke with a decidedly New Jersey accent! Paul is devastated, especially when Jeffrey adds in that he attended Princeton on a scholarship. He has always tried to cultivate a certain image, even if nobody else really cared of bought into it, and now Jeffrey has swept it away in a single sentence. He isn't a rich kid from a cultured upper class background, he's a poor kid from Jersey who got into Princeton on a scholarship and then tried to craft a new identity as a intellectual. It's actually somewhat similar to Don Draper's own story, though of course Paul isn't to know that, and it explains a lot about why he is the way he is. Why he assumed Pete's success could be attributed solely to his family name but was so intimidated by Ken Cosgrove's success: because Ken's also a poor kid from inauspicious beginnings who has nonetheless managed to find success where Paul couldn't. He got a scholarship into Princeton, which means he's extremely intelligent, but somehow that hasn't meant anything in his career as he has seemingly stalled out almost right where he started in the first place. Paul has probably grown up the smartest person in any room he was in, and it's something he still wants to think he is here at Sterling Cooper... so why does everybody else keep getting promoted or opportunities that he does not? He's a man stuck between worlds, wanting to dabble in beatnik culture and be an intellectual man of the people while also wanting desperately to make it big in Advertising and be rich and successful and have the big office and get to do what he wants. In any case, he wants Jeffrey out of his office, demanding he leave, while Jeffrey continues to enjoy rubbing his old friend's face in the dirt for insulting him so blithely (with the truth!)... plus a little for largely forgetting about him until he wanted some dope. So he mocks him further, declaring he can't sing, a comment that seems to offend Paul even more than the Jersey revelation. He demands Jeffrey take it back, who laughs that he wasn't kicked out of the Tigertones for being too tall. Opening his door and insisting Jeffrey leave, Paul also declares that he left the Tigertones because he had mono, but Jeffrey isn't going to let him get away with that, suggesting he sing a little now for Smitty and Peggy - who are absolutely fascinated by the name "Tigertones" - so they can judge for themselves. Hesitating for just a moment, Paul puts it on the line and bursts into a rendition of,"Hello! Ma baby" (unlike Roger's song, this one was just blatantly racist right from the origin, the "joke" was that a black person could ever afford a telephone). To Jeffrey's chagrin, Paul nails his performance, getting pleased applause from Peggy and Smitty. Just the act of singing (and winning) has cheered Paul immensely though, and he's willing to be the bigger man, launching into another line and then leaving a gap for Jeffrey to join in. After a moment's hesitation, Jeffrey capitulates, and the two forget all their troubles to just belt out the song together, ending with a giant flourish that gets the world's most perfect response from Peggy.   Betty waits outside the bathroom at Country Club when a man's voice suddenly gets her attention, quietly noting that he wishes she was waiting for him. She's alarmed for a moment when she realizes he is talking to her, looking around for anybody else, but then despite herself the compliment gets to her. He's a tall, handsome man (if a little old) and he's complimenting her, and she's feeling particularly vulnerable about her appearance at the moment. He asks who she is waiting for and she says a friend, but he only really has eyes for her belly, staring with fascination. He asks her what it is like, and she admits that she really doesn't think about it anymore, though she has to admit it is uncomfortable. Still though, he remains enraptured, asking if the baby moves around inside, then blaming martinis extends a hand and asks if he might? After a moment she agrees, and in a shocking intimate moment he stands close and places his hand over her belly, a moment that on its surface should be entirely safe and even wholesome but somehow has an air of eroticism to it. While he is all eyes on the baby, the gentleness of his hand and the deliberate way in which he touches her and stands close leaves Betty - hungry for validation and physical closeness - feeling overwhelmed. Some bridesmaids pass and the spell is broken, Betty noting that the baby isn't moving currently and the man taking his hand away. He admits he is waiting for his date, noting that you can't come to a function like this stag (take note, Ken Cosgrove) but... well, then you run into somebody. Trudy emerges from the bathroom right then and the spell really is truly broken at last, he steps away and Trudy - not even noticing him - goes arm in arm with Betty again and they walk away, Trudy saying she hopes they play some real music soon because she's in the mood to dance. At the Harris household, Joan brings the guests martinis and everybody settles down around the circular table where the food has been placed: it is a more casual and informal affair as promised and everybody seems to be enjoying themselves. Honey Stolich offers to cut the cheese, causing giggles from her husband and the other men, Honey not getting it and sweetly complaining that they always seem to have some private joke... like a Code Pink. The others wives are intrigued now, what is that? Honey lets them know that it's the call that goes over the PA whenever an attractive unconscious female is brought into the hospital. They all laugh at this rather monstrous abuse of power, Dr. Ettinger chuckling that he's never heard of this and Greg agreeing. Joan gets up to check the roast, assuring Honey and Irene that they don't need to help, but they insist, though Honey needs a hand getting up due to being heavily pregnant herself. Once in the kitchen, the men left behind to drink and laugh, Irene Ettinger compliments Joan on the apartment and she thanks her, admitting that she decorated most of it herself. That impresses Honey for certain, as Rick's wife she has a fair idea how much Greg is making which means she knows Joan must do well financially at her work to enable this. That's not all that unusual Irene offers though, when she and Ronald were first together she was working as a kindergarten teacher and making three times what he did, and they lived in a pit. It isn't exactly the most flattering comparison to make, especially when Irene promises that one day they'll look back at the tough times of living in this apartment (that she called lovely!) and laugh. Her only other advice is to not get pregnant though, it's the worst thing that could happen to them right now, saying this right in front of Honey's face. She doesn't mince words about that either, all smiles and light as she explains that she gave Honey the same warning but she didn't listen because she's a nurse. Honey offers Joan her own advice back, she should do whatever she wants to do... because things will become easier IF Greg becomes Chief Resident. There's one last blow coming for Joan though, who only wanted to check on her goddamn roast, as Irene offers the backhanded compliment that Greg's future will be just fine if he could land a wife like Joan.... no matter what happens regarding that Chief Resident position. Carla calls Bobby and Sally in for supper, and brings Gene a plate to the table where he's waiting. She reminds him he needs to eat something, and startled out of his thoughts he growls at her that she doesn't tell him what to do. That's true, she admits, he can either eat or not eat if he wants... but there'll be no more of "that" (being insulting towards her). Bobby races down the stairs to eat, while Sally is hidden away under the table in the dining room, listening to her grandpa complain bitterly to Carla that he doesn't want food, he wants his money. Fed up with him, Carla points out he doesn't even know if he lost it and calls out to Sally again. Coming to a decision, Sally pulls the hidden $5 out of her sock and moves to the threshold of the kitchen, tossing the money onto the floor. She waits a moment, then steps into the doorway and calls out in faux-surprise, is that his money!?! Surprised, but also far from a fool no matter what his mental state, Gene glares at the money on the floor and tells her to bring it over so he can see. She collects it and slowly makes her way to the table, trembling as she passes over the cash. He looks at the money, then at her, watched by Carla who clearly has figured out what is going on. Gene lets the moment stretch out, Sally's pretended surprise now plainly obvious terror at being caught out. Finally he agrees it is his money, and Carla takes the chance to loudly sigh that it's good this is sorted out now before telling Sally to eat her food before it gets cold. Sally does as she's told, Gene still watching her, Carla turning to eat her own supper standing up, probably pondering how much if any of this she'll need to tell Don and Betty (let's face it, just Betty) when they get back. Bobby, of course, is just happily chowing down on his meal without a goddamn clue what is going on. Roger and Jane's guests are having their supper too, Don bringing drinks to the table that he and Betty are sharing with Pete and Trudy. Trudy is amused by Pete's blank face, gleefully telling Betty that they had a fight on the way over because she warned him there was a possibility they might run into one of her old beaus today given the type of people expected to be present. Pete smiles but notes that they didn't run into any old boyfriends, but she just treats that like a victory of its own, enjoying being out in a familiar social setting including people from her husband's work, getting to be a part of his life for once. Harry and Jennifer are less pleased, tucked away alone at a different table despite their shared work and personal affiliations to the Drapers and the Campbells. Jennifer insists that they join them while Harry tries to beg off, noting that work talk is verboten and he really doesn't have anything else to say. Nonsense, she insists, he's very charming! She leads him to the table, promising that she'll do the talking, but when they get there they simply stand awkwardly as the seated couples stare expectantly up at them waiting to see what they want. Finally Harry offers lamely that they're having a good time, and Jennifer finally takes the promised lead by noting that she hasn't seen them dance yet. Betty smiles and says that she isn't feeling up to it, noting how much Don loves to dance and saying she is letting him down by not being able to. Don smiles graciously at this, even though it was her who said earlier that she wanted to dance. Unfortunately for Harry, just then Roger and Jane arrive with Bert Cooper and another couple, all of them greeting the Drapers and the Campbells while largely not noticing the Cranes are even there. Bert introduces them to Henry Francis and his date Sherry Ardmore, and of course Henry Francis is the man who cupped Betty's belly earlier, because of course he is. Don greets them and shakes Henry's hand, no clue as to the intimate moment this stranger shared with his wife so recently. Roger, of course, is here to show off, asking Henry - who works in the Governor's office - to share where he was earlier in the day, insisting they'll soon read about it in the paper anyway.... then goes ahead and tells the story himself, because that's just the kind of thing Roger does. It seems that Governor Nelson Rockefeller has married Margaretta Large "Happy" Fitler, something that clearly thrills Roger even as it scandalizes Betty: she only got divorced a month ago, and has four children! Bert is delighted by this reaction, because it proves a point that he wanted to make: this marriage is going to destroy Rockefeller's career. Roger doesn't entirely dispute that, he thinks it means they'll be stuck with Goldwater as the Republican Candidate to compete with Kennedy at the next Election, though Don notes the primary is still a long way off. Jane is curious though, why did Rockefeller marry Happy? For love, Henry explains, which of course causes Roger and Jane to cast puppy dog eyes each other's way. More upbeat music begins to play, and Trudy calls over to Betty asking if she's sure she doesn't want to dance, as her and Pete are going on to the floor now. Betty declines, though Jennifer is quick to join them followed by a willing if not particularly enthusiastic Harry. They all dance the Charleston, by which I mean everybody else dances the Charleston while Pete and Trudy dance the absolute loving poo poo out of Charleston. Everybody watches in growing awe as the two just completely smash their performance... and make no mistake, it absolutely is a performance. The Charleston is an old-fashioned song, but these two young people dance it with an ease that only comes with intense practice. They're no doubting they both enjoy dancing, especially with each other, and it is one of the rare cases where we see the two in sync... but they're also putting on a display, a reminder that they are an impressive young couple from good families who are people to watch. And people sure as gently caress watch, the entire dance floor empties out to let them take the spotlight, and included in the observers are the likes of Bert Cooper, Roger Sterling and yes even Henry Francis from the Governor's office. Don was right, this is work disguised as pleasure, and Pete just handed out the best business card he ever possibly could: this is an announcement, a declaration that here is a couple at home at these events, a couple who belong, a couple who entertainment and represent the best of their generation. Everybody who watches is impressed, even Roger who has never held the highest opinion of Pete. Everybody that is but Jennifer Crane, who thought this weekend would be a chance for Harry to impress even further than he already has and help them up the social ladder. Instead, they've largely been left on the periphery, and now been completely overshadowed by Pete and Trudy's seemingly effortless (thanks to a tremendous amount of effort) performance. She storms off into the night, leaving Harry standing with Ken who comments at last what he should have known all along: he really should have brought a date with him. https://i.imgur.com/GUX9Ac8.mp4 While Pete and Trudy are blowing everybody away at the party, Paul Kinsey is laid out on the carpet quoting T.S Eliot's "The Hollow Men" to an unimpressed Smitty and Peggy. Jeffrey is long gone, and Smitty grumbles that they get that Paul is educated and sang in the Tiger....? "Tigertones" Peggy helpfully adds, and they share a little giggle over the memory. Smitty offers that he went to the University of Michigan, and Peggy can top that... she went to Miss Deaver's Secretarial School! Paul has gotten maudlin, thoughts of rum have made him think of Cuba, which has made him remember the Cuban Missile Crisis of the previous year and how convinced they all were that they were going to die (remember that at the time they spent as much if not more time worrying about being fired in the merger). Peggy though suggests they think about life instead, and Smitty seems to take the wrong message from this, suggesting somewhat suggestively they go up on the roof. Maybe he's just high and wanting to do something outrageous, but he's also frequently talked about how much he can't believe that she's gotten high with them, and I'm starting to suspect he's got a little crush on her. If he does, she crushes him for real when she dismisses that suggestion and starts spitballing ideas, how she does find five more situations to advertise rum with? Maybe the roof isn't a bad idea, not to go to, but as a setting: put up a hammock, make "Daiquiri Beach" a mindset rather than a place, one that Bacardi Rum can take you to. Belatedly Smitty realizes that she's not just chilling out getting high with them, she's actually used the marijuana precisely for the reason they claimed they wanted to use it for: to stimulate her mind and get creative... she's working! "You both can leave," she informs them, more instruction than suggestion,"I'm in a very good place right now. She leaves Paul's office, Smitty giving the seemingly comatose Paul a little smack as he realizes that on every level today has ended up a bust for him. If he was feeling romantically inclined towards her she crushed that idea. If he did want to get creative, he came up with nothing. If he wanted to find a new buddy to get high with, Paul is really just a bit too much and Peggy actually uses it as a work aid for real! Olive is, of course, still at her desk despite the lateness of the hour, unimpressed by Peggy's actions but committed to her perceived duty to be in place to assist her should she be needed. Quietly she removes a purse from her draw and puts it on the desk, informing Peggy as she passes that it is her purse, left unattended in her office where it could have been stolen. Peggy points out that nobody else is actually in the office today, but as she starts to move on again Olive can't help but voice her disapproval: she knows what Peggy has been doing in that office! Peggy shrugs, she has nothing to hide, and Olive despairs, she isn't thinking about her future. Peggy, long used to being judged and talked down to and underestimated, isn't going to take this from HER secretary. Not thinking about her future? She has a job. A drat good one. She has her own office. A spacious one. She has her name on the door. She even has a secretary. And she isn't scared of any of it. But whether it's the marijuana, her tiredness, or just pure empathy, Peggy comes to a sudden realization: Olive IS scared, and she's scared for her. She is being judgmental, but from a place of genuine concern. It's not an unfamiliar feeling for Peggy, because of course when she looks at Olive she's really seeing her mother, her sister, all those people who think they know best for her and keep trying to tell her how to feel. Leaning forward, she promises Olive that she needn't worry about her, she is going to have everything that Olive (or her mother, or her sister) wants for her (secretly for themselves?), and she is going to be just fine. She returns to her office to sign off on the expense report that Olive prepared for her. Quietly, still upset, Olive finally prepares to leave. Peggy returns though, carrying the bulky dictaphone and informing her she needs to set it up and bring her a glass of water and THEN she can go. Olive nods, this she can handle... though Peggy has one last surprise for her, halting her so she can marvel over how pretty the cross on her necklace is. Okay, it's definitely the marijuana. At the Harris Household, they've reached the tea/coffee and deserts stage of the evening. They comment on Honey's due date being around the same time as Jackie Kennedy's, and Joan impresses them by recommending a friend who works at Lord & Taylor who can outfit Honey in the same style as Jackie. Ettinger takes this moment to "joke" to Honey that she needs to convince Rick not to take up the job in Texas he's accepted. They all laugh about it, Ettinger praising Rick's skills at pneumonectomy, complimenting his great hands. Rick takes the compliment happily, but can't help but notice Greg's visible discomfort, and quickly assures him that his recent mistake could happen to anybody. Ettinger rushes to promise that he certainly didn't mean to imply that, they all know it's a difficult procedure and everybody has an off-day every so often. Joan is baffled, what are they talking about? Greg tries to play it off, informing them all that he tries not to worry Joan about these types of things (or doesn't like how it feels to admit failings to her). Sensing the tension, Irene suggests they have had enough "shop talk", and Honey suggests they play charades. This gets a laugh, Rick informing her that she's not very good at it, which she is surprised to hear and certain isn't true. Greg has an idea though, saying that Joan can play something for them. She tries to stop him but he's already up and into the bedroom, insisting it is a great idea. Quickly she warns the others that she is out of practice, and moments later Greg reemerges clutching... an accordion! Everybody is thrilled, Irene noting that when she and Ron were first together they would sit and read while her mother played the piano. Happily Joan knows something a far cry from the polka songs normally associated with the instrument. After a few seconds tuning, she begins to play, and sings "C'est Magnifique" to the delighted group. She is a star, impressing Greg's work colleague, boss and their wives in much the same way Pete and Trudy did at the party. The trouble is, of course, that this performance was rushed by a scrambling Greg trying to retain control of a situation as well as hide away whatever surgery mistake he made. Greg wants everything to be perfect, and he's lucky to have Joan to pick up so much slack and make so much work. But she can only do so much herself, and the horribly irony of course is that the more she saves his bacon, the more Greg seems to panic or feel inferior/emasculated.... and somewhere inside of him resentment for her over this will inevitably build, even if it is entirely a problem of his own making.   Don and Betty are still at the Country Club, Don still wants to go and Betty still wants to stay. She's loading up a plate with food, insisting they can go once she's had another bite, and he wearily waits wishing this weekend would finally end. Suddenly Jane stumbles up to join them, grinning broadly at Betty and saying her mother would always say,"I guess we're the last ones to eat". As she talks, she knows her plate to the ground and squawks in surprise, bending down to collect up her mess. Betty and Don, without having to say a word to the other, approach her from either side to help her up, figuring she is drunk. They can barely get her up though, she keeps slipping back down, but then she manages to get her feet as something catches her eye... Betty is pregnant! They help her to a table to take a seat, Jane gasping at how beautiful Betty is and asking an amused Don if he just loves looking at her. Betty finds the whole thing amusing... until Jane looks up at her and assures her that she always knew the two of them would get back together, no matter what the problem was. Suddenly it's not funny anymore, Betty has been whisked back to last year when Don was out of the house and she genuinely thought that not only would he never return but she wouldn't take him back even if he did. And why is Jane talking about this? What does Jane know about it? Yes at that time she was Don's secretary, but why would she know about their marital strife? She casts a demanding look Don's way, and he promises her he'll take care of it. She simply strides away, pissed off now, her entire day ruined right at the end of it. Jane suddenly grabs at his belt for purchase, propping herself up so she can complain that he doesn't like her even though she's a nice person. Roger arrives on this scene, Don towering over Jane who is clutching onto his belt, and asks the pertinent question: what is going on? Her face falling like she just got caught by her dad (who Roger is old enough to be), she mumbles that she should have eaten something. Suddenly her aside to Jane about constantly losing weight take on a more sinister potential meaning: is she starving herself to keep her "figure"? To stay young and slim for Roger's benefit? In any case, her husband is here to look after her now so Don feels he can go. He moves past as Roger calls out for somebody to get Jane a glass of milk, but Roger isn't done yet, quietly asking to talk to Don for a second. Don winces and slows, really not wanting to deal with this, still wishing he could just go home and go to bed and not have to deal with all this bullshit for at least a single day. Roger asks him what the hell just happened, and Don offers the simplest explanation: Jane is drunk. That's not enough for Roger though, he wants to know what he's supposed to have done to get under Don's skin like he apparently has. Don absorbs this frankly insane question: making a drunken pass at Betty? Forcing Don to sit witness to his attempt to bed twin sisters? Telling Mona that Don recommended he divorce her? Using the secretary he was sleeping with to get secrets about Don's marital strife? Forcing his daughter to have to accept a stepmother younger than her to attend her wedding and then complaining that they were being unfair to him? Instead of answering, Don just remarks that its late and tries to leave again, but Roger isn't done having the self-awareness of a gnat. Bitterly he complains that his mother was right, you should never be conspicuously happy because some people won't like it. Revolted, Don can't help let out his bile for just a moment, informing Roger that nobody thinks he's happy, they all think he's foolish. Roger lets that sit for a moment, then notes that the nice thing about a Country Club is that you get to show up and be happy... and choose your guests. With that he leaves, and Don seems to have immediately regretted his words. Why? Was Roger's last comment a threat: if Don won't be happy for him, then he simply won't let Don be a member of the Club? Which also means not a part of the social scene? Which also means without a chance for the business networking that comes with it? Don certainly didn't want to be there today, but he was because it was "work" disguised as pleasure. Now it seems for all the world that all that misery may have been for nothing, because he couldn't stop himself finally letting slip ONE genuine thought about Roger. He may not own Sterling Cooper anymore, but Roger is still somebody with a strong position in a New York Social scene that had been starting to accept Don as one of their own, something he doesn't particularly care about but does appreciate the money and status that come with it. As for Roger himself... Don is wrong, he IS happy. The thing is, that's not enough. Not for Roger at least. It isn't enough for him to be happy, he has to be demonstrably happy. He has to rub his happiness in everybody's faces, and they have to be happy for him. More than that, they need to applaud him for his happiness. Anything less is somehow a personal insult directly to him. He dumped his wife of 20+ years and he is ruining his daughter's wedding all because he wanted to bang a 20-year-old woman.... and he wants people to celebrate him for doing it. He hosed up everything in his life and he got rewarded with millions and millions of dollars on top of an already considerable fortune... and that's still not enough, somehow he still thinks he is the victim being persecuted by cruel people who won't be reasonable and just love him unconditionally while he just does whatever the gently caress he wants whenever he wants to. As he said in the previous episode, it long since stopped being about right or wrong or even letting people have things he doesn't actually care about... because all he wants to do is "win".   Sally carefully, quietly makes her way to her grandfather's bedroom door and mumbles a quick goodnight before trying to retreat back to her and Bobby's bedroom. He snaps at her to come back though, and orders her to come take a seat beside the bed. Nervous, upset, positive he is going to bellow out that he knows she stole the money, she takes her seat and waits for the punishment to come. Instead Gene, satisfied to some extent at the misery of her guilt being punishment enough, hands her the book and asks where they were. Surprised but obviously relieved, she reopens it and begins to read about the Emperor Julian, a man disdained the opulence and excess so beloved by others. It's hard to say if any character would fit that build, regardless of Don's earlier story about parking cars and pissing in trunks when he was 15. The party is finally winding up, but as most of the guests have departed and the staff are beginning the process of cleaning up, Roger and Jane remain, doing a slow dance beneath the pavilion, sharing a quiet moment of just the two of them together now that the noise and chaos has died down. Don, carrying Betty's coat and purse and trying to find her, spots the two dancing and has a moment of consideration: he still thinks Roger is foolish, but maybe he is actually, genuinely happy with her? Maybe she's even genuinely happy with him? He walks away, spotting Betty standing off in the distance alone in the dark, looking out over the grounds. He joins her, and they look at each for a moment, considering the other. Reaching out, Don, takes her and brings her closer, and they kiss. It is gentle at first, and then more passionate. Don drops her coat and purse, forgotten for the moment. Is Don seeking the same closeness he just saw in Roger and Jane? What or who was Betty thinking about as she stood alone in the dark? Don? Henry? Arthur? The stranger from the bar? It doesn't matter. Because for a few seconds at least, alone in the dark, Don and Betty Draper only have eyes for each other.  Episode Index
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Feb 28, 2021 17:28
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Thanks for your patience, updates should be much more regular from now on I hope!
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Feb 28, 2021 17:31
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Episodes like that are a good litmus tests for how people are able to view racially offensive content based in a historical context. I've seen a few people try to claim the show was racist and point to that scene, but you have to be extremely naive to not realize the most of the main cast are visibly disgusted by what Roger is doing, especially Pete. It's a amusing juxtaposition between the upper class who know what is racist and offensive, and the ones who either don't know or don't care.
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Feb 28, 2021 19:45
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Welcome back! We all missed you, but take your time. I love this episode. The hidden talents motif is so charming (although Roger's "hidden talent" is not so appealing). I also love the scene of Don with the old man at the bar. I think this is the first time we see Don have such an extended one-on-one conversation with a stranger. And he's very likable! He doesn't try to dominate or bully. He isn't preoccupied with projecting his genius. But, of course, he's still Don, so he's still using his communication skills. It's just that all he wants to do in this case is be charming and have a nice chat. He's just sharing a moment with another person. It gives us a tantalizing vision: What if Don cared more about being a good person than about getting ahead in life? Kiernan Shipka was a revelation in this season. She was already good in season 2, but she was ancillary to the plot. Her role was to be an innocent bystander hurt by the fallout of Don's infidelity. Here for the first time, she is an equal participant in a storyline. She's vital to the grandpa Gene storyline. And she really proves her acting chops. The way her face changes as she quails under her grandfather's stare at the dinner table... very impressive for a kid her age. A significant part of this episode is about a $5 bill. This is what a lot of people are talking about when they say Mad Men is slow. Some people just can't care about a story concerning $5. But it's an amazing story of a girl who is just getting old enough to realize how serious the consequences of our actions can be for other people, and the story of a man who whose mind is going, but still wants his dignity and respect, and still cares very much about his relationship with his granddaughter. It doesn't need to be about anything more than a $5 bill. Finally, does anyone else think that Jeffrey Graves (Princeton 55) looks like Tom Cruise?
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Feb 28, 2021 20:00
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Heads up, there's a paragraph where you use Betty when you mean Peggy about five times  Will never not be funny.The dance this episode was insane. It was definitely something of a power play, as you say, but it was also super cool. I really appreciated your write-up on how it was Jennifer's realization that they would always be outsiders to those events, something Don and the old man in the bar had talked about - it hadn't sunk in for her that the rich would never let them be in the "in group", no matter how wealthy or successful they became.
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Feb 28, 2021 21:01
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quote:Betty insists that she'll give him money to make up for his loss, but then realizes she doesn't have enough to cover it herself and asks Don to do so instead. Irritated but no objecting, Don pulls out $5 and offers it to Gene, who of course rejects it angrily. He doesn't want their money (ironically he complains that "you people" think money solves every problem, as if he isn't a wealthy man who raised his children in luxury), he wants HIS money. Dammit J, you left out Don's awesome line here! I'll have to screen cap it when I get to my computer Yoshi Wins posted:Finally, does anyone else think that Jeffrey Graves (Princeton 55) looks like Tom Cruise? Miles Fisher looks like a cross between Christian bale and Dave franco
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Feb 28, 2021 22:50
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Hidden talents: -Don fixing a drink -Pete and Trudy dancing -Paul singing -Roger "singing" -Joan playing accordion -Peggy... getting high? Did I miss any?
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Feb 28, 2021 22:54
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Jerusalem posted:Thanks for your patience, updates should be much more regular from now on I hope! Please don't apologize, your analysis has been an absolute treat and if you need to take a break we're happy to wait
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Feb 28, 2021 23:08
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The Klowner posted:Hidden talents: Those were all I was thinking of, but I guess we could also throw in Sally walking backwards from the living room (up a flight of stairs!).
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Feb 28, 2021 23:10
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Beamed posted:Heads up, there's a paragraph where you use Betty when you mean Peggy about five times "There's levels to this poo poo" sort of rich
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Feb 28, 2021 23:55
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Re: Pete’s politics He’s consistently portrayed as the most politically liberal/progressive, within the obviously limited confines of upper-class white New York society.
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Mar 1, 2021 00:17
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ANOTHER SCORCHER posted:Re: Pete’s politics It's a shameful, shameful day!
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Mar 1, 2021 00:38
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