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As a Pittsburgher and a polished Pollock myself, let me tell you that "Heinz. The Only Ketchup" would have carried the day. You have no idea how militantly loyal we are, as a group, to Heinz. There is no other ketchup. There is only Heinz.
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Jan 27, 2022 02:15
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JethroMcB posted:Ma Bell's was a real restaurant adjacent to Times Square, and apparently stayed in business until sometime in the 80's. Oh man, I hunted all around trying to see if I could find the real world place I was sure it must be and couldn't find anything except for long articles about the early days of computer dating (apparently they were like 98% scams, so little has changed!). Harrow posted:This episode has a 30 Rock reference in it, which cracked me up when it first aired. Haha, that's neat. I'd never heard it before but just assumed it was a real thing.
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Jan 27, 2022 04:09
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Don's hypocrisy this episode was always particularly egregious to me. "I can't believe my wife can just pretend to make out with another MAN  " he thinks to himself, as he goes one floor down from his own home to engage in literal cuckolding.  With a devout Catholic, no less!
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Jan 27, 2022 04:51
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It's not just in his personal life either, in his professional life he straight up tells the others that the only reason he agreed to "cheat" on Raymond was because he was told they could do it in secret and get away with it. The way he phrases it legit makes it sound as if he somehow thinks this makes him in some way in the right, and able to pass off the blame to others: after all, he wouldn't have to face the consequences to HIS actions if somebody else hadn't let it slip out and therefore THEY are to blame, not him?
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Jan 27, 2022 05:27
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man, im so curious how hes gonna react to the big reveal in The Crash. jrus been so (understandably) hard on don this season, will finally having the root of his trauma click into place be enough for him to see him not as selfish and immoral but pathetic and wounded, or will it be another ~20 episodes of vitriol
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Jan 27, 2022 10:29
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Paper Lion posted:man, im so curious how hes gonna react to the big reveal in The Crash. jrus been so (understandably) hard on don this season, will finally having the root of his trauma click into place be enough for him to see him not as selfish and immoral but pathetic and wounded, or will it be another ~20 episodes of vitriol tbf, season 6 is very frustrating to sit through the first time without having seen the whole picture. you spend five seasons watching someone slowly make progress to becoming a better human being, only for the sixth to result in a near complete regress. maybe j will become a touch more sympathetic to Don after the crash but I think the real rehabilitation will come with Don humbling himself for Peggy's benefit at the end of season 7 part 1.
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Jan 27, 2022 14:06
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for me "the crash" isn't the turning point, it's "this is where i grew up" at the end of the season. it's of course important to learn about this event in don's youth which scarred him forever, but he's still not confronting it until after he flames out in the hershey meeting and decides to be more honest with his kids. i don't hate season 7 like some people do but much like "face off" could have been the last episode of breaking bad the series could have ended with that moment and it would have been immensely satisfying.
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Jan 28, 2022 09:43
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R. Guyovich posted:for me "the crash" isn't the turning point, it's "this is where i grew up" at the end of the season. it's of course important to learn about this event in don's youth which scarred him forever, but he's still not confronting it until after he flames out in the hershey meeting and decides to be more honest with his kids. the crash is the turning point when you start just pitying don and at least understanding his pathology, i agree that seeing him take his first steps towards true honesty and healing his traumas in the finale is where his rehabilitation starts rather than in waterloo like kalel claimed. i definitely dont think mad men could have ended at season 6 though. person to person is the way it absolutely had to end, there's so much foreshadowing all throughout the show for it and its so important to pulling the themes of everything together into that one ad. hell, even in the crash when don is trying to articulate his big ad idea to peggy before leaving to go home and find the burglar, what hes really describing is the logic that ends up going into the coke ad and exactly why A)its so effective and B) why im convinced its genuine and not cynical. even outside of that, just a couple episodes later in tale of two cities we get that scene where bob benson is trying to coach ginsberg into going to the maneshevitz meeting and tells him he admires him, ginsberg claiming that the riots are beaming violent thoughts into his head then directly point blank asking bob if hes gay and bob demurring (as though the short shorts he was wearing in the previous episode at joans house didnt already spell it all out for us lmao). i also feel optimistic that petes ending had to go the way it did, and that he really did turn that corner and that it wasnt performative. everyones endings, frankly. and there was no way we werent going to get robert morse giving us a song and dance before it all ended either 
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Jan 28, 2022 10:58
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I meant "rehabilitation" of J's perception of Don, not the character's personal healing. The end of season 6 is a glimmer of hope for Don's growth, but we don't see his journey come to fruition until Don tells Pete at the end of "the strategy" that Peggy's burgerchef idea is the right idea. I think J's going to revel in Don's humbling until that moment; if not then, then at the end of Waterloo.
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Jan 28, 2022 11:48
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Blood Nightmaster posted:Don's hypocrisy this episode was always particularly egregious to me. "I can't believe my wife can just pretend to make out with another MAN Yup. Arlene and Mel are super predatory and gross about how they handle it, but at least they're upfront and honest with each other about their swinger poo poo. Don wants an open relationship for me but not for thee.
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Jan 29, 2022 01:03
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who the hell hates season 7? just finished s7e2 on current rewatch and holy moly it's so good
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Jan 29, 2022 03:50
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the first part is kind of weak. a fate shared with every other show that pulled this poo poo
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Jan 29, 2022 03:51
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Lady Radia posted:who the hell hates season 7? just finished s7e2 on current rewatch and holy moly it's so good theres one episode at the start of season 7 thats a little bit of a slog but otherwise its all gas also related to season 7: i love julio
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Jan 31, 2022 08:19
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Season 6, Episode 5 - The Flood Written by Tom Smuts & Matthew Weiner, Directed by Christopher Manley Pete Campbell posted:That man had a wife and four children. Peggy Olson stands in an empty apartment, considering. The Real Estate Agent runs down the qualities of the place: an 11th Floor Apartment, 1290 square feet (13 with the balcony), 2 bedrooms, 1 and a half bathrooms, 1 parking lot included with the option for a second, and all for $28,000 (220k in 2022!). In short, it is everything she wanted. She isn't sure if she wants it. She notes it is further East than she really wanted, pointing out that you can see the Highway from the window, but the Real Estate Agent has a more optimistic opinion (of course), saying that actually you can see the river! She can smell the ocean! And Hungarian Bakeries! Plus it will only leap up in value when the 2nd Avenue Subway stop is completed, she should definitely buy it (and thus get her the commission!). Abe arrives, sweaty and out of breath, noting it was quite a hike getting there, and even more of a mission getting past the doorman. Still, Peggy is quietly pleased to think she would own an apartment in a building with a doorman. When the Estate Agent, Ginny, warns that another party is interested in the apartment too and they need to make a firm decision, Abe freely admits that it's all Peggy's decision, since it is her money. Ginny isn't quite sure how to take it, and Abe and Peggy find themselves in the awkward position of trying to explain their relationship to a woman who keeps it professional but obviously is a little bewildered at the notion of a couple of who are living together but aren't married or at the very least engaged to be married. She steps out of the room for a moment and Abe chuckles at the realization that she didn't know he wasn't the buyer (he's the man, after all!), but Peggy isn't concerned about that. No, what is important for her in this moment is that she simultaneously both wants to be told there is nothing wrong with an apartment she clearly wants.... AND to be talked down from her obvious excitement. "Is it too far East?" she asks him, because it's the only thing she can think of critique the place: she wants it. Peggy is considered buying a new place, but later that evening, far from Manhattan out in Rye, Bobby Draper has found something that MUST be critiqued at the gothic palace that is his home..... two sheets of the wallpaper in his bedroom don't exactly line up! So of course he reaches out and tries to pull it away, perhaps in a vain effort to line them up? Or just to remove the offended section. The paper tears, and well now that it has been torn a little he's gotta KEEP tearing, right? That's just the way things are! So he tears some more, and some more, and then Betty calls from downstairs for him to come to dinner. The spell broken, Bobby leaps off the bed and, knowing that the big tear in his wallpaper will infuriate his mother, figures out a foolproof method of making sure she never finds out: he shifts his bed a few inches to the left and voila, nobody will EVER know! The perfect crime, hehehe.   A dressed up Don and Megan step out of their elevator into the lobby of their apartment building, Megan excited and even Don beaming at what looks set to be a big night out. Arnie and Sylvia are also in the lobby, the four surprised but pleased to see each other, though Don is a little more surprised than the others, still apparently having trouble seeing Sylvia living her own life instead of constantly sitting around in her apartment waiting for him to come by. Don and Arnie shake hands and Megan and Sylvia kiss on the cheek, Arnie complaining to Sylvia that they should have ordered a car like the Drapers instead of relying on Jonesy to hail them a cab. Don, still struck by Sylvia's presence, misses that they explained they were on their way to DC and asks where they are going, having to be reminded by Megan and quickly pretending it was a slip of a tongue and he meant why. With pride in her husband (that she is sleeping around on), Sylvia explains Arnie was invited last minute to give a keynote address. Making a "joke" of complaining that she didn't have to say it was last minute, Arnie admits somebody more important fell out, but Megan insists he must be just as important. Finally regathering himself in spite of the pain of having to watch Arnie and Sylvia beam with love at each other (does he ever give the slightest poo poo how she feels watching him with Megan?), Don notes it is a good excuse for a weekend in Washington, and Sylvia is quick to note meaningfully that by Monday it will all feel like a dream. Megan explains where they are going and now it is Arnie's turn to misunderstand. They're on their way to an awards ceremony and he assumes it is to do with her acting, but of course it's actually for advertising: the Heinz Beans campaign she masterminded has been nominated for the Ad Club of New York - the ANDYS - and her along with it. Don of course exudes pride, but it must kill him inside: not only is his wife being nominated instead of him or anybody else from SCDP, but it's a campaign for a client they no longer have, AND she stopped working at SCDP after making it just when he thought he'd finally found the perfect wife who could "marry" his personal and professional lives together. Still, it's a big night out, Paul Newman is going to be there, and it only proves his belief in her ability to do the career she actually didn't want to do. Sylvia of course can't help but feel some resentment about the woman who gets to have Don most of the time even if she is getting the benefit of his passion, and while it sounds lovely there is a poisonous, bitter undercurrent to her acknowledgement that Megan - beautiful, tall, semi-famous, YOUNG, married-to-Don Megan - really is good at everything. Their car arrives and Arnie and Sylvia wish them luck. As Don walks away, Arnie calls after him to jokingly inform him for the third time that they're going to DC. Don allows a quiet smirk at the joke, but also a moment longer for his eyes to linger on Sylvia who stands behind Arnie and gently waggles her fingers at him to say goodbye. Holding just a moment longer than he needs to, Don holds his smile and keeps his eyes on her, and then he's turning and following after Megan, when it is clear he'd rather be with another woman tonight. Michael Ginsberg isn't all dressed up, nor is he going out to an awards ceremony. Instead he returns to the small apartment he shares with his father, started to tell him something before pulling up short when he realizes a young woman is there as well. He asks if he was interrupting anything, and when his father says they were waiting for him, he assumes the worse: she's a saleswoman and his father has unfairly told her they're interested in what she's selling. He promises her they're not, confusing the poor woman, while Morris declares with a smile that he's as funny as he promised before introducing Michael to Beverly Farber, the daughter of Chaim Farber (who plays chess with Morris, Beverly explains).... and he has arranged for her to go out on a date with Michael. Tonight! Michael is horrified as his father starts pulling cash out of his wallet and insisting the two go out for a meal together now that Michael is home from "a busy day on Madison Avenue", a "subtle" way of making Beverly know Michael has a prestigious job. Being Michael though, he doesn't come right out and say what the problem is, instead turning it into a long list of problems that must be overcome like the fact he hasn't saved, or changed clothes, or had a shower, and it's not fair because Beverly clearly "had a jump" on him! She can't help but laugh at that, and admits that she certainly did, not being accusatory but still putting it out there to Morris that she was given the distinct impression that Michael was fully aware of what going on and would be expecting her. Morris though just waves that off as if there's nothing to be bothered with when you show up for a date and find out that the other person doesn't even know you exist! The two of them are together here now, so why not go out!?! After all, she's a schoolteacher, she never gets to enjoy herself! With typical bluntness, he gestures to the young woman and encourages his son to look at her, sarcastically remarking,"I'm clearly doing you a disservice!" Wow, really setting the romantic mood, eh?   At the Ad Club of New York, Don and Megan consider their table, far towards the back of the room near the kitchen, while most of the big Ad Agencies are up towards the front "closer to their trophies" as Don puts it. He does point out that one benefit of their placement is that they'll get fed dinner first! Megan spots Peggy at another table and eagerly suggests they go say hello, but Don claims he wants to wait by the table. Presumably not knowing about their chance encounter at the movies, Megan warns him he can't avoid her forever, but Don insists that he isn't and asks her to let Peggy know that her laxative radio spot is the sentimental favorite. The fact it's about a laxative would normally indicate he was being sarcastic or mocking, but I think this is just a reality of the products that ad agencies have to sell, and he genuinely seems to think her ad has what it takes to win. At the CGC table, Peggy is delighted to hear Megan's voice and leaps up to give her a hug. She admits sheepishly that no she doesn't watch To Have and To Hold... but that her mother and sister do! Wisely she avoids Megan's impish question of whether they hate her character, instead chosing to introduce her to one of the men at the table: Jim Cutler, President of CGC. Hey... that's Harry Hamlin! This is the first time we've seen Cutler (Ted kind of half-mentioned his eventual retirement when trying to woo over Pete Campbell to CGC as a Partner) and in only a couple of lines his character is clearly established. He's tall, good looking but aging, and seems to have an aging mindset to match it. Despite Peggy introducing Megan by name AND that she is a finalist tonight, the first thing Cutler uses to identify her is to say she must be Don's wife. Then he takes off his glasses and openly looks her up and down, "charmingly" noting that when he started in advertising they didn't make copywriters like her. Jesus Christ. He does at least offer her good luck, while Peggy and Megan force smiles through the agony. He returns to his seat and Peggy steps closer to Megan, back turned to Cutler so she can quietly explain that he's the Head of Accounts: basically like Roger Sterling but with bad breath! Still, Megan sees the positive side, he's the Head of Accounts and President of the Company, but he knows who Peggy is and they're at the table together, things must be going well. They have a bit of a laugh over the fact that Peggy isn't only a finalist for CGC (actually the ONLY finalist), but is part of the team that worked on Heinz so technically she's part of SCDP's nomination too.... and neither Megan or herself even work there anymore! But then they wave away shop talk, Peggy instead gushing over the fact she put in her offer on an apartment today, and that she and Megan will soon be "neighbors" of a sort, as her place is on 84th and York. Megan is thrilled, and when Peggy's Catholic Guilty kicks in and she tries to justify why she has the TEMERITY to have the money to buy a home by explaining she paid off her debt and helped out her mother and had to deal with a tax problem etc, Megan is the one who tells her not to apologize, insisting that she earned this success and she should enjoy it. "Thank you," says Peggy, nodding and smiling, because though she might not have known it that is EXACTLY what she has wanted to hear all this time. Megan excuses herself, not able to resist loudly proclaiming she needs her rest for when she walks all the way down to the front of the room to collect her award. "You're terrible!" giggles Peggy, knowing that Cutler wasn't impressed by the remark. Don has been joined at the table by others from SCDP - Harry, Pete, Joan, Ken and Stan - where Joan mutters quietly that they've gotten the worst seats in the house. Roger arrives too, a man in a bow-tie, glasses and with bad hair at his side, introducing him to Don as Randall Walsh, who is in Insurance and is interested in doing business with SCDP. Don stands and they shake hands, but the fairly typical business introduction goes a little sideways at this point, as Randall insists that they've met before AND they've had THIS meeting before. Don is a little bewildered but recovers nicely, jokingly asking where their check is if that is the case. "He's solid," Randall remarks approvingly to Roger, taking his leave, with Don left completely perplexed, asking Roger what was that was all about. Roger just grins and tells him to forget about it, apparently enjoying some private joke not at anybody's expense outside of maybe Randall himself.   As the lights dim several times to let people know to get to their seats for the start of the ceremony, Ted and his wife Nan arrive at the CGC table. Ted seems a little over-the-top today, and while Nan is all smiles she seems to be a little grumpy with him as well. As he grabs a seat between Peggy and his wife, she has to warn him off when he leans over to Peggy to assure her that while she's probably already heard that she won't win tonight she's sure to do better next year and all the years after that! Of course Ted, who may still somewhat in a cynical frame of mind with advertising after his Heinz experience and may have had a bit ore to drink than normal, dismisses her concerns in his eagerness to tell Peggy the "encouraging" message she really doesn't need. Abe arrives at the table, saving Peggy and Nan from any more of them as he politely as possible makes it clear to Ted - who to his credit quickly realizes his faux-pas - that he is in his seat. Ted moves over to the other side of Nan, joking that Nan got to see "Paul Newman" after all, and finally the awards ceremony can begin. While CGC and SCDP sit in the cheap seats at the ceremony, Michael and Beverly are having an awkward "date" of sorts after all. Michael managed to get somewhat cleaned up before heading out and they've gone to a diner for a simple meal: soup for Michael and a burger for Beverly. Michael strains mightily for small talk, asking if she likes kids before realizing how forward that question sounds when she reacts with surprise, explaining he was asking because she's a teacher. She tries to throw him a bone, telling him a little more about herself - she's a student-teacher, she's doing her Masters etc - to help him along in the conversation, offering tidbits so he can learn about her or at the very least ask her interesting things to make for a more enjoyable conversation and evening. Instead though, in typical Michael fashion, he gets completely sidelined over the fact that his father brought her to the apartment in the way he did. Even then he ALMOST saves it as a little of his more sardonic humor he saves for SCDP comes out as he jokes with her that it's a little early for them to be seeing where the other lives, and she has a chuckle about that. But then he loses it, going off in a tirade of self-deprecation about how he's a terrible date, that she's a sexy girl who clearly doesn't need this "old world" help while he is certainly no lothario and he's very anxious and he's never even had sex!  This is... uhh... That's not the face somebody makes when a date is going well. She laughs, looks around a little nervously and then takes a gulp of her coffee. Michael is anguished, realizing too late just how ridiculous what he said just was, and then blurting out in misery to ask what he was thinking ordering SOUP.... oh and also saying that!?! Beverly though just calmly tells him to relax, explaining as gently as possible that she's here tonight as a favor to her parents, so he doesn't need to panic or get over-stimulated because "tonight will not be the night." Somehow this laying out of the cards on the table in such a forthright way does actually seem to calm Michael somewhat. The stress of overthinking what he should do or say is gone, and he even lets himself bask a little in the compliment when she assures him that she saw his photo beforehand and he is a very handsome man. She assumes he's heard that before, but it appears that he either hasn't or has never believed it, and he drinks in the compliment (and probably falls a little in love with her at the same time). At the ANDYS, Paul Newman is invited onto the stage as the guest of honor, though for the likes of SCDP and CGC it might as well be Michael Ginsberg up there, he's so far away as to be near unrecognizable - Joan even slips on her glasses in the hopes of getting a clearer look! Newman introduces himself as if that was necessary, and then explains part of the reason he agreed to appear tonight: he isn't a politician himself, but he does have an interest in politics, and that is why he is here to put out his support and endorsement for the man he knows is going to be the next President of the United States... Gene McCarthy! Wild applause breaks out for this statement.... from Abe! The rest of the room joins in with polite, non-committal applause for the very handsome and talented and famous actor who is in the room talking to them. But then from somewhere deeper in the room, a voice calls out to "Mr. Newman" to ask him if he knows that Martin Luther King is dead? Confused sounds ripple through the room, a mixture of laughter and consternation from those who understood what was said and those who only heard a mumble. Abe heard it though, and leaps to his feet angrily, demanding to know who the hell just said that? Peggy pulls him back down into his seat, while at the far-off podium Paul Newman wanders out of the spotlight motioning to somebody in the back, looking for clarification on what was just said. Don and Megan stare around the room, Megan gasping that it can't be true, murmurs becoming loud, raised conversation between the people in the room trying to figure out if this is a hoax, a joke, or somehow, impossibly true? But then the host returns and stuns everybody when he admits that they hoping to not have to tell everybody until AFTER the awards were over so as not to "interrupt the festivities", but now with the cat out of the bag they have decided to take a 10 minute recess. That's right, they're going to begrudgingly allow a 10 minute break before returning back to the awards ceremony, even though they've now confirmed the worst news possible. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is dead. At SCDP's table, they sit stunned for a moment. Joan removes her glasses, wiping tears from her eyes. Pete is stunned and horrified, perhaps memories of JFK's murder coming back to him. At the CGC table, Cutler makes no bones about simply assuming that MLK was murdered when others question what might have happened. Abe though wants he and Peggy to get out of there, for him this isn't just something you can talk through for 10 minutes and then go back to an awards ceremony, this is not just a story but a momentous event. At the diner, Michael and Beverly are having pie and have gotten into discussing travel, or rather the lack of opportunity to do it. He admits when she asks that though his advertising ideas have ended up on billboards and elsewhere, by the time the idea goes from conception to execution so much has usually changed that it just makes you angry when you walk by it. But then the volume on a radio is cranked up, and the shocked customers in the diner hear the report come through: Martin Luther King is dead, shot in the face by an unknown assailant. Plates crash to the ground in the kitchen, all the customers are white but in the back the cooks and dishwashers are black, and they are also hearing this for the first time. One cook breaks down openly weeping, and another sinks into the seat at the counter, something unthinkable only a few years ago, but he's not doing it to make a statement... the man is in shock and grieving, and he simply cannot stand any longer. There won't a 10 minute break and then back to enjoying a night out at an awards ceremony. They won't simply be shocked and then go on with their lives the next day. A gigantic figure in their lives has been murdered, a titan of the Civil Rights Movement, a man who - for all the flaws that all humans have - represented the very best of them. It is another of a seemingly endless series of tragedies, injustices, and also painful reminders of just how badly the deck is stacked against them in what is supposedly the Land of the Free.   In Rye, Sally and Bobby are in the dining room with Betty listening to the same radio broadcast as Michael and Beverly. Henry enters the room, surprised that they're not watching the television. Betty, who once in her shock allowed the children to watch the news coverage of JFK's murder, admits that she was worried about what they might see. But she's also worried to see that Henry is dressed for work, where is he going? He's going into City Hall, of course, the Mayor has to be seen to be taking control of the situation in case of protests, violence, or out-and-out riots. When Betty tries to point out that HE doesn't have to go himself, he has one of his rare moments of losing his temper, snapping back that THEY are going to burn down the city. THEY!?! The most charitable read on that is that he means MLK's supporters, but a more realistic one is that he means black people. Immediately regretting his words, more because it was said in front of the kids than anything else, he calms himself and assures them all that everything is going to be fine, but he does need to be there to support the Mayor. With that he's off, and Betty and the kids are left alone in the house to listen to the repeated coverage of the death of one of the most important men in America. At the ANDYS, Pete is fuming as he waits for a chance to use the phone-booths inside the building lobby, in line behind scores of others wanting to check on their friends and family to see what the scene is like out in the city. Abe managed to get to a phone-booth early and rejoins Peggy, letting her know the grisly details: MLK was shot in the face in Memphis. She asks if they caught whoever did it, and he says they haven't.... but of course she knows WHO did it. He could mean white supremacists, the CIA, the Government, the military, it doesn't really matter, what he means is akin to Michael's bitter,"They HAD to do it," response. An articulate, educated, well-dressed and respected black man was out there spreading a message of equality and urging black Americans to work tirelessly to bring down the racist framework of a racist country. He was against the Vietnam War, he refused to be silenced, and he never resorted to violence. In short, he TERRIFIED large sections of America, and his death felt sadly inevitable. But though his death appalls Abe, it also offers him opportunity. He's been paired with a photographer and promised a chance to put together an article for the New York Times if he can get uptown. Peggy is horrified at the thought of him going up into what she obviously presumes will be the violence and rioting that Henry was also assuming, especially when the sounds of police sirens blare past the lobby. But she sees his excitement, understands the opportunity, and how can she stand against it when he has supported her so much in her own efforts to succeed against almost all societal norms? So she gives him the cash for a cab and tells him not to do anything stupid, and it must pain her to hear his laughing reply that it's too late for that: he's going to Harlem in a tuxedo! Don and Megan join Peggy, Don offering to give her a ride when she mentions she hasn't even thought about how she is going to get home. Pete momentarily joins them too, but only to say he's tired of waiting for the phone and he's going home. He races off, and then to the surprise and disgust of the others, the lights dim to indicate... to get back to their seats so they awards can continue? Yes, they're going to continue the event regardless of the tragedy. When JFK was murdered, the entire country basically shut down, and Margaret Sterling's wedding the next day was a mostly empty, highly distracted affair. Here? They took a ten minute break (only after being forced to acknowledge the murder in the first place) and then right back to wine, cigarettes and patting each other on the back? "What else are we gonna do?" shrugs Don, and Megan hugs up tight to him for comfort. Peggy is left standing awkwardly, her man not only not present but rushing into potential danger, the three of them about to head back into a "celebration" that feels like anything but right now. Back in Rye, Bobby is lying in bed tugging and pulling on the increasingly larger tear in the wallpaper he has made, fixated on peeling away the enticing hanging strands that only increase the damage he has done. You could argue this is a sign of OCD, but it's probably just typical dumb kid poo poo: digging a hole, pulling on a thread, chipping away at something loose. The trouble is, his mother just walked into the room! At first she assumes he is having trouble sleeping because of Dr. King's death, but when she sees him twist around with a guilty look on his face, and then (with perfect kid logic) slap his hand onto the tear to try to shield what he was doing from view as if she won't find that suspicious at all! She demands to know what he's been doing and is horrified to see the mess he has made of the wallpaper, and Bobby offers a defense that is once again perfect kid logic: I didn't do it! Betty starts to get enraged.... and then the emotional exhaustion hits her and she just sighs that she doesn't want to talk about it, ignoring his childish protest that he didn't do anything. She simply walks to the lamp, telling him to go to sleep, turns it off and leaves the room. Bobby is left unsettled, more worried by this non-reaction than he would be by her blowing up at him. Pete has gone "home", to his apartment where he makes a call to Trudy in Cos Cob. They are both listening to the same broadcast recounting MLK's death, and for a brief moment they are returned to the unity of their mutual outrage after JFK died. Pete admits that he shouldn't be surprised this happened, Trudy agrees it is shameful.... but then Pete tentatively brings up that he'd rather her and Tammy not be alone tonight and offers to come sleep there this evening. For a moment, just one moment, Trudy is sorely tempted. A tragedy has happened, she's concerned and worried, and the man she once put all her faith, trust and love into is offering to come be by her side. But then, thankfully, she resists the urge to fall back to old comforts. Standing, she tells him that no, they'll be fine by themselves. Stymied there, he changes tack and says he is worried about Tammy, but of course Trudy explains that Tammy has no idea that anything has happened at all. Understanding at last that he can't go home (and more than anything else HE needed it for himself) he accepts it and tells her he'll see her on Saturday. Even that pre-planned family gather is denied him though, Trudy saying she'll tell her parents he couldn't get out of the city. When Pete tells her she doesn't need to worry about him, meaning being in the city by himself, her response makes it clear that it hasn't really occurred to her or bothered her. She simply says goodnight, which he reciprocates, and then he left alone in the dark, drinking, listening to the President call on citizens to reject the violence which struck down the non-violent Dr. King. He has nobody, no person to comfort or be comforted by, no child to protect, no family to hunker down with. All his own fault, and his warning about "waking up alone and "not knowing everything you think you do" ended up coming true... except for him, not Trudy.   Morris Ginsberg is sleeping on the couch, newspaper draped over his lap when he's surprised out of slumber by the returned Michael. He wasn't expecting him so early (and probably hoping he would be out all night), but Michael explains they had to cut it short after learning Dr. King had died. Morris reacts by closing his eyes and letting out a long breath through his nose, slowly raising his blanket up over his face, a quiet acknowledgement of sadness but also not great surprise to hear the terrible news. Michael turns on the television, watching on the news as reports of "Negro" riots, attacks and other trouble in multiple States around the country. Watching the same news (a common technique of this episode is to cut between scenes where the characters are listening or watching to the same report) at his own apartment is Don Draper, having finally escaped the ANDYS along with Megan, and having presumably dropped off Peggy at home. Megan is on the phone with her father, furiously berating him in French for his reaction to the news and hanging up after an abrupt good night. Bitterly she recounts what he told her to Don, that he "applauded the escalation of decay" that MLK's death would bring (presumably to capitalism?). "So sick of that Marxist bullshit," she sighs. Don explains what he has picked up from the news, that there is looting in Harlem only so far but fires in lots of other places in the city. Megan ponders whether Don's secretary will be all right, and though it's unclear whether she remembers or even know Dawn's name, she did at least think of her. If Don did, he gives no sign, instead pointing out that Arnie and Sylvia are in DC where there is sure to be plenty of trouble. Megan is still complaining about her father though, who hides his emotions behind the veneer of his intellect. Don turns off the television, suggesting they watch it in the bedroom instead where hopefully they'll be able to get to sleep. Quietly they wander off into the bedroom, leaving behind their things on the couch... including, of course, Megan's ANDY for Excellence for the Heinz Campaign. She won, but it is a triumph that seems completely meaningless and hollow in the light of tonight's events. The next morning, Don arrives at his office still wearing his coat, though he somehow appears to have managed the onerous task of putting away his own hat without a secretary to do that for him. Roger joins him, Don gesturing to the drinks cabinet and assuring him he won't judge if he wants a drink despite the earliness. Roger though is here on other business, though of course he acknowledges the death by admitting he genuinely thought that King "really knowing how to talk" would have saved him from a fate almost everybody appears to be have been half-expecting as the inevitable conclusion of challenging American inequality. But what he really came to talk about is Randall Walsh, the bizarre Insurance Man he met the previous night. Walsh wants to come in for a meeting at 3pm, and Roger notes he'll have Caroline remind him since he doesn't have a secretary today. Roger leaves, Don making no comment on either Dawn's absence (which neither Partner seems to begrudge, a completely reasonable response that even 2-3 seasons ago either might not have had) or querying what Randall Walsh actually wants. Don has other things on his mind, most pressing of which is Sylvia. Not knowing her status, concerned for her, he of course finds himself trapped in the unfamiliar position of being "the other man", not able to simply call somebody and by the authority of simply being The Man getting to find out what he wants. So he calls presumably Arnie's service, trying to explain that he's not a patient but really unsure how best to describe him beyond admitting he is simply a neighbor. That of course doesn't give him the clout he needs to get them to pass on a message so Rosen can call him back, and even if they did is his friendship with Arnie that close to justify reaching out like this without overstepping bounds? The last thing he can do, of course, is admit that he's so worried because he's Mrs Rosen's lover, and so in the end he gives up on trying to leave a message and simply says he will try to reach him later, having to admit defeat and continue to live in fearful ignorance. At CGC, Peggy is surprised to find her secretary Phyllis sitting on the couch inside, watching television. Phyllis apologizes, explaining that she couldn't get reception out in the corridor, but Peggy is completely fine, admitting she is surprised she came into work at all. Phyllis explains she spent the evening out in Newark with her mother, surprising Peggy who asks why she'd go out there, and Phyllis explaining her mother's sister lives out there and they wanted to be with family. Peggy can understand that of course, she may not be black but wanting to be with family in troubling times is a universal experience. She offers awkwardly that Abe told her things weren't as bad overnight as they could have been, and then sees that Phyllis is barely holding herself together. She hesitates for a moment, never an overly emotional and outgoing person, then chucks aside the usual decorum of the office hierarchy and her own self-doubts to just give Phyllis what she needs at the moment: a hug. Phyllis lets herself sink into it, then gathers herself and notes that while she AND King himself both knew this would happen (King's last speech about "being to the mountaintop", likening himself to Moses who could not enter the promised land with his people, has been pointed to as almost prophetic about his upcoming murder), but it won't stop the work that he was spearheading. Stepping back, she bitterly spits out that the fools out causing chaos on the streets are doing absolutely the wrong thing. Seeing how emotionally distraught she is, Peggy suggests she go home, noting she really shouldn't be working today... then admitting quietly that NONE of them should be working today. After all, none of them were expected to come back to work at Sterling Cooper the next day when JFK was killed (even if Peggy ended up missing the funeral to get a head start on revising Aqua Net!). Phyllis thanks her and leaves the office, and while it was a touching moment they both know the reality: neither of them are going home, work will continue as will America by and large despite the national significance of this murder. In Rye, Betty has read with a mixture of pride and concern the details of Mayor Lindsay's visit to Harlem the night before, and asks Henry seated at the dining table if it is all real as printed. He admits it was, and how surreal it was to walk towards angry black citizens behind a Mayor whose only safety concern was towards making sure the photographers were okay. Henry admits that part of what helped was Lindsay cutting deals with "militants" in the previous year (presumably as part of his work on the Kerner Commission?), but what it was worked. The work isn't done though, and he's about ready to head back into City Hall, but Betty insists that first he at least eat something. She's worried for him, but proud of him too, because unlike when Don insisted everything would be fine after JFK's assassination but couldn't answer when she asked him how, she has faith that Henry is somehow part of the "solution" to the problems generated by MLK's. At SCDP, Pete and Harry step out of their respective offices looking around and calling for their secretaries Clara and Scarlett, both of whom are nowhere to be seen. Pete figures they're off somewhere watching a television, and Harry says they're certainly not watching his, admitting he didn't sleep well last night. Neither did Pete, who acknowledges that he only came into the office because he thought working would take his mind off of things. But while the two men have come together in the center of the floor, their mutual lament over the effects of MLK's death suddenly diverge wildly as Pete realizes they're focusing on two very different things. For all his many, many faults, Pete has at least somewhat of a finger on the pulse of potential societal change and the impact that major events like this might have on America as a whole. He also has something of a social conscience, in contrast to his lack of a personal one, he's horrified at the assassination of a public figure, especially one who made such a point of extolling the values of peaceful protest. But Harry? No Harry's concern is purely fiscal. Clients have been on the phone to him all morning demanding make-goods on the advertising that DIDN'T run because of the special broadcasts that preempted the prime-time schedule, and Harry is fed up with all the coverage since "enough is enough already" and he thinks a single evening of coverage of the murder of a beloved Civil Rights Icon was all that was required and they can go back to watching Bewitched, Merv Griffen, Dean Martin... he even heard they might cancel the Stanley Cup! Pete is outraged, snapping in disgust at Harry that this cannot be "made good" because it's shameful. Harry is of course offended, loudly demanding to know if Pete thinks he isn't also upset about "that man" being shot. When Pete sneers back that he's only upset because it's costing him, Harry's response isn't to reject that monstrous accusation but to point out.... that it's costing all of them!  
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Feb 3, 2022 15:05
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Cooper emerges from his office, horrified that one of the Partners and the head of Media are having it out in a screaming match right there on the Accounts Floor. He arrives right as Harry - of course - starts complaining about "them", the always carefully phrased "them" who "won't be happy" until "they" turn New York into a shithole! Pete gives him a disgusted smirk back, as if to proclaim,"AHA!" at this barely disguised racism, while Cooper tries to be the voice of reason and pleads with both the "gentlemen" to stop. But Pete has his temperature up as well, and makes no bones at all about calling Harry exactly what his last statement made him: a bona fide racist! Harry rolls his eyes at this, but rather than denying it instead mocks how lately it seems that EVERYBODY is a racist! Well... it IS 1968. Cooper may not be God at SCDP like he once was at Sterling Cooper, but his voice stills carries immense authority. When he loudly proclaims,"GENTLEMEN!" for a second time he catches their attention, both of them perhaps already regretting going as far as they have. Through clenched teeth, Cooper suggests they shake hands in the spirit of "erasing" their last remarks, and bitterly both men agree to do so. Harry apologizes, and as he and Pete shakes hands, he admits that his comments were inappropriate.... because he "mistook this for a work day." Oh sweet Jesus. "Don't worry," sneers Pete,"I'm sure you can make your money back on some Movie of the Week next fall about the death of a great man." Oh good Goddamn. Cooper warns them both that this isn't what he had in mind, but then Pete hits Harry with the Coup de grace, a blow that leaves him utterly speechless. Pete decides to put it in terms that Harry can understand, and reminds him that "that man".... had a wife and four children. With that he strides back to his office, and Harry - who of course has a wife and four children - is left completely at a loss, because of course it never once for a moment occurred to him to see any parallels between himself and a black man. Downstairs, Don's looks up from his paper when there is a knock on his door, and is surprised to see an apologetic Dawn entering his office apologizing for being late and offering to get him a coffee. He has simply assumed she would not be in, and had zero problem with that, understanding the enormous impact MLK's death would have had. He stands and tells her he's glad she is okay, explaining that Joan has been trying to reach her, not having to add that it was purely to check she was all right as opposed to wanting to know why she wasn't at work. Joan arrives shortly after, admitting that she assumed she wouldn't be in, Dawn explaining her mother thought it best she come in. Except Joan has news, Cooper has just decided it would be fitting if everybody took the rest of the day off, none of them knowing this is largely because of the scene he just saw unfold upstairs. Except that doesn't quite mean everybody, because Roger stills wants to have the 3pm meeting with Randall. Frustrated, Don asks if they're closed or not, and Joan offers to cancel it... but points out that Michael and Stan are both scheduled to be there. With a sigh, Don agrees to stay, and Dawn is quick to offer to stay as well. Don waves that off, insisting she go home, and Dawn - who wants to be anywhere else OTHER than at home at the moment - finally has to speak up a little more plainly and straight up say she would prefer to stay and work. Don simply shrugs, if that is what she wants then fine. And then something magical happens. Of all people, Joan decides that now is the time to break down the professional barriers slightly and offer Dawn some sort of emotional comfort. So she steps forward, arms extended, and grasps a stunned Dawn into a stiff, awkward embrace before taking her exit. Dawn is bewildered, having no idea how to react to this gesture, and so simply falls back on doing her job, asking Don if he wants anything. He tells her no, passing his Rolodex to her so she can run through it and make his calls, and she leaves, grateful to both be out of his office but also to be working, to be doing ANYTHING to take her mind off the tragedy.   At CGC, Peggy takes a call from her Real Estate Agent, Ginny. She asks to speak to Miss Olson, obviously thinking she's talking to a secretary (Phyllis DID go home) but quickly recovers and explains that she hasn't sent in Peggy's offer for the apartment yet. Belatedly Peggy remembers the apartment, the most important thing in the world yesterday afternoon but utterly insignificant by the evening. She muses that nobody is going to want to consider offers in the immediate aftermath of MLK's murder anyway, and Ginny FINALLY manages to get a word in edgewise to agree.... which is why she thinks they should low-ball the sellers! Yes, it seems the other buyer didn't come through, and with "trouble" happening only 10 blocks away she figures they can wait the appropriate 24 hours out of "respect" and then offer 23k instead of 28 and then give the sellers only 24 hours to respond. That way, the TV news can do their work for them, and she can get the apartment at a real bargain. Peggy freezes, caught up between seeing the benefit to herself and also knowing what a piece of poo poo it would make her to do this. Ginny though takes her silence as compliance, calling her "good girl" and hanging up. Peggy doesn't protest, in fact she doesn't do much of anything. She just hangs up in her own phone and sits there in her office, considering the fact she just sat there and said nothing while her Agent proposed and then moved ahead with exploiting a national tragedy to serve Peggy's own self-interest. But hey... she let her secretary take the day off! 3pm comes, and Roger leads Randall into Don's office to meet him, Stan and Michael. Don extends a hand, but Randall simply smiles and waves, then takes a seat. Don offers him a drink, and Randall declines, admitting that he would prefer not to talk either, explaining he has been trying to communicate without words but it isn't working. I..... what? "Randy, it NEVER works!" complains Roger, for who this behavior is apparently not a surprise, before explaining to the others that Randall has an idea he wants to push for their advertising, but the ad director they are using refuses to run with it, so he's come to them. Michael helpfully points out to Randall that since he's in the Property Insurance business, the recent rioting is probably going to hit them pretty hard! Don glares at his copywriter, but Randall is unfazed, simply explaining to Don that today he is here because he wants to pursue a "no bullshit" approach to business. He insists that while others say they care, he REALLY cares.... and then simply sits and says nothing in the uncomfortable silence, until Roger prompts him that they're waiting on him to continue. Closing his eyes, Randall quietly, happily explains that when he closes his eyes, he sees the ad he wants: the company name, followed by a Molotov cocktail being lit with a match... and there's a coupon at the bottom! Don casts a disbelieving look at Roger, while Michael sardonically asks,"The ad sales guy DIDN'T go for that?" But Randall isn't done. He insists this is the opposite of fearmongering, that in fact this push to advertise their property insurance by stoking fears of riots, arson and looting was actually endorsed to him personally by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..... last night, when his spirit visited Randall! Everybody stares, stunned, apart from Stan who is having the time of his life, not even bothering to hide his poo poo-eating grin as he realizes they're in the presence of a lunatic. Randall sees the smile and grins himself, asking if it makes him happy, and Stan can't stop himself from getting the giggles. For Don though, he isn't going to sugarcoat his response, already irritated at having to wait around when everybody else went home earlier in the day. He critiques the idea as being in bad taste, that it always has been, is now, and always will be. Roger offers a more diplomatic response, explaining that what Don REALLY means is that he feels Randall is letting the emotions of the traumatic last 24 hours inform his thinking. Randall though asks Roger to remember the words of Tecumseh, and begins a quasi-Native American chant. "I did forget that," nods Roger sarcastically, and with that the meeting is over, Randall still insisting this is an opportunity, but the only words that really reach Don being that the heavens are telling them to change their ways. As Randall leaves, Michael follows eagerly asking if he was REALLY visited by Dr. King's ghost, Roger asking him to make sure Randall doesn't get lost, a bewildered Stan leaving wondering why he too had to stick around for so long. Irritated, Don collects up his things, complaining to Roger about being forced to wait around for THAT, and Roger casually mentions without any further elaboration (and treating it like a joke to belie the serious nature of his revelation) that he owed Randall who once talked him off a roof, so agreed to this meeting.   Roger offers Don a drink, but for now he just wants to go home, stopping to worriedly review the newspaper front page again, his minds on the ongoing riots happening around the country, and of course most specifically in Washington DC. So it is when he returns home, watching news footage of fires, listening to the anchor detail 3 deaths reported in riots happening in the Nation's capital, and over 350 people injured. The phone rings, Megan answering it and then calling out to Don that it is Betty on the phone... he was supposed to pick up the kids! "Oh poo poo," winces Don, only now remembering he is supposed to have the kids, the thought completely blown out of his mind by the events of the last 24 hours and his ongoing concern for his mistress. Answering, he of course doesn't make anything even resembling an apology, instead trying to turn it around on her, almost accusing her of not caring about the safety of the kids if she really wants him to bring them into the city while all this is going on. She isn't letting him wriggle out of things though, pointing out that he takes every chance he can to get out of having them visit, sarcastically asking if he thinks Henry doesn't care about their safety as much since he says it will be fine for them to be in the city. When she complains that the kids have been acting off and he points out there is a lot of upsetting stuff on the news, she points out that just maybe part of what is making them upset is that their father apparently doesn't care about seeing them. When he again tries to turn it around on her by asking if she REALLY wants him to drive all the way up there and then drive them back through the city at night (ignoring that he was supposed to pick them up during the day) she simply throws back in his face a hypothetical (well, more an educated guess backed by precedent) that he'd probably crawl to Canada on his knees if it meant he could meet his girlfriend. Well technically, he wants to crawl on his knees to DC to get her! Still not actually outright saying he's coming, he growls that he can't believe this and then hangs up, then bellows out to Megan that he has to go out to get the kids. She steps out from having apparently just had a shower, in disbelief that this is happening. Don of course is disgusted as well, pointing out they're calling in the troops in Washington but Henry says New York is fine. He. is. the. one. who. forgot. he. had. to. pick. them. up. It's not even like he called her up to argue over whether he should or shouldn't, he simply just completely forgot, and now he's angry at Betty (as is Megan, who calls her a piece of work) because of HIS mistake. But even if he won't admit it, he knows he is in the wrong, because he's going. Betty doesn't even know for sure because he didn't tell her, but off he trudges out the door, and after a long drive up and back, night having fallen, Don drives through the streets of New York with his children, sirens blaring, police everywhere on the street on the lookout for rioters, looters or most dangerously of all, walking while black. Saturday morning comes and Michael Ginsberg sits at the small table in his small apartment, working at a sewing machine fixing a hole in his father's jacket. Morris steps in and asks if he has finished, telling him that he "can" walk him to work, not wanting to sit in front of a television all day. Still in his boxers and undershirt, Michael stands and hands him the jacket, saying it is good as new, but Morris complains that the stitching is a mess, and then lists out all of Michael's flaws: he can't cook, he can't clean, and he can't sew. Apparently this is an oft-repeated series of complaints, Michael just shrugging and rolling his eyes at the "gratitude" his father is showing him. But Morris has a further point he wants to make, that Michael is no good at these things because there is no woman in his life: he needs a girl! Or maybe... he doesn't like girls? Biting back his temper, Michael growls that of course he likes girls, but he doesn't think anybody is really in the mood for dating or anything else right now. But there Morris vehemently disagrees: in a catastrophe is EXACTLY when a man and a woman should be together. After all, the animals all went two by two into the Ark... is he gonna get on board with his father!?! Now Michael does lose his temper, he can find his own girl! Morris throws his own hands up softly to mark the end of the argument, having said his piece, and tells his son he'll bring him back a sandwich, a peace-offering of sorts. He leaves, and now Michael is left alone in his little apartment, his mood ruined and the day turned to poo poo... but hey at least he'll get a sandwich later!   Don wakes up from a not particularly restful sleep, hearing the television playing in the other room. Staggering out into the living room, he finds Megan buttoning up Gene's coat, Sally and Bobby already dressed, and for the first time in two days something playing on the television other than news of MLK's death (there we go, Harry got his way!). Megan notes she is glad he finally got some sleep, and Sally explains they're going to a vigil in the park for Dr. King. She then notices Bobby, standing up by the kitchen counter with his back turned, looking over his shoulder at the television and reminds him he isn't supposed to be watching television. "I'm not!" he insists, despite looking straight at it, and in case she was being too subtle in trying to snitch on her brother, Sally reminds him that mom said he couldn't watch television. Megan tells Sally to stop it and Don closes his eyes, not able to muster the energy to involve himself in any way. Bobby complains that his stomach hurts, and Megan winces, unsure how to react because she already knows that Don isn't coming - she told him they'd be back in a couple of hours, not even asking him if he was coming since she already knew the answer - but now what? With another suppressed sigh, Don says Bobby can stay and he'll watch him, and then gives Megan a reassuring kiss when she explains that she just can't stay cooped up in the apartment for another day and has to feel like she is doing something. Sally, pretending indifference, grunts that she knew he wouldn't even up coming, and follows Megan (who is carrying Gene) to the door. The moment she is out of Bobby's sight, he's turned around and jumped over the couch to lock his eyes to the forbidden television, Sally not even out of the apartment yet but hey if he can't see her then she can't see him! Looking back at his son, Don asks if he wants some aspirin, but Bobby doesn't hear him, laser-focused on the television. So Don in a louder, more authoritative voice orders him to turn it off, and THAT Bobby hears, switching off the television with the remote and scowling at being denied what he thought was his escape clause. Don asks him to tell him EXACTLY what his mother's punishment was, wanting no wriggle room or miscommunication, and sullenly Bobby explains that he was banned from watching television for a week. Don nods, considering this and what it means for this rare time between solely father and son. So they go watch Planet of the Apes! Don watches Bobby gobbling up popcorn as he watches Dr. Zaius explain that humans are incapable of anything more than learning a few simple tricks. He points out his stomach seems to be feeling better and Bobby simply nods, eyes still locked on the screen. So Don asks what it was he did that deserved punishment, and of course Bobby still insists he did nothing wrong. "Come on," insists Don, and grumpily Bobby explains in a way that makes perfect sense to him but is baffling to Don that he was punished "because the wallpaper didn't line up!" The movie ends, Charlton Heston beating his first into the wet sands of the beach and screaming that the maniacs blew it up, drat you! Goddamn you all to hell before the camera reveals the half-submerged Statue of Liberty. The credits roll, and as people leave the theater Bobby asks his father to explain: the humans blew up New York? "All of America," agrees Don, patiently explaining the plot, that yes Heston's Taylor came back to "here" but it was in the far future. "Jesus," Bobby mutters after a few seconds of contemplating this, absolutely delighting his father. Pulling out a cigarette, Don asks Bobby if he wants to see it again, surprising and pleasing his son who asks if they really can. Don simply lights up his cigarette, more than happy to spend his Saturday re-watching the same movie with his son, though apparently without a thought for his wife and his other two children who were only going to be gone for a couple of hours.   At Peggy's, Abe is pecking away at his typewriter when the phone rings, and he assumes it is his editor, picking up and saying he needs another half hour. A moment later he passes the phone to Peggy, explaining it is the Real Estate Agent. She grabs the phone, expecting good news, but instead Ginny informs her without a hint of remorse or apology that it turns out during the 24 hours they gave the sellers to accept their unnecessarily low-ball offer, somebody else came in with another offer that was a little higher (but still under the original 28) so of course they took that... but oh well, it wasn't meant to be! Hanging up, she calls out to Abe that somebody else got the apartment, and he returns to the room and back to his typewriter shrugging and noting rhetorically,"What are you gonna go?", fully prepared to move on since the apartment is gone so that's that. But that was the worst thing he could say, because Peggy is looking for somebody to take out her aggression on and this is like a red flag to a bull. She demands to know if that is all he has to say, and when he shrugs again and asks what she wants him to say she snaps that she would like to know he gives a drat. Turning away from his typewriter for a moment, he complains that he's in the middle of writing an emotional story and she lashes out, telling him not to act a martyr when he's really having the time of his life, getting to write a first person account of being on the scene at a riot. He snaps back asking why she's so mad, and she complains that she is alone in this. That DOES irritate him, and she's quick to point out she's not talking about the financial side, she wants to know that he is emotionally invested in where they live as well. Forgetting his story for the moment, he admits he that he doesn't feel comfortable expressing his opinion on this, not outright admitting that her paying for everything makes him feel like he doesn't have a say. But she encourages him to share his opinions, born from a mixture of actually wanting him to communicate AND hoping he'll say something to piss her off and give her an excuse to vent her frustration at Ginny (and herself) for costing her the apartment by trying to exploit a tragedy. "I don't want to live on the Upper East Side," Abe admits, and she demands to know why. With a sigh, he shrugs and says he doesn't really know... maybe it's just because he envisioned them raising their kids in a more multi-cultural environment than that ("with more different kinds of people" as the professional writer puts it). Peggy is momentarily floored, and then he continues, talking excitedly about the photographer who he was paired with who lives in the West 80s. It isn't dangerous, he assures her, just more rundown, but that's why the places are cheaper, and why more people are picking up homes there knowing that with some lumber and a coat of paint they can make the place nicer. THAT is the kind of place he wants to be, with a diverse range of people, making something rundown into an actual home. But of course all of that is secondary to Peggy, because all she can focus on are those magical words: "our kids". He never asked her to marry him, his idea of being a more serious couple was living together, but now he is talking about a definitive future, about the two of them having children, of creating a family together, and it has her head-over-heels with happiness. Standing, she approaches and quietly says she doesn't know he felt that way, almost seeming concerned she might spook him as she hurriedly clarifies she means about the Upper East Side. Not realizing the significance what he said to her had for her, he admits that it is the way he feels and also openly voices for the first time that he didn't feel it was his place to say given it was her money. Flush with love for this man, she reminds him that he is in her life and is a part of her life, and they kiss, her bad mood completely blown away. When he reminds her that he really does have to finish the article, she quickly agrees and returns to her couch. But she can't stop staring at him, even after forcefully turning her head away, unable to keep the smile from her face, to take her eyes off the man she loves, the man who admitted without really realizing it that he sees the two of them together for good regardless of marriage, of having children, of truly being a couple and not just two people in a serious but potentially temporary relationship.. In short, Peggy Olson is happy, and very much in love.   Still in the movie theater, Don is reading a mock-up of "The Ape" newspaper made up as a marketing tool for the film. A cleaner, black of course, comes by and sweeps up under his feet, Don adjusting his position to allow him to get at the crumbs but otherwise not really noticing that he exists, just another black man doing a job while largely being invisible. Bobby returns, and not old enough to have learned to ignore fellow human beings as largely beneath his notice, asks the cleaner if he has seen the film. "Not yet," replies the cleaner politely, but a fascinated Bobby is curious if he gets to see the movies for free. "I do," the cleaner acknowledges, and Bobby excitedly tells him that the movie is really good and they're seeing it again. "You enjoy yourself," offers the cleaner, Don beaming with pleasure at his son leading this conversation. But then Bobby considers for a moment, the fact that the cleaner is black obviously hasn't passed him by, and he offers an observation that gives the cleaner pause for a moment and startles Don,"Everybody likes to go to the movies when they're sad." NOW Don and the cleaner make eye contact, the moment awkward for a second, the acknowledgement - even if Bobby doesn't fully understand everything - of MLK's death catching them both off-guard. The cleaner moves on without a word, and Don considers his son for a moment, the pleasure he took from watching him chatting animatedly about the movie now changing to an emotion he has seemingly rarely felt about his children (well, maybe Sally).... he's proud. He opens the milk duds, passes them to Bobby after taking one for himself, and then wraps him around the back of Bobby's seat, seeing his young son as a fully realized person in his own right for perhaps the first time. For the cleaner himself? He was unsettled by the acknowledgement, not least because like Dawn he was probably hoping that his work would help in some way take his mind of things (though unlike Dawn or Phyllis, he probably didn't have the option of a day off). Does he appreciate Bobby's kind gesture? Or does he wish it had never been brought up even if he holds no malice towards the kid himself? We don't know, because the scene focuses more on the reaction/take of Don, something I'll talk about in a bit more detail at the end. Henry returns home, finding Betty in the bedroom and admitting he was looking around the (gigantic) house for her since the television was on and he assumed she was still up. She admits that she doesn't feel right turning it off given the importance of the news, but also that she doesn't want to watch it. He takes a seat on the edge of the bed and explains he isn't needed at City Hall tonight, Mayor Lindsay believes the worst of things are over and the late nights aren't needed any more. Betty is pleased about that, of course, but Henry admits that he's been thinking about the cost. He alarms her by assuring her that she'll never need to worry about money, asking why he would bring that up, and he quickly moves on to reflect on walking through Harlem the other night, all of them following in Lindsay's wake. He admits that he found it exhilarating rather than frightening, but now he can't stop thinking about whether what Lindsay did to keep the peace was worth it. "He's never been more popular," notes Betty, but Henry - a dyed in the wool Republican, even if he largely supports moderates - thinks that negotiating with "hoodlums" (black people) and the disrespect for authority (black people not wanting to be beaten to death by the police) was the wrong way to go about it. All he can think about is how HE would do it differently, and after a lifetime of working FOR politicians behind the scenes, as well as the knowledge that his chance at working on Presidential Campaigns might have passed him by due to his choices, he is starting to think about actually being a politician himself. So, after a long period of declining to run in vacant seats (either due to death or other reasons) he wants to take up an offer to be in the State Senate. Betty asks if he wants to run, and he laughs that given it is a safe Republican seat and he'll be unopposed by any other Republicans, they're basically GIVING him a Senate Seat (what a wonderful thing Democracy is). From there it's a stepping stone to State's Attorney General, and from there... "Who knows what else," smiles Betty, who reminds him that she has been pushing him to make this step herself. He acknowledges that he finally heard her, and that this isn't just going to be a great thing for him but for "us". That is the only time she shows any reluctance, otherwise fully onboard with supporting him. The sudden realization that she will have to be more present as his wife hadn't really occurred to her, but she sets that aside to be happy in him making a decision she approves of. He kisses her, and they lean back on the bed, their own ardor for each other still strong after all this time, even after the initial white hot passion died down and they got past the rough patch of Betty's paranoia/hangover regarding Don. A far more shaky new marriage is on display in Manhattan, where Don sits on the edge of his bed drinking. Megan enters the bedroom, letting him know that she finally got all the kids to bed after Gene climbed in with Sally and settled down. Don doesn't reply or acknowledge this at all, and he wasn't present to put them to bed either, leaving all that to his wife. She stares at him, then tells him she felt better but now she doesn't, and when he finally turns and asks hey why, she harshly whispers it's because she has no idea what is going on with him or what HE is feeling. She complains about him not being with them at the park, of not knowing what to say to Sally about him, about learning that he went off to the movies with Bobby, of him sitting in his bedroom drunk while SHE put the kids to bed. "You're better with them," he mumbles, seemingly half-asleep but in reality just really, really, really drunk. He mutters that she doesn't understand, but she disagrees, likening him to her father... except Don doesn't have Marx, he's got a bottle. Both are ways of deflecting from dealing with their emotions, but while she feels incapable of changing her father, she isn't about to sit around and let her husband become another version of him. She joins him on the bed, taking his glass from him and demanding to know if this is what he really wants to be for his children in a time when they really need him. No, of course not. What he really wanted, all he wanted, he drunkenly admits, is to be the man who loves children. His guard worn down by exhaustion and drink, Don speaks frankly for one of the few times in his life. What he says is both horrifying, depressing, and also largely in tune with much of what we've seen from him over the last six seasons. He kept waiting for the moment to come, first through Betty's pregnancies, then the births, then as the children grew. That life-changing moment, that feeling of awestruck love and a desire to do all in his power to protect and shelter the young life he created. It never came. It doesn't quite track, we've seen Don feel clear love and pride in his children before. But he's talking from an emotional place, which is rare enough, and it is true that those moments when seen were fleeting. For the most part, his children have been an obligation, one he doesn't always rise to the occasion to meet. Sally's birthday party (hey, what happened to Polly, anyway?), his lengthy absences, completely forgetting they existed when he asked Rachel to flee to Los Angeles with him, periodically pulling out of his weekends of custody etc. So all he did was act, pretending to be proud and excited, waiting for the moment but never feeling anything. In one of his rare acknowledgements of psychological trauma, he admits that maybe his "difficult" childhood has something to do with it, but doesn't allow it to be the only excuse. No, he went through the motions, but he didn't feel the way he thought he was supposed to, and he saw that as a lack in himself. Megan doesn't speak, she doesn't gasp or condemn or even assure him it's not true. She just listens, saddened and horrified but letting him speak, letting him actually share how he is feeling, to vent some of the poison that is deep inside of him. "You want to love them.... but you don't," he continues, pondering if his own father had the same issue with him. But then he gets to the heart of his current mental and emotional exhaustion. Because today Bobby did something that made him genuinely feel the way he had been pretending to feel all this time. And that was something he was not prepared for, and it made the falseness of what he'd been doing before stand out all the strong, made him feel guiltier and more like a piece of poo poo than ever. "It feels like your heart is going to explode," he finishes, and Megan - tears in her eyes - rubs his back and leans against him, offering no words but simply the comfort of her presence. She is there for him, not judging and not recoiling, the true partner he needs... and does that make him feel like an even bigger piece of poo poo because so much of his thoughts have been with Sylvia? Or, like so much else in his life, has he compartmentalized that so that everything stands detached from everything else... at least until it no longer can and the walls come crashing down, as they always do.   In his lovely little "bachelor pad", Pete collects his Chinese delivery, trying to make small talk with the deliveryman who simply smiles, nods and leaves without responding to Pete remarking it came quicker than expected and asking what the streets are like currently. So Pete closes the door and stands there, alone in his apartment with nothing but Chinese food. Nobody to talk to, no wife to bond with over the tragedy, no child to protect. Nothing but the lovely little bed he made and now has to lie in. Far off in Rye, Betty considers what has been bothering her since Henry told her about his political ambitions. She supports those, of course, but the thought of being his First Lady hadn't occurred. Now she stands looking in the mirror, pondering one of her old dresses that she is still too big (relatively speaking) to fit into, idly considering her hair which she so recently changed to brunette, still unhappy with how she looks and whether she can live up to an impossible standard that Henry himself probably hasn't considered for even a second. Late in the night, Don steps out of his room presumably to go to the bathroom, but notices a light is still on in Bobby's room. He approaches and the light quickly turns out (Bobby isn't the brightest, his door was open), stepping through the doorway and whispering to him that he needs to go to sleep. Bobby complains he can't, so Don steps into the room and actually hops into the bed with his son, rolling over to look him in the eye, asking him what is bothering him, actually being a dad for a change. Bobby admits he is scared, and Don assumes it is because of the movie. But no, Bobby at least knows the difference between real and make-believe. He explains what is scaring him, a thought that he can't get out of his head... what is somebody shoots Henry? A bullet pierces Don's heart at hearing this, even if it should come as no surprise. He may be Bobby's father, Bobby may call him dad, but who is it who has been the primarily male influence in Bobby's life the last several (very formative) years? Who is it who comes home every night to the house where Bobby lives? Who is it who watches television with him, takes him and the family out on trips or out for a meal, goes shopping with them, sleeping in a big bed with Bobby's mother, pays the bills and is treated like a big deal with everybody he meets? It's not Don, it's Henry, and that is who Bobby is worried about. He knows Henry does something involving City Hall, he knows a lot of people are sad and angry at the moment and that Henry is somehow in the middle of it, and he worries for the man who is effectively his actual father. And it kills Don, because he has nobody to blame but himself for it, just like Pete in his lovely little apartment. He takes a moment to let it settle in, then sighs and does what he has to do and comfort and reassure his child. So he promises him that nobody is going to shoot Henry, and when Bobby points out they COULD Don counters that they WON'T, unable to help getting in a little dig by noting that Henry isn't actually THAT important. Oh my God if he actually becomes a State Senator Don's entire world is gonna collapse in on him. Bobby nods, accepting this as some kind of reassurance. Don tells him again to go to sleep, and this time Bobby doesn't protest, just rolls onto his back and closes his eyes. Don places one arm gently on his shoulder, stroking his cheek with his thumb, considering the son who he has finally realized he has done so poorly by, knowing that it may be too late to correct this, especially with Henry providing a more positive, far more stable role model. If Pete had to lie in his own bed, Don lies in his son's thinking about all the things he has cost himself, and the only real question is whether he understands or accepts that it is almost entirely his own fault. He leaves, stepping out onto the balcony and lighting a cigarette (so not a bathroom trip then). Out on the streets, the sirens still blare, the "trouble" mostly over but still present. So ends the 5th episode of season 6, one ostensibly all about the murder of Martin Luther King... but of course filtered through the lens of the characters of Mad Men.  That was a recurring theme of the episode, something that was obviously deliberate and entirely in keeping with the tone of the show. For much of this episode, we see the reactions of black Americans to the death of MLK.... but they are entirely filtered through the observations of white characters. We get no scenes dealing with characters like Dawn or Phyllis as the central characters, they are all incidental to other characters. It is Michael and Beverly who observe the cooks breaking down in the diner. Don and Bobby are at the movies and it is Bobby who obliquely brings up the death to the cleaner. Phyllis arrives and is given the day off and embraced by Peggy, but it is a scene mostly about Peggy's attempts to deal with the tragedy, and followed not long after by her being convinced to try and cash in on the tragedy for her own benefit. Dawn's own feelings are largely ignored by Don and Joan both trying to do the right thing and send her home when she clearly wants to be at work both to take her mind off of things and to get as far from her home as she can (much like she slept in Don's office during the riots in the previous season). Joan's awkward hug of Dawn is about Joan trying to be empathetic, despite Dawn's clear unease. You have characters like Pete and Harry taking out their aggression on each other, Pete's posturing at least channeled in roughly the right direction even if it mostly born out of anger from his domestic situation, but their argument about race is taking place on a floor with NO black Account men or even secretaries, their only witnesses a white middle-aged secretary and an old white man. Even Abe is, as Peggy puts it, reveling in the excitement of getting a chance to produce a first-hand account of a major news story for a big newspaper. All those who lament King's death express it in terms of either inevitability or to further their own conspiracies. Randall tries to turn it into a shock advertising campaign, Don is disgusted but his own fears and concerns are largely based on Sylvia's safety. References are made to "them" when talking about rioters and looters, only Pete Campbell of all people being the one to rightly point this out as a racist dog-whistle. Henry - always seemingly reasonable and tolerant - uses the same coded language, offering an "us and them" dichotomy that ironically is largely in line with what John Lindsay himself warned only a month earlier was an America "moving toward two societies, one Black, one white — separate and unequal" The point of all this? That the reactions to MLK's death are very deliberately based around the white central characters of this show and all that entails, particularly around the largely self-interested and ethically dubious industry they're in. Mostly the reports on the assassination themselves are overheard radio and television narration, and while most of the characters express sadness at the death, life largely goes on. They aren't surprised or judgemental about black employees not coming to work the day after, but everybody else is obviously expected to be there and prepared to go on with life as normal in complete contrast to the last high profile death we saw on the show. It's never more plainly revealed than when the ANDYS continued after only a 10 minute break, but the same characters who were disgusted by this decision are right there doing their own jobs the next day. For black America, the death of MLK was a tragedy that continues to have reverberations through to the current day. For a significant portion of the white population, it was sad or noteworthy and then life just went on as it always had, if they weren't already trying to figure out a way to milk it for their own benefit, like Randall's suggestion or even Pete's mocking reference to Harry pushing for a movie of the week next fall. So it is fitting that an episode built around the death of an inspirational black Civil Rights Leader should end largely as the episode played out: on a rich white man, standing high above the city smoking a cigarette and lamenting how unhappy he is with his perfect wife, healthy children, prestigious job and the respect and admiration of nearby everybody he knows.  Episode Index Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Feb 3, 2022 |
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Feb 3, 2022 15:06
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This episode hits a lot differently now that I have a daughter.
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Feb 3, 2022 15:39
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One of the best episodes in my book, Top 5 for sure. It effectively uses one of the major historical events of the decade to tell a number of smaller stories that deliver some great, defining character moments ("It's a shameful, shameful day,") and despite the personal drama and heavy subject matter, it still manages to be so drat funny. The business meeting with Randall and the room's reactions to his ideas, and this: Teyonah Parris' expression and body language during this scene are just phenomenal. She's shellshocked and dealing with the weight of the world already, but THIS is so unexpected that the surprise of it breaks through her exhaustion. I love the little "What is happening?" look that Dawn and Don share. (And the way it's contrasted against Peggy and Phyllis' earlier hug...perfect.) Oh, and Lennon Parham's in it! Perfectly cast as Ginny. It's also a personal favorite of mine because I was, and remain, absolutely smitten with Ginsberg's blind date. Still mad at Michael for blowing this one. Fun trivia: The Andy Awards scene was accurately depicted per contemporary reports. Right down to the weird, stilted interruption of Paul Newman's McCarthy endorsement and people rushing the lobby's phones. 
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Feb 3, 2022 16:24
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The scene with Don and Megan at the end is heartbreaking and one of the best moments in the season for sure.
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Feb 3, 2022 16:26
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For the record, the 2nd ave subway still isn’t open lol
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Feb 3, 2022 19:58
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Jerusalem posted:trying to pretend everything was fine catching up with this thread bu yeah, right here, the show in 6 words
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Feb 3, 2022 20:50
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Regarding Pete and Harry: This is definitely one of the topmost "Heartbreaking: The worst person you know just made an excellent point" moments on the show. Pete is so loving slimy nearly 100% of the time, but for all his lack of character he would never ever defend an assassination. It's both surreal and completely unsurprising a character like Harry doesn't even clear that low of a bar.
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Feb 3, 2022 22:18
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quote:Peggy is considered buying a new place, but later that evening, far from Manhattan out in Rye, Bobby Draper has found something that MUST be critiqued at the gothic palace that is his home..... two sheets of the wallpaper in his bedroom don't exactly line up! So of course he reaches out and tries to pull it away, perhaps in a vain effort to line them up? Or just to remove the offended section. The paper tears, and well now that it has been torn a little he's gotta KEEP tearing, right? That's just the way things are! So he tears some more, and some more, and then Betty calls from downstairs for him to come to dinner. I love how on the nose mad men allows itself to be with its metaphors lol
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Feb 3, 2022 22:56
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Mover posted:For the record, the 2nd ave subway still isn’t open lol Hey they've only been working on it for 103 years what do you expect?
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Feb 3, 2022 22:56
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sure okay posted:Regarding Pete and Harry: This is definitely one of the topmost "Heartbreaking: The worst person you know just made an excellent point" moments on the show. Pete is so loving slimy nearly 100% of the time, but for all his lack of character he would never ever defend an assassination. It's both surreal and completely unsurprising a character like Harry doesn't even clear that low of a bar. I think it's because when Pete's all-consuming insecurity isn't a factor, he's capable of discerning right from wrong and behaves accordingly. That's why in the rare times it isn't steamrolling his mind, he can be insightful and even likeable. They put thought into how his mind works and it makes him a lot more engaging than if he was just a poo poo across the board, because people usually aren't like that. Harry on the other hand only has the redeeming quality that he's surprisingly good at his job. They serve different purposes on the show. Pete's a primary character while Harry is a supporting one, so Pete gets the three-dimensional representation and Harry's just a slimeball. I'm sure Harry did or said something good once, but we never see it (at least not since his post S1 brain transplant).
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Feb 3, 2022 23:16
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sebmojo posted:I love how on the nose mad men allows itself to be with its metaphors lol It's beautiful. Here's a male Draper picking at something he shouldn't and then unable to stop himself making it worse  JethroMcB posted:Fun trivia: The Andy Awards scene was accurately depicted per contemporary reports. Right down to the weird, stilted interruption of Paul Newman's McCarthy endorsement and people rushing the lobby's phones. I think the thing that most jumps out to me about this is the utterly bland and unremarkable way it reports on the fact that the event went on after a 10 minute break, like it's the most natural thing in the world, a simply factual recounting of what happened that in no way stands out as unusual to the reporter. Bismack Billabongo posted:The scene with Don and Megan at the end is heartbreaking and one of the best moments in the season for sure. It really is, and to beat a dead horse another example of how Megan is one of the only women in Don's entire life that he has been able to speak openly about these things with, and yet here he is still cheating on her with seemingly no sense of guilt whatsoever. Mover posted:For the record, the 2nd ave subway still isn’t open lol Well I assume the 2 bedroom apartments on 84th and York are still selling for the 2022 equivalent of 28k then! 
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Feb 3, 2022 23:28
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roomtone posted:I think it's because when Pete's all-consuming insecurity isn't a factor, he's capable of discerning right from wrong and behaves accordingly. That's why in the rare times it isn't steamrolling his mind, he can be insightful and even likeable. They put thought into how his mind works and it makes him a lot more engaging than if he was just a poo poo across the board, because people usually aren't like that. Pretty much the only decent moment Harry has had post season one is helping Kinsey get out of the krishnas and he still does it in a lovely way. Harry sucks!!! Season seven stuff in tags pretty much his last decent moment in the show is when he sees Don at Megan’s party in S7 but just a few episodes later he’s trying to casting couch her. Ugh
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Feb 3, 2022 23:51
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Jerusalem posted:forcing a smile as he sucks up the tragedy of being married to a beautiful woman
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Feb 3, 2022 23:55
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I just love that the article says "Paul Newman, the actor," . Like, what other Paul Newman would have been noteworthy enough to name? "Paul Newman, the mid-level accounts man,"?
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Feb 4, 2022 00:13
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The dressing tycoon
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Feb 4, 2022 00:13
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Devorum posted:I just love that the article says "Paul Newman, the actor," . Like, what other Paul Newman would have been noteworthy enough to name? at that time he'd only been in cool hand luke and the hustler, butch cassidy was 1969, so he was i guess midrange famous at that point? e: actually, no that's not right he'd been nominated for a bunch of academy awards already, probably just the NYT being the NYT.
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Feb 4, 2022 00:16
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Still elite level fuckable though
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Feb 4, 2022 00:16
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Devorum posted:I just love that the article says "Paul Newman, the actor," . Like, what other Paul Newman would have been noteworthy enough to name? I believe that is just the long-standing house style of The New York Times. Here's an excerpt from their review of Jackass Forever: The New York Times posted:In “Jackass Forever,” the director Jeff Tremaine’s original cast — now solidly middle-aged war horses — expands to include younger, more elastic bodies like the rapper Jasper Dolphin (real name: Davon Wilson); an adult man who calls himself “Poopies” (Sean McInerney); and the stand-up comic Rachel Wolfson, the franchise’s first girl, who is dared to lick a stun gun. The director, Jeff Tremaine The Rapper, Jasper Dolphin The Stand-up Comic, Rachel Wolfson
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Feb 4, 2022 00:27
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Paul Newman, dressing magnate
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Feb 4, 2022 00:37
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This is 100% completely anecdotal, but a lot of fathers in the Mad Men thread at the time remarked that they felt - or heard from others who felt - similar to Don here, that they were expecting to have that "big moment" where their heart exploded with love for kids, but it had to develop independently, and took many years. But I don't know if that was just TVIV being TVIV or what.
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Feb 4, 2022 02:28
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I loved my kid but didn't start to bond with her until she was like three or four months old and could actually respond to things I was doing. Fatherhood before then was a merciless slog of trying to care for a tiny screaming black hole. It gets talked about more now and it can happen with women too but it's still shocking when you're looking at a tiny baby and not feeling what you're 'supposed' to. I mean now she's awesome but all relationships take time. I think Don just got hit with the double whammy of not being satisfied in any of his relationships and also never getting that promised magic moment. (Because he cannot open up)
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Feb 4, 2022 02:48
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Bobby's whole existence on the show is justified in this episode.Just the most laser-guided missile right in Don's weaknessess as a parent. Ginsberg's parts were good too, and I wish they got followed up , I don't remember his personal life (or his father) being shown much after this episode.
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Feb 4, 2022 04:36
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Scallop Eyes posted:Bobby's whole existence on the show is justified in this episode.Just the most laser-guided missile right in Don's weaknessess as a parent. The other Bobby & Don moment that stuck with me is in either season 1 or 2, drunk Don talks to Bobby about his father and Bobby responses to what Don said with "We HAVE to get you a new Daddy!"
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Feb 4, 2022 06:42
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Scallop Eyes posted:Ginsberg's parts were good too, and I wish they got followed up , I don't remember his personal life (or his father) being shown much after this episode. this is later than where jerusalem is at but I don't mind that they go the serious mental illness route with Ginsberg, the seeds are planted for it, but I really wish they hadn't written him out as early as they did and waited until the last couple of episodes of s7 while keeping more focus on him. The seeds were planted but they didn't really grow the way they could have, and he's one of the best characters who get introduced later on. Always felt like a partially squandered standout to me. The cast just kept expanding and people end up getting less appearances - I think there were even some requirements from the network that they cut back on how many appearance people had to save money. I enjoy watching just about every recurring character on this show, other than probably Greg and Sylvia, and they aren't even in S7. So I can't think of anyone obvious as a cut in favour of Ginsberg, but if we were to say lose Ted Chaough in s7 in exchange, or maybe just write out Ken, I wouldn't be too bothered.
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Feb 4, 2022 13:11
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Don's confession to Megan at the end is heartbreaking. whether what he's saying or what he thinks about himself is actually true or just self-flaggelation, he's a miserable sight. A far cry from the man everyone thinks he is (including the audience; here we see the inverse of the conception of him that exists among people who haven't watched the series as a smooth-talking confident man). the bile he's held inside is spilling out with greater frequency and volume.
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Feb 7, 2022 19:37
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Lady Radia posted:This is 100% completely anecdotal, but a lot of fathers in the Mad Men thread at the time remarked that they felt - or heard from others who felt - similar to Don here, that they were expecting to have that "big moment" where their heart exploded with love for kids, but it had to develop independently, and took many years. But I don't know if that was just TVIV being TVIV or what. As a new father, it took until we came home from the hospital and then it didn't really hit like it was love at first sight. The Bobby conversation hit me pretty hard when watching because growing up with my step parents already in my life as early as I can remember...I can think things I said when I was a little kid that could have hit that way. You don't mean it to hit that way...but they will. Don complaining with Megan about love is connected to his big conversation with Rachel in season 1. "What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons." Him talking about wanting to love his kids this way...sounds like him falling for his own (advertising) bullshit? To talk about this idea of "love isn't real" so smoothly, so confidently 7 years ago, and now we see the darker, uglier side. His love for his children can be seen in the Carousel - growing organically based on his own experiences with them.
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Feb 8, 2022 00:16
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