I ask all of you-- can the Draper marriage be saved? Can it be turned into a real partnership, or is it doomed to be, as Betty said, just pretend? Even if they should break up, is Betty really going to go through with it?

What was Don looking at on his (former) secretary's desk just before he walked into the room where the baby shower was? And was it just me, or was there something ominous/dreamlike about the way Don walked into the shower? There was something incredibly disorienting about how that was filmed.

I spent all day Saturday in a marathon viewing of MM Season One. Explains so much! Was kind of hard making the transition to Season Two and last night's episode, but I found one thing particularly interesting - Betty's mother's portrait. Whoa. And the "peignoir" you refer to? You're may be too male and too young to recognize baby doll pajamas. Pretty fancy ones, but we all had them and they looked just like that -- kind of like a pregnancy top (puffy sleeves and all) and bloomers.

"In Sterling Cooper news, Paul Kinsey is a poseur jackass." ---TLo

Amen, to that (lol, too). I haven't really closely examined Paul's relationship with Sheila as portrayed in this season's episodes, but a poseur, indeed. I see no real chemistry between them. He seems to parade her around as she were some prize or as if he's making some sort of social statement to the world. His behavior with Sheila, his colleagues and the folks on the bus in his closing scene demonstrate that the relationship is one-sided and doesn't exactly have a very lengthy future ahead for them. I am glad they've decided to present the issue of interracial dating in the sixties amidst the civil rights movement. I'm particularly interested in seeing how they deal with it given the fact that MM is not formula television.

On another note, I loved the pre-sex scene with Betty & Don where he's laying on the floor fast asleep and the first thing you see in the shot is her thin, pale, hand with blood-red nail polish slowly creeping upon his chest. Creepy --- almost as if she were the predator about to pounce upon her prey. The whole pj-clad scene on the floor was awesomely, weird and uncomfortable to watch and above all lacked real seduction and passion. A godd epi, but like you said, not much meat.

Next week looks great. Love Roger.


- edina -

Damn, that creepy Glenn Bishop kid is slowly turning into Pugsley from the Addams Family.

actually I was pleasantly surprised betty didn't take Don back afterwards. After the sex she initiated and his genuine gestures to support her I expected her to give in

I say good for her for holding her ground. Note how Don said she needed him. Not the other way around. If he had told her he needed her she might have relented.

I have to say, Betty's stepmom and the rest of her family are a piece of work. Her stepmom is definitely a silly woman. Unbelievable how they are pretending nothing is wrong with her dad. That maid is the only honest sensible one in the bunch. Small wonder betty feels so attached to her. That woman may love Betty like a daughter but she cuts through the BS

And Paul is totally fake. But I could sense that during the episode with the party at his house with all the "colored" guests. There is such an air of pretentiousness and phoniness about him. What does Sheila see in him. Even Don knows what a poseur he is when he told him to do all the listening and let Pete do the talking.

Frank

I just want to say that I love reading your Mad Men recaps. I don't get to watch the show during the regular season (stupid husband), so it's nice to get a good recap, along with a little bit of analysis, too. I enjoy it every week. Thanks!

I found it significant that in the Betty and Glenn scenes, Betty is not drinking alcohol. She's been such a self-medicating boozer this season that it really stood out to me. She certainly doesn't think twice about drinking in front of her own kids. Does this mean she is happier and more comfortable with him than with the adults in her life?

Everyone at Sterling Cooper seems to agree Paul is a tool. His status is really slipping, not that he was ever a corner office contender. The black girlfriend could be hurting him career wise and I don't think he will keep her around when he realizes this. He's too shallow to really take a stand.

To Anonymous @6:25, Don was looking at the California travel brochure on the secretary's desk.

Well, at the risk of getting hisses and boos, I'd like to defend Betty's Evil Stepmother. It's clear she cares for the father and isn't it a good thing that she's not calling Betty every five minutes to come and take the old man off her hands? She's sticking around when a lot of people would be running away as fast as possible.

No doubt to me that Betty is indeed growing up--speaking truth to Glenn, Helen, and Don. In fact, Don's decision to run away to California (the land of perpetual adolescence) seems more immature than Betty's desire to romp on the floor.

Hi all,

It seemed to me that the entire episode was about 'men as boys'...or in Glen's (creepy) case, a boy who would be a man.

*Betty's Dad is lost in dementia, no longer her Alpha-male (and the taboo undertones)

*Her brother complains about getting 'stuck' taking care of the father and retreats to a tree house

*Pete, hating on his mother (deservedly, though)

*Harry Crane in a baby bonnet, surrounded by boys joking about sex

*Paul, obviously a prat.

*Don, running away to California

Hey...as 'ooky' as I find Glen, he seems to be the only boy with aspirations to act mature. I LOVE this show - it has 'layers'!

Tlo--Great job on the recap as usual!
Love all the comments, too.
Hey, did anyone notice that the fade out song was "Telstar"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telstar_(song)
Apparently a nod to the coming space age as well as the impending British Invasion...
(LOL about the "Pugsley" reference from sfmdoc!)
Carol

I found the disjointed quality of this episode confusing as well. The only unifying theme I saw among the stories was, well, suitcases. Everyone - even Pugsley - seemed to be packing one. But what do they mean? Everything on MM has meaning -smart writers, yanno. Were they to symbolize that we all travel but eventually (inevitably?) end up back home? Other theories?

I enjoyed the show a lot, but a couple of questions:
There was a fleeting scene at the end with a male sitting in the same chair as a typist, hugging her from behind. Was that just to show how good a party it was?

Betty's behavior with Glenn has been weird, to me at least. Betty's sitting on the soda, sipping coke in a straw and holding hands (or last season, when he made a suggestive remark) - and Betty's father's groping her, then stating that he would take her out for a milkshake -
question, is it a red herring, or is there background that Betty was abused as a child? She is emotionally cold, her acting has been reserved, relying of subtle (or silly/immature) nuances for the most part. And is it just pop psychology, or are those abused tend to repeat the pattern in the next generation? But after jumping Don in her old bedroom (again, any symbolism?), she tells Don that they were only pretending (and at her father's house, that "no one's looking", implying he didn't have to pretend then either. Either way, she's locked into pretense in her life, and is just adrift when put to dealing with "real world" issues.

Paul's statement to the girl friend, "No one's been shot in a long time," or similar language - does not offer comfort re c 1962. Marilyn Monore was found dead on August 5, 1962; James Meredith was barred from Ole Miss on Sept 20, 1962 before federal troops ensured his enrollment on Oct 1, 1961. Multiple people were injured, including 2 deaths, including Paul Guihard, a French journalist on Sept 30th. Something is going on here in the plot develpment, I think anyway.
In the closing, too early for the song "California Dreaming", but that's what I thought of.
Again, really enjoy the blog and comments.

Things I loved--Glenn wearing one of Don's T-shirts and sitting in his place at the table.

At the baby shower where Don says he wouldn't be available for something (I've forgotten what) and tells Harry that he can't come b/c "My kid is sick" when in fact it's because he's been thrown out of his house. And then he says "You'll know about that soon enough" implying that he'll know about marital strife as well as sick kids.

i'm with zach. i think the focus of this episode is to be found in the unsettling scenes between betty and glenn. from the first exchange between these two, i got a sense that betty is as damaged as don is from some childhood trauma. she has a weird relationship with her dad, and i suspect the post-stroke groping scene reveal a bit of the truth. it is just so bizarre the way she is drawn to that strange, sad child. i see a lot of don draper in glenn, too. not sure what that means, but there is something there. the whole mother-son, father-daughter thing is really creepy! damn, this is such a good show. thanks, tom and lorenzo for your excellent blog. it makes the show so much more enjoyable!

by miss jaunty

This was more of a disjointed recap than a review. But I'll take it.

I actually felt somewhat sorry for Don after the tongue lashing his father in law gave him.

As for Betty's brother, I had a different impression of him. I don't think he is as trivial as you make him seem.

The focus of the episode was on Bett's back story and the cold and emotional detachment that created tv's ice princess was as uncomfortable as any ever seen. The money line in the show was Betsy's explanation that their parent's fined them for inappropriate conversations. How perfect is this...taxing children to emotional vacancy within a gilded cage. Could there be any other course than for young Betsy to run head on into Don's arms, heart and life? Her emotional dysfunction and genetic predisposition for weirdness is perfectly executed in Dad's groping her, juxiposed with Glenn grabbing her hand, torn between senility and the emotional void of a pre-teens' lustful crush.

The inheritance theme is paid off in the last scenes with Betsy and her neighbor discussing life after marriage. The freedom and release is bleakly acknowledged through pregnant pauses and lonesome looks. When a family dies, its members inherit divorce. Despite everything that's wrong with every family in the MM universe, the families have survived and the divorce option was never broached. What expose of the pre-Beatle era would be complete without the painful exploration of its most damaging legacy. And to think we still have the Cuban Missile crisis and JFK's death to endure.

First of all, T - Lo, I love your recaps of all these shows (PR, Top Design, Shear Genius, etc, etc.) You've hooked me on more shows than I care to admit, and thank God for my DVR!
I agree that this episode was disjointed in that it did seem to jump uneasily and less fluidly from one scene to the next, but I think that was the nature of the beast this time.
Seeing Betty's childhood home and family did explain a lot about her personality. I think that the lovemaking scene on the floor might have been a dream sequence (Don's), it just didn't seem real to me. Betty's father yelling about Don having "no people" also gave me the impression that Betty's family may not have approved of her marriage to him.
Also, Glen looked just like Don's "mini-me", didn't he, after showering and putting on his white t-shirt. It's a shame that Betty takes more interest in this neighbor child than she does in her own children. When she told Helen that she wasn't paying enough attention to him - "he needs you" - well, talk about the kettle calling the pot black (pardon the pun, Kinsey!)

"Damn, that creepy Glenn Bishop kid is slowly turning into Pugsley from the Addams Family."

Actually, all I could think was--thank God that kid looks a little less like Peter Lorre this year.

Actually, Betty's repressed Main Line house is one of the few places truth gets told. Her brother tells her, "You're drunk," which no one else does. Her father points out that Don comes from nowhere and has no people.

Do you ever watch the Inside Mad Men videos? They seem to get posted right after the episodes on amctv.com. I definitely find them helpful in understanding the layers of the episode!

to be honest - i think the disjointedness of this episode was purposeful. the episode begins with betty's father's stroke & develops with the disclosure of his increasing dementia. that sets the tone for the show: disjointed, scattered, unclear, jumping from one thing to the next.

also prominent this episode - the way of the true WASP family: certain things were revealed, but not much, and always handled coldly. i think it speaks volumes that don & peggy (the two main characters with the most chilling pasts) were the only warm figures in the whole episode. they are the only ones that arent true WASPs.

although the scene with betty's maid - her only lingering parental figure - was truly enlightening, not just about betty's past, but about her future. it's time for betty to grow up.

and grow up she did, but not before taking one last romp through the land of make-believe with the neighbor boy, where she acted like a girl her daughter's age - and that was accented in the way her daughter looked at glen and the way she reacted when betty threw out yet another older male figure from the house.

and that scene with peggy & pete! i think you boys are right about something brewing with the two of them, but i hope that peggy doesnt fall for it. he's a creep at heart and will only keep trying to knock her down to alleviate his own insecurities. that bit about the guys not bothering to read the material she prepared for them and don's consistent support of her says way more about her future and possibilities than anything else this episode.

ps - we need more joan!

It wouldn't surprise me if Betts is knocked up (that might be the bomb to finish up the season finale). Don is then forced to return home and continue their facade of marriage until Betty decides she's had enough.

As I said before, Betty is waking up and maybe the death of her father and inheritance will give her the courage to leave Don and be totally "in charge" of her life.

What say you about Paul getting shot up during their trip south, making him come to grips with the shallowness/poseur he's become? It wouldn't surprise me if Sheila is killed. I actually think that would affect him less than if something happens to HIM. He's just that selfish.

Words cannot describe my loathing for Pete. Run Peggy, RUN!

Joan, as always, fucking rules. Still want to be her when I grow up (and I'm 13 years her senior).

to sallyb - good catch on the men as boys angle - youre totally right!

I just love the scene during Harry's baby shower party when old Cooper sticks his head through the door and says, "I just wanted to say Happy Birthday!" Hilarious and very symbolic of how out of touch he is with his firm.

I am trying to catch up on old episodes from Season One so I'm not very familiar with Betty's dad's wife, but she seems to be the only lively one in the entire bunch.

Betty's been pretending her whole life. That little spark of independence (kicking Don out) is a glimmer that she's aware there's more to life than the glossy Good Housekeeping version of it. But at the same time, maybe she's just play acting at this separation as well. After all, she saw Helen give it a whirl. And like everything else, Betty's motto seems to be that she has to at least attempt something new. It's part of "the times" and the magazines hint of changes, subtly giving her permission to dabble.

As much as Don might be tempted not to return to Madison Ave and that whole perfect life facade, I think he returns and redoubles his efforts to keep his marriage intact. That's the only way he's managed to keep himself together thus far.

With all the goings on in this episode, it did feel a bit disjointed and a little like a portent of doom, especially with the early mention of rockets.

Paul and Sheila? Hard to say how that's going to turn out. Could be Paul gets a beating while he's down South. Could be Sheila meets her soulmate. Could be a red herring, too.

I like Pete, as a character. Honestly. I do.

I've seen boymen like him when I was younger; rich privileged guys who still don't have a real sense of self and who try to measure themselves against what their parents' (particularly their Dads') expectations are of them.

Or still use their parents as convenient touchstones to show their unearned privilege (like some of the early/mid-20 guys I knew who would tell everybody about vacationing at their parent's summer house when they hadn't a clue that everybody would have been more impressed if they'd gone off and had an independent adventure - even with a much reduced budget).

But Pete was visibly confronting growing-up angst last season (he looked like a John Cheever character struggling to find some kind of enlightenment and, come on, he came to work with a gun... ) and this season he seems to be firming up his core and standing his ground against his parents' withering judgements against him and his chosen family. I loved that he stood up to his mother when she described adoption as getting the choice of the detrius (paraphrasing here). Too bad she didn't know her own grandson was put up for adoption... .

So, sure, he's still a bit of a buffoon at work but he's not nearly as desperate and grasping as last season (two years ago in MMRT).

Unlike Don, he hasn't run from his past, he just seems to be absorbing it and is beginning to filter out and examine some of the underlaying crap that came part of his dynastic package.

The 60's are his age group's decade. It'll be interesting to see if he drifts toward the humanity of the decade (i.e. the hippy-dip stuff and Civil Rights) or if he retreats straight back into his parent's dark shadows.

And that's why I really hope he doesn't get involved with Peggy, too. I can't help but feel she's decided a long time ago to suppress as much as she can what won't help her get her dream - and that doesn't seem to include any relationship at all.

Not that I see why she'd bother with him just now. He's so self-absorbed that he only ever reaches out to Peggy when he wants or needs to try to connect and never seems to consider how she's doing or if she needs a touchstone or if she has her own concerns.

Just like Don who seems to want to help Betty but is still so self-absorbed with saving his family face that it never occurs to him to approach her and confide some of his insecurities to put them on a more level playing field.

Unlike Glen, who even at 11 seems to genuinely want to hear/help Betty, even when he admits to having his own problems.

Guess that's a big difference between a boy and a man and an emotionally-stunted person and someone capable of friendship - and that seems to be the motif of this episode (maybe?)

jenster - you picked up on the old Cooper confusion scene too; something of an echo of Betty's father's incipient dementia. Then there's the 'inappropriate behaviour' with Dad'n'Betty, then Betty'n'Glen, maybe we'll see the kids get weird. Got to love how the themes in Mad Men just kepp rippling through, which is why I'll be watching a 2-season marathon at Xmas.

I hope they follow Don and Pete to the Rocket Convention. Early 60s California has way too much light and space for these Mad Men.

I thought it was fun--and so true to the era--when everyone in the office was discussing California as though it was a foreign, exotic place. That's always how it seemed when I was growing up back east.

And the best moment of the show for me definitely was Cooper happily sticking his head in during the party: "I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" Not even curious about the baby bonnet. I just love Cooper: his zen sensibilities, his germ phobia, and the upper stratosphere in which he operates. The man buys Rothko paintings!

Thank you, TLo. I am so enjoying your brilliant Mad Men analysis each week.

"Hey Betty, your father's crazy and your husband's an asshole. Focus."

This is why you two are the kings of recaps, TLo.

I agree that this episode was a bit disjointed, but as you say, better than 90% of what else is out there in tv land. And I think it's refreshing to have characters disappoint viewers, just like real people, instead of having everything tied up in a big, shiny bow, or 'cliffhanger' season finales.

And there's never, ever enough Joan.

Anon who posted @ Oct. 7, 12:53 AM--
Thank you for that analysis. You've put into words why I absolutely adore Pete, which is something I could never do. I would certainly not want to know him in real life but as a television character I find him endlessly fascinating.

Wonderful recap, dolls. I entirely agree with you that "MM" usually improves and deepens upon a second viewing. I'm eager to watch this one again now, having read your thoughts, even though I also didn't much care for the episode upon my first viewing.

To echo others above, this episode definitely could have been called "Men as Boys" instead . . .

Betty, your father's crazy and your husband's an asshole. Focus. bwahaha. Love you bitches.

I still disagree about Pete & Peggy. Pete is on the make for her, but it's as much because she's on the way up at Sterling-Coo as it is for some nooky. He wants to ride on her coattails. He does seem to open up to her, but it is so awkward, and she's "not impressed with his presentation." She gave only short, distancing answers to his penetrating life questions.

That Glen thing better be over because it makes me want to take a shower. And the actor who plays Glen is the show runner's kid. Ick.

TLo said...We still have problems with the black girlfriend thing. It just doesn't feel realistic to us that he would parade her around his all-white office and only get a few sideways glances.

Since I am always connecting things to Broadway, I looked at Paul bringing Sheila to the office and thought, "It's 1962, No Strings opened in March with Richard Kiley and Diahann Carroll and was a big hit. These Mad Men take clients to shows, and they all work a stone's throw from the theatre district. Interracial relationships are on their radar."

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there would be many in the office in 1962 who would be uncomfortable with interracial romance, but I think it would be too cliche if there were an overt reaction to it.

MadMen is all about repression and silent shifts and slights. I look for the backlash to come at a later date.

"In Sterling Cooper news, Paul Kinsey is a poseur jackass."

Reminds me of a couple people I met in the Peace Corps. They joined to have something on their resume to play the 'concerned global citizen' card instead of focusing on why they were really needed there and the job they had to do.

Seriously, one woman always had coca-cola, the capitalist elixir of life, in her fridge and expensive pre-packaged European food all around. And then she'd complain about her living stipend not being enough....

How would Paul react after being harassed, cracked over the head with a club or drenched by firehoses? Will he balk at risking life and limb, or will he become fully politicized and more involved? Can't wait to see.

On a shallow note, since I saw Peggy in that dress in the publicity photo, I've been waiting all season for her to wear it. It's the most stylish thing she's ever worn (including her blue cocktail dress), and she finally looked like a businesswoman and a grown-up. Shades of things to come? I'll be very disappointed if next episode it's back to the drab cardigans and round-collared blouses.

I think Betty likes the idea of being on her own, but seeing Helen (the "bad mother", not that Betty is winning any motherhood prizes either) is making her realize how difficult it would be to be a single mother.
The Betty getting pregnant idea that someone raised is interesting- that would leave her even more trapped, as she wouldn't be allowed her one escape, riding horses.

Thanks for these recaps, TLo- my friends all hate Mad Men so I have no one to discuss it with. I'm so sad the season is almost over!

Ooh - in the Peggy/Pete exchange:

Pete say, "Everything's so easy for you," and she replies, "It's not easy for anyone, Pete."

So much said about both characters' maturity level, life experience and worldview in just a few words.

I loved it.

I'm kind of not reading this since I haven't finished watching yet (will read later of course). However, I wanted to send this to you guys. This Mad Men-inspired artwork is AMAZING.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nobodyssweetheart/sets/72157606178887453/

Anonymous 8:25: interesting point about the suitcases. Remember last week that Freddy was about to give a pitch to Samsonite, a suitcase company. In the copy, he was supposed to be sad because his suitcase was empty, which meant he wasn't going anywhere. Well, he wasn't, was he? Now, other people with packed suitcases are going somewhere, but that somewhere isn't necessarily pleasant or healthy.

Also, Pete's terrible mother made all of those comments about adopted babies being "society's castoffs," yet her own biological child is one of those "castoffs" (not that we are certain of that yet, but really, even raised by his aunt, he is). Petey, Jr., was very much present in this episode from Peggy's mention of her "nephews" (even if we only suspect), to all of the discussions of adoption.

This show really nails the hypocrisy of "family values": no child gets out of a family intact.

I'm surprised no one seems to have picked up on this (esp, you two, Tlo), but it seemed to me the theme of the episode was about being orphaned.

We all know Don was orphaned long ago, but in this episode, we learn a few more of the characters have been too. We even see them come to this realization.

Betty's mom is dead and her dad is going crazy. She even says she's become an orphan. She, of course, is not good at handling this new feeling of complete loneliness.

Glenn sees it the same way. His dad's moved on and his mom can't be bothered with him (gone for two days!?). In that respect, I think that's what draws him and Betty together.

Pete learns he has no inheritance, financially or emotionally (that bitch of a mother, after all), and realizes he too ,in many respects, is an orphan now as well. That in itself opens the door for him to accept an orphan into his own home.

With that in my mind, the conversation between Pete and Peggy was tinged with those overtones. Did Pete really know Peggy had his child and was questioning if it too was an orphan somewhere? It seemed like he was trying to feel her out to figure out the outcome of his offspring.

So, am I crazy, or is that a valid interpretation of the episode? BTW, thanks, Tlo, for encouraging me to think this way about TV.

geekyglamgrrl said...I wanted to send this to you guys. This
Mad Men-inspired artwork is AMAZING.

It really is! Thank you so much for sharing it. The Sally Draper cocktail cheat sheets are the best.

What the hell is wrong with Joan? I mean . . . honestly? Why is she upset with Roger? Why is she giving him the cold shoulder? She was the one who ended the affair. She was the one who moved ahead and got herself engaged to a doctor. And now she's acting like Roger had betrayed her.

And if that isn't bad enough, she still seemed to be in a snit over Paul's romance with Sheila.

What is with her?

It's interesting how so many are quick to label Betty as immature and childlike. And although Don's flaws have been pointed out, no one seems to realize that in his own way, he is just as immature. Right now, it's beginning to look as if he is the less mature of the two.

"In Sterling Cooper news, Paul Kinsey is a poseur jackass. While it's certainly admirable that he's a white man getting involved in the civil rights movement in 1962, the show makes it pretty clear that he's doing it to paint a certain pleasing picture of himself. We still have problems with the black girlfriend thing. It just doesn't feel realistic to us that he would parade her around his all-white office and only get a few sideways glances."


Nearly six months have passed since "Flight 1". Paul's co-workers know that he's dating Sheila. What are they going to do? Lynch her for appearing at the office?


It's amazing the lengths that many fans go to ignoring how racist Joan is. They want to point out Paul's flaws more than hers.

TLo said...(Joan) took out her frustrations on poor Paul by humiliating in front of all his peers.

I thought Joan's humiliation of Paul was well-earned payback.

When Harry mentions one of the shower gifts and says, "There's a box from Tiffany's, from Jane," Paul laughingly adds "and Roger, I'm sure."

Paul made public comment on Roger & Jane in front of Joan. I'm sure the whole office knew of (or suspected) the Roger/Joan relationship & breakup. Having the new relationship spoken of in front of all her coworkers was likely quite hurtful to Joan (even though she ended it with Roger). I'm sure she still loves Roger so mention his new girl has got to hurt.

Telling Paul in front of his office buddies that he isn't going to Los Angeles is Joan's payback for her public humiliation.

Bill, thanks for fixing my links. I still haven't figure out all the blogger codes yet. :)

"I thought Joan's humiliation of Paul was well-earned payback."


Payback for what? For revealing her age? Joan was the one who set the whole thing in motion by insulting Sheila.

hey juanita - I must have missed the episode where Joan insulted Sheila. I didn't see the first two epsiodes this season. I thought Paul & Joan were just going back and forth with little jabs over unresolved issues from when they dated a few years earlier.

I though the comments about airplanes were interesting. Air travel didn't become cheap until later (which was why everyone in NY still vacationed in the Catskills ala Dirty Dancing, instead of flying south to Fort Lauterdale). There was no concept of "frequent flyers" as today, so California did probably seem distant and exotic.

"hey juanita - I must have missed the episode where Joan insulted Sheila. I didn't see the first two epsiodes this season. I thought Paul & Joan were just going back and forth with little jabs over unresolved issues from when they dated a few years earlier."



It happened in "Flight 1".

Joan is racist, yes, but I don't think anymore so than anyone else in the office ... she's just honest about it. I think her insulting Sheila, while totally rude and undeserved, was more aimed at Paul for being a "poseur jackass." I'm not trying to excuse Joan's behavior, just trying to understand the '60s mindset. She's flawed just like everyone else on the show.

Am I the only one who thinks not that Joan is so much still in love with Roger but she is Uber-embarassed at "loss" of her power in the office. I mean that was her thing, that was what she was proud of but she paid for it when she got it through Roger. She brought in her own replacement when she got married, kicked Roger to the curb, and now he's basically replaced her. She can't even fire the girl b.c. Roger undid that, AND everyone knows she doesn't have the pull she used to. AND she never took Roger serious b.c. she thought he would never leave his wife for his secretary and he does (well actually Don's secretary). And then Paul (another ex) doesn't even pretend to fear/respect her by mentioning the Roger and Jane thing (and Jane is pretty ballsy for sending a Tiffany gift, that's flaunting her position in a Joan/Jane world). I think she sees it as a bigger thing, as a more persoanl insult b.c. that power is what she would kill for. Just like Peggy wants to get to the top, Joan felt she was on top and if you challenge her she will have your guts for garters and then eat your children. I'm kinda sad to see shitkicker Joan in such a position. I'm waiting for her to get back in the game somehow.

As for Paul's black girlfriend, as a black woman it does seem odd and pretentious. I mean what does the woman get from Paul? She's obviously not stupid or meek and she's comfortable talking to him as equal on the elevator (to elevator guy's surprise! I thought his reaction was great- "call me Paul"- Paul "Yea right, fucker. I aint getting fired cuz you trying to front for sister girl. And I'm going to make sure she knows we aint pals. Fucker"-elevator guy who I've forgotten his name).

BTW T&Lo. I used to love you but I'm beginning to hate you. I've lost money and time on you now that you've caused me to watch another show fanatically. I saw the first episode when I had cable and liked it but had the will not to add a new series to my list of distractions. Then you had to make all these recaps. Now I have to buy them on iTunes. HAVE to. You weild and Oprah-like power over us poor minions. Please use it wisely.

Several scenes FILLED with creepiness. "MM" can make me feel uncomfortable on occasion, and this episode did so in spades.

Giggled when I read your comment about Trudy's "utterly ridiculous peinoir" since it was a duplicate of one I received at my mid-60's bridal (I mean "lingerie") shower.
Floofy and over-the-top!

You're right about mixed race dating during that era. My recollection was that couples were pretty careful about who knew they were dating and sure wouldn't bring their sweeties into an office.

it is very telling that Betty sitting with mini-Don on the couch, looks the happiest i have ever seen her.

And then when the kids arrive, the happiness she feels with Glen spills over and affects how she receives her own children. i really do think this is the first real affection we have seen Betty show her children.

And then the look on Glen's face...just like Arthur's reaction: both had their vision/fantasy of Betty interrupted by the children.

I wonder when they are going to have Pete find out he might not be infertile after all. With all the focus on adoption, it has to be a setup to him finding out he has a son at some point.
I thought Betty visiting her childhood home was pretty riveting myself, the tension and awkwardness of them all trying to just converse and be under the same roof was incredibly well done. This show reminds me of watching an act of an excellent broadway play every week. The script and level of acting is far above most everything on TV. As far as Paul goes, he is quickly becoming this seasons #1 most loathsome character and that's quite a competition in itelf. I agree that the relationship with his girlfriend is a bit off in it's portrayal..she just wouldn't stroll into that ad agency and have that little impact I don't think...the actress I think it a little miscast for the part. She needs to be a little more fierce as Christian Siranio would say for it to be believable.

To monosyllabicman, who said...

"I'm surprised no one seems to have picked up on this (esp, you two, Tlo), but it seemed to me the theme of the episode was about being orphaned."

Excellent point! I saw Tom Wolfe all over that episode: You can't go home again.

Even creepy little Glen is learning that lesson, along with Pete, Betty and Joan (the office is her "home").

As for Don, he learned that lesson a long time ago, and this week he's moving on to see what else is out there. Meanwhile, Betty is still wondering where her teenage WASP power went. (I agree that there was probably some "bad daddy" behavior in her childhood.)

1962 was a pivotal year. I saw my first black/white couple holding hands in public in New York, even though my mother tried to cover my eyes.

We children of the day were wondering what wondrous things we would see and do as adults. And the young adults were about to face a clear fork in the road: grow old just like their parents, or, take the road of Bob Dylan and The Beatles, which was fast approaching.

I'll be curious to see how Sterling Cooper handles 1964!

This is for the other phiadelphians. One of those very unimportant questions that allow me to avoid focusing on anything of more substance. Anyway I am wondering if Bettys' family is still living on the mainline because they mentioned the Willian Penn which, is near Lower Gynedd and also a hospital in Elkins Park was mentioned, which seems far from Byn Mawr.

Betty's family is from Lower Merion which is part of the Main Line.

Paul Kinsey is an ass! Poseur is the right term there... didn't you love/hate the dialog at the end when he was on the bus... trying to sound so smart and above everything - I hope he has something happen to him in Mississippi that shakes him out of the bullshit.

Marty the Wizard

Anonymous said...
Hey, did anyone notice that the fade out song was "Telstar"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telstar_(song)
Apparently a nod to the coming space age as well as the impending British Invasion...
(LOL about the "Pugsley" reference from sfmdoc!)
Carol



I love it and I had no idea what it was. Thanks!

Paul may be a poseur, but his trip south to register voters with Sheila is brave. In 1962, interracial couples may have been barely accepted in NY, but in the south it was not accepted at all. Southern states had laws against interracial marriage until the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 1967.

This is 2 years before the big voter registration drive in the summer of 1964 when the 3 civil rights workers were killed. I don't think Paul has any idea of what lies ahead for him.

Long time lurker on PRG and here...I'm finally coming out!

First of all, thank you TLo for your amazing blogability. Well, except for those times when I've peed in my pants from laughing too hard.

Second, some thoughts. I actually paused the show to say to my husband "I cannot believe they cast someone who looks so much like John McCain"...it really hindered those scenes for me.

Also, I got a big "Alice in Wonderland" vibe from Betty looking into the playhouse where bizarro boy was sitting. Just me?

I've read comments from other episodes where folks dogged January Jones' acting ability, but to me she is one of the most complex yet likeable characters on the show. And that's no small feat for an actress.

I am completely addicted to MM, and am already in mourning for the end of the season. My Sundays will NOT be the same.

val said: I wonder when they are going to have Pete find out he might not be infertile after all.

He already knows. Him going to the doctor and Trudy realizing it was her was a big part of a previous episode.

"In Sterling Cooper news, Paul Kinsey is a poseur jackass."

They are ALL poseur jackasses. Paul is just more obvious about it than the other.



Joan is racist, yes, but I don't think anymore so than anyone else in the office ... she's just honest about it. I think her insulting Sheila, while totally rude and undeserved, was more aimed at Paul for being a "poseur jackass."

It sounds like Joan’s jealousy over Paul moving on with a black woman was the real motivator behind her actions. Because other than that I see no reason why she would have even bother pointing out Paul’s poseur attitude. She certainly didn’t bother when Paul had her and Sal participate in that ludicrous play of his.



”You're right about mixed race dating during that era. My recollection was that couples were pretty careful about who knew they were dating and sure wouldn't bring their sweeties into an office.”

And who is going to do anything about it? The only three people who can are Bert Cooper, Roger Sterling and Don Draper, who is Paul’s direct supervisor. No employee at Sterling Cooper is going to personally approach Cooper or Roger about this without approaching Don. Even Pete approached his immediate supervisor – Duck Phillips – about Freddy Rumsen’s drinking (and pissing), not Don or Roger. Roger no longer interacts with any of the employees at Paul’s level since his two strokes, with the exception of Harry Crane. And Harry is no longer at Paul’s level, since he is now head of the Television Department. Who on earth is going to approach Bert Cooper without going through Roger, Don and Duck?

As for those four men’s views on race, etc., the only one I can truly see getting upset over Paul and Sheila’s relationship is Roger. I found Bert’s idea of conservatism rather odd. His only concern about Nixon’s possible election seemed to be centered around how it could benefit him financially. After Kennedy won the election, he even considered approaching the Kennedy Administration for the same thing. As for Duck Phillips, he has yet to reveal the extent of any bigotry he might possess. Don Draper? Chances are he wouldn’t care less about Paul’s romantic life.

By the way, Paul is dating Sheila. He is not engaged or married to her. Which means I rather doubt that his relationship to her will be considered a threat to his job, at the moment.

I’m rather curious as to why so many people are more willing to vilify Paul for dating Sheila than Joan’s own racism.

We still have problems with the black girlfriend thing. It just doesn't feel realistic to us that he would parade her around his all-white office and only get a few sideways glances. Even if we can buy that he's naive and immature about the whole thing, his girlfriend Sheila strikes us as neither and she seems perfectly blase about it when we would have to think a black woman in 1962 would be WELL aware of the price to be paid for flaunting that kind of relationship.

Thank you for this comment. I've heard enough from my family and others to know that a relationship like Paul and Sheila's would have been a BIGGER deal than it has been shown up to this point.
As a matter of fact, there is no way Shelia would just waltz 'round his place of work as if she was just one of the girls.

Maybe the writers should have asked Nurse Laverne about what she thought about the scene. I bet she wouldn't have given it a passing grade.