Mad Men

Walking Dead did have one of the best pilots ever made.

Too bad it was a nosedive straight after that.

Can you faggots take your bitching to the walking dead thread and not sully this one?

calm down, peggy

Just got around to watching last weeks in full. Re-watching the earlier seasons, with this last episode--it's funny watching Peggy complain about the role reversal. During Season 3, her job was essentially centered around exactly what she complained to Don about during this episode. Made me laugh, because Peggy was super neurotic and so was constantly tossing out ideas for campaigns, which Don would shoot down or accept. Her first real work even, with Mohawk was literally just a session where she took finished work, and tossed out ideas that Don directed or rejected.

Hopefully through all of Peggy's blustering this episode she comes to realize how naive she was in past seasons by writing Don off as "stealing" her work. The fact is, tossing out ideas is a lot easier than refining and growing them into actual viable products which are put in front of people to be judged. The personresponsiblefor that campaign is the one who has his head on the chopping block, and that person has to live with the "not knowing" whether they made the right calls and turned the idea from an acorn into an oak. It's hugely stressful, and far more intensive than the "mock up"/"idea" phase on most projects. And even when she left the company, she never really took on this role, it was always Ted who gave final say. (Which absolves responsibility if it doesn't work.) In other words, hopefully now she understands WHY Don got the Cleo.

I loved the fact that they illustrated Peggy's growth by mirroring "The Suitcase" episode, the one where Peggy confronted Don about taking credit for her ideas. It showed really well how Peggy now has crossed that last threshold and probably become his equal in terms of being able to see the "big picture"--they even had it end at night, in Don's office. It was nice that Don also finally gave her the acknowledgement she's really wanted, the acknowledgement he couldn't give her in The Suitcase because she was still a "child" (With increadibly naive views on how the world works--waah, it's not fair, it's not fair!! As if everyone doesn't go through the same stuff).

I took the dance in this episode to actually be like a father dancing with his daughter when she gets married--kind of like the last symbol of her growing up (It happens right after she finally settles on a campaign and fully realizes the responsibility of leadership). Except Peggy is a "new age" wife, who is married to her work (Like most of the men are.)--and Don was her mentor, so he's the one giving her away. And the whole new age family was only emphasized by the last scene; the "new" family sitting at the fast food table, which all ties into why Don has been trying so hard to get back into the company--because that has always been his family.

Also, I wish someone would have told Joan "Harry's going to be a partner because he's probably more valuable than everyone else in this fucking room"--during the partner's meeting. Seriously, yes Harry is a quiet Cog--but the fact that ALL of their connections to the networks flow through him is what keeps that company in the green. That such an important department head is NOT a partner is absolutely stunning.

"What do I do now?" cracked me the fuck up.

Excellent episode.

I don't understand that final scene at all.

Heylel_sl said:

I don't understand that final scene at all.

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Bert thought it best to show Don how he really felt... with a floor show. I don't get it either but it was awesome.

Gask_sl said:

Bert thought it best to show Don how he really felt... with a floor show. I don't get it either but it was awesome.

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It totally threw me. I still don't know if it was a dream or a vision or what.

I just interpreted that as Don getting his victory, both in the deal and in his mentorship of Peggy, after a long battle that came right to the brink and even then cost him Megan and more. That and I think he was mourning Bert in a way, the old guy did know him pretty well.

Yeah he did, though it doesn't really seem as though Bert liked Don very much. I do like how things wound up going into next year. Everyone's cards are on the table. I hope that Don is able to repair the breach with Joan somehow, because I still don't think they've really shown enough how he wronged her that she would still be carrying such a grudge.

Also, poor Harry.

I swear, Harry is going to burn that office to the ground.

The sad truth is that Harry really does deserve it, too. He's certainly not very likable, but after years of feeling (and being) under appreciated I can understand how he ended up such a tool. On the other hand, he's quietly been doing the work and growing the business year after year.

Heylel_sl said:

I hope that Don is able to repair the breach with Joan somehow, because I still don't think they've really shown enough how he wronged her that she would still be carrying such a grudge..

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Joan's anger, just my opinion, stems from shame. She was willing to be a whoreandthe rest of the people in the company were complicit--which puts them on the same level as her, in terms of what they find acceptable for money. Don is the only one with the "virtue" to not sell his principles out for money (Because he doesn't really care about it.)...To come in every day, and know you NEED money, because people depend on you--and to see someone who is immune to the ugly things money does to you, when everyone else doesn't have those scruples? It has to be infuriating--he's the one person that won't get on board. I mean, there are a lot of other things--like Don did blow the IPO for her (Even though he eventually grew the company more). He also doesn't acknowledge people very well. But I think the source of her anger is just that--shame.

On another note, the Bert Cooper dance--I think that was just the loss of Bert hitting Don in the quirky way Cooper has always been, and a way to work in a goodbye to the actor who did a lot of broadway. Bert was harsh with Don, and I know some of you said Don wasn't his "friend"--but I disagree. Bert's just not sentimental person, but he did care a great deal about Don; maybe I wouldn't call it a friend, but more like a parent. He groomed him and gave him advice regularly. For a guy like Bert, doing those things isn't easy--he certainly doesn't do it with everyone. Just as the last episode illustrated how Don's family is the office? Bert is the father. Peggy/Pete are the kids, Roger is the older brother. Bert's harsh words a couple episodes ago, I think, looking back, were to teach Don some humility--like a father correcting a kid who has become a bit of a spoiled brat. The same way Cooper, in this episode, told Roger exactly what he needed to hear to get Roger to man up and challenge Cutler (Stop whining, be a leader ect.).

Also, man, fuck Cooper was my second favorite character . On the whole though? I really hope they keep this family theme running for the final 7 episodes...I was telling my wife tonight, I kind of wish this was the finale...because this was fucking great. And I'm afraid they will screw it up in 7 more episodes.

Edit: Did anyone get the Stanley Kubrick Space Oddessy feeling during Peggy's meeting? It felt like the start of that scene was ripped right from that movie, or am I seeing things that aren't there?

Such a great episode. No words, other than maybe those of the now immortal Bert Cooper ...

Bravo ...

don, my boy...



I didn't catch it initially but it was pretty awesome how Harry fucked himself out of millions because he wanted to wait to sign his partnership forms until his wife divorced him.

Also $1m in 1970 is equivalent to about $6m today so Pete would be walking away with a sweet $12m or so and Joan with $6m. Not bad for someone who started as a secretary.

I hope when the show returns next year they jump forward to 1974 - Watergate and the end of the 5 year contract. The Moon Landing stuff was just awesome to see, really made you think about how everyone on the planet was watching the same thing that week.

Trollface_sl said:

What's up with sally.

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She wants the cock so she throwin' out vibes to everything with one.