The show begins to take shape and we get to see what the show will later become - a subtle show where something so simple could mean a million different deeper things. The episode begins with a double date between Roger and his wife and Don and Betty. In the first instance of the ladies room (episode title) visit that we see, we learn that Betty has an illness where her fingers clam up and she can't do anything with them. We later find out that it is anxiety related as Betty is beginning to realize she may not know her husband as well as she thought she did.
The second ladies room visit is between Peggy and Joan and they meet a fellow secretary sobbing in the bathroom. When Peggy wants to see if she is okay, Joan waves her off and tells her to ignore it. Peggy is beginning to hang out with the boys for lunch but it comes at a price as she gets hit on by more than one guy, even by Paul the polite guy. She gets upset about it and cries out to Joan wondering they just can't let her be.
We see more of Don's character in this episode and know by episode 2 already that he might not be a good man. Something I find so fascinating is how he is able to put on a facade of being a caring man but also a jealous, controlling man. While in bed with his mistress, Midge he gets jealous when he realizes she has a TV given to her by someone else. In another instance, he drops by Midge's place and mentions Betty and Midge tells him to never bring up her name because it makes her feel cruel - which answered my question that she knew he was married.
Don seems annoyed at Betty for her fingers issue and uncomfortable that she has to see a psychiatrist. He connect psychiatrists with unhappy people and wonders what Betty could be unhappy about. He supports her seeing a therapist but the episode closes with us finding out that he calls the therapist to find out everything Betty has told him.
The most interesting quote from Don for me this ep - "What do women really want? What if they want something else, some mysterious wish that we are missing?
Looks like Don could use a visit to the Ladies Room to get an answer, eh?
Notable Guest Stars: Talia Balsam (who is married to John Slattery in real life), Darby Stanchfield (best known as Abby on Scandal)
Altius says:
This episode of Mad Men highlights how good the show is
at giving us a lot of plot without it weighing us down. And my do we get a lot of plot.
On the Sterling Cooper side of
things, we finally meet the Cooper of Sterling Cooper with the introduction of Bert. Bert is replete with one-liners and a
penchant for going shoeless in the office. He’s eccentric *natch*. His no-nonsense attitude is a nice break from
the abundance of frat bro behavior we see from the copywriters at Sterling
Cooper. There’s no creepy Pete this episode but his colleagues sure make up for
it by continuing the tradition of sleaze.
Peggy, still the flavor of the
month, is hit on in quick succession by both Ken and Paul. At least Ken wears
his sleaziness more brazenly because Paul hides his under the guise of being a
“nice guy” and I’m sure I’m not alone in finding this much, much, worse. Peggy,
in danger of wilting under the pressure of so much attention in the office, is
swiftly put in her place by Joan, who reminds her that her novelty is the only
attractive thing about her (mean- but I laughed). However, Paul does at least
one useful thing this episode- he plants the seed of the idea of women
copywriters in Peggy’s head.
We spend more time getting to know
Don’s wife Betty in this episode and we find that still waters may yet run
deeper than we think. The quality of the writing in Mad Men elevates Betty from fulfilling just another bored housewife
trope and we see that Betty is battling with very real psychological issues
that her current society (namely the men in it) refuses to take seriously. Betty
clearly feels like an ornamental bird trapped in a cage and her frustrations
and neuroses manifest themselves physically via a feeling of numbness in her
fingers. This leads to a low-speed car crash with her two children in the back
of the car. Betty uses this crash as an opportunity to get permission (yuck)
from Don to see a psychiatrist and Don is flabbergasted at the thought that
Betty could possibly have any complaints about her perfect, perfect life.
Don’s solution to Betty’s troubles
is of course to throw money at it and he gifts her with a white gold watch.
This is only strengthening the cage Betty feels she’s in and tellingly, Betty
is only able to open up to her therapist once she removes said watch. And to
make matters worse, any small goodwill we’ve built towards Don is quickly
eradicated by the end of the episode when Don calls Betty’s therapist to get
details of her session. The violation of her privacy is breathtaking and Mad Men once again leaves us with the
overriding lesson that MEN ARE SCUM.
Random observations:
- So interesting to see how divorce
is seen in the world of Mad Men. It
is the ultimate social ill for suburban women.
- Two episodes in and three
instances of black people in Mad Men.
They are of course all in subservient positions. Fun, fun, fun.
- Mad Men lucked out with Kiernan Shipka. Who could guarantee she’d
grow with the role of Sally Draper as well as she did?
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