Episode 2 - Ladies Room

Taynement says:

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?

Episode 1 - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

First episode is finally here. Please feel free to share any and everywhere. Part of what I enjoy about watching old shows is seeing familiar faces as guest stars. I will be on the look out each episode and name them at the end of every post. Enjoy!

Taynement says:

I finally got to watch the pilot episode and I heaved a sigh of relief because I think I am going to fall in love all over again. Everyone was so fresh faced and innocent looking which is a hoot considering 7 seasons later we get to see all the murky darkness beneath their fresh faces.

I realize I remember nothing about the show's beginning (2007 was 10 years ago people!). It was interesting to see Peggy all doe eyed and looking at Joan with all the adoration in the world. Color me shocked when she made a pass at Don (and he refused her, gasp!) and the realization dawned on me that after all the comments she got at the office about Don and her role, that she might have got on the pill because she anticipated having sex with Don. 

Peggy's interaction with Pete when she first meets him made it even sadder that she ended up in bed with him by the end of the episode. Speaking of, how did Pete know where she lived?
Pete let us know he was an ass from jump and started seeking Don's approval from day 1. Seeing Don predict his future so accurately (the "with a lot less hair" made me chuckle). The show wasted no time in hammering in strongly the misogyny and heavy smoking.

Our introduction to Don was like receiving a present that came in the form of a treasure hunt except when you think you have found the gift, you unwrap it to find more clues. We meet our protagonist, Don Draper. We learn he is a lot of things - an ad man who is good at what he does, a veteran, a charmer, a ladies man, an asshole, a misogynist. But we also learn that, despite knowing all this about him, we still know nothing about him because after seeing him have a tryst with Midge and flirt with Rachel, the last scene of the episode shows him going home to his wife and kids. So add - adulterer - to the list.

Notable Guest Stars: Rosemarie Dewitt, Maggie Siff (who, unlike my compadre I never like seeing on my screen)

Altius says:

Welcome to our re-watch of Mad Men. I’m so excited that when the title sequence flashed on the screen, I squealed at the back of Don Draper’s head. God, I’ve missed this show.

We’re immediately thrust into the 60s- copious amounts of cigarette smoke with a side of racism. However, the writers are keen to let us know that our protagonist Don Draper isn’t awful by having him use a kindly old black waiter as a market research tool. Don is struggling to come up with ideas for an upcoming pitch and he’s clearly desperate for help wherever he can find it.

Don then pays a visit to his bohemian girlfriend and he also hits her up for help on his pitch. This man is dedicated to his work, lest we forget. However, the work is quickly forgotten for a romp in the sheets (an aside, Jon Hamm was extra faaaahn in season 1).

We are then blessed to meet the horribly sexist men of advertising company Sterling Cooper but I’m loathe to admit I’m still filled with warmth towards them because have I mentioned how much I’ve missed this cast on my screen? However, my overriding thoughts are whew, the sexism! Some gems include “You got to let them know what kind of guy you are, then they’ll know what kind of girl to be.” And “Try not to be overwhelmed by all this technology. It looks complicated, but the men who designed it made it simple enough for a woman to use.” My God!

But just look at all the youth! Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Peggy, new to the company as Don’s secretary; slinking, flirtatious Joan, before the cynicism took a hold; Paul and Ken, useless as ever. Seeing these beloved characters again is so fun yet tinged with a bit of sadness at what’s to come all the same.

Don is still shitting himself about not having a pitch ready for Lucky Strike and like a man after my own heart, when he's under pressure, he takes a nap.

We get a longer introduction to soon to be married Pete Campbell with his toadyness and smug little punchable face.  He’s quickly given the dressing down by Don he deserves and they immediately set us up to hate Pete and love Don and I’m happy to oblige. Pete is clearly Don’s natural antagonist and our shackles are up right from the beginning. Pete doesn’t help matters by outdoing his sexist colleagues in his treatment of Peggy. He treats her like meat right to her face and doesn’t even have the “decency” to half-conceal it like his colleagues.

We also meet Rachel Mencken, millionaire Jewish heiress, keen to make a success out of her father’s department store with the help of Sterling Cooper. Maggie Siff is great in this role and this shows how great Mad Men always was with the casting. They consistently hit it out of the park.

After initially choking, Don kills it at the Lucky Strike pitch and we witness first hand the advertising genius at work. He also shows exceptional good judgment in declining the offer to attend Pete’s bachelor party and I’ve never heard a man make a “congratulations” sound like a “fuck you” more in my life.

In the most cringe-worthy part of the episode, Peggy, emboldened by Joan’s innate sexiness and flirtatiousness, clumsily makes a pass at Don and he turns her down in the most Don-like way possible- direct and abrupt, but essentially kind. I died a little inside for Peggy but truly Don handled it in the best way possible

However, Peggy promptly undoes all my feelings of warmth and affection towards her by sleeping with Pete, the toad, on the eve of his bachelor party.

Not to be outdone in the dwindling of goodwill factor, Don then follows in Peggy’s footsteps by revealing to the audience that he’s married with kids to a beautiful blonde that’s decidedly not his dark-haired lover from the beginning of the episode. Needless to say, my take away from the episode is that men are scum wherever you turn- yay!

But what a pilot. We meet all our major players and their relationships with each other are excellently set up. We immediately know what kind of world the men and women of Sterling Cooper inhabit and I’m excited to be on the journey with them once more.

Random observations:

- Pete already showing rapey tendencies from the first episode

- How much curvier the strippers are than the ideal of beauty we’re sold today

- Remember those halcyon days when I didn’t hate Betty?

- Maggie Siff should be in more things.

Don't forget feel free to share and comment and see you for the next episode!