So, that said, pull up a vodka gimlet and let’s get to it!
"Well, I like to think I always know what I want." - Don Draper
It’s starting to become clear, if it wasn’t already, in the second episode that Don
Draper is not your traditional TV hero. He sleeps around,
he snoops on his wife, he’s condescending and he’s very, very touchy about his
past. It should certainly alarm you as much as it alarm drunk!Roger when he
mumbles, “An ad man who doesn’t talk about himself? I might cry.”
Don’s quote that I’ve used as my line-of-choice for the
episode is ironic, funny, and sad all at once. He wants it all, and he feels
like right now it’s already within his reach. You can see it in the hilarious scene
where he influences Midge to toss her TV out the window (“HEY!”). He does not
want any aspect of his life to change, even when he’s being playful. It’s there
again with the Gillette aerosol can. Don finds the future frightening. For a
man so mum about his own past, he’s awfully nostalgic. As we see at the end of
the episode, that fear of change can also make him downright ugly. Getting
reports on your wife’s therapy sessions is kind of sketchy there, Don.
But this episode is really our introduction to Mrs. Betty
Draper. Beautiful housewife, tortured soul, kind of a bitch. By now, I expect
anyone who hasn’t already seen the show has heard of January Jones’ reputation
as a bit of an ice queen. Hell, one of the actors who played her son on the
show has even gone on record with the press that she made him uncomfortable on
set. Weiner manages to use her wooden acting to his advantage with the
character.
Betty is still a child, in so many ways. As is referenced
multiple times, her mother has recently died, and Betty is... adrift. She’s so
wide-eyed for much of the episode – in her response to the fancy restaurants
Roger and Don treat her to and in reaction to the news of the divorcee. (YOU’RE
IN THE 60’S ALERT: Divorcees bring down property values. Who knew?) When Don
comes home after the accident, she looks so much like a child in trouble and
Dad just got home, and that sense of belittling extends all the way to Don
kissing her forehead the same way he might little Sally Draper.
At the same time, we get to see Betty’s dangerous, horrible
side. This is the side that has made fans of this show loathe Betty Draper, and
justifiably so. For one, she’s a horrible mother. Word of advice, do NOT play a
drinking game with drinks every time Betty does some horrible parenting. First
she scolds Sally for messing with her clothes instead of being concerned about
her daughter with a GIANT PLASTIC BAG OVER HER HEAD. Then after the accident,
she spends a good amount of time staring at her hands and getting all introspective
before even bothering to check on the kids! If you’re not convinced yet, don’t
worry. Bad mothers everywhere will look to Betty Draper for inspiration once we’re
done all four seasons.
Her one instant of care for the children comes during that
wonderfully manipulative speech to Don about the possibility of Sally getting a
scar. Don, who has tried everything to convince Betty she’s happy, down to that
wonderful little speech about all she has. But the truth is, Betty’s not happy.
Her mother’s gone, and Betty needs to be cared for. She’s not ready for the
world. The episode ends of that shot of the kitchen – Betty’s place for so much
of the episode – and it looks so tiny and dark. So confining. Betty is a 25
miles per hour woman in a 55 miles per hour world. And she wants everyone to
slow to her pace. And she wants the psychiatrist because she wants to feel
special. And Betty Draper gets what she wants.
Moving on from the ice queen, we’re better introduced
several important characters at Sterling Cooper this week, and not least among
them is Bert Cooper himself, founder and wonderful eccentric. There’s a reason
he’s not wearing shoes, folks, honest. And no, he’s not crazy. You have to love
Bert Cooper. Robert Morse is a celebrated Broadway actor, and his delivery is
natural and easy-going. He feels like a man at once of the sixties and yet
timeless. He’s also charmingly belligerently Republican. After all, “Make no
mistake. We know better what Dick Nixon needs BETTER than Dick Nixon.”
We also get a more well-rounded view of the frat boys of
Sterling Cooper this week, and I’ll break them down for you.
Paul Kinsey: Awkward, academic. Aloof. Aggressive,
egotistical. Paul is a copywriter with a great deal of pride and less talent
than he thinks to back it up. He’s very much part of the 60’s
anti-establishment movement and really our only glimpse of it so far. Sure, he’s
a dork and a bit of a creep, but for all his negative qualities (and there are
many) it is Paul who turns Peggy onto copywriting, albeit as an attempt to get
on her good side and into her skirt.
Ken Cosgrove: Ken is the most unabashedly frat boy character
this early on. So far, he seems like he might be the least talented member of
the crew. Ken so far is notable only so far as no one DISlikes Kenneth
Cosgrove.
Harry Crane: Harry of the thick rimmed glasses and the bowtie
is the lovable goof. He wants so badly to be one of the guys, but he is very
much a dedicated husband, and not entirely of the same world as his Ivy League
colleagues.
Of course, any talk of the guys has to lead into Peggy’s adventures
of the week. At first, Peggy is very much enjoying her position as most-wanted
girl in the office. Peggy’s goal, after all, is to belong. But Peggy is different.
Her refusal to give in to tears in front of the bathroom mirror is a statement
about who she is as a person. Peggy was ready to leap with both feet into an
ill-advised affair with now-married Pete Campbell because that’s what’s
expected and it felt good to be wanted. But she’s misread the situation about
as badly as Paul misread her friendly interest in his tour and knowledge of the
company.
So much of this episode was fueled by the question, “What do
women want?” What Don was pondering, what all these characters are pondering as
the turbulent 60’s begin is: What do any of them really want?
- No Pete Campbell this episode! I kind of missed the little weasel.
- Apparently numbness of the hands is actually a common sign of anxiety disorder. Like a sort of panic attack.
- I NEVER NOTICED THE FIREBALL IN THE BACKGROUND BEFORE! THAT IS HILARIOUS.
- Freddy Rumsen is mentioned for the first time in this episode. I love Freddy.
- I’d just like to point out that Don’s approach to marketing is typical understated brilliance. Paul wants a flashy ad. Don wants the brass tacks. That’s why Draper’s Head of Creative, boys and girls.
- Loved Sal’s little scene about leaving work because Don’s not in. Also his over-the-top compensating checking out of Peggy. Sal’s hilarious.
- Not too much Joan in this episode. We do get a clearer sense that she is very much in control of her domain however. Queen of the office, as it were.
Today's Mad Men quotes:
- “Don’t smile, it’ll make it harder.” – Mona Sterling, to Betty. And that pretty much sums up Mrs. Draper.
- “Jesus, Bets. It’s like religion, politics, or sex. Why talk about it?” – Don
- “I seem to remember a woman wasting a good piece of a beautiful afternoon reciting this diatribe against television that should have ended with her banging her shoe on the table.” – Don, to Midge. I am a sucker for Krushchev references.
- “I always thought people saw a psychiatrist when they were unhappy, but I look at you, and this, and them, and that...and I think ‘Are you unhappy?’” “Course I’m happy.” “Well that’ll be 35 dollars. You’re welcome.” – Don and Betty
- “I’ve stopped trying to figure out what they think.” “Maybe I should stop paying you.” – Paul and Don. I would NOT want to work for Don Draper.
- “Niagra Falls. Boy redefines lack of imagination.” – Roger, about Pete
- “I can’t decide if you have everything or nothing.” “I live in the moment. Nothing is everything.” – Don and Midge
- “Bienvenue!” “No, it’s Peggy!” – Paul and Peggy
And that's it this week. Next week is "Marriage of Figaro" in which Pete and Rachel Menken both return to Sterling Cooper, to mixed results. See you then!
No comments:
Post a Comment