If Problems Were Rotten Teeth...

Mad Men, S05E13

Megan was asked by a friend to use Don to get a part in a commercial, but Megan asked for herself instead.  Pete saw Beth again and met her a hotel before she went to shock therapy.  Don's guilt at his past made him see visions of his brother, and he avoided going to the dentist to fix his toothache.

Maybe it was just me, but I felt like this episode didn't have as much punch to it as I was expecting.  I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing because I was a little scared what other horrible things might happen that hadn't already.  Luckily, there was just a general sad cloud hovering over the whole episode, but nothing that happened was particularly too bad.

I thought nothing good could come from Emily asking Megan to ask Don to help her get the part, but I never thought that Megan wouldn't even do it and ask for herself.  Wow.  I'm not sure whether to call her determined in her acting career or a bad friend.  It just made her asking Don to pull strings for her even shadier, for some reason.  I dunno.  I was glad that he pointed out that commercials weren't anything like the kind of acting she really wanted to do because I didn't want him to help her, but I also felt like he was purposely trying to get in her way.  A commercial could at least get her name out in the public and open doors for her.  I think that Don is a little afraid of helping her, like he's helped others, and them moving on without him.

Case in point, Don ran into Peggy at the movies.  He could barely hide his disappointment that things were going so well for her because their paths no longer intersected.  Peggy is proof that if Don supports someone's dreams, they may become so successful that they will just walk away from him.  So, I'm surprised that Don broke down and helped Megan get the part.  But I'm sure it was after seeing his wife drunk, miserable, and devaluing herself that made him change his mind.  That, along with some other things like Marie saying that Megan basically was just an artist in mind but not in talent, surely helped him come around.  But there was something so lonely about when Don left the set where Megan was getting prepared for her role as Beauty and he was walking into the darkness.  It was as if he would never see her again (hopefully not, though).

Another pretty sad moment was when Don thought he was doing Lane's wife a favor by paying her back Lane's investment into the company, but she was less than grateful and accused him of putting Lane into a position that was above his talents.  Furthermore, she accused Lane of having an affair with the woman whose picture he kept in his pocket and demanded that Don tell her who she was.  I'm not saying his wife was out of line, but I'm saying that she shouldn't have dumped everything that went wrong with Lane's life when he joined SCDP on Don.  No one else would have dared come visit her in person (perhaps maybe Joan), and I'm sure that the money he gave to her would have been kept in the company if Don didn't see to it.  I just wish there was something else he could do besides hand out checks--he seems to think that will always smooth things over.  I knew it wouldn't, but I still appreciate that he can even bother to do something.  It's just too bad that his efforts were a bit meaningless.

The only thing that did get taken care of easily was Don's toothache. He got it removed before he even knew it, thanks to the gas.  It was crazy, with his kind of money, that he was so stubborn about taking care of it.  He just kept saying that it would go away on its own.  I'm guessing that's what Don hopes a lot of his problems will do.  Like the hole in the office that has been created now that Peggy is gone.  Clients, who want a woman's opinion, are unhappy with pitches that an all-male staff have come up with.  It's obvious that he needs to replace her in someway, but he's dragging his feet about that too.  And with Joan reporting that they are making the most profit they have ever, it's ridiculous that they don't hire someone else.  But despite this is a problem for Don, I liked seeing Michael being pissed off that his ideas were treated like shit.  Glad there are limits to his genius.

The Pete and Beth story was just as irritating as it was before.  The only thing that was good about it was that Pete admitted his affair with her to Howard and their fight helped Pete get kicked off the train (and punched by the conductor).  Also, Beth has no memory of him, so that works out as well.  I can't feel bad for Pete when he has more than most people will ever have.  I just can't.  Even if he's always been unhappy and was just fooling himself with his life with Trudy, I can't look past that.  I didn't want to see him happy with Beth or anyone, especially after he treated Joan so shabbily in another episode.  Pete can stand to be more miserable, and I hope that he gets a little more in the next season.  Oh, and Pete had the audacity to tell Howard that he was the most disgusting person he's ever seen--has Pete ever looked in a mirror??  If he hadn't gotten punched in the next seconds after saying that, I would have been so pissed off.

At the very end, Don was hit on by some attractive woman, and I wondered if the recent events would make him go back to his old ways.  I don't know if I could blame him, but I'd still disapprove.  He should know by now that sleeping around on his wife doesn't really fix anything.  I'm just in awe in how easy it is for him to meet women.  It's just amazing sometimes, even with his charm.  If only temptation wasn't walking around him all the time maybe he would stop trying to distract himself from his problems with random women.  But then it just wouldn't be Don Draper.

This was an impressive season overall.  My hatred of Pete has deepened, but at least he's gotten beaten a few times this year, so I can stand to see his stupid face for another season.  It's going to be weird to see the company without Lane or Peggy, but I'm hoping that this change will bring someone else new who can spice things up.  I'm not sure if I want to see Megan make her mark into the acting world, but whether she does or not, I hope that it won't make things too strained on her marriage with Don.  Don just needs to find something to cheer up with soon.  I doubt he'll find it within his work, but who knows?  He just better not find it with another woman.  I liked the improved Don in this season, and I want to see him continue to change for the better.  Whether or not the situations around him will encourage him to do so is yet to be seen.

The Women Step Up (Or Step Down)

Mad Men, S05E11

Don worked on his presentation for Jaguar and learned that Megan's acting career may make her absent from the home.  Pete proposed that Joan exchange sexual favors with one of the men from Jaguar to secure their position with the account.  Peggy decided that she should take meetings with other advertising firms in order to keeping her career going.

Although it was nice to see Don connect with his work again, I found myself less excited about SCDP getting Jaguar the more that I saw Don and the others scrambling for a good pitch that involved a mistress.  I was prepared to see them get absolutely nowhere until Michael came along with a very good idea.  Before he brought the idea to Don, they exchanged some funny lines:

[Michael] I know I'm not a manager, but it's very hard to get things done with you in another room.
[Don] Well, I obviously have the opposite feeling.

Do I ever hate Michael, but I love how he gets under Don's skin.  So far, they don't seem to have changed much in their relationship, although Michael seems like a creature of habit, so I suppose it's asking too much of him to suddenly change his tune and turn immediately into the next "Pete Campbell."  But I did notice that Michael still holds a grudge against Megan, which was obvious when he remarked that she was free to come and go as she pleased in their office.  Granted, I thought Megan's visit was odd too (turns out it was for some "confidence-building" sex), but I was still annoyed that Michael was so focused on what she was doing (and I suppose what Don was doing).  I sort of wonder if Michael will ever get to directly address his problems about Megan (without pissing off Don in the process).

I have some problems with Megan.  I don't think she should be so quick to judge Don's level of support.  Ever since she started chasing her dream, she's been more and more unpleasant as a wife.  She is rightfully frustrated that her acting career isn't taking off, but I'd wish she'd stop taking it out on Don like he's trying to sabotage her.  They haven't been married that long and knowing that your wife would suddenly (she failed to mention the length and distance of her future acting commitment) be gone for work should make a husband unhappy.  True, Don often takes trips from time to time, but he couldn't be gone for more than a few days at most.  She's being ridiculous.  If she were more honest about what she was doing (I'm sure that Don would at least feign interest), they wouldn't have to fight about it.  I sort of want to see her fail because she's being a little bit like a brat, but on the other hand I'd like her to succeed a little so she can stop bitching and get off Don's back.  I'm really starting to get sick of her.

However, no one made me more sick and angry (although Peggy did come a close second) than fucking Pete Campbell in this episode.  He will literally do anything--anything to get a damn car dealership for their firm.  And maybe it was up to him to push for that (because the rest of the partners sure aren't working their asses off to bring in strong clients), but he had no right to pull Joan into it like she was just a piece of furniture at the office he could just pawn off like it was freaking Craigslist.  What the fuck!  I wanted to choke him when he brought up the idea of her sleeping with Herb to get them the Jaguar account, but he did it in such a passive way as if he was appalled at the idea.  He's such a piece of trash!  He tried to make it seem like her sacrifice would be noble or queen-like, when it was just an easy way for him to win without having to get his own hands dirty.  What if Herb had wanted a piece of Pete?  Would he have given up his body to get the account?  Fuck no!  To ask Joan is to say that he didn't value her very much at all.

To make it worse, Pete didn't give up when Joan clearly told him no.  When she told him he couldn't afford to pay her to do that, it didn't mean that he needed to bring all the partners together to discuss paying her a big sum to "take one for the team."  I was disappointed in all of them, except Don (who turned down the idea and left like a boss), for not turning a deaf ear to Pete's idea.  Well, I guess at heart they are all pigs.  Lane tried a bit to talk Joan out of it, but I wonder if he didn't just want her to decline so he wouldn't have to find more money that he didn't have?  I hate that Pete thought that Don's opinion didn't matter and just did what he wanted.  In my eyes he is an enemy of women.

Now, of course, Joan could have turned down the offer, and I hoped she would, but when Don came to tell her that they didn't need her to do that and he was against it, I had a feeling she still would.  After all, Joan had gone to Pete and asked for partnership in the firm if she did.  And fucking Pete was not going to have a chance to haggle her price--that was it.  Financially speaking, that was a brilliant thing to ask, especially when she deserves such a position and she's a single mother now.  However, I was disappointed that Joan did it.  I know she'll regret it (if she doesn't already).  Plus, I had no idea she had already done it when Don had come to see her.  He was just a little too late!  Fucking Pete!!  I wonder if Joan thought she might as well do it if all of the partners (even Roger and Don) were thinking it was a good things for her to do.  It makes me angrier that Don didn't have a chance to fight against Pete.  Joan is a partner (yay), but her promotion is bittersweet.  After that beautiful episode with she and Don last time, I wonder if they will have such a good relationship now?

Peggy, after seeing herself on the other side of the Jaguar account (where the men were rewarded with lobster lunches) and having money thrown in her face for wanting to go to Paris for an account she saved with her on-the-spot creativity, listened to Freddy's advice to find employment elsewhere.  I just wish she had picked a different time to do this!  I think Peggy probably does deserve better with her talents and the ambitions she holds, but after everything else that happened I don't know if she could have picked a worse time to stab Don if she had tried.  I was so prepared for Don to yell at her for moving on (especially when he had lost his wife at the firm not too long ago), but he wasn't a jerk about it at all.  I couldn't help but tear up when he grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go until Peggy pulled away.  It broke my heart to see him like that when he just got Jaguar on shady terms and then found out his most loyal copywriter was calling it quits on him.  Kudos for Peggy as a woman for wanting to rise higher, but fuck her for hurting Don.  I can't help but want her to be miserable at her new place of employment (couldn't she found another great place that wasn't SCDP's rival??).  Let her go reach for the sky, but I want her to have to suffer twice as hard now that she's not with Don anymore.  It was probably a matter of time until Peggy left, but I still can't help but hate her.  Maybe one day, when Don doesn't give a damn about her absence anymore, maybe then I'll forgive her.

So who will replace Peggy?  She is an impossible person to replace, I think.  After all, she was the supervisor in the copywriting department, and someone that Don trusted well enough to delegate important decisions to.  If another person like Michael is coming to the firm, I don't think I can take it.  I don't even know how Don can take it.  He's going to be overrun with Michael's incessant chatter with Peggy gone.  We'll probably be seeing him hanging himself soon enough.  I freaking would.

They are surely not holding back this season!  The drama keeps building up and and up until I just think that some of these characters are going to crumble underneath it all.  Of course, I'm mostly concerned with how this all affects Don more than anyone else.  If there is justice in this show Pete will get his for the lousy thing he has done in this episode.  I will never forget his scheming, even if he does something like save Don's life.  Right now he can freaking die and I wouldn't be bothered.  I hope that Joan at least makes herself more of an asset now that she's a partner and does her best to show she's worth much more than what she gave away for Jaguar.  Peggy, on the other hand, can suck it.  Maybe she'll soar now that she's free from Don's wing, and maybe she'll plummet to the ground.  Either way, as long as she's not smiling as much as she was when she got on that elevator to leave, I'll be happier she left.

Megan Quits And Pete Cheats (Again)

Mad Men, S05E08

After going to an audition for an acting part, Megan realized that she could never get the same satisfaction from advertising and spoke to Don about quitting.  Don agreed and Megan said her goodbyes, but her absence at the office began to eat at Don's own satisfaction at work and opened up conflict between he and Peggy.  Pete met Howard's wife Beth that Howard had been cheating on and ended up sleeping with her after giving her a ride home one night.  Pete enjoyed the affair so much he tried to continue it, but Beth only pushed him away, even though she seemed to share his passion.

At least it wasn't a shock that Megan quit advertising.  She was leaving clues everywhere that she was unhappy.  It was just Don who really couldn't see it until she spoke about it.  And I can understand why Don might have had trouble seeing her own problems when her skills at work seemed to be bringing them closer and making Don happy about his job that he probably likes less than he's good at it.  I don't think that Megan needed to apologize about wanting to pursue her dreams (even Don agreed that he had no right to stop her), but she was given a lot of opportunities she wouldn't have gotten (especially as a woman) if she hadn't been married to Don.  Because of that fact (and the fact that she was good at advertising), her quitting the job leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Plus, anything that makes Don unhappy bothers me a bit.

One of the funniest things in this episode was when Don kept calling the office to find out where Megan was.  I was worried then that Megan was sneaking around (which would be pretty good karma for Don), but it didn't turn out to be that way.  It was great how Peggy was annoyed to be questioned about Don's wife when she was trying to get work done.  I mean, she actually left the office just to avoid talking to him again.  He was being really persistent (possibly a little too overprotective of Megan), but Peggy didn't have to run away like that.  Cracked me up.

Another part that was funny to me was when Pete was calling Beth on a payphone.  He happened to see Crane coming into the office and Pete opened the door.  Crane came over to see what he wanted and Pete said nothing and said he was the one that came over to him.  I had the same complaint as Crane--he was the one who opened the door!  What the hell was that??  It was so awkward, but funny.  Crane is seriously the comedy relief in this show.  I almost always laugh when he has a scene with someone else.

Something that wasn't so funny was Pete's infidelity with his friend's wife.  I can't forgive Pete for his actions no matter how much of an ass Howard is.  He and Pete are about the same.  The only difference is that Howard is cheating with a girl (who may or may not be single herself) who isn't connected to anyone he knows personally.  Maybe Pete did connect with Beth on some level, but I feel like it was less that he wanted to continue a special relationship with her and more of an ego thing.  She basically just used him for his body (not unlike what he's probably done many times) and then wanted to go back to her "normal" life.  He couldn't handle not being able to set the terms for one of his flings.  I wish he would just get over it and concentrate on something more important.  So Beth is playing around with him by telling him to stop but sending signs like she loves him (with little hearts drawn on windows)--so what?  Go home to your wife and baby, Pete.  I'm not ready to play any violins for his damn story.

Another thing that wasn't too funny was Max talking about how Megan owed him money.  He's a master of saying inappropriate things!  Then he had the audacity to say she was probably quitting because she didn't want to pay him back.  If he wasn't joking, I wish someone would have punched him in the face.  Who says that kind of thing?  Even if Megan was purposely borrowing money from him with no intention to pay him back, keep that to yourself.  Just makes him look like a dick to complain about that right after she quit.  But it does show that Megan won't really be missed by any of her coworkers.  Possibly Peggy will miss her, but I don't think any of the women will.

I get the feeling that among the women, Joan most resents Megan.  It doesn't surprise me because in a way Megan got to climb the ladder of success in an easier way than Joan ever did and she tossed it away just as easy.  If she didn't have these feelings I don't think that she would have made such comments that suggested that Megan was sort scheming like a typical "second wife."  She, unlike Peggy surprisingly, didn't have much confidence that Megan would make it as an actress, but made it seem like she would be all right because she has a rich husband to keep her afloat.  If that wasn't meant bitterly, I don't know what it was supposed to mean.  And Joan also pointed out that Don was the type to marry models and actresses.  Why does she care about that?  Is she just annoyed that she didn't end up with someone like Don (or Don himself)?  I wouldn't blame her, though.  I wish she wasn't so calm and collected at work and would voice a little more about her displeasure about girls like Megan.

Lastly, I just have to say how horrible it was to watch Don and Peggy do their little Cool Whip banter with each other instead of the version Don did with Megan before.  It was just so uncomfortable to watch that I had to look away.  It did lead to some heated words between Don and Peggy, and I had forgotten about how they used to get into it with each other.  I don't think that Peggy has ever told Don to shut up, though.  She's lucky that she's too talented for him to fire her (plus, I think Don thinks of her somewhat of a friend).  But it was wrong of Don to take out his frustrations about Megan's quitting on Peggy.  She certainly did bend over backwards to make Megan feel like she was an important part of the copywriting team.  It's true that Megan said that she hated how everyone at the office were so cynical and jaded, but I feel like she had just started to get along with everyone just before she quit (another shame).  Guess the days of the calm and easy-going Don are over now.  It'll be back to him yelling at Peggy for things that aren't even her fault.

I wonder how Don will cope with Megan being gone at the office and how he'll adjust to Megan being gone at night with her acting classes and auditions.  I worry that she may start hanging out with some questionable characters that might cause a rift in their relationship.  I'm sure Don will try to be supportive, but he has his limits (probably more than most men), so I'm sure that Megan will eventually use up his generosity soon.  Don't care what happens to Pete, though.  For all I care, I hope that him sleeping with Beth blows up in his face.  I'm tired of him getting away with screwing this woman and that.  He ain't Don, after all.

Award For Most Uncomfortable Dinner

Mad Men, S05E07

Megan's parents came to town, and we saw that their have an unhappy relationship.  Megan came up with a great pitch that gained them the Heinz account.  Peggy thought Abe wanted to propose to her, but he actually wanted to move in together.  Don was given an award for his letter that spoke about smoking's hand in cancer and other health risks.  Megan's parents, Sally, and Roger all accompanied Don to the award dinner.  The night revealed a lot for those who attended it.

I wondered what kind of parents that Megan had, considering her personality.  They seem to not be much of a reflection about Megan's character, as they have a history of bickering and making each other miserable.  It was clear that Marie was starved for affection, but luckily she was more impressed with Roger than Don and didn't do anything inappropriate with her own daughter's husband.  From what I've learned about Emile, he just seems dispassionate about the way his own life has turned out and takes it out on others.  Even his daughter isn't exempt from his negativity.  It's no wonder that Marie, who claimed to be once full of life and adventure, would end up fooling around with Roger, with his renewed look on life.

I don't think much is wrong with what Roger and Marie did (because they are adults), but I wonder if Sally will get over walking in on them while Marie was pleasuring Roger on her knees.  Maybe she'll appreciate staying with her grandmother a bit more than going to the "dirty" city to hang with her dad's kind of people.  Before that happened, I thought that Sally and Roger were so adorable together.  He was pretending she was his date, and Sally acted as his encouragement so he could work the room.  I think Sally was having fun pretending to be an adult (nice dress, conversation about business) until she got a glimpse of some of the other things adults did.

Don may not be the father of the year, but I still think he's a great dad.  He has all the opportunities to be absent his children's lives, but he's there for them a decent amount.  I just loved how he was stunned by seeing Sally in a beautiful and more grown-up dress, but told her to tone it down.  Emile made Don's fear of his daughter growing up too quickly worse by saying that all girls eventually "spread their legs and fly away."  Thanks to that funny misquote, I'm sure that Don will be keeping a closer watch on Sally whenever she's around.  It was really sweet after he got his award he claimed that seeing a beautiful girl who would be ready for makeup one day, but not today, made him happier than being honored.  Aww.  It's gonna be rough for him when she starts to get rebellious and nothing he can say will make her listen.  I think Sally is a good person, but she's definitely got a curiosity that will probably make her a wild teenager.

Instead of worrying about his daughter leaving childhood, Don should be most worried that his image is indeed as negative as Roger warned it would be before he wrote the letter.  At the dinner, Ed told him that no one wanted to work with him there at the party because he's not the trustworthy type.  I can't argue with that.  For Don, business is business.  I don't think that he ever considered any of the clients to be his real friends and would actually stick his neck out for one of them.  And why would he?  With slimeballs like Heinz, I wouldn't promise my loyalty to them when they are just as likely to cut off their business for the smallest thing that dissatisfied them.  There's only so much ass-kissing one can do for a customer before it becomes counterproductive.

Speaking of Heinz, I was almost glad that Raymond's wife let it be known that they were going to fire SCDP because I've had it with him taking advantage of them.  He wants so much, but gives so little back.  And sure, that's the nature of their business, but it's been a while since they've had such a shitty client.  I prepared to watch Don get a little revenge on Raymond, which I could have cheered on, but Megan smartly decided to give the pitch she had been working on with Don and they secured the account.  Way to go Megan!  However, she increasingly looked less and less thrilled about her success, the more Don and the others applauded her.  I thought she was really passionate about copywriting, but it looks like that's not where her heart is.  Emile further suggested that Megan is settling for a different kind of success, but not the kind that she has always dreamed of.  Now I'm wondering if she'll try her hand in acting or performing again, despite that she's made a significant mark in their advertising firm.  I worry that Don, who seemed excited that he and Megan could work together so well, might not be so supportive if she decided to give up on advertising (or Megan may stay in the business and be unhappy but too scared to quit).

As far as Peggy goes, I thought that Abe was going to dump her.  When he asked her to move in, I thought she was disappointed.  I think that only when Joan praised her and made it seem very romantic did Peggy see what a wonderful gesture it was for him to ask.  I mean, I thought Peggy would be ready to punch Megan in the face for winning over Heinz when Peggy had failed at it, but she was so satisfied with her love life that she was genuinely happy for Megan's achievement.  Wow.  Peggy's mother, of course, wasn't happy at all, but that was no surprise. I just didn't think she'd be such a stubborn bitch to tell Peggy that if she was lonely to just keep getting cats until she died.  Because being a cat lady is much better than "living in sin" with her loving boyfriend.  Maybe she'll never get married once they move in together, but at least Peggy will have someone there to love her and take care of her.  Is a cat going to make her feel good after a horrible day at work and make sure she doesn't drink herself to death?  Peggy's mom needs to get the stick out of her ass and stop trying to push her ideals onto her daughter (her mom ain't no saint either!).

I wonder if Don can do something to change his business perspective so that they could draw in more clients who can trust their firm.  Hopefully the dissatisfaction that Megan seems to have with her job won't start to tear at her marriage.  I don't care too much about what happens to Peggy as long as she's concentrating on her own life.  I like the new Roger, and I'm eager to see if he can turns things around in his professional life.  With a lot of things going to the dump with everyone else, it would be nice to see someone making some positive strides.

Heinz, Howard Johnson's, and LSD

Mad Men, S05E06

This episode was broken into three stories told from different perspectives.  First, Peggy had a blowout with Heinz during her last attempt to please the client with the ad they asked for.  After she had been successfully fired from the project, she learned a little about Max and gained a little perspective on things in life she had been neglecting for work.  Roger and Jane went to a party held by her friends where they all took LSD.  While high, Roger and Jane discussed the problems in their marriage and rationally agreed that they should get a separation.  However, the next day Roger was the only one who still seemed calmly resolute about the divorce, while Jane was surprised that they had made such a decision.  Don whisked off Megan to visit a Howard Johnson's instead of doing work, and Megan revealed her displease of how he was mixing their married lives with their work lives.  After they fought, Don left her at the diner and lost her when he returned and spent the night worried out of his mind about her.  He found her at home, but they continued to fight until Megan realized how scared Don had been.  The next day, Don and Megan seemed to have gotten past the horrible day, but Don realized that he couldn't afford to keep putting his wife before his job anymore.

I liked that Peggy spoke her mind at the Heinz meeting even though the client was so angry at her.  It was the sort of thing that Don would have done, except he would have managed to convince the client that he was right (usually) and he wouldn't have had the danger of getting fired.  That client was such a typical client asshole who doesn't appreciate the creative process.  It's the kind of person who hires someone to do work for them but expects them to pull ideas out of thin air that will exceed their unknown expectations.  Even Peggy, who sometimes can be irritating, didn't deserve to be treated like she wasn't doing her job just because the client was too lazy to tell her what he really wanted or too stupid to see that she was going him good stuff.  When Pete told her that she had been pulled off the Heinz account, I was so angry!  I was also a little angry at Don because he wouldn't have let that happen (under normal situations).  Cosgrove did his best to support Peggy, but Don would have made sure that Peggy didn't even explode at the client in the first place.  It was ballsy of her, but I respect her outrage.  I hope that they lose that Heinz account (even though, I'm sure they need it) because that client is too much of an ungrateful dick.

Another person who was irritating me was Max.  He kept making Peggy sound like she was being nosy when he was talking to his father on the phone and when he popped up at work.  Just because he didn't want to share (at first) that his relationship with  father was unusual, didn't give him the right to act so icily.  Geez.  Calm down!  I was still angry at him, even when he finally told Peggy that he was an alien (I was annoyed that he was speaking so seriously that he was) because he had been told that he was born in a concentration camp and had no idea who his real parents were.  If that turned out to be true, that would be an amazing story, but Max seems insane so I'm hesitant to take his word for it.  It would explain why he's not the most sociable guy at the office.  I swear he only likes Don, whom he doesn't even know yet.

Onto the Roger story.  It's been a little painful to watch him and his wife lately.  He just seems like he'd be happy if he threw her off a bridge, and I'm not so sure why or how it got like that.  Also, I felt bad when Roger tried to play hooky with his good pal Don, but Don took his plan and just decided to take his wife with him instead.  It's times like that when I feel so bad for Roger.  He just wanted to have a little fun, but Don was shutting him out.  I expected his bad mood to continue through the party, but things got interesting when they all took the drugs.  I never expected it to go in that direction, but I was glad it did.  He just seemed to connect with his wife and talk about things they never seemed to be able to when sober.  It was pretty amazing.  And it seemed sweet at first.  However, the next morning when Jane didn't even realize what they had talked about, I started to feel bad for him again.  Roger seemed lighter and happier now that he thought his wife had been waiting for one of them to bring up divorce, but she seemed like she was the  opposite.  Also, she mentioned that divorce would be "very expensive."  Well, I guess it's not going to be nice and easy and she's probably going to take a lot of his money.  With Roger not exactly being the go-to guy at SCDP, he may not be able to afford a fund-sucking divorce.  At the end, Roger was clicking his heels, but will he still be able to do that if he doesn't become the top dog at work again and Jane takes him for every penny he's got?

The saddest story, by far, although it didn't look like it would have been, was Don's.  It was just a disaster, to say the least.  I knew that Megan was upset that Don took her away from work, but I didn't know that their argument was going to be so bad.  I understand why he would be angry at her for taking a low blow and asking why he didn't call his mother, but that was no excuse to leave her at the Howard Johnson's.  I have no idea how long he left her there, but they had intended to stay there overnight (I guess since they had a room?), so I don't know why she didn't just go to her room there.  I started to think something bad had happened to her too when Don came back and couldn't find her no matter how long he waited.  I even was scared that she might have been the one who had had the accident in the pool (even though they said it involved kids).  It was a relief when she was at home, but it was pretty scary when she was running from Don afterwards.  I thought he was going to choke her or something!  The thing is, Don never apologized for leaving her there and making her take a 6 and half hour bus ride back home.  I hope that at some point he did, but we just didn't see it.  I think that Megan understood that Don was terrified for her life.  I didn't think that he would get so worried that he would be holding onto her for dear life as if they had just gotten past a life-threatening experience.

To make things worse, Cooper was waiting for him at work the next day to lay down some truth.  I've been thinking it, but I still felt bad when Cooper had to tell him that things were getting out of hand with his lovey-dovey mode.  Then again, I guess it had to be Cooper to tell him because which of his other co-workers was going to have the balls or the right to tell him?  It's true that Don hasn't been balancing his work well with his love life.  He definitely has been going overboard with his focus on Megan, but I loved it about him.  He was just happy about something, and I don't think he ever had been about work, even when he does his job well.  I don't know if that talk with Cooper is going to make him turn into a hard ass again or if he's going to find a way to put more balance in his life.  I don't really want to see him miserable at work again, unless it means that he's going to be yelling more at Peggy and Max.

What sad stories, but wonderfully told.  It was nice to see the same day unfold but from different characters' points of views.  Once again, the scale of happiness has tipped and Don may have to go back to being a bit unhappy now that Roger seems to be in better spirits.  Peggy is always a bit in the middle, so there's not much of a change for her (nor was it that shocking when she gave a stranger a hand job--oh, Peggy).  I just hope that if anything comes about from her story it's that she finds out more about Max.  He's irritating as hell, but perhaps his background story could explain why he's not as pleasant as he could be. 

Don's Not A Murderer, But Peggy's A Little Racist

Mad Men, S05E04

Don came down with a fever and imagined having an affair and killing the woman involved.  Peggy bonded with the new secretary, Dawn, and let her stay the night despite she didn't trust her 100 percent.  Sally butted heads with Henry's mother and felt terrified when she learned more about some recent murders.  Joan welcomed her husband back from the war, only to send him packing when he proved that he cared more about the respect and status he got from the army than his own family.

I liked seeing Don a little sick.  I was hoping that we get to see Megan taking care of him, but most of that happened while we watched Don seemingly slip back into his old habits.  I was going to get so angry at Don if he had really slept with one of his old skanks.  Thank goodness it was fever-induced dream.  I was most worried when I saw him choke the bitch--how in the world would he cover that up??  Especially since he killed her and then hid her body under the bed.  And he didn't even hide it well--there was one leg still poking out.  I let out a breath when the morning came and Megan was talking to him per usual.  I could see Don possibly involved in a murder cover up, but hopefully not so sloppily.  I mean, I don't want Don to go to jail.  He's not that bad of a person.  Not yet, anyway.  I wonder if this dream signifies him "killing" that sleazy part of himself.  I really hope so.

I was pleased to see that Dawn wasn't going to just be a background character completely.  Her starting a friendship with Peggy was a good way to ensure that she could get some screen time, but what the hell was up with that moment with her purse??  I'll give Peggy points for not taking her purse out of the room, but she sure as hell wasn't smooth about those few seconds where she wondered if it was okay to leave it in the room with her.  She did just get a huge payday for saving Roger's ass--guess money like that she can't just have sitting around unguarded.  Still, I wish that of all things Peggy could have done that was offensive to Dawn it had been something ignorant out of her mouth and not some action like that.  I just think that Peggy is one of those people who should know better than to treat people like that. Especially when she thinks that she gets Dawn's feeling of being an outsider (no, bitch, you don't).  I'm counting on her making amends in the future.  If she is the decent person that I've come to think her character is.

Um, Henry's mother is all kinds of crazy.  I can understand why Sally was complaining about her to Don.  I'll skip over the part where she thinks that necessary discipline for a child involves striking them for no reason so they'll be prepared for the unexpected (her father sounds awful).  No, the real part that made me wonder how Henry could leave Sally alone with her was her lack of filter when describing the murder in the paper (I don't care if Sally read them on her own--you don't need to tell a frightened girl that much truth), her burglar alarm (a kitchen knife, really?), and the ease in which she dispensed a pill to calm Sally down for the night (man, she loves resorting to pills to solve problems).  Henry's mother makes me think again about denouncing the way Betty used to treat Sally.  Goodness.  I wonder how that's going to play out later on.  I'd hate to see Sally start taking pills regularly.  It'd add to the dramatic element, but I hate to see a young girl downing drugs.

As far as Joan tossing her husband out on her ass, I say way to go, Joan!!  He's such an asshole.  If he was going back to war to protect a cause he believed in, I would think he had a good reason to rush back in.  Instead, I only felt like he was using his army status to be the big-shot he wasn't back at home.  Wow.  That would be great if his absence wasn't a burden on the family he left behind.  True, he'd only be gone a year but why risk something happening to you just so could feel superior about yourself??  I couldn't be happier that Joan stayed strong and held her ground.  Screw that guy!

On a side note, Michael seems to be walking on a thin line already.  He obviously has talent and a way with words that might even rival Don's, but he is very into his own world.  When told that his stunt at the meeting with the clients almost got him fired, Michael was impassive as if he hadn't noticed how very pissed Don was.  I don't know why, but I love it when Don yells at the younger people at work.  There's something very funny about it.  So I can see that he might have to do that constantly with Michael if he doesn't get out of his deluded world.  Nice to see that he has the potential to be entertaining not just as Peggy's rival, but as a comical thorn in Don's side (sort of how Craine tries to buddy up with Don but Don just blows him off).

So much to look forward to next time, as usual.  What I most want to see (although it may not be addressed next time) is how Joan fares without her stupid husband holding her back.  Hopefully this means that she will soon be walking down their office as she should be.  What I'd least want to see is more of Betty whining about her weight while she stuffs her face.  Unless we reveal some kind of meaningful point through her domestic boredom (I suppose that's her problem), I'm not interested.  And of course, we better see Peggy set things right with Dawn.  Hate to see that swept under the rug like so many issues on this show.

We Missed You, Betty! (Sarcastic tone)

Mad Men, S05E03

Betty had a close encounter with her own death and struggled with her body issues.  Don and Craine tried to get the Rolling Stones to do a song for an ad, but they got nowhere with that.  Peggy had to hire a new copywriter for Mohawk and realized quickly that the new guy might be more trouble for her than she thought.

Craine was nearly adorable in the way he kept trying to hang out with Don, but Don had no interest to spend time with him beyond what was necessary for their business.  I wonder if Craine is trying to avoid his family or if he really wants to be friends with Don.  It's a little weird and suspicious because last time he was trying to avoid Don, less he take off his head for making fun of his wife (I don't think Don has a clue and he might not care with his "new" attitude).

I don't care much for Michael (I find the kind of characters Ben Feldman plays to be chatty and irritating), but the more Peggy denied that he would be competition for her, the more I started to enjoy his presence.  Sure he seems like someone who might be up Don's ass at first (until Don teaches him that flattery will get you nowhere), but he also seems like someone with potential to outshine Peggy.  I loved when she anticipated the first meeting between Don and Michael with anxiety, but he did about a 180 from when she interviewed him and was quite normal.  Michael was pumped with how well the meeting went, while Peggy was disturbed that he could listen to her advice so well.  So you told him to tone it down for the boss, and then you're irritated that he followed your instructions so well?  Yeah, Peggy's definitely on the defensive now that Michael's in the picture.  I can't wait to see how they will butt heads.

Now let's get down to Betty's return.  Well, I haven't been following any of the Mad Men buzz, so I was totally unprepared to see Betty wider than I could have ever imagined.  She looked significantly different, which made me more outraged that people were talking about Joan while Betty looks as she does.  Insane.  As much as I think Betty is too into her own world to really care about others anymore, I didn't want to see her die from cancer.  Having lost a mother myself to cancer, I can't imagine how a mother would feel to know that they might be holding their children for the last time and wouldn't be there to see them as adults.  And I liked that her cancer scare revealed Betty was human (I've started to see her as someone who only complains and freaks out about things).  She even went to Don for comfort, which reminds me that he may have been a a sleaze when they were married, but he always genuinely cared for her.

I was relieved to know that Betty wouldn't be going through harsh cancer treatments and put her kids through all of that.  However, I can't believe how quickly she went from being self-aware of her role in her family and in the world to whining that she was just fat, not sick.  Betty!  You got a fucking pass for cancer--show a little gratitude for your life!  Henry is a trooper to not slap her in the face for her going on about how big she was and how he couldn't see it because his mother was also a big woman.  Really??   Couldn't you have saved that for at least one day after you found out you didn't have cancer??  Just when I thought I could welcome Betty back into my good graces, I'm ready to throw in the towel with her.  And she didn't even call Don (after calling him in the first place to tell him she might have cancer) to tell him the good news.  Henry, who took his call, didn't seem to appreciate that Don even knew.  Why not?  If the mother of his children were to die, he should be up to speed about that as soon as possible.

I am interested to see how Betty continues to deal with her weight problem in that day and age.  Her mother-in-law seemed to think that throwing back a few pills would slim her down (I wonder how frowned upon diet pills were back then), but Betty wolfing down her own sundae plus Sally's suggests that she's not going to go to any extreme lengths to drop the pounds. I'm glad that Betty has this angle attached to her character because I haven't been looking forward to seeing what she could bitch about this season.  At least in this aspect, she presents something I'd like to know about from a historical point of view.

As usual, this show has it all.  I can't complain much about the plot, only on how the characters behave.  I wonder if Don will be able to "keep up" with his young wife, or will he just give up and admit his old age and stiff personality?  Michael best give Peggy a hard time, and I'm crossing my fingers that it'll turn into something like the Roger and Pete dynamic (as Roger bitterly remarked, Pete was the last guy he hired).  Oh, and we need Joan back ASAP!  Less Betty time and more Joan, please.

When Don's Happy, No One Else Is

Mad Men, S05E01-02

Don and the rest of the gang from Sterling Cooper Draper Price are back for their fifth season!  Typically, this show is in my reserves because it's one of the few dramas that I like, but since it's fast approaching the summer break for most shows, I think I'll watch it as it comes out, for the most part.  I have to say that I have a bit of a crush on Jon Hamm, and the show's just full of great characters and stories.  Also, historically it's an interesting thing to watch, such as the technology differences and the way everyone smoked all the time (especially around children and while being pregnant).  At the center of this week's episode, Don's new wife, Meagan, threw Don a surprise party and performed for him as a present, but Don wasn't exactly ecstatic about it.  Another major issue was the "battle for power" between Roger and Pete.  These were just some of the many things that happened in this double-episode.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Pete continues to show signs that he will just never be satisfied until he is the "King of Advertising" or something like that.  While I realize that Roger is starting to look like a useless bag of bones around the office, Pete can't just stamp his foot and think that everyone will so easily boot him out.  I was glad that he ran into the wall and had blood coming out of his nose when he was whining about Roger appearing at his meeting with Mohawk Airlines.  I know they had to make Pete a junior partner in their firm, but he is so insufferable at the way he thinks that he should be on the same rank as the big dogs.  Sure, he brings the money and all, but let's be real--if Pete was in a business by himself with just his name, no one would give a damn, and no one would want to do business when him.  He needs to calm the hell down.  He has a loving wife, a new baby, a new house, I think, and a job that most people his age would kill for.  Still he is out for Roger's blood.

It's sad that Pete had to resort to sending Roger off on a fake meeting with Coca-Cola just to get back at him for showing up at the Mohawk meeting.  But I think that wasn't as bad as Pete bringing in all of the partners so he could demand that he be given Roger's office on the grounds that he was basically more important than Roger.  Even if that were so, I just don't like the way he did it.  It just looked like a child crying over having the smaller half of the cookie.  Later, when Roger tries to pacify him (or annoy him?  I'm not sure what Roger was playing at) by getting Crane to switch offices with him, Pete just isn't satisfied.  No, he won't be happy until he's in a position where he can walk the halls of their office like Roger, and Pete is the one giving orders that few can refuse.  Seriously.  When is he going to shut up and be thankful??

Onto something a little less infuriating.  I loved how lovey-dovey Don was being with Meagan.  I was worried that things wouldn't be going so well between them when the season started again, but they really looked like they were in love.  Meagan even sang that wonderful song in French for him, which is more than Betty would even dream of doing for him when they used to be in love.  I did think her dancing was a little too much for all the company they had (I can't blame Crane for saying those disgusting things about her at the office later), but I think Don should have tried to be less of an ass about it.

I like that Meagan seems so different from Betty, in the sense that she's not determined to have Don control everything in their marriage like he used to (for example, "forbidding" a birthday party for him).  My favorite thing about her so far is that she can see how the people at SCDP are so cynical and unpleasant.  I can't believe she is the first person to say, "What is wrong with you people??"  Almost everyone in that building, especially the guys, that question applies to them.

However, I wondered what was wrong with Meagan (and Don) when they were having a fight back at home about the party the next day.  She was cleaning up in her underwear.  Her excuse that she didn't want to get sweaty seemed flimsy.  I don't know if she was intentionally trying to turn Don on or punish him for him being so inflexible, but they were soon having makeup sex on the floor.  So ridiculous.  Who pretends to clean in their underwear??  If she wanedt to get her point across, surely she could have come up with something better.  Geez.

Peggy, like Pete, was her usual self, wanting to be more important than she already was, but wanting others (Don) to use their power to make things work better for her.  True, if Don had used some of his Draper magic to convince Hines to like their bean ballet idea, she would have had less work to do and felt accomplished, but this was new Draper.  As Peggy put it he was "kind and patient," and she didn't like it.  So she'd rather have the Don who would have chewed her head off for having such a crappy idea (the idea wasn't bad--their client was just stuck in his ways about how beans should be viewed)?  I can't believe she couldn't get past her own jealousy about Meagan (of course, Peggy doesn't like any woman at the office who can achieve things easier than she) and be glad Don was happy.  He hasn't been happy in a long time.  Probably the happiest he was when he was married to Anna.  I don't know if he was ever really happy with Betty for a significant amount of time.  Peggy, again comparing her to Pete, needs to lighten up and realize how good she has things and stop trying to bring others down.  Sure it would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth if the boss's wife was getting privileges that you had to work your ass off for, but at least Meagan is working and recognizes that Peggy is her boss.  Just swallow your pride, Peggy.

I felt bad for Joan because while she seems to love her son, she desperately wants to go back to work.  I don't care what those other girls say in the office--she looks great.  Perhaps when she was first seen in the episode with her hair disheveled and in a bathrobe, she wasn't her typical self, but when she came to the office for a visit, all those other girls could suck it--they don't have half the beauty she has.  I'm glad that the fake ad (I definitely missed why they made it) she saw in the newspaper wasn't a call to replace her ,and Don and Lane (particularly him) seem to be counting down the days until she comes back to SCDP.  I am, too.  Joan, among many talents around the office, keeps those stupid girls there in check.  She also tends to ground Peggy when she starts get self-important.  Without Joan there I don't want Peggy to be the only  figure of female power around.

With all the drama that happens, I'm glad we have a little comedy relief with Lane.  I really like him, the more he appears in episodes.  He was so sweet in the way he comforted Joan and let her know that none of those dumb girls could hold a candle to her, but he was also hilarious in the way that he re-enacted Meagan's dancing and his little awkward conversation with Alex's mistress.  The latter was so funny to me.  It was like he was calling one of those sex phone lines for the first time, the way he was acting.  I had forgotten that he had some tension with his wife, but it seems that he may soon be cheating on her in the future (he's gotta join the club with the rest of the partners).  But as funny as he is, it's a bit creepy that he would keep a picture of a woman he hardly knows that he got from a stranger's wallet.  Hope that Alex guy doesn't return in another episode to beat the hell out of Lane.

Lane was also pretty funny when he had to tell the male black applicants that came to their office they were "free to go."  Of all of the partners, they had to get him to speak on their behalf.  Hilarious.  I'm pretty excited, though, that through their gag ad, they were pretty much forced into hiring their first African-American employee (one who wasn't operating the elevators).  Yay!  You can't blame them for not having someone sooner (because that was the times, sadly), but as a black woman myself, I'd like to see someone like me in the show since Betty fired her housekeeper and all (damn Betty).

Speaking of Betty, she didn't appear at all in this episode, so I wonder how things are going with her.  When Don dropped off the kids, it looked like he left them at some apartment building, but I wasn't sure.  Perhaps that means that she got divorced again?  I hate to be happy about that, but Betty had a chance at a new beginning, but instead she was just taking out all the angry she had from her previous marriage out on her new marriage.  As much as I want to know, I'm glad I didn't have to see Betty berating Sally for some petty thing again as she had become custom to do since last season.

One last thing I really liked was Crane saying those gross things about how he would gladly do Meagan if he had the chance, and she heard all the horrible things he said.  Later, he kept worrying about if Don had heard what he said about his wife.  He was so scared!  He even seemed to like having Pete's new office because it gave him a chance to hide from Meagan until the heat was off.  Good ol' Crane.  On a side note, does it look like he lost a little weight?  Maybe it's just my imagination because I haven't seen him in a while.

I'm pretty happy with the return of this show.  I can't wait to see what sort of things unravel and go wrong this season.  Although, I really hope that Don and Meagan will be the real deal (and he won't start cheating on her like Betty).  I can handle all the other random shit that might hit the fan, but I'd really like this season to be the end of his super-drama in his love life, at least.