Here’s an article from the Chicago Magazine about Draper Daniels, one of the models for Don’s characters, written by his wife. They’re not as pretty as the TV versions. Also check out these bad ass Mad Men posters created by designer Christina Perry. There’s also another set for the men.
Recap of this week’s episode, “Hands and Knees,” after the jump.
Amazingly I don’t feel like there’s much to talk about after this very stressful episode, but I can gloat about a few things.
Losing Lucky Strike – CALLED IT! Wish they had fleshed this out a little more, but I can wait til next week.
Joan gets pregnant – CALLED IT! And she totally did not have that third abortion.
I mentioned last week that Don and Megan predictions were bugging me but ok, fine, when you look wistfully at a beautiful girl putting on lipstick while “Do You Want to Know a Secret” plays in the background, you are thinking of shtupping that babe of French extraction.
Don started the episode by asking Sally if she could keep a secret. Loved that primal pubescent shriek that Sally let out and Betty’s concerned face. Betty still loves the way Don spoils. And she’s still the queen of discretion, telling Henry she doesn’t want secrets in the same breath that she keeps something from him, while on the other side a panic-stricken Don admits to Faye what he hasn’t admitted to anyone who hasn’t cornered him before. Good for him, bad for Faye. She got all proactive about it and now he’s looking for an escape route. Hello, Megan!
A note on Don’s freak out, his maneuvering, his confession. He says he’s tired of running, tired of the whole thing. But he can’t just change his name to Dick Whitman, it’s a totally stupid name. And he can’t just disappear and run away like he wanted to when Pete blackmailed him back in the first season. So he takes an arguably noble route, setting up trusts for his kids, trying to work with Pete (kinda), and waiting to see what happens. Good for you, Don. Ever since he’s cut back on his drinking, one of Don’s major characteristics has been showing up more, his total cowardice. His alcoholism, from this perspective, is the source of his trademark bravado (which I kind of miss). But make no mistake: Don (or Dick) is a coward, an insult leveled at him by Rachel in S1, and one that still sticks.
Also props to Pete for sucking it up and covering for Don. He can complain to his hilariously pregnant wife, but he owes Don for that blackmail attempt. And fuck Roger. For real. Leaving it all behind to start a family with Joan is pretty much his only salvation at this point.
Which leaves us with one stray plot point, Lane Pryce. His abusive father and black girlfriend, I liked them both, they gave some new shades to his character, but they felt under used. The developments came out of nowhere, and now he’s off to England? Oh well, good luck Lane. Sorry about that crack on the jaw.
“Chocolate bunny”? OMG.
Also, I thought Don has never looked sleazier or more pathetic than in this episode. He freaks the fuck out over the possibility of facing the truth, and when he escapes, he’s not only potentially pulling the company down with him, but he’s already forgotten about his near miss *and* his new girlfriend, and planning on porking the new secretary.
Dick move, Don!
p.s. good write up, btw
Last night’s episode had more plot than the previous 3 1/2 years of the show combined.
And don’t feel sorry for Lane. He gets to spend 1966 and 1967 in London.
SAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought this episode was one of the best bait-n-switch shows in the series. It started off by bombarding us with iconic ’60s stuff- Playboy club, the military industrial complex as an ad client- culminating with Sally’s Beatles tickets at Shea Stadium. At the first few minutes I thought there was going to be an over-indulging of pop-culture-as-plot with some frantic race to secure Beatles tickets so as not to let Sally down. But by the end I’d very nearly forgotten about them until Megan hands them over saying “everything worked out.” In the end its like the whole thing was just an excuse to let Sally scream out of happieness for a change.
Also, at first I thought the Defence contract stuff was going to revisit Don’s anxiety about the Bomb that he slightly exhibited way back in California. I’m glad that it didn’t because it would have been all too easy of a way for the ‘dear diary’ voice-overs to make a comeback.
The pregnancy thing and Lucky Strike leaving SCDP were predictable and thankfully the writers knew it. No time was wasted on either plot point. Rather than spending an entire episode with Joan &/or Lee about dealing with Roger, they just cut to the chase and let us see Sterling silently shitting his pants. Are Roger’s days at SCDP numbered? If so, will it be the partners or his own heart that takes him out? Personally, I’d like to see Roger have a redeeming episode soon- I love his character but this season has chipped away his ‘cool’ qualities and now I’m left wondering how much longer I’m going to tolerate him. If he can get his shit together by next episode and find a clever way to save the Lucky Strike account (al la Don Draper circa 1962) without letting anyone else at the firm know he almost lost it, I’ll happily put him back to ‘favorite character’ status.
Oh, one last thing… I LOVE WHEN PETE GETS ALL SELF-RIGHTOUS AND THINKS HE’S SO HONEST. He’s so sure that he’s a good guy he almost convinced Don.