Welcome, one and all, to Angry Fellas, SPJ’s weekly coverage of Mad Men season 4. Though only half of us are fellas and we’re much more likely to collapse in a state of existential dread Rachel Menken-style than get angry at this masterpiece of a show, we’ll be here for the next 13 weeks as television’s classiest summer diversion winds its way through 1964 and ’65. Join us, won’t you?
Ellen
How exquisite the irony, that the man who could sell the world anything must struggle with selling himself! The challenges facing the new plucky upstart ad agency established at the end of Season 3 mirror, to some extent, those facing the D in SCDP. Don struggles with life in a tiny office (he seems to bulge out of it at one point) where his rash decisions have consequences, and outside of work his reinvention as a bachelor about town isn’t going so swell either. “Nice girls” (like Jane Sterling’s perfect date for him) will maybe grant him a kiss in the cab, and prostitutes leave him drained and cold. Who is Don Draper? The more pertinent question may be, what’s going to hold him together from here on out?
Having spent three years with Don in our imaginations, it’s sort of hard to watch him fall apart this way. Even when violently disagreeing with the course of action he takes, I find myself rooting for him — but it’s hard to know what to root for him to do here. Moreover I was surprised at the degree to which Don identified with his marriage. I always pegged Betty as the spouse most likely to cling to her relationship as central self-definition, not a difficult choice considering how quickly she moved into her new role as Mrs. Henry Francis. And she’s clearly doing that here in a wince-worthy Thanksgiving dinner scene and subsequent Bad Parenting display. (Semi-related: did anyone notice Kiernan Shipka, Sally Draper, has been promoted to the opening credits? Kid’s going places!) But I think Don, for his part, underestimated how much fulfillment he found in enacting the part of family man. It’s in the way he tucks his children in at his new Village apartment, and the hollow look in his eyes as he waits on the couch for Betty and Henry to come home. He can’t nap or drink those feelings away.
Elsewhere, Peggy and Pete pull off a stunt that is some pretty weak sauce compared to today’s viral marketing campaigns but involves old ladies beating up each other for a ham. Unfortunately, not only does Don disapprove (despite the client’s pleasure), but we don’t get to see the beating happen. Such a tease, show! Maybe by New Year’s Eve.
Zoe
First things first: Sally freakin’ Draper, everybody! I know, I know, like me you were all worried what was going to happy to our favorite sassy gal in the divorce and it turns out…she got taller! And more depressed. I’m excited to see how the divorce plus her mother still being a terrible mother has affected her as the season continues.
Of course, Sally Draper isn’t the only character on the show (I wish!). As always, the focus is on Don and what a crumbling mess his life has become. Don never particularly liked Betty, but being married centered and focused his life outside of work in a way he’s sorely lacking now. Plus, Don is becoming increasingly out of step with the times–a theme that has always been present in the show, but one that seems like it’ll become more of a focus this season.
Which is great, because as fun as Don Draper is as a character the fact remains that there are compelling and real reasons you don’t see men much like him these days. Even his style of dress seems to be more drab and despondent than the bright colors that are starting to emerge in his office. And his take on Peggy and Pete’s publicity stunt (which would be done today, only now they would break out into song about the hams) is both valid and, well, curmudgeonly.
Likewise, Don’s inability to brag on himself is a sign not just of Midwestern values (which I get), but also not quite being in step with the times and the true uses of a newspaper profile.
That said, I’m not despairing of Don’s chances to adjust and grow yet. He grew a spine with Betty at the end and the Wall Street Journal interview (and throwing out of the swimsuit clients) show there’s some fight in him still.
There’s a lot going on in this episode, establishing the new sense of things, introducing a few new people, but what I appreciated best is the new glimpses into Henry Francis. Sure Peggy is a little more ballsy and Joan has more power, but those are natural outgrowths of what we already knew. It’s Henry Francis who remained a bit of a mystery last season and it was nice to see his slow realization that maybe, just maybe, Betty isn’t a prize after all. I’m glad they were able to keep Betty in the show–not just for my Sally fix, but wherever Henry Francis’ realizations will take us. Like Don, Betty is going to have to learn that things are done a bit differently now.
Scott
I recently advised a poor soul uninitiated in the ways of Mad Men to give the show a chance. “But remember,” I warned, “it’s slow. Veeeerrry slow. Just stick with it.” If he started out with “Public Relations” he probably thought I get bored with the glacial pacing of speed metal. From the bright new office that looks like a set from Laugh-In to The Nashville Teens’ proto-industrial classic “Tobacco Road” playing us out, this great season opener puts Mad Men on a new propulsive course that’s shockingly far from the quiet, relentlessly bleak first two seasons.
Like my colleagues, I am very excited about Sally’s expanded role on the show and her improved enunciation (somebody got her front teeth back!). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a child grow up seriously on an adult drama before, and starting with her Grandpa Gene episodes last year I think the little lady captured all of our hearts. I’m also excited about Peggy’s new confidence and haircut, but not so much her new man. The girl deserves happiness, but this guy seems like a dope to rival Henry Francis. I am chomping at the bit to see how the show keeps Sterling Cooper castaways like Kinsey in the fold, but I’m pretty much always happy watching Mad Men unless that skank Bobbie Barrett’s around.
Dennis
It’s finally here! Mad Men is back! Hooray! After the grade A (A stands for Awesomeness) season finale last year, the bar was set high, but this episode was at least consistently as good as we’ve come to expect. It’s great to see most of the gang (sorry, Sal) back. This was a particularly Don-centric episode, but it was some of the supporting players that I was even more excited about. Yay for Peggy and her fake fiance! Yay for Roger Sterling (the dude was averaging approximately a quip a minute!). Yay for the Bobby Draper’s ability to end an awkward moment with his love of sweet potatoes! And yay for some new faces as well. It’s good to see Jack & Bobby‘s Matt Long as a new employee. As anyone who has read the Roundtables can attest, I had some strange compulsion to watch ABC’s The Deep End every week, so I’m actually pleased that ABC canned it, if only so now Long can have meatier material here. And, meanwhile Don’s got yet another love interest in the form of True Blood‘s Anna Camp! At least, this one seems a bit more interesting than Miss Farrell. Who knew for such an annoying person herself, Jane had such cool friends?
I do wonder how the show will integrate Betty into this season. She’s always sort of been a character on an island of her own, but with Don and her divorced it seems this will be even more true. I wonder if this show will end up having Betty cheat on her new hubby with her old one. Seems like it be too easy to predict for a show this well-written. I guess we’ll see. I can’t wait to see how this season progresses!