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RSS'Mad Men': The world changes. Oh, and JFK is killed.
When Matthew Weiner was discussing this season of "Mad Men" this summer, he said that while the show would certainly touch on the epochal events of the show's time, he wanted very much to filter them through the lives of his characters."It's been a great intellectual experience, if not a creative experience, to say, 'How does history actually affect us on a daily basis?'" Weiner said in late July. "... I try to focus on people's individual lives and say, OK, every once in a while there's an event like the Cuban Missile Crisis that really affects the way we interact. ... But a lot of things happen all the time that we don't even know about."
And so the most important moments of the episode was not the Kennedy assassination and Jack Ruby shooting Oswald on live TV, but Betty telling Don, "I don't love you," and possibly seeing a path in life that no longer includes her husband. It was Don at first refusing to listen to her, then sitting in silence as what she's told him sinks in. It was Roger once again finding solace in Joan, and Pete having an existential crisis over not getting a promotion.
All those things, of course, were influenced in some way by the real-life events the characters experienced, and you could argue that it was the spark that drove Betty to Henry Francis and at least not reject his sort-of marriage proposal. But the episode was emphatically not all about JFK, and in that way Weiner was absolutely true to his word.
The first news bulletin about Kennedy being shot plays in the background as Harry and Pete commiserate over their standing at Sterling Cooper. Duck -- who hasn't been able to woo Peggy professionally but is apparently doing just fine personally -- unplugs the TV so he and Peggy can have their nooner. Don is more concerned with the Brits' refusal to hire a new art director and doesn't know what happened until he leaves his office and sees everyone crowded around Harry's.
I think there's a sense, especially among those of us who didn't experience it firsthand, that because Kennedy's assassination was one of those few "where were you?" moments, everyone knew about it at the same time and felt it in the same way. Of course that wasn't the case, and the show illustrated that pretty brilliantly.
And as we go into the season finale next week, the four words that matter most are not "The president is dead" but "I don't love you." Don has as much difficulty processing that as everyone else did processing the larger news, because on some level he knows that they have the power to change the foundation of his life -- certainly way more than what happened in Dallas did.I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the episode, so I'm going to skip to the bullets a little sooner than usual. But I'll be reading your comments and chatting with you on Monday.
Other thoughts on "The Grown-Ups":
- One of the things that struck me about the episode was the very grown-up reactions of people normally shown as childish. Pete is deeply wounded about being passed over, but he keeps it together in the office and senses that his job status is not the most important thing right now. Roger's daughter Margaret does an even bigger turnaround. We first see her acting like a baby over Jane's presence at the wedding, then wailing "It's ruined" after hearing the Kennedy news. By the time the reception rolls around on the evening of Nov. 23, though, she seems just happy to be married and at peace with everything else.
- Jane, though? Pretty childish. Early on she's willfully oblivious of the antipathy Margaret feels for her (and unable to understand why Roger would defend her; because she's his daughter, maybe?), and by episode's end is revealing herself once again to be a really bad drinker -- as in, just not good at it. That could be a real hazard when you're married to Roger Sterling.
- For the second consecutive episode, Roger and Joan have a phone conversation, and it became even clearer to me this time around how much Roger really respects her and values her. He may have called her "the finest piece of ass I've ever had" a while back, but it's turning out to be a much deeper compliment than it seemed initially. She's the one he turns to when he needs an anchor.
- Peggy was sort of tangential to the story this week, but there were a couple of really interesting beats with her. I think I'm with her roommate -- I'm not quite sure what the connection is there. She's also the only one other than Don to come to the office the following Monday, hoping to salvage the Aqua Net campaign -- because a TV spot with two men and two women in a convertible isn't really going to fly anymore.
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An absolutely well-handled episode. Also, there were a lot of JFK specials on recently, so as soon as I saw that old CBS News logo on Harry's TV I knew what was happening even before I heard the announcer. I figured they'd save the JFK assassination for the finale, but it was well done here as a way of pushing Betty toward the finale.
Not only that, Betty's inability to leave the TV mirrors what a lot of us went through 8 years ago. I'm sure we all know plenty of people who just could not shut off the TV for days then, and it was interesting to see that same type of behavior played out in a pre-24-hour-news-channel era.
This episode was dynamic. One of the first scenes is a glimmer of a caring, tender Don holding his son (first time we saw that!) And then we are reminded that Betty and Don really seem to have switched personas from the previous seasons. Now that her eyes are opened to his lies she has become very savvy. And Don, I feel so sorry for him because he can't escape his childhood, can't deny the philandering and has to live with the knowledge his whole life with Betty is a sham. Wow, when he went in to the office and just Peggy was there, it solidified how they are two of a kind - no life, identity only at work. And then, when he didn't want to watch TV with her, the absolute emptiness (in the dark, empty office) of what his reality is now was palpable. Very powerful. I don't want this to end already! Do we really have to wait till next July/August for fresh episodes?
Great episode, it was nice how the Kennedy assasination played as a back drop and even though many of these characters did not vote for Kennedy, they still felt sad.
It was interesting how this episode made each character think of their lives in a different way. Which is how Sept. 11th has done for many in our generation.
Betty is fully honest with herself and admits that she does not love Don. Her character has completely evolved from a girl in the first season who was ignorant of her husbands past, her hands would curly at the thought of being a single mother, and she would obey Don's orders like a lap dog when it came to him telling her to or not to do something. Betty is now a strong women, who now sees herself in a different light. She feels perfectly fine to speak her mind and tell Don how she feels. I know that this transformation has been developing since season 2 but hearing her tell don that she does not love him was astonishing to me. Not because I do not want to believe it but because before she would have never said it. Ilove the new Betty.
Pete, childish jealousy over a fellow employee getting a promotion shows how immature he really is. Pete has been crossing the lines at work since season one and finally he is penelized. Instead of asking himself what i have i done wrong and coming to realise mistakes he made in the past he just looks at his fellow collegue and ask what has he done right. Pete childishly walks out of the office and does not return and acts as if he is fired. At the end his wife, who is mourning the lose of JFK tells Pete, not asks but tells Pete he will go to work tomorrow.
"Life Must Go On"
Even though many of the characters were deeply affected by JFK's death, their lives still continue but not the way it was before because after events like this you must stop and think about who you are, where you are going, and is their anything in your life you would change?
Betty wants to be happy and run off with another man. Peggy thinks about her relationship with Duck and where is it going, Roger thinks of what could have been with Joan.
This season is crazy good and people says nothing happens on this show. I can point out great moments in every episode of Mad Men you just need to sit and watch. The show is barely scored so their is no music number to tell you when something shocking or scary will happen. Season three is awsome and it makes me wonder, with Sal gone, Betty thinking of leaving Don, Joan not working at sterling coop, and sterling cooper being sold, what the hell is next season going to bring.
I was in high school when Kennedy was assassinated. It's been called "the day America lost it's innocence." I thought MM captured the day(s) perfectly. I had to keep rewinding the DVR since I kept having flashbacks and missing the storyline. Very well done.
For this episode, there are 2 groups of us: those who were around the weekend of Nov 22, 1963, and those who were not. I remember that weekend vividly. My reaction to this (fine) episode could never be the same as the reaction of those who were not yet born (in 1963). And
that's the way it should be.
this was an awesome episode. i think it's my favorite one of the season.
i myself have see sawed between don and betty better together or apart.
objectively, i am totally psyched betty is finally showing some backbone and being honest with herself about her marriage. it's unfortunate for don that it's after he's recommitted himself to being a husband. but really. when a woman is done, she is done and i really love that weiner has shown that. besides, how much longer would it be until don goes back to being don?
i think what fascinates me about this episode is, i suddenly feel for don again. i began to hate him and empathize with betty more when he started cheating again. and this episode it flipped.
i actually starting to really dislike betty and think of her as a selfish brat and feel for poor don - the moment the "real" him is revealed and he is just out there and vulnurable to someone, someone else is trying to put him out on the street. the irony is, betty's feelings now are really because of his lies and the truth now is just too late.
i love joan and roger talking to each other. i miss joan a lot. but i'm glad her cameo's show her as herself trying to adjust to the new situation, but not giving up on who she is just because she's married.
I was a senior in high school when JFK was assassinated. It was the day of homecoming - they cancelled the dance but played the game. Oh, and I lived in Texas.
There's definitely a different take on it from those of us who WERE there; it's so deep in our psyche that everything DATES from it, much like 9/11 to younger people.
I knew it was coming as soon as I saw the TV was tuned to As The World Turns and I have to admit something inside me was screaming as Pete and Harry sat there talking and not noticing. I have to tell you, I have no clue what they said.
I was a little surprised, or I had misunderstood, at the reactions of the people at the office. I guess I thought they were all Republicans because they ran the Nixon campaign. I have to give Pete a SLIGHT pat on the back for actually being touched by ANYTHING.
I'm not sure how I feel about Don and Betty. His reaction to her grief - take a pill and go to sleep. He wasn't really affected by what had happened. I don't know how I feel about her not thinking she loves him anymore because I'm not sure she loved him BEFORE.
And I'm not sure whether he's upset by her NOT loving him because he loves HER or because she's such an asset to him. He certainly doesn't want to be known as another Roger - divorced and rejected.
It was an amazing episode. I think this show appeals to people for different reasons and I KNOW that one of the reasons it appeals to me is that it brings back memories of the 60s. I hope they take a LONG time to get to the 70s.
I'll admit I'm not a huge Mad Men fan. But I keep watching it because every so often there's an episode that just blows me away. Last night was one of them.
There was one part that, to me, showed what amazing writing is on the show - When Don goes into the office after the assassination and he asks what she is going and she says she is working on the AquaNet ad. Then he picked up the drawing board and it was the ad where there were 2 couples riding in a convertible... It was perfect! Weeks ago that idea was brought up... I didn't even think about it at the time. But there it was on this episode and it went right along with the assassination. It was a perfect moment!
Everyone's performance was spectacular last night!
I'm surprised someone would think that Republicans would not have been shocked,saddened and horrified about JFK. He was not just the President of the democrats - regardless of political affiliation a tragedy of such immense proportion impacts most human beings -
I was 10 when JFK was shot and I too was a stone in front of the TV on the floor and watched as Oswald was murdered - not quite understanding it but finally realizing how important and horrible all this was mostly based on the emotion running wild in my home.
I remember coming back from recess (in the fifth grade) and we saw our teacher at her desk with her head in hands crying. She told us what happened and told us to all go home immediately. And, we did - straight home. Her tone was that serious and we didn't take it as a gift of an early release from school to go play. I even remember the dress I was wearing that day and I don't recall much of my childhood.
I'm surprised someone would think that Republicans would not have been shocked,saddened and horrified about JFK.
Don't be shocked. It wasn't MY opinion; I was basing it on the people at Sterling Cooper who are, in general, a fairly cynical and selfish group. You heard Pete say that there WERE comments and frankly, I was surprised we didn't hear them.