Mad Men
Out of context: Reply #236
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- lukus_W0
"Maybe that sick feeling might go away, if you take your head out of the sand about the past."
Well - I don't think this episode was that mediocre; I think it was an episode of gentle resolutions. Don finally faced up to his past - and, his current self.
I remember a few episodes back, the end scene involved Don staring dumbstruck at Megan, while a Beatles track began and rolled into the credits. Perhaps that was the moment love struck?
He faced up to his immediate feelings - which is admirable, but I think Faye's amazing - it's a shame she ended up being led along a dead end .. at the end of the day maybe she's more of an adult - while Don's more of a child. She's resolved - he's resolving. I hope she stays for season 5 and good things happen for her.
Peggy and Joan have finally buried the Hatchet. I thought the fact these two weren't getting along, was a telling metaphor for sexual inequality in 50s/60s office environment .. not only were women placed 2nd to men - they were also set again each other as competitors. It's nice to see alliances being formed.
Joan _is_ pregnant after all .. and she doesn't have her husband to thank. I'm imagining that while she'll be able to cope with the secret - the realisation will be much harder for Roger to come to terms with.
Betty is once again becoming more deliriously bonkers as time goes on. It'll be interesting to see where she ends up in series 5 - I've a feeling she's heading for an (almost) inevitable (final) breakdown.
I guess when Don and Betty were together they were both similarly repressed individuals - Don's eventual opening up, has led his to happiness, while Betty's repression is still very much in full-force.
Maybe the next series will involve a similar coming of age for Betty? Although from the point of view of interesting writing, 'descent' might be a more interesting angle to document.
Sally and Glen; well - I think this storyline's pretty interesting, because it's the most difficult to immediately comprehend. We've seen them strike up an friendship for a while now. His stilted, droll, unemotional way of interacting with the world seems quite odd, and - as other's posted above - 'creepy'. Personality disorders come to mind, and maybe he's being set as sociopath and or narcissist - a diagnosis that Don could easily be labelled with (especially in relation to some of his earlier exploits). But then again, he doesn't present any immediate danger to Sally .. and we've seen from previous episodes that Sally has been equipped to question and disagree with anything that Glen comes up with that doesn't seem right to her (thanks to her child psychologist sessions).
I suppose, when you have someone (Betty) suffering psychologically - and you need to write about it for screen .. as a writer, you have a problem. You can't be overt - there's no joy in spelling things out for an audience - so you have to be more subtle. Glen's interaction in the storyline is so stark. He appears unannounced .. almost like a spectre. It's almost as if he 'haunts' Betty. I think it's pretty clever writing.
I still remember Betty giving Glen a lock of her hair - and the strange relationship that Betty and Glen formed in a previous series. There's definitely a strange psychological dynamic at work. Betty's relationship with Sally fits a classic description of a parent suffering from a personality disorder. She's unable to relate to Sally as an individual - and chastises her based on her own assumptions and perceived needs. Perhaps she sees a bit of Don in Glen?; in any case, his presence obviously troubles her - and he's probably a reminder of her own emotional indiscretions.
I thought Ken showed his true colours again as a thoroughly straightforward and decent chap. The look on Campbell's face when Ken chose not to exploit his family ties was a classic; I guess being spineless wasn't the only option for Pete Campbell after all. Ken's always been billed as the Yang to Campbell's Yin .. it's a nice contrast.
No big finale - more of a pause. Looking forward to the next series .. hope it isn't too long before we get to see it.