Gone fishing'

The Men Men Review is fishing in Florida. We'll resume the blog Wednesday night.

Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 5): Christmas Waltz

Why Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 5) Worked

• .Lane's dilemma.  And here I thought Pete ranked as the sleaziest person in the office.  Looks like Lane needs $8,000 and he'll have to forge a company check to get the dough.  But will he get away with it?  This dilemma created enormous tension in episode 10.  The partners' meeting was particularly well written.  It looked liked Lane might get his cash after all, but the firm picked a more prudent course.  The brilliance of the writing is that the audience is rooting for Lane not to get caught even though what he's doing is highly immoral.
• Harry's Hare Krishna flirtation.  There were so many nice touches in this subplot as Harry tried helping a former copywriter-turned-Hare-Krishna-devotee.  Harry's checked overcoat caught the look of the times perfectly.  His attraction to the former druggie/prostitute Lockshmir rang true.  The best (and very sly) part of this storyline was Harry's Hare Krishna friend giving him a spec scriptfor an NBC drama by the name of .....Star Trek!  
• Don's supposed laziness and lack of fire.....and his surprising turnaround.  We saw him in the beginning of the episode resting on the couch in the middle of the day.  And Pete calls him out for always leaving at 5:30.  But in the last scene at a company-wide meeting, Don gives an inspirational speech telling the employees that they'll have to work every weekend through Christmas.  "Prepare to swim the English Channel and swim in champagne in Paris," he implores them.  Let's hope for the sake of the firm -- and the show -- that the old Don is back.
• Don and Joan hitting a bar in the middle of the day.  Lots of sexual tension in the air.  That'll pull viewers back next week to see what happens.

Why Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 5) Didn't Work:

• Joan's tantrum at receptionist.  A bit out of character for her to lose it like that at work.  But the scriptwriters needed an excuse for her to leave the office with Don.
• Lockshmir hitting Harry after having sex with him.  Her anger was not clearly explained.

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 5):  

• A.  Outstanding episode filled with action-filled subplots.  Tension abounded in most of the scenes.  Don finally got his cajones back.   For the most part, Megan took a back seat and that gave more time for the excellent office scenes.  There's definitely a need to tune in next week to see what happens with all these important plot developments.  

Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 5): Dark Shadows

Why Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 5) Worked:

•  Roger.  He was the best thing about episode 9.  He's still grooving on a  cool LSD vibe.  (Did you notice the day-glo orange scarf, the day-glo orange sofa cushion and the trippy psychedelic painting in his office?)  He also had some great lines like this one about the Jewish owner of Manischewitz Wine and his wife:  "How Jewish are they?  'Fiddler on the Roof''...audience or cast?"  And, "They make wine for Jews and now they want to make wine for normal people."  
• Betty telling Sally that Don was married before. That 30-second conversation will result in $30,000 worth of therapy for Sally.
• Megan and Don's fight over calling Betty.  
• Don's elevator ride with Michael Ginsberg.   Don really gave him the shaft.

Why Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 5) Didn't Work:

•  Betty.  The show turns into thick porridge was she's on the screen.  Her eating disorder just doesn't seem that interesting (although power spritzing the Cool Whip directly into her mouth gave the show a much needed shot of adrenalin).  The scene with her and Henry eating steak at midnight was strictly low protein.  
• The creation of the copy for the Sno Ball account.  Not very interesting.
• Michael Ginsberg. He remains cartoonish and completely over the top.  The character sucks up way too much oxygen in every scene. 

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 5):  

• C.  Nothing really happened in this episode.  No real intrigue in the office.  Nothing that reflected with tumultuous times of the mid-60s or the tremendous explosion of creativity and social unrest that marked the era.  And Don appears neutered.  He's lost his mojo.  And so did this episode. 

Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 5): Lady Lazarus

Why Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 5) Worked:

• Pete's fling with the desperate suburban housewife Beth and his subsequent infatuation.  He's certainly one of the uglier characters on the show, but he's now becoming the most interesting.  The set up with his one night affair with Beth was tension-provoking and intriguing.  Their pillow talk afterwards was realistic.  "This must never happen again," Beth says.  (Yeah...right!)  It's a strange season on Mad Men when Pete's getting more action than Don or Roger.  Wonder if Beth will be a re-occurring character.  The hope here is that she will be.
• Megan's career dilemma.  The twist in this episode was that Megan really wanted to resume her acting career despite her success and talent as a copywriter.  The developments unfolded quickly and dramatically.  You felt the weight of her decision especially considering the position of Don.  The conversation she had with him in the middle of the night felt real and heartfelt.  Don seemed confused and even hurt.  Her decision may harm the marriage.  After all, their work seems all they have in common.  Joan's reaction to Megan's decision was completely pragmatic.  "She'll just be a failed actress with a rich husband," she predicts.  Ouch.  (But she's probably right.)
• Don and Peggy argue in the test kitchen about the Cool Whip pitch. Finally, Don emotes this season but he lets Peggy swear at him.  Dude....time to slip into your big boy pants. 
• Roger and Don's heart to heart after Roger learns that Megan has quit.  The old lions lick their wounds. 
• The wordless sequence at the end of the episode set to the psychedelic music of the Beatles "Within You, Without You."  Brilliant song choice and great video editing.  Plus the shot of Peggy working at her desk smoking a joint was sly and pitch perfect for the times.  (CORRECTION:  The Beatles song was actually "Tomorrow Never Knows."  The New York Times published an excellent account May 7 on how the producers secured the rights for the song.)

Why Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 5) Didn't Work:

• Don's passivity.  Except for the fight in the test kitchen, Don continues to be emotionally neutered for most of this season.  
• The Jewish copywriter Ben Feldman.  This new character is cartoonish and annoying.
• The open elevator shaft at the agency.  Was this an inside reference to the real tragedy of the advertising executive killed in an elevator shaft last December in New York?  If so, to what purpose?  It was confusing and felt somewhat in bad taste (or am I missing something?). 

 
Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 5): 

• B+.  Another very strong episode. Pete's fling and Megan's decision to quit elevated the night. 

Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 5): At the Codfish Ball

Why Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 5) Worked:

• Dialogue was exceptional tonight.  So many characters reeled off great lines.  The episode ended with a phone call between Sally and her weird male friend, a short while after secretly witnessing her step-grandmother performing fellatio on Roger Sterling.  Sallly told him she was in Manhattan.  "How's the city?" he asks.  "Dirty," she replies.  Cut to black.  Brilliant. 
• The small period piece touches such as Ken getting the Heinz client tickets to the new Edward Albee play and Don in bed reading a James Bond novel.  Marie (Megan's mom) falling asleep in her bed with a lit cigarette was priceless, especially after Megan casually took the cigarette from her hand as ifthis type of behavior was normal (and it probably was to some extent in the mid-60's). 
• Roger's conversation with his first ex-wife as he reveals some of the details of his trip.  
• Megan saving the Heinz account.
• The bonding between Peggy and Joan.  It's like witnessing first-hand the rise of the feminist movement.  Peggy reveals that she wasn't engaged at dinner but that Abe merely suggested they live together.  Joan tells Peggy they are "shacking up" (haven't heard that term for ages).
• Megan's dad's line when he sees Sally dressed up for Don's award dinner at night.  "Little girls begin to grow up and spread their legs and fly away...."  "Spread their wings Daddy," Megan corrects.
• The awards dinner.  So much was happening.  Pete's explanation to Megan's Communist dad of what he did for a living was brilliant.  Roger's flirtation with Megan's mom created tension and paid off with their hook-up in a seemingly empty room adjacent to the banquet hall.  And kudos to the beautifully framed last shot of the awards dinner with Don, Megan, Sally and Megan's parents all sitting unhappily at the table.
• Peggy's mom delivered a powerful monologue when she learned that Peggy and Abe were "living in sin."  It captured all the moralizing blather of the political right from the 60s delivered with a harsh Queens accent.  You had to feel for Peggy (because nothing good will come of her relationship with Abe). 
• Peggy's horrible checked coat.  If the producers dressed her in it to make us feel sorry for her, it worked. 
  

Why Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 5) Didn't Work:

• Don getting turned on by Megan in the cab ride from dinner with the Heinz client after she saved the account.  It was over the top.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 5):  

• A-.  Crackling dialogue and some superb scenes (the awards dinner, Peggy's dinner with her mom, the Heinz account dinner), elevated this episode.  And Roger Sterling finally got his mojo back!

Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 5): Far Away Places

Why Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 5) Worked:

• Don and Megan's trip to hell (to HoJo's near Plattsburg, NY).  Great details like the interior of the HoJo restaurant, the goofy hotel manager, the fried food for lunch  And the fight that erupted between the two of them was a long time coming with Megan expressing anger at the way Don pulls her away from her work (which also hurts the show).  The season finally sprang to life.
• Roger's LSD trip.  This scene could have gone either way but it captured the spirit of the times.  The note he received when he began his trip with his name, address and the words "Please Help Me" was priceless.  The trip opened his mind to the fact that his marriage is dead.  Maybe he should trip next week to get his head back in the game at work.
• Peggy hopping the rails.  Lots of interesting things going on with our favorite copywriter.  She insults clients, leaves work early to catch a midday movie, smokes a joint in the theater, and gives a strange man in the next seat a handjob.  Then she goes back to the office, bangs out some copy while drinking some Canadian Club and falls asleep on the office couch.  Is she having a nervous breakdown?  Not sure, but the show got damn interesting.
• Bert Cooper.  He snaps at Don, "You've been on love leave!"  Don tells him to mind his business.  Bert:  "This is my business!"  Pow!  Take that Don.

Why Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 5) Didn't Work:

•  Maybe Peggy overreacted a bit too much during the Heinz presentation.
• Roger's LSD trip may have been a bit too long. 

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 5):  

• A-.  Finally, we had some action tonight.  Don and Megan's scenes were their best ever together, and it felt like we were spying on a real marital spat.  We still need to see the cool, calculated Don Draper for the show to really soar, but there are hints that we'll see him soon.  Most of the great Mad Men episodes take place in the office, so this episode was rare in that most of the compelling action took place away from the office. 

Mad Men Episode 5 (Season 5): Signal 30

Why Mad Men Episode #5 (Season 5) Worked: 

•  The pub scene in the beginning with Lane and his wife.  It was a small window into his complicated life.
• The first partners' meeting where Lane practically boasts about his discussions with Jaguar.
• Roger's advice to Lane on how to be a great account executive during a business lunch.  "Be nice to the waiter....and don't let him near the check."
• Don's checked sport jacket that he wore to Pete and Trudy's Saturday night dinner party.
• Don and Pete's awkward ride in the taxicab after the evening in a whorehouse (where Don did not participate).  "Why do I feel like I'm riding with a nun?" asks Pete in the line of the evening.
• Lane kissing Joan.  Her response was priceless (after she opened the door to his office):  "Every man in the office has wanted to do that." A beat.  "Hit Pete Campbell." 

Why Mad Men Episode #5 (Season 5) Didn't Work:

•  The fist fight between Lane and Pete.  Very implausible on so many levels.  Lane should have just slapped Pete or thrown water in his face.  The show teetered on the edge of slapstick here.  I almost winced watching it.  .  
• The scene in the brothel.  Somehow, it wasn't staged right.  The only part that hit the right note was when Pete went into the room with one of the women and the camera held on his cold face.
• The driving school scenes with Pete.  Not sure where they were heading.  So many scenes this season go nowhere and this certainly was one of them.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode #5 (Season 5):

• C-.   Another subpar episode.  Don has becoming boring!  When Don is reduced to fixing faulty kitchen sinks, you know the show has sprung a leak.  Roger appears weak and helpless.  The show's two big guns are shooting blanks.  And the big tension is that Kenny's after-hours fiction writing escapades have been discovered.  It will be interesting to see how the conflict between Pete and Lane is resolved.