Mad Men Episode# 4 (Season 4): The Rejected

Why Mad Men Episode # 4 Worked:

• The bar scene with Pete and his father-in-law where he went to boot his account from the agency. Good twist with his in-law blurting out that Pete's wife was pregnant. Can't believe Pete lacked the guts then to tell his in-law that his company couldn't handle the account any more...but it was believable. And nice set design.
• Peggy trying on Faye's wedding room while watching Faye's focus group. The scene said everything you wanted to know about Peggy. Good touch with Don noticing Peggy staring at the ring. Double good touch with Peggy noticing Don looking at her.
• Faye's focus group when Allison breaks down....and Don looks like he ate a shard of glass. His sin keeps coming back to haunt him.
• Peggy's scene with Allison where Allison implies that Peggy became a copywriter because she slept with Don. (Or at least that's how I interpreted it.)
  
• Allison's resignation (bummer!). Best scenes of Mad Men Season 4 have been with Allison and Don.
• Pete's play to get more business from his father-in-law. It's fun to watch him grow his shark fins.
• Shortest scene of the night. Don typing his "I'm sorry" note to Allison. He strikes a rare chord of compassion.
• Don's new secretary. Good comic relief (maybe a touch over the top but message received).
• Peggy getting high at party with pot smoking lesbian.
• Peggy not signing the card congratulating Pete on his wife's pregnancy and the subsequent congratulatory scene in his office and the subsequent scene of her banging her head on the desk (I'm not sure why she did this but it worked) and the subsequent scene of her lying down on her couch and the subsequent scene of her going out to lunch with her downtown friends and exchanging a meaningful glance with Pete.

Why Mad Men Episode 4 Didn't Work

• The scene in the office when Don and Roger were on the phone with Lucky Strike. Pacing and staging were off. A rare mediocre scene in the office.
• The steakhouse lunch scene with Pete and Ken. Who cares about what Pete said about Ken? Yawn.
• Last scene in Don's apartment hallway. The old man yells to the old lady, "Did you get the pears?" Not sure what it meant but it felt pretentious.
  

Overall Mad Men Episode 4 Grade

• B. Nice solid effort. The pacing is always faster and more upbeat without Betty. The focus group scene bogged down the show. Let's hope Allison returns.