- The under-the-table hand-holding scene during the Clio Award ceremony. Wonderful shot of Joan holding Roger's hand and then Don Draper's hand. Kinda sexy. Expected someone to get fresh. But it shows that Joan is both literally and figuratively holding the company together.
- Lane's scene with Pete about his interview with Ken. It felt like a real corporate snapshot of how it really works at an agency. And all of Lane's scenes are pitch-perfect and Emmy-worthy. Restrained yet powerful acting.
Why Mad Men Episode #6 Didn't Work:
- Don Draper's loss of mojo. I know this is a necessary plot development, but he was a more compelling and believable character as a slick Mad Ave. huckster not the out of control, drunken cad (although I did like the sequence when he went to bed with one woman Friday night and woke up Sunday afternoon with someone else). And I'm not sure Hamm is pulling off his descent that well. Not as nuanced as I'd like.
- Flashback sequence. This was a hard call. It definitely fills in the back story but I really couldn't swallow Don Draper making the leap from fur coat salesman to ad copywriter.
- Peggy's scenes with Stan the art director. OK....I get it that women were treated poorly but now the message is getting drilled relentlessly into my head.
- Peggy's nude scene with Stan. Good idea that really needed to go through the word processor one more time. Lacked sexual tension or shock value or cleverness. Basically fell flat.
Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 4):
B. Some interesting plot developments but episode marred by some overthe-top acting and writing.
Howard--I like the idea of Joan holding the company together....she was incredible this week, wasn't she? Her scene with Roger when he gave her the fur was amazing! But I think Don's descent is pretty believable...forgetting to pick up the kids, waking up with the waitress. I really liked this episode.
ReplyDelete