Mad Men Season 6 (Episode 7): Man with a Plan

Why Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 6) Worked:

• The merging of CGC with SCDP.  The insecurities, the petty jealousy, the rough edges...it all seemed real.
• The opening scene where Don overhears the heated exchange between his lover Sylvia and Arnold, her obnoxious husband.  Don definitely has a dog in that fight.
• "Musical chairs" at the first executive meeting of the two companies.  Pete really blows it when he comes in late and discovers that there's no chair for him so he finds the lowest ranking person in the room and goes for her chair.  That scene spoke volumes about how it works in corporate America.
• Ted calling out Don for being 40 minutes late for a creative session.  Don's response was priceless.  He looked at Ted like he wasn't there, turned, and walked into his office.
• Roger firing Burt.  Burt's response:  "You're a prick!" Roger's retort to that: "Damn it Burt. You stole my good-bye."
• Don reading "The Last PIcture Show" on the plane.  Nice nod to author Larry McMurtry or the great movie of the same name.  
• The episode's last shot of Megan sobbing silently while watching the coverage of the murder of Bobby Kennedy while Don sits on the bed clearly upset, but obviously not about Kennedy.  Great song in the background:  "Reach Out in the Darkness."

Why Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 6) Didn't Work:

•  Don as a head case.  We like him better as the cool, cocky, assured executive.  He seems like he's going off the deep end and it's not making the show more interesting.
• Sylvia in the hotel room.  What was that about?  All the scenes in the room had strong domination themes but it just felt off-key.  Some of the scenes were ridiculous or embarrassing (like when Sylvia is obviously pleasuring herself at one point).  We're glad Sylvia pulled the plug on the relationship. The show couldn't take too much more of that storyline.
• Pete's anxieties.  It worked once or twice but he's becoming way too shrill.  He needs to get his mojo back.
• Joan's ovarian cyst.  Not sure why this was a subplot unless she's going to develop some fatal disease later this season.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 6):  B-.  There were many interesting things in tonight's episodes and the story moved along nicely.  However, the hotel room scenes and Don's overall weirdness brought it down a notch.