Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 8): Severance

The Mad Men gang is back and decked out in a lot of plaids.  Betty does not look like a happy camper....but what else is new?  Don looks a lot better in dark suits.  The tan slacks make him look like a swinging accountant.  

Why Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 7) Worked:  

• No scene worked completely in this episode. They were all marred at times by implausible or incomprehensible plotting, weak writing, and subpar acting.
• Peggy's date.  Perhaps the best-written plot thread of the episode.  It revealed how sad and lonely she has become as she achieves more professional success.  (Her date not sending back the dish he didn't order was sloppy, lazy writing.  There were others way to show that Peggy is assertive.)
• The meeting Joan and Peggy had with the McCann account executives.  Yes....it was marred by over-the-top writing, but it yielded the best line of the evening as Joan and Peggy conversed in the elevator.  Joan: "I want to burn this place down."
• Don lying on his couch during working hours.  Come on....we've all wanted to do that at work, but only Don pulls it off with such style.

Why Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Don and the waitress.  What the hell?  Maybe it pays off later in the half season but this was a real head scratcher.  And Don just walking out the back door and having sex with her in the alley without blinking an eye was also baffling.  Where are these plot turns coming from and for what purpose?  Maybe Don will come up with a new drink for a whiskey client: Sex in the alley.  
• Roger's mustache.  Distracting.  Felt like Sam Elliott was suddenly hired at the agency.  
• Joan's hairstyle.  Did they not have time to comb her hair before the cameras rolled?
• Joan's attitude.  When did she become such a boring and depressing character?
• The Ken Cosgrove storyline.  Yawn.  Haven't cared about him for six seasons and we're not going to start now.  The scene with his wife was poorly written and acted. 
• The Topaz vs L'eggs account issues.  Usually, agency business makes this show soar.  Not tonight.  It just wasn't that interesting.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 7): D+.  Completely disjointed episode.  Very few scenes really hooked the viewer.  The whole hour felt sluggish and drawn out.  Even Roger's scenes lack energy and wit.  Has "Mad Men" stayed on the stage one season too long?  Let's see what next week brings.