– “A Night to Remember” Episode (9-14-08)In my December 2007 annual Christmas letter, in which I share recommendations of books, film, music, and TV. with my family and friends, I said of Mad Men:
"Mad Men has a great opening credit sequence, and the show itself nails the early 60’s – costumes, décor, and lifestyles. It also boasts excellent scripts. I highly recommend it."
So it is with dismay that I voice my disappointment in this season’s episodes. Until last night, I’ve been debating deserting the show when Brothers and Sisters resumes, or watching Entourage when it airs, instead of “On Demand.” The character development has been minimal (most lead characters resemble walking robots), and the feeling of the show itself has been cold and depressing. Some distance is of course part of the show’s appeal – the early 60’s were truly another world, and the show captures the era before we began to “let it all hang out” – but last season I was intrigued by the characters. Yes, Betty Draper has, out of self-preservation, cocooned herself, but I’m ceasing to care. Yes, the world of business is cut-throat, but are we to believe cynicism is never leavened with heart?
Aside from announcing her engagement this season, Office Manager Joan (Christina Hendricks) has barely been seen. Christina Hendricks, a name I hope will become well-known, is my personal favorite, adding energy and pizzazz to any scene she’s in. Betty and Don Draper (January Jones and Jon Hamm) have been near-robotic, especially in the interactions with their kids (if those kids don’t turn out to be psychotic, it’ll be a miracle). Last season, although Don was a liar and a scoundrel, we could see the turmoil caused by his hidden background visible in his face, and have some degree of empathy for him. He had a bit of conscience. This season he’s just a prick.
Last night’s episode, “A Night to Remember”, brings the season back on track. It was all about the women, from the opening scene where Betty Draper, sweaty and exhausted, dismounts her horse. She arrives home still in her riding clothes, enters the bedroom where Don is still sleeping, and, seeing him rouse, asks him to fix a fuse in preparation for their upcoming dinner party. It’s obvious his blasé attitude only adds to her frustrations and buried anger. She later vents these feelings on a wobbly dining-room chair, picking it up and repeatedly smashing it to the floor, in full view of her kids. Then, after the dinner party, for which she has gone to great lengths in the presentation and preparation, she tells Don, “You embarrassed me.” Again Don blows her off, but she holds her ground. At the end of the episode, she calls him at the office and tells him not to come home.
Joan, my favorite, has some juicy scenes as well. She is given the responsibility of reading scripts and coordinating ad placement so no conflicts arise (the example is given of the unfortunate placement of an ad focusing on a washing machine’s “agitator” immediately after a scene featuring a Communist agitator). Joan takes the work home so that Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) can “get home on time,” and tries to convey her enthusiasm for the work to her fiancé, who, like Don, blows it off condescendingly and asks her to get him something from the kitchen. Toward the end of the episode, this new task, which Joan clearly enjoys and for which she has a real knack (and for which she has been praised by some clients), is taken away from her, with the explanation that it was just a temporary duty. She is then asked to explain the task to a new man who clearly doesn’t “get” it.
Peggy (Elizabeth Moss) has fared somewhat better this season, with several extensive and complex scenes. (The episode “The New Girl” highlighted her growing self-confidence, and, incidentally, was written by Robin Veith, who co-wrote last night’s excellent episode.) Father Gill (Colin Hanks) asks Peggy to design a poster for a church dance themed “A Night to Remember.” Despite her heavy workload, Peggy feels obligated to help, whether from guilt or because in some way she is flattered by Father Gill’s confidence in her. She asserts herself at a meeting with church woman, and afterwards, chastises Father Gill for not speaking up for her. “You asked me to do this,” she says. She, like Betty and Joan, feels publicly diminished and embarrassed. When Father Gill comes to Peggy’s office to pick up the posters, he questions her regarding her failure to take communion during church services. He persists with his interrogation, but Peggy stolidly refuses to answer, silently gathering the posters together, placing them in a box, and bidding the Father goodbye.
The situations of these female characters have some commonalities: Don Draper assumes Betty has time to fix the fuse herself; Harry Crane assumes that Joan has time to review a foot-high stack of scripts in addition to her other work; Father Gill assumes Peggy has no private life and thus has time to perform work for the church. None of the men recognize the women as full persons – the women are treated like lackeys whose time is much less valuable than the men’s. As mentioned earlier, all three women have been embarrassed by men in front of others: Betty at the dinner party, Joan in front of her replacement, and Peggy in front of the church women. This lack of respect is typical of the times (and I’m sure is not absent from many homes and workplaces today). Perhaps this episode is a foretaste of the women’s movement becoming a force in the lives of these female characters.
This episode restored my devotion to Mad Men. It's gratifying that the show was rewarded with the Best Drama award at this year's Emmy's.
No comments:
Post a Comment