What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 4, Episode 5 “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” (B+)

It seems that last year’s brilliant finale episode “Shut the Door, Have a Seat” has inspired more caper-esque, entertaining plots on the part of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Don’s latest scheme to trick the competition, led by Kevin Rahm, who plays Lee on “Desperate Housewives,” was truly dastardly and fantastic. I enjoyed seeing Peggy lead the bike in and Joey standing guard outside to ensure that no one would go in to peek at the commercial. Roger’s insistence on not working with the customers he detested because of past wars was particularly interesting, and watching Cooper, Pete, and Don all get mad at him in their different ways was fascinating. Lane really does seem to be taking a backseat in everything, and that’s very intriguing. The intense focus on Sally is proving to be an excellent center point for the show, giving Betty and Don a reason to be mad at each other, and referring back to Betty’s own therapy sessions back in the show’s first (?) season. It’s very insightful to hear Betty describe what she perceives to be Sally’s problems and what she thinks has caused them. Don’s embarrassment when his secretary loudly announces that his daughter is in therapy is hardly surprising, and it’s only quite interesting to see the effects of Sally cutting her hair. Phoebe told her that she’s in more trouble than Sally is, while Don yelled at Phoebe, decrying the fact that he would now have to deal with Betty’s anger. This show does a remarkable job of taking small topics not inherently related to one another and connecting them in an utterly compelling way.