What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 4, Episode 6 “Waldorf Stories” (A-)

I’d like to start off by citing the irony of airing an episode where Don wins an award during the very Emmy ceremony where “Mad Men” took home two awards yet actor Jon Hamm failed to win for his portrayal of Don for the third year in a row. It’s a shame that the only time Hamm actually won an award was at the Golden Globes during the writers’ strike where he couldn’t even go up and accept his trophy (for the record, Bryan Cranston, who has defeated him every time at the Emmys for “Breaking Bad,” deserves it just as much as Hamm does this year, and he won’t be eligible next year, potentially paving for the way for a first win by Hamm). Hopefully, Hamm will take it better than Don, since his win for the commercial brings out a truly ugly side of the ad man that results in his feverish attempts to wow clients by presenting slogan after slogan on the spot at their meeting. His cockiness is especially glaring in contrast to his secret, under-the-table clasping of Joan’s hand as the category was being announced. Don is such a loose cannon in this installment, blacking out for two days and even potentially revealing his past as Dick to his one-night stand. He was also infinitely more energetic than usual in this hour, first because he doesn’t know how great he is yet in the mesmerizing flashbacks with Roger and then because he’s so drunk and high on his win. It’s a relief that Peggy is one hundred percent on her game and able to pick up the slack by telling him he needs to shape up and correct his error. Her fierce command of her weekend hotel room session is absolutely incredible, and here’s another non-Emmy winner from Sunday night that truly deserves some accolades. Pete sure likes to exact his revenge on Ken after learning that Lane does in fact like him as a person (enabling him to channel all his hatred at Ken), and it’s a fearsome and highly unfriendly scene. This show really has some astonishing characters, and ending the episode on Roger demanding to be recognized for having helped Don get to where he is was enormously powerful.