Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 1 “Time Zones” (B-)
It’s hard to find a show that feels just like this one does, and it seems like it comes around ever so rarely. The last two seasons started with a bang with an emphatic two-hour premiere that set up a truly intriguing season, and the first of what will be two slates of seven episodes of the final season doesn’t quite do that. What it does set up is a different kind of show, one that slows down its filming speed to showcase Megan and her long legs walking towards Don in California and adds excessive music in to highlight other scenes. It doesn’t feel as natural anymore, and its artfulness has taken over to an overbearing degree. There’s certainly something intriguing about this bicoastal Don who comes to California far from jealous to see his wife’s acting successes and shower her with expensive gifts (not that she doesn’t own enough already) and can’t stop working from home back in New York as he feeds his old firm his ideas through Freddy. It’s both interesting and miserable to see how far Peggy and Joan have come only to have such obstacles still thrown in their way. Lou reminds a lot of a duller version of Mr. Rogers, hardly worthy of being Don’s successor. Roger is completely out of it, living a lifestyle seemingly inspired by his LSD trip a few seasons ago, while Pete has fully embraced the hipster L.A. lifestyle. I was of the opinion that this show didn’t need much changing, and I hope that this final two-part stretch returns to the creativity of past seasons without feeling so glaringly different.
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