What I’m Watching: Mad Men (Series Finale)

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 14 “Person to Person”

It’s hard to capture an entire series in just one final episode. Many shows have a tendency to focus on where main characters are at the moment and give them added significance that doesn’t reflect their greater story arcs, and others pay true tribute to their long-running universes and wrap up threads in a more fitting manner. Though this episode featured almost no cameos of people who used to appear on the show, romantic partners aside, it mainly managed to avoid that trope. The one exception is the out-of-place love story, complete with a run-up to a kiss, between Stan and Peggy, two characters that didn’t need to be romantically linked, precisely because Peggy has always defied the notion of needing to rely on a man rather than her professionalism. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a happy ending that may or may not be related to her work, and I suppose it’s a decent if surprising conclusion for her. It was sad to see Joan’s relationship with Richard disintegrate in an instant as soon as she expressed her desire to go back to work, and good for her for fighting for what she wanted to do and not even considering giving it up to be with him. Seeing her do what she always wanted is wonderful, even if she couldn’t have it all with the perfect partner too. It’s also sweet to see Pete, a less featured player by this point, board the plane of his dreams surrounded by his family to embark on the next chapter of his life. Roger showed the most growth, finally ending up with a woman who would never go tired of him or his age, and even having the humor to go through the trouble of learning French just to call Marie his mother as a joke to a waiter. Betty succumbed to her lung cancer and Sally showed up to take over motherly duties, growing up quickly and helping her brother make dinner. And then there’s Don, the only one to end up in a truly different place, far away from civilization and perfectly free to disconnect from its burdens. I’m not sure that’s a fitting ultimate destination for him, but there’s no denying the effect of transitioning from the beachside hippie gathering to that haunting Coca-Cola commercial, bringing everything full circle for the eternal ad man. Even more tellingly, that same ad spot was just featured in this week’s episode of “Happyish,” a modern-day show about advertising that used exactly that as an example of where advertising is and should be today. This show has been a long, eventful experience, and I look forward to writing some sort of retrospective about one of the most unforgettable and transformative shows I’ve ever seen.

Series finale: B+
Series grade: A-
Season MVP: Jon Hamm
Season grade: B+
Series MVP: Jon Hamm
Best Season: 3 and 5
Best Episode: TBD

What I’m Watching: Mad Men (Penultimate Episode)

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 13 “The Milk and Honey Route” (B+)

How interesting it is that this show’s second-to-last episode spends so little time within the walls of an advertising agency. Most of its members made their exodus from their new employer last week, and now the one person who truly stuck around has decided that he’s headed out the door. Duck’s visits have never brought good news, but though his intentions may have bene deceptive, ultimately they’re really in Pete’s best interest. Taking a job in Wichita is a big move, and reuniting with his family is an even more triumphant one, extremely unlikely given everything that transpired between him and Trudy but wonderful nonetheless. Not everyone gets such a happy ending, of course, as seen most clearly in the tragic, surprisingly endearing case of Betty. Deemed too insignificant in her time to even be told the news of her own condition, Betty and not her ex-husband nor his many colleagues becomes the first one to succumb to lung cancer. While Henry wants to save her, Sally sees her desire not to have treatment as a selfish act. For once, Betty reacted in a mature way, content to go out on her own terms and smile at the thought of being reported to the doctor as Mrs. Robinson. It’s an unexpectedly sweet, sad way to send out one of this show’s most memorable and often despicable characters. Don wandered off to midcountry tranquility only to be beaten up and accused of theft after a night of military reminiscing, including what amounted to a full confession of his murder of the real Don Draper. Returning the money and even giving the true thief his car show his true soul and that he isn’t so concerned with what happens to him, but what does that mean for us the viewers and this show’s legacy? Can just one more seventy-five minute episode really do this show and its many characters justice? Let’s hope so.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 12 “Lost Horizon” (B+)

The absorption of the ad agency into the bigger umbrella of McCann Erickson was a shocking enough development when it was announced last week, and now the actuality of its occurrence represented at first something wonderful and then something truly disheartening. The biggest thing it represents is a step back for women, a recognition of the fact that Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce was way ahead of its time in the roles it permitted Joan and Peggy, even if they had their issues executing and maintain authority with their male colleagues and subordinates. Joan seemed doomed to a life of being told that she was unequal to her male counterparts, and then she threatened a lawsuit and looked ready to take the parent company on in a big way. And then it all dissipated, since taking a decent sum of money was more worthwhile than going to the effort of trying to change those who couldn’t possibly be swayed. Peggy getting confused for a secretary prompted her to stage her own act of protest, complete with musical accompaniment by an eternally carefree Roger, resulting in a defiant entrance that probably won’t led to a place nearly as satisfying. I want to point out a casting note I recognized in this episode, that Ferg is played by Paul Johansson, who was extremely awful as the evil Dan on “One Tree Hill” almost a decade ago and has now returned for a much stronger and more respectable role. Don driving to Wisconsin to track down Diana was a strange diversion but not an entirely unexpected one, and it’s clear that the hyped-up Don Draper won’t fit in well when he’s forced to be just one of the masses at a creative meeting. I didn’t need to see Bert Cooper again, but his showing up was a firm reminder of what this former firm has left behind.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 11 “Time and Life” (B+)

This is damn good television, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll admit I’m at a loss about who owns Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce these days and how it all led to what happened in this episode. It feels like so long ago that Bert Cooper sat Harry down and told him that he could come with them to their new firm or they could lock him in a closet all weekend, and I’m not entirely sure what’s happened since then. It’s strange to think of this group as independent since they’ve seemed like a true era-defining corporation, and now the five New York partners are going to go from being top dogs to average workers in a position that might be desirable to anyone else without their prior experience. Don pitching a Los Angeles office and getting shut down immediately was disheartening, especially since he can usually smooth-talk his way out of anything, and the reaction of the entire office when they broke the news was messy. As this all played out, we’re continuing to get useful snippets of different characters’ home lives, with Pete heading out to punch someone who didn’t admit his daughter to school and Peggy worrying that kids don’t like her. It’s nice to know that Joan’s new beau was ready to get on a plane at a moment’s notice when he found out that she needed him, and it’s a relief that at least one of these mad men (and women) has a decent shot at a happy ending.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 10 “The Forecast” (A-)

I really like how this show is handling its final season, taking dedicated time to wrap up a few important threads and explain just where some of its characters have ended up after all these years. The notion of Don seeing his empty apartment as a creative opportunity for the realtor and prospective buyers to imagine what they would do with the space speaks to where Don is at the moment, as he said to Ted, with less to do and more to think about. Coming home to a pending sale after effortlessly mediating a squabble between Pete and Peggy and then helping to get Mathis fired because he didn’t want to spell out his advice drove home the fact that he’s really not sure where he’s headed anymore. Sally has such great attitude, and she managed to skewer both her parents and make them feel like terrible people before leaving for her teen tour. Glenn’s reappearance was an awkward but welcome one, especially since Betty didn’t even recognize him. It was great to see Betty enjoy her west coast visit despite a steely welcome from Lou, and Bruce Greenwood’s Richard was quite the charmer. It seemed like divorce was the only obstacle in their whirlwind romance, and then he blew it all by saying that he didn’t want kids at this point in his life. But then he followed it up by showing up with flowers to apologize and take it back, a wonderful gesture that feels like an overdue and very deserved sentiment for Joan. I love that, so many years after alienating his secretary by telling her to write her own recommendation that he’d sign, Don actually bothered to try to help Peggy by reviewing her performance, but his outlook on life managed to make her angrier than not being reviewed at all.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 9 “New Business” (B+)

This show is doing a mesmerizing job of tying up some of its loose ends and checking with in its more minor characters. We saw Betty, Henry, and Don’s younger kids only as they reaped the benefits of a wondrous homemade milkshake experience begun by Don before he had to leave. His budding but short-lived romance with Diana was well-timed with Megan’s return, which proved rather devastating and miserable for all involved. Don took a strong liking to Diana, and that alluring private relationship timed itself out pretty quickly as Diana realized that Don had hypnotized her into forgetting everything else about her life. Megan was cold and angry during her meeting with Don, in which he casually wrote her a check for one million dollars. Little did he know that Marie had decided to cart off all of his furniture as payment for his poor treatment of Megan, which incurred a surcharge that she naturally assigned over to Roger, who all too willingly showed up to do his part. It’s not as if there was even any juiciness when Megan walked in on her mother and Roger, rather just an anger and a sadness expressed with the utmost disapproval. Stan and Peggy being charmed by the same woman, played by the incomparable Mimi Rogers, was an entertaining subplot that gave us a much deeper view of Stan than we tend to get. The episode’s most amusing moment was definitely Pete’s horrified reaction to the news that Don would have to rent golf attire.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men (Season Premiere)

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 8 “Severance” (B+)

While this is technically billed as the eighth episode of the final season of this show, make no mistake about it: it’s the beginning of the end, the first of the show’s final seven episodes that will always be considered something separate from the first half of the seventh season. It’s hard to remember where we were a year ago when this show last aired, but a few new mustaches and chauvinistic comments help place us exactly where we need to be. Casting a known actress in a seemingly insignificant part is always a sign that there will be more than meets the eye, and Elizabeth Reaser’s waitress is definitely important for Don. Seeing Rachel in his office seemed like a hallucination but wasn’t the appropriate preparation for the news that she died, robbing Don of the opportunity to reconnect with one of the more driven women in his long list of conquests. His visit to the shiva home was met with hostility by her sister but served as a poignant and haunting scene. With no Betty or Megan in his life, it’s hard to keep track of Don and to think that there’s any way that he won’t end up alone. It’s so interesting to see Joan and Peggy still clashing over how they have made their way to the top in a man’s world, and Peggy seems to be dreaming big after her date. Ken has always been a maligned and underused character, and it appears that a thoughtless dismissal of his talents will make him the ultimate thorn in the side of two men who once hated each other, Roger and Pete. The remaining six episodes are sure to be captivating and eventful.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men (Season Finale)

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 7 “Waterloo” (B+)

I noted it a day before I watched the episode, yet while I was actually in the middle of it, I forgot completely that this was the season finale. I know that technically it’s the mid-season finale, but when a show won’t air for almost a year, that should be considered the full-on break between different sets of stories, whether or not the arcs are the same. After an iffy premiere, this season was on a good path, showcasing the many difficulties of Don adapting to his new life and his new role at work. This finale brought things to a head with his receipt of a breach of contract letter supposedly from all the partners, and it was a sign of his renewed confidence that he marched right into Cutler’s office and then held a vote out in the middle of the office to ensure his continued tenure. The rather quiet demise of Cooper was a surprise, and served more as an impetus to once again reconfigure the office structure – now the third time this has happened – than anything else. Roger’s efforts to get Cutler out didn’t work so well, but he was more amenable to his plan than expected. Don didn’t have to work hard to convince Ted that he should stick around and that he could really get back to what he wants to be doing. What I would really love to see more of in the final season is an emphasis on these characters and who they are, giving them a chance to grow and develop as the years progress but remain extraordinarily interesting. Watching Peggy give her first big sales pitch, Don Draper-style, was terrific. What I’m not talking about is the closing musical number that served as Cooper’s big farewell. I want more of what made this show great in the first place – lasting, powerful moments that get to the heart of who these ad men actually are.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Jon Hamm as Don

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 6 “The Strategy” (B+)

It couldn’t go on forever like this, with Don perpetually throwing a tantrum because he now has to report to other people and Lou and Peggy trying to put him in his place over and over again. Fortunately, seeing how much Pete suggesting that Don do the pitch instead of Peggy upset her, Don took the high road for once and opted to come in after hours to work with Peggy to get her to understand his process and to help her iron out the best idea. They got pretty close, and I’m glad to see that it’s still just a platonic kind of relationship, since them sleeping together now would just undermine everything. This show, of course, doesn’t have the best view of relationships, especially given usual nice guy Bob Benson’s indecent proposal, which he followed up by assuring Joan that this is the best deal she would ever get. While Bob’s nice guy nature can’t be depended upon anymore now that he’s left the agency high and dry, at least Joan’s resolve not to be taken for granted can, which is a comfort. Megan’s visit to New York was only a meager improvement over Don’s last trip to New York, and its highlight was definitely the looks on Megan and Peggy’s face when the secretary said that she didn’t even know Don was married. At least he’s in better shape than Pete, who was too distracted by work and Trudy to give his new and very driven girlfriend Bonnie, who I just noticed is played by Jessy Schram of “Last Resort” and “Falling Skies” fame, any attention.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 5 “The Runaways” (B+)

It’s so interesting how this show spotlights the various hobbies practiced by its characters outside of work. I remember when Ken’s science fiction writing career was squashed by those who thought that he couldn’t focus on his work at the same time, and now we have Lou drawing comics which, from the looks of it, weren’t that bad. Unfortunately, Stan and the rest of the gang weren’t subtle about mocking it, and, though it’s hard to have sympathy for a guy like Lou, it was tough to watch everyone laugh at him. It didn’t justify making Don stay late so that he would miss his flight to California, which in turn meant bigger problems at home that Megan tried to fix with a seemingly hallucinatory threesome that pushed the boundaries of where this show usually goes. The office antics were especially light considering the serious nature of Ginsberg’s condition, which meant from odd and overbearing to extremely concerning when he offered Peggy the nipple he had cut off to stop the hum of the machine. With one team member out of commission, Don made a bold move that definitely paid off, thanks to some helpful intel from Harry, offering to fall on his sword for a potential client with the full knowledge that they would never make him do it. Betty and Francis’ home life is certainly not picaresque at the moment, and though she’s so detestable, the choice moment from this episode was definitely Betty defiantly telling Henry that she wasn’t stupid and that speaks Italian.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 4 “The Monolith” (B+)

It’s incredible to watch how self-destructive Don can be. Coming back to his old office stripped of his position and demoted to working under his replacement was bad enough, but having to report to Peggy truly stung. It’s hard to blame him in a sense, but throwing a tantrum and storming out of the office like a child before coming back and getting drunk was definitely a low. It’s good that Freddy, who has been through his own tough time, was able to coach him back to a point of actually trying, and it’s reassuring to see Don eagerly tell Peggy that he’s going to have the work done soon and that he may put in some effort for once. Peggy’s raise feels like much less of a reward when it comes with the added burden of having to manage Don, but hopefully that will go well from now on, and maybe she and Don will even be able to surprise Lou. The construction to install the computer is certainly disruptive, and I’m eager to see just how different things will look once it’s finished. Though it feels like a completely different show, it was enthralling to watch Roger decide to drop everything and spend the night sleeping under the stars with his hippie daughter, and that made it all the more difficult to see him try to pull her out of it in the morning only to have her react very badly, returning their relationship to the miserable state it was in before she got hooked on this alternative lifestyle.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 3 “Field Trip” (B+)

There was something very deliberately uneasy about the mood of this episode, which found Don stepping back into familiar surroundings that have become very hostile since last he was there. It’s incredible how quickly Don got a great offer from a competing firm, yet he instantly said “okay” when he was offered a miserable deal to return, which includes working for Lou, who is not going to put up with him for a second. Don also readily admitted to Megan to lying to her to protect his pride, while at the same time confessing that he had kept the truth from her for a year and wasted what could have been plenty of time spent together in California. Don was clearly nervous for his big meeting with Roger, and to have him not show up while everyone walked by and awkwardly greeted Don – some more coolly than others, especially Joan and Peggy – was awful. Don’s attitude toward Dawn’s new responsibilities and lack of time for him was telling of how the world has moved on without him, and it’s going to be an enormous adjustment for him to fit back in after such a perilous exit. I love how Cutler interacts with everyone, and calling Harry the most dishonest man he knew provided a both entertaining and worrisome scene. We hadn’t seen Betty in quite a while, and it was interesting to meet her again in this moment of feeling inadequate after dining with Anne Dudek’s Francine, who was last on the show a few seasons back. Things really were going well on the field trip, and then Betty’s not entirely unjustified reaction killed it and showed what a cold person she is.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 2 “A Day’s Work” (B+)

After an uncertain start last week, I’m happy to report that this episode was a resounding success. Seeing how the firm functions on a bicoastal basis without watching a character traveling between the two is actually more compelling, particularly because of the bad connection that caused the partners’ meeting to devolve into an argument with many things overheard that shouldn’t have been. It’s interesting to see how each of the non-Don players are being repositioned, with Cutler and Roger going at each other and Ted being the too-calm peacemaker while Pete returns to his typical frantic jealous mode. The situation involving the secretaries in this episode made for fantastic television, namely due to Peggy’s gross assumption that the flowers sent were from Ted for her and not for her secretary. Lou’s treatment of Dawn was unnecessarily harsh, and it’s great to see that Joan managed to use the situation (and Cooper’s racism) to her advantage to let the one secretary who actually knows what she’s doing – Dawn – take over her responsibilities while she moves upstairs. Don being especially present in his social life is jarring to watch, but it proved very worthwhile for his time spent with Betty. It’s incredible to see him be so honest after she called him out for being dishonest and let him know how hard it was to think about running into Sylvia in his elevator. Don and Sally really are similar, and it’s terrific to see them spending time together as if they’re on the same level.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men (Season Premiere)

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.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men (Season Finale)

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 13 “In Care Of” (A-)

It’s hard to believe that this season is over already, but what a monumental way to close out the year. The season five finale was dramatic enough, but nothing compares to this in terms of pure shock value. Don expressing his desire to move to California to start over and actually preparing with Megan to go out there was entirely unexpected and uncharacteristic, and he really tanked his own career when he brought up his whorehouse orphan past in the middle of a meeting with a client. Appointing Ted as his California emissary after initially telling him that he couldn’t go was his one act of charity, but to have all the partners, including his dear friend Roger, vote against him to force him to take a few months off is a sign of things being inescapably bad. Running into Duck on the way out was an enormous final blow. Both Megan and Peggy were rightfully furious with the flip-flopping nature of the men in their lives, and it’s going to be hard for either of those relationships to work going forward. Don taking his kids to see where he grew up – prompting an expression of “This is a bad area” from Bobby – was a subtle, quiet way of closing out a busy season. I don’t think this was the best season of this show, but it was certainly strong, with a handful of great episodes and some other perfectly satisfactory ones. There’s no show quite like this on the air, and it will be greatly missed in between seasons.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Who wasn’t great? Too hard a question for the moment.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 12 “The Quality of Mercy” (B+)

This was a very involving episode, but it doesn’t feel like there’s just one installment left before the end of the season. Ted and Peggy running around giggling with each other was an incredibly obvious expression of the affair they both decided at different points that they couldn’t have, and it was difficult to watch them both react with dismay at Don’s effortless takedown of their short-lived romance. Sending an updated budget to St. Joseph’s during their casting process and then invoking Frank’s name to get them to calm down was cruel on Don’s part, and while there’s no debating his effectiveness, his humanity is much less certain. That’s doubly true when it comes to going with Sunkist over Ocean Spray despite his promise to Ted. Ken wanting to give up Chevy is no surprise, and Pete makes sense as a successor. Pete’s reaction to learning from Duck that Bob is just like Don was startling, and it’s intriguing to see how he ultimately handled the situation. I liked Bob well enough when he was a coffee-getting nice guy, but I suppose everyone deserves a little mystery in their back story. Sally’s decision to go to boarding school to get away from both her parents isn’t a shock, and what an impression she made on her first night. Betty giving Sally a cigarette so that she wouldn’t do it behind her back was one kind of parenting tactic, and I’m sure Sally will have plenty of misadventures away from home in the near future.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 11 “Favors” (B+)

It’s so interesting how something that begins as a favor for Don’s friend Dr. Rosen quickly turns into a grand romantic gesture that reunites him with his mistress Sylvia. It’s rare to see Don get so passionate about something and actually devote energy to trying to get it accomplished. His position paved the way for Ted to burst into his office and actually speak his mind, something that occurs almost as rarely as Don asking for something, and to leave with the upper hand. Throwing Sally into the mix and having her catch Don with Sylvia after her initial attraction to Sylvia’s son was an enormous opportunity for Sally to see what her father is really like, and to see Don caught in a situation he knows he simply can’t talk his way out of, with Megan clueless as usual. One of the early scenes of the episode presented an unexpected reunion between Peggy and Pete after Pete’s mother visited the office, and a potent moment of jealousy from Ted as he saw the two of them laughing together. It’s strange to remember how they first interacted at the beginning of the show, and to see where they are now. I guess Bob’s relationship with Joan isn’t entirely genuine, and it’s difficult to imagine that, whatever feelings he might possess, Pete would ever think of engaging in a romance with Bob. This show is full of drama, and this office really is a revolving door of sexual encounters and mistakes.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 10 “A Tale of Two Cities” (B+)

This was yet another episode full of hallucinations, but there was much more to it, as the new firm that might actually have a name that doesn’t contain seven monikers in it was showcased in extremely intriguing chunks. This episode was a fabulous showcase for Harry Hamlin as Jim Cutler, someone who has played a minor role in episodes before this and now had the opportunity to take center stage. His argument with Ginsberg was one of the episode’s best moments, and I’m glad that he chose to promote Bob rather than fire him. Ted is also proving to be a strong proponent of integrating the two firms, which of course worked against Peggy when she tried to help Joan run with her idea. This episode served as a reminder of how seedy and irritating Pete can be, and Peggy backing Joan up was impressive, especially after she articulated just how unsupported she felt by Joan when she previously worked at the firm. Keeping only Sterling and Cooper’s names in the firm’s names was an interesting suggestion, and I loved Cooper’s response to Roger congratulating him. Don came awfully close to losing it out in California, and that final shot of Pete sitting down and smoking framed this episode in a hypnotic, drug-induced lens. While Don didn’t do much but get drunk and then nearly die in a pool, Roger showed that he still has what it takes by insulting his prospective client and remaining relevant and interesting, if not quite enough to gain their business.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 9 “The Better Half” (B+)

This was an epic episode in terms of relationship drama. Most notably, we got a chance to see Don and Betty cheating on their spouses with each other, both considerably happier together than they ever were before. Betty had the most stinging line of the hour, calling Megan a poor girl for not knowing that loving Don is the worst way to get to him. After Don came down to breakfast to see Betty eating with Henry, he seemed to actually do something positive and try to be there for Megan, who almost had her own unexpected sexual encounter. Peggy accidentally stabbing Abe was unfortunate, but it was clear much before this that they weren’t meant to be together. Abe telling her that she’d always be the enemy was particularly harsh. Ted dismissing his feelings for Peggy didn’t help much, and now she’s caught between two warring execs who want to use her to resolve their differences. Roger stopping by Joan’s after being told that he couldn’t see his grandson again after taking him to “Planet of the Apes” only to find the nicest man in the universe, Bob, at her door in a bathing suit was a blow, and I hope Bob doesn’t bear the brunt of his wrath. Seeing Duck again was a treat even if he didn’t have much of a role, and I do hope Pete finds some degree of happiness soon now that he’s become a sympathetic character again.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 8 “The Crash” (B)

I wouldn’t call this episode a bad hour, but it had a dreamlike feel that made it hard both to keep a linear narrative straight and to keep track of what was real and what wasn’t. It’s so interesting to see how the as-of-yet-unnamed office works with its various personalities thrown together, but I think that last week’s installment with Ted scolding Don for being late and then Don getting Ted drunk was more than effective enough. We also barely saw Pete in this hour, or Roger for that matter, making it all about our primary characters, Peggy and Don. It was no surprise that Stan made a move on Peggy and that she politely rejected him after giving it a moment’s thought, and she seemed truly annoyed by the sight of him having sex with another woman later. Don’s maniacal researching made him look like a madman, and coming home to a robbed house only to pass out was unnerving. For once, Betty got to be the better parent, furious at Don and Megan for leaving the kids home alone, and Henry had to be the one to try to calm things down. It’s frightening to see just how easily the would-be Grandma Draper snuck in, and paired with flashbacks of Don’s childhood, it gave the episode a bizarre mood. I think the present-day (1960s, that is) timeline is fascinating enough, and sticking there with all the drama that already exists is sufficient to make for a great and compelling episode.