Mad Men Mondays: The Other Woman
Remembering the fur coat Roger gave her in a hotel room that one time…
And look where that got her! A baby. No husband. No future. A mess. Joan has had a lot of unfortunate luck when it comes to romance: Dr. Rapist. The lesbian roommate. Knocked up after a stick up. A passionless kiss with gay Sal. Even an allusion to a one night stand with Paul Kinsey in the pilot episode. Ugh. Take the money and run, lady!
Wait, Peggy! I didn’t mean you! And I said money, not red Thermos. WTF?!
This is my nightmare scenario, btw. Worse than dreading a zombie apocalypse actively forming in Miami or the sudden appearance of a new Kardashian, I have feared Peggy abandoning Don Draper. This is why The Suitcase is my favorite all-time episode. I was sweating bullets that Don was going to fire her in some nonsense fit. The kind I am prone to throw over some casually discarded litter on the street or Starbucks running out of soy milk.
The saving grace of the whole exit interview was Don practically offering to touch the hem of her garment on the way out. You think mom sharing two Popsicle sticks is Catholic, wait until you see Don kissing Peggy’s hand. Holy father! And what is so powerful in this exchange of course, is the beginning of their association in season one when Peggy puts her hand on his as a sexual overture that he rebuffs. Here, in the reversal, she offers to leave like a man and he, for perhaps the first time in the history of the show, treats her like a lady.
And just when Don was firing on all cylinders! Even that tie is amazing and that is not the kind of thing you are going to hear me saying a lot based on the ties we have to look forward to as the 60s wind down. But to be fair, like Joan and romance, Don has not had good luck when it comes to anything having to do with cars: a blah hand job from Bethany, ditching Megan at Howard Johnson, teacher mistress hiding in the front seat, hitchhikers with roofies, barfing Betty, banged up Bobbi Barrett. It’s not worth it, Don! But then again isn’t that what you said to Joan right before she touched your face?
Okay, so that was a sweet touch, but this episode, even this season has been marked most profoundly by some literally touching moments. Don kissing Peggy’s hand, Megan touching herself while singing, Joan touching Don’s face, Megan and Don doing it on the dirty carpet, Don throwing money in Peggy’s face, Pete getting the stuffing kicked out of him by Lane (thanks GIFulmation!). Okay, so some touches were nicer than others.
I could watch that all day. Pete was his usual terrible self and he has proven consistently this season to be a man of virtually no character. I mean, he is a rotten person, although they do a nice job on this show of tossing everyone a little sympathy now and then. Even Pete “I have nothing” Campbell. Unfortunately, it looks like all sorts of good (Megan) or simply better (Lane) people will be undone before Pete gets his necessary end. If he ever does.
I am so upset there are only two episodes left this season. I can feel the withdrawal symptoms kicking in already. But in the meantime, Mad Men continues to be something beautiful you can truly own. Because past seasons are available now on DVD and BluRay.
Mad Men airs Sundays on AMC.
