Tonight's Mad Men: "The Gypsy and the Hobo"
I just watched tonight's episode of Mad Men twice in a row. In the words of Groundhog Day's Ned Ryerson, "it was a doo-hoo-hoozy!"
SPOILER ALERT for those of you not keeping up with the show (i.e., Mom) but Don Draper 'came out' to Betty about his true identity, telling more truths in a row than I believe he has ever done before. This all occurred while his most recent dish-on-the-side waited for him in the car so they could go away for the weekend. He never made it back to the car--did he forget that she was there, or, did he, cool-as-a-cucumber, just let her figure out that he wasn't coming back? Oh, Don.
But forget all that, because none of it was as awesome as the moment Joan clocked her husband over the head with a vase.
This guy's a real jerk, not in the least because when she married him, Joan quit working at Sterling Cooper and is thus in the show less than she used to be. Less Joan = bad. But also, he's a bastard who failed out of his surgery rotation (or...whatever) and can't get himself back on track. Also he's a jerk, he doesn't talk to her, he belittles what's important to her, he fails to recognize the real contributions she could make as a wife, because he thinks women are useless and just bred to sit around, when Joan's smart and super-capable. He's been nothing but trouble for her, dashing all her dreams for her marriage.
Well, in this episode, after another bad interview, which all of her helpful preparation couldn't keep him from screwing up, he snapped at her that she couldn't tell him anything, that she didn't know what it was like to want something your whole life and have it not work out. Which of course she does--it was marriage she planned for, and that he has single-handedly ruined. And then she clocked him over the head with a vase. Oh, Joan.
Note: this weekend I put together preparation for my Halloween costume. It is Mad Men-inspired (think sassy Sixties secretary!) and I am incredibly excited. I have cat's-eye glasses!
Woo. Too much excitement for a Sunday night.
Edited to add: Joan SMASH!
Comments
Posted by: Leanne
Posted on: October 26, 2009 09:50 AM
I absolutely LOVED this episode. I was so tired--but it was just packed with excitement. The dog food heiress! The things Roger was saying to her!! The focus group scene--hilarious! Joan's husband's offhand reference to Vietnam. But the best was Don and Betty. The look on Don's face. He didn't even look like the same person! And Betty! Those poor kids. "Go upstairs!" Poor Miss Farrell. Just trudging away with her suitcases. And what about the guy at the end? "And who are you supposed to be?" So satisfying.
Posted by: Erin
Posted on: October 26, 2009 12:08 PM
I know, I didn't even go into Roger's plot, but he seemed as human as he's ever been. It's such a cliche that the older man leaves the older wife for the young vixen, but he seems really committed to Jane. Fidelity as an unexpected twist! Also, he was in Paris in the twenties? SWOON!
Also, "But which dog food did your DOG prefer?"
Posted by: Mom
Posted on: October 28, 2009 10:45 AM
I have GOT to start watching this. I was waiting to watch season 1 and 2 but I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon.
Posted by: Santa Ana
Posted on: October 28, 2009 11:03 PM
This is so funny. I had no idea there were other people who watched this and like it enough to blog. Im sending this blog over to my sister because we were just joking about something you had written on. Shes going to die laughing. Anyway, cheers....im off to explore more posts
Posted by: best registry cleaner
Posted on: October 31, 2009 10:04 AM
The vase scene cracked my girlfriend up too. She was in absolute stitches.
She is going to get the DVDs for the earlier series soon too.
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Posted on: November 6, 2009 02:24 AM
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