^ Seeing Don's attempted domination of Sylvia as an attempt to replace his increasing loss of control in his business life makes sense. More sense than my original thought that he was just wanting to avoid a messy entanglement that could potential damage his own marriage. I have to admit it's much more "Don" that he would be motivated by his own pathological need for control than by some heretofore latent sense of "doing the right thing" (re Sylvia and Arnold).
What did you people think of the Joan/Bob subplot? I liked the way she covered his ass but I couldn't figure out if he was just completely brown-nosing or if he genuinely has a thing for Joan? Bob must have heard about Herb and the Jaguar account. It seems like common knowledge at SCDP. I like the way you phrased that. Does anyone remember last week's episode when Don and Ted were drunk and Don proposed the merger and then says, "Hey lieutenant... wanna get into some trouble?" Isn't that exactly what the young solider says to him in Hawaii in the premiere?
It made me like the character. I don't think he's interested in Joan that way (but stranger things have happened), he probably just wanted to help out. I wouldn't say there's no brown-nosing but it's more about his wanting to make a good impression. His problem is that he doesn't know when to stop. He needs to grow a backbone. Don't go to the brothel with Pete or get his toilet paper.
Don can't handle the thought of Sylvia--available--as a legitimate prospect to be in his life on a regular basis so he tried to control her completely so he could remain in his comfort zone. The thought of a free Sylvia scared him to death. He's not good at marriage and he knows it. Don did treat another woman like that--Bobbie Barrett in season 2. He left her cuffed to the bed for the staff to find half naked when she talked about women calling him "the Don Draper treatment" sexually. She was taking control and he didn't want that. It scared him shitless. Remember Don being flabbergasted when Bobbie left one of their encounters early because she had to go see her college aged son in a play? Don couldn't comprehend that this agressively sexy woman could also be a caring mother even though she acted like a "whore/prostitute" behind closed doors. It didn't compute with the good woman/bad woman image Don has stuck in his mind. Dr. Faye (whom he dumped to marry Megan) had Don pegged. He's only interested in the beginning of things. He can't maintain a healthy intimate relationship. Faye was an intelligent woman whom he enjoyed being with; she challenged him.....and he dumped Faye for the image of saintly Megan who was comfortable around children when Faye wasn't. Don couldn't handle a divorced Sylvia who's more healthy than him psychologically. She'd find out what a scared little boy he still is on the inside. Rachel figured that out. Sylvia would have as well.
It was, and it also points to Don's insecurity because he wasn't a real lieutenant, but a fraud. A fraud because he couldn't handle the situation he was in and bailed. It has to cross his mind when he comes across successful rivals who, as far as he knows, did things the honest way.
Oh, I'm prettttty sure he's interested in her that way, mainly because of all the trouble they went through to show us Joan's mother's reaction to him and all. How could he not be? Could be wrong, of course. Appears Joan may be gravitating toward younger guys with less baggage. She made out with that kid (who was a stranger) at the club. It might be interesting to see her involved in an office affair with a younger guy who is her subordinant. Shoe would (finally) be on the other foot, there.
Keep in mind Kennedy actually died 26 hours after he was shot, so the next episode could very well focus on that period of time.
The writers are definitely setting Joan up for a Roger Sterling/Joan Harris relationship in reverse. She's finally in the position to be the older sexual partner with power over an underling sexual partner's career.
I was thinking the same thing. It was like everyone was stoned. What the hell was that doctor (if that's what he really was) injecting them with?
Apparently this doctor was based on some "Dr. Feelgood" character (as he was late dubbed in the media) who was really running around Madison Avenue during the late 60s. "Vitamin B" shots they were called according to my 74 year old mom, who called me up to discuss the ep. Something that subset of corporate culture embraced for a small amount of time. Methamphetamine and a little vitamin B12 is more like it. Basically, he was giving speed shots. Betty was right about Don and Megan. For a while, I thought the older black lady was the real Don Draper's nanny/caretaker when he was a child. She was creepy. Looked like Oprah Winfrey as Sofia in "The Color Purple." Stalker Don is pathetic. Get some therapy and get past it, Don.
"The Crash." I felt really weird watching this one it was very trippy, sometimes in a fun way (office hijinks) and other times in a very disturbing way (the break in). For the record, Betty and Don haven't been in the same scene together since season 4, is that right? Not an important factor in the story but the distance between them has never been this great - plus, I don't think Don ever once saw 'Fat Betty.' I look forward to reviewing this one for details. Loved what Don was saying about advertising... when he broke it down to it's bare essentials. A two sentence limit to get your 'foot in the door' as Ginsburg says. The rantings in a drug fueled frenzy, but insightful nonetheless. I wonder briefly if Don had his virginity raped from him? But it was so vague... I think it may have been an opportunity to explain more about why Don is the way he is. Props to Sally for giving him the hard truth: "I don't really know anything about you." Does Peggy really have a great ass? Just for once I'd like to see to know for sure. She bore that compliment well.
Weiner's annual 'dream/hallucination while sick' episode, a bad habit he picked up working on the Sopranos.
I thought they said quite a bit with what they showed -- I'm just not sure of what we were being told the affects on Don, were. At a young age he was mothered by an attractive adult woman, one he had no doubt lusted after at some point, and then had sex with her -- his first sex with a woman. Then when his guardian finds out about this, she beats him. I'm no psychiatrist, but I think this incident (and others) may be a big reason Don is as screwed up in the head as he is, especially when it comes to women. I wonder who is going to get a new boyfriend first, Peggy or Joan? I guess Megan was too upset to notice that Betty accused her of being out somewhere "on a casting couch", though Henry did a nice job of attempting to keep her in line. I think everyone was trying to do the math on Grandma Ivy. I know I was. My suspicions weren't fully confirmed until she appeared to try to pull the T.V. out of the wall, or whatever it was mounted in. Ginsberg is so naturally wacky he doesn't need drugs. He was right with Don up to the point whare Don's "soup" pitch completely ran out of steam. One of Weiner's weird ones -- like the one last season where Roger dropped acid and the one when Don was sick. These episodes seem to reveal a lot about certain characters. We just have to figure out what is being said and about whom.
I adored last night's episode. Interesting to see that Don was sexually molested by a mother figure; that really allows us to see why he's so destructive towards women.
^^ yes, and since he'd never had any nurturing in his life, it's pretty sad that the only time it happens it's so brief and immediately followed by rape. I wondered why the working girl would even want to have sex with this 14 year old kid? Maybe because all the other men she encounters are the same and this was entertaining for her? It seems like she might have a dead kid (photo on the mirror) but if anything that would make it weirder. Strangest. Mad. Men. Ever.
It might be the only way she knew how to show affection. As for other aspects of the episode: Man don's whole Madonna/whore complex was brought fully to bear in this episode wasn't it? Am I the only one who thinks that Ted reminds him of Rob Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke show? Was that supposed to be the same 'dr feel good' who supposedly was shooting up Jack Kennedy back when he was president? The symptoms that Don manifested seemed similar to the anecdote of what happened to Kennedy when he got the shot ( ie a Secret Service nightmare). Hamm's acting in this episode was some of the Best I've seen on the series. It was a telling recreation of an annoying intoxicated or stoned person but when necessary he brought a level of gravitas to the performance that most people would not think to bring to this type of role in this type of episode. And his fly being down after the conversation with Peggy about soup was a really nice touch. Anyone else wondering if Megan's cheating On Don with the producer? The song 'going out of my head' might of been a little too on the nose for the episode. 'Maybe we're different'. That line cracked me up. Totally align that a horny and desperate guy would use. I was a little creeped out by the fact that Wendy the I Ching hippie chick did not look much older than Sally but I have a feeling she probably wasn't Normally I detest Betty but I've got to say she was 100% on the nose with this episode except perhaps for the reference to a casting couch but even then I'm not so sure she wasn't wrong (see comment above) Hamm IS Batman.
Could be, or maybe the kid was just something different from the usual yahoos she has to deal with. Not in terms of looks, but yes some of his mannerisms and speech patterns do remind me a bit of "Pitter-Pattter" Petrie. I'v considered that Megan might cheat, lord knows enough guys want her, but I cannot see the character doing it. She is just too good. Th only bad thing she's done was screw her friend out of that role. The only way I see her hooking up with someone else is if she finds out Don is cheating. I was thinking the same thing. They are usually so much more subtle with the end song. He wouldn't be my first choice for Bats but he'd be a helluva lot better than Christian Bale. Now, if they ever needed an "American" James Bond...