Mad Men, Season 5. General Discussion Thread (spoilers welcome)
- Thread starter the G-man
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I assume he had to pay some sort of exit tax for leaving England permanently.
I think that plotline was just to show his estrangement with his wife and the beginnings of temptation over the use of somebody else's money.
His solicitor/barrister pretty said that during the phone call where Lane learned he owed the money in lieu of jail.
Although, when the car didn't start I thought he'd chosen to interpret it as a sign that he shouldn't.
I actually wondered if he might throw himself down the elevator shaft. Note that Roger didn't see anything about confessing to embezzling money in Lane's resignation.
Now I wonder if Joan will get Lane's job.
And I guess Don couldn't resist making that dig about leaving the room so the rest of them could vote without him.
Now I wonder if Joan will get Lane's job.
And I guess Don couldn't resist making that dig about leaving the room so the rest of them could vote without him.
^^ Yeah, it didn't take long for it to get 'weird' in the new scheme of partners' meetings.
Did anyone else start to make a connection with modern events (the one percent phenomenon, the perception that those with more are only making more and crushing the little guy in the process) and what happened between Don and Lane? The ever present social commentary.
It was especially present in the "pitch" Don makes in the meeting where he lambasts the competition as only being 50% of the market. Why not have 100%? Why not take, take, take and leave nothing for the rest.
"Every man for himself" indeed! I really thought that he'd give Lane a chance to start over. Now, when Pete finds out about this he'll have a hard time keeping his mouth shut about Don/Dick.
Did anyone else start to make a connection with modern events (the one percent phenomenon, the perception that those with more are only making more and crushing the little guy in the process) and what happened between Don and Lane? The ever present social commentary.
It was especially present in the "pitch" Don makes in the meeting where he lambasts the competition as only being 50% of the market. Why not have 100%? Why not take, take, take and leave nothing for the rest.
"Every man for himself" indeed! I really thought that he'd give Lane a chance to start over. Now, when Pete finds out about this he'll have a hard time keeping his mouth shut about Don/Dick.
I don't think the elevator shaft thing was more than a one-off symbol.
Also, damn. I had been feeling this come on for some time, and it feels right to me. Bit brutal though. I feel really bad for Don because I thought he was absolutely right in his actions for his character. Really good ep.
I'll shock everybody by actually defending Don here (for once in a blue moon 
) and opine that he has nothing to feel guilty for or bad about. He couldn't have possibly anticipated that Lane would choose to commit suicide considering the fact that he has a wife and son. Lane embezzled money and he put Don at legal risk and at risk of his own job (what if Bert hadn't believed him?) by forging his name. You cannot trust an employee who does that.
Sorry, but Lane is weak. He had serious problems; I respect that. A great many of us have a multitude of problems which can cause serious depression, but to off yourself like that rather than face them? His little come on to Joan about her bouncing in an obscene bikini was lame and he deserved to get shut down. It's too bad that he killed himself, but that's that. People say what an awful thing and then they go on with their lives. You kill yourself and wipe your memory from their existence far more effectively than if you die of natural causes or an accident.
Don went pretty bat shit after Adam killed himself; I wonder what behavior this is going to elicit. He's letting a non licensed teenager drive his car; that's only the very beginning, I suspect. He'll take it out on Megan no doubt.
As for Sally, that explains the moodiness but her running off like that was pretty stupid. Running out of the museum and not telling Glenn she was leaving? She could have pretended to be sick if she was embarrassed and ask for him to take her home. You put some toilet paper in your panties until you get home and find some feminine protection. Megan surely had something at the apartment. Young girls don't panic that much when they get their first period unless they're being raised by Piper Laurie in a Stephen King film. I felt a little uneasy but I wouldn't have run off and left a friend in the middle of the city not knowing what the hell happened to me. Ahhhh, back when girls were actually 12 or 13 when they started instead of being 9 or 10 like today. I remember those days. It was quaint. Still, Sally's reaction seemed way out of proportion for a girl who handled seeing Uncle Roger getting a blow job from stepgrandmommy. That she stays put for, but her period sends her screaming out into the city? Give me a physical break, Matt Weiner.
I wonder how the shit's going to hit the fan for Pete next week. Weiner's vague spoilers at AMC.com said he'd "face the consequences of his actions." Does little Rory Gilmore tell Trudy what happened? Maybe her husband tries to kill Pete....or her? Possibilities there.
) and opine that he has nothing to feel guilty for or bad about. He couldn't have possibly anticipated that Lane would choose to commit suicide considering the fact that he has a wife and son. Lane embezzled money and he put Don at legal risk and at risk of his own job (what if Bert hadn't believed him?) by forging his name. You cannot trust an employee who does that. Sorry, but Lane is weak. He had serious problems; I respect that. A great many of us have a multitude of problems which can cause serious depression, but to off yourself like that rather than face them? His little come on to Joan about her bouncing in an obscene bikini was lame and he deserved to get shut down. It's too bad that he killed himself, but that's that. People say what an awful thing and then they go on with their lives. You kill yourself and wipe your memory from their existence far more effectively than if you die of natural causes or an accident.
Don went pretty bat shit after Adam killed himself; I wonder what behavior this is going to elicit. He's letting a non licensed teenager drive his car; that's only the very beginning, I suspect. He'll take it out on Megan no doubt.
As for Sally, that explains the moodiness but her running off like that was pretty stupid. Running out of the museum and not telling Glenn she was leaving? She could have pretended to be sick if she was embarrassed and ask for him to take her home. You put some toilet paper in your panties until you get home and find some feminine protection. Megan surely had something at the apartment. Young girls don't panic that much when they get their first period unless they're being raised by Piper Laurie in a Stephen King film. I felt a little uneasy but I wouldn't have run off and left a friend in the middle of the city not knowing what the hell happened to me. Ahhhh, back when girls were actually 12 or 13 when they started instead of being 9 or 10 like today. I remember those days. It was quaint. Still, Sally's reaction seemed way out of proportion for a girl who handled seeing Uncle Roger getting a blow job from stepgrandmommy. That she stays put for, but her period sends her screaming out into the city? Give me a physical break, Matt Weiner.
I wonder how the shit's going to hit the fan for Pete next week. Weiner's vague spoilers at AMC.com said he'd "face the consequences of his actions." Does little Rory Gilmore tell Trudy what happened? Maybe her husband tries to kill Pete....or her? Possibilities there.
I think that was to show that Sally does not see Megan as a substitute mother. Regardless of how cold Betty is she still turned to her.
Remember, one of the things that appealed to Don about Megan was how well she and the kids got along at first. But now that they don't its another in a long list of signs that Megan and Don's marriage is falling apart.
I am more and more seeing Don as an overgrown child. Both in good and bad ways. His bad ways are obvious. He is a teenager. But he also tries his best to help people regardless of normal concerns. Like letting Glenn drive his car. He knows he would have loved it if a Man had let him do the same at that age.
Remember, one of the things that appealed to Don about Megan was how well she and the kids got along at first. But now that they don't its another in a long list of signs that Megan and Don's marriage is falling apart.
I am more and more seeing Don as an overgrown child. Both in good and bad ways. His bad ways are obvious. He is a teenager. But he also tries his best to help people regardless of normal concerns. Like letting Glenn drive his car. He knows he would have loved it if a Man had let him do the same at that age.
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I don't think Don has anything to feel guilty about either, but I think he will. I think most people would.
I didn't feel like Sally's reaction was that unrealistic. I also don't see Don and Megan heading for impending doom, however. I feel like the writers have been trying to redeem Don while at the same time making Lane seem worse and worse.
I didn't feel like Sally's reaction was that unrealistic. I also don't see Don and Megan heading for impending doom, however. I feel like the writers have been trying to redeem Don while at the same time making Lane seem worse and worse.
I'm surprised so many people are seeing Don letting the kid drive as so horrible. I believe the minimum driving age in New York back then was 15. How old is Glenn? 14?
Don was just trying to bring some happiness into a kid's life. It seemed healthy to me.
On a side note: I bet Jaguar wasn't happy about this episode. Their cars did not come off well.
Edit: According to Wikipedia, Glenn was nine in 1960. It's 1967 in on the show right now, so that would make Glenn about sixteen. That means he was legally old enough to drive in New York.
Don was just trying to bring some happiness into a kid's life. It seemed healthy to me.
On a side note: I bet Jaguar wasn't happy about this episode. Their cars did not come off well.
Edit: According to Wikipedia, Glenn was nine in 1960. It's 1967 in on the show right now, so that would make Glenn about sixteen. That means he was legally old enough to drive in New York.
When I think about life in the 60s, I imagine my old memories from the 80s are similar, except that kids were smoking cigarettes in school and driving cars.
Good points about Don acting in the right. I'm still miffed that they extinguished Lane kind of early. I still think he had more potential as a character and that's a main character they killed off.
The Live TV cut off the last 4 minutes as usual (thanks for that Bell Ontario) and I didn't get to see the ending with the letter to the partners/drive home with sketch boy until the rebroadcast came around.
This getting ahead thing in business is getting dirty (last week) and bloody (this week). I wonder if Don and Roger are going to turn on each other next?
Good points about Don acting in the right. I'm still miffed that they extinguished Lane kind of early. I still think he had more potential as a character and that's a main character they killed off.
The Live TV cut off the last 4 minutes as usual (thanks for that Bell Ontario) and I didn't get to see the ending with the letter to the partners/drive home with sketch boy until the rebroadcast came around.
This getting ahead thing in business is getting dirty (last week) and bloody (this week). I wonder if Don and Roger are going to turn on each other next?
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I don't think it was a bad thing. I don't know if they will follow up on it but Don was being a surrogate Dad to Glenn. If my memory is correct Glenn's father has no real presence in his life. Don had no father as he grew up either...setup for more maybe. Don was letting him become a man. Driving is a big deal to young guys. Its not a perfect analogy but almost equal to Sally becaming a woman.
Yeah, he had a tough choice. If he exposed Lane and called in the cops it could conceivably have been risky for him, but it also could have put the firm at risk, tainting it in the eyes of potential and existing clients. Things are tough enough already.
He could have hushed the whole thing up and let Lane off with a stern warning, but as he said the trust was now gone.
So he took the middle road. Lane has to go and Don will cover the tracks.
I wonder if Lane's wife buying that car pushed him over the edge. He might have been able to hang on, but that car was the last bloody straw.
Yeah, Lane could have asked for help. But someone in that position, and with a decent measure of pride, would find it really hard to look that helpless and ask for help.
Betty isn't that bad. 
Seriously, though, the Sally we've seen so far wouldn't panic like that. To just run off into the city and leave her friend? It doesn't ring true. Girls don't panic like that. They just get moody like Sally got. Call it nostalgia, but the first thing I felt was annoyed. Panic stricken didn't even come close; it's not like she was wearing white slacks at the time. Now that'll panic a 12 year old girl, trust me. Sally hasn't been presented as that fragile, ergo it irked the hell out of me. This is blow job witnessing Sally here. She's had to be tough.
Don's not an altruistic man by nature. This is the guy who couldn't even be bothered to have a cup of coffee with his lonely, simpleton brother and caused him to kill himself. Don's first impulse isn't going to be to help a 16 year old boy who came to the city to be alone in his apartment with his 12 year old daughter. Don's an alpha male. Realistically his first impulse should have been to threaten to beat the hell out of Glen. That's Don, but he's not in his right mind because of Lane. Don's going off the rails again. That's what that little scene indicated. His mind is not in a good place. It wasn't a desire to parent Glen. I doubt very much we'll see Glen again. Don's probably going to run off and do something stupid again. Just my two cents.
Seriously, though, the Sally we've seen so far wouldn't panic like that. To just run off into the city and leave her friend? It doesn't ring true. Girls don't panic like that. They just get moody like Sally got. Call it nostalgia, but the first thing I felt was annoyed. Panic stricken didn't even come close; it's not like she was wearing white slacks at the time.
Now that'll panic a 12 year old girl, trust me. Sally hasn't been presented as that fragile, ergo it irked the hell out of me. This is blow job witnessing Sally here. She's had to be tough.Don's not an altruistic man by nature. This is the guy who couldn't even be bothered to have a cup of coffee with his lonely, simpleton brother and caused him to kill himself. Don's first impulse isn't going to be to help a 16 year old boy who came to the city to be alone in his apartment with his 12 year old daughter. Don's an alpha male. Realistically his first impulse should have been to threaten to beat the hell out of Glen. That's Don, but he's not in his right mind because of Lane. Don's going off the rails again. That's what that little scene indicated. His mind is not in a good place. It wasn't a desire to parent Glen. I doubt very much we'll see Glen again. Don's probably going to run off and do something stupid again. Just my two cents.
Maybe, another way to look at it is it's similar to Glenn and Betty. She was herself acting like a child friend to him. Because she had no one else and he like it. Don did not feel like being with his current wife and got a simple childlike enjoyment from ignoring adult rules. Don does that a lot. Of course Glenn enjoyed it.
You can never rule Glenn out. He is played by Mathew Weiner's own son of course! Sure it's nepotism. But he getting old enough to have more screen time and there is an actual character there. Compared to Don's young sons which have been recast and barely have defined personalities.
You can never rule Glenn out. He is played by Mathew Weiner's own son of course! Sure it's nepotism. But he getting old enough to have more screen time and there is an actual character there. Compared to Don's young sons which have been recast and barely have defined personalities.
At first, I thought that Sally was already sexually active and pregnant when she said she wasn't feeling well.
