Despite the backdrop of the rematch of Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston (May 1965), this was a rather quiet episode, focused almost entirely on Don and Peggy. It is difficult to tell, though, if it was a good or bad one. Don did not like the proposed Samsonite commercial Peggy and the guys from creative acted out for him. He sends Peggy back to the drawing board, while the office empties out to watch the fight. It is her birthday, her boyfriend Mark is waiting for her at the Forum of the Twelve Caesars restaurant, and she finds a birthday present from Duck Philips – business cards for “Philip-Olson Advertising.” He got fired and is hoping she will start up a new company with him. “I’m falling apart,” he concedes after she asks if he has been drinking. Don decides to skip the fight and asks Peggy to stay so they can work on the Samsonite commercial. She calls the restaurant to tell Mark she will be late. Don does not like Peggy’s revisions and comes up with an idea to tie in the commercial with the fight, but he doesn’t yet know how. Then Mark calls Peggy again, upset that she keeps him and her family waiting. Not knowing it is her birthday Don says she should go, but she hesitates. She was expecting a romantic dinner and instead she accuses Mark of trying to “score points with a bunch of people who drive me crazy.” She cancels on him and they break up. It did not feel right to her anyway and work is more important to her.
She scolds Don, though, for never appreciating her work. He shouts angrily that “that’s what the money is for!” Still, he takes her out for dinner, and later they listen to the fight in a bar. She’s self-deprecating that everyone believes she slept with Don. They make jokes, she sighs, “like it’s so funny because the possibility was so remote.” Even her mother thinks Don was responsible for the pregnancy she aborted. They return to the office, where they find Duck wandering around drunk. He gets into a fight with Don – believing like everybody else that Don and Peggy are having an affair. Peggy tries to encourage Don to drink less. “I have to make a phone call, and I know it’s gonna be bad,” he says by means of an explanation. Earlier, he had received an urgent message from Stephanie in California, but he is afraid to return the call. He knows what it means, Anna passed away. Don falls asleep in Peggy’s lap. When he wakes up he makes the call and cries when his fear is confirmed. Peggy is staring wide-eyed at him. He can only say that someone close died, “the only person in the world who really knew me.” She tries to console him, but he insists she goes home to sleep. Instead she takes a nap in her office. Later that morning Don shows her his concept, based on Clay’s victory over Liston, predicting that the photo on every newspaper will become iconic. “It's very good,” she admits. They briefly hold hands and then Don tells her to “Go home, take a shower, and come back with ten tag lines.” While the whole episode takes places over the course of less than a day, much has happened: Don lost Anna and Peggy lost Mark, but they have gained a sense of trust sharing their loss; they have grown closer, but without the sexual tension that normally surrounds Don Draper; he has had an idea that may become their next big advertisement. In short, this has been the pivotal moment of the season.
She scolds Don, though, for never appreciating her work. He shouts angrily that “that’s what the money is for!” Still, he takes her out for dinner, and later they listen to the fight in a bar. She’s self-deprecating that everyone believes she slept with Don. They make jokes, she sighs, “like it’s so funny because the possibility was so remote.” Even her mother thinks Don was responsible for the pregnancy she aborted. They return to the office, where they find Duck wandering around drunk. He gets into a fight with Don – believing like everybody else that Don and Peggy are having an affair. Peggy tries to encourage Don to drink less. “I have to make a phone call, and I know it’s gonna be bad,” he says by means of an explanation. Earlier, he had received an urgent message from Stephanie in California, but he is afraid to return the call. He knows what it means, Anna passed away. Don falls asleep in Peggy’s lap. When he wakes up he makes the call and cries when his fear is confirmed. Peggy is staring wide-eyed at him. He can only say that someone close died, “the only person in the world who really knew me.” She tries to console him, but he insists she goes home to sleep. Instead she takes a nap in her office. Later that morning Don shows her his concept, based on Clay’s victory over Liston, predicting that the photo on every newspaper will become iconic. “It's very good,” she admits. They briefly hold hands and then Don tells her to “Go home, take a shower, and come back with ten tag lines.” While the whole episode takes places over the course of less than a day, much has happened: Don lost Anna and Peggy lost Mark, but they have gained a sense of trust sharing their loss; they have grown closer, but without the sexual tension that normally surrounds Don Draper; he has had an idea that may become their next big advertisement. In short, this has been the pivotal moment of the season. 
Incidentally, this episode is reminiscent of the Breaking Bad episode "The Fly" (3x10), which, it so happens, is reviewed right below.
ReplyDeleteWhere is your True Blood review?? I can't comment on what I haven't seen but I did read the Breaking Bad one. Brilliant show. Like this one!
ReplyDeleteThe Cricket's True Blood chirp will be there tomorrow. There's so much to write about!
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