Mad Men - Season 3 - My Old Kentucky Home

Synopsis
Not much happens. Its Saturday, and Roger and Jane's country club hosts a Kentucky Derby party invitees include Betty, Don, Pete, Trudy, and an aide to Governor Rockefeller who'll probably appear in future episodes. Meanwhile, Joan is throwing her own party for Dr. Greg and boss, while Peggy, Paul, Smitty, and the new secretary Olive, are working at the office and (excluding Olive) smoking MJ. At the Drapers, Sally steals $5 from Gene but eventually gives it back. The laid-back episode seems designed to give the principals (Hamm and Jones) a break and give minor characters like Joan, Gene, and Paul more air time. We also see Pete & Trudy dance and Paul, Roger and Joan sing.

The Good

• The Joan Party subplot including her playing the accordion.
• Pete and Trudy dancing the Charleston
• Roger singing ( I think he's trying to mimic Al Jolson - unbelievable though)
• The Joan/Jane showdown
• Learning Don is a good bartender
• Betty's encounter with the Rockefeller Aide
• Betty and Don's embrace at the end
• Peggy's little speech at the end about how "she knows everything will be OK"

The Bad

• The entire Peggy/Smitty/Paul subplot was boring. Further, the buying and smoking pot in the office was simply unbelievable given the times (1963). I don't think they would dared do it, and if they had... "Olive" (Peggy's secretary) instead of expressing disapproval probably would have called the police. Further, Olive's reason for being there on Saturday was weak - no reason for a secretary to be there except it served the plot. Olive herself seems to be a rather unbelievable character - but we'll see.

• The Gene and Sally "where's my $5?!" subplot was flat and overlong. Frankly, I didn't care. This incident may have ramifications - but it wasn't well written or directed.

Other Matters
Once again, we see Pregnant Betty smoking and drinking like there's no tomorrow despite the fact (a) she's a college graduate and (b) by 1962 the AMA was advising mothers to neither drink nor smoke while pregnant. And of course, no one says a word to her. Like Roger's unexplained (and unbelievable) use of "black face" this seems another heavy-handed "aren't we so much smarter than people back then" moment that the Producers insert in the show. Ugh!

Overall Rating
Probably the most uneven Mad Men episode ever and the first that had me bored most of the time. Scattered throughout were some superb moments but the episode had 4 subplots going and only 2 were mildly interesting. *** stars.

Good Reviews
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