Mad Men - A Little Kiss

So Mad Men returns after 17 months and I can't say I cared that much. It wasn't a bad episode and was amusing in many places BUT it simply highlights the mistake the Producers made at the end of Season 3. Basically, after Season 3 MM had two ways to go, it could stay in the 1960-1965 time-frame and develop the characters - as originally conceived -  or it could go beyond that point and rely on new characters and new situations to continue the fan interest.

Sadly, MM made the second choice.  So, the while characters we know from Season 1 are still there (except for Betty) all  the dramatic tension is gone.  Don is no longer the disgruntled "Organization Man" with a secret;  his marriage with Betty is over, and he's at the top of the world professionally.  Joan, Pete, Roger and Peggy are no longer  life-like people with thwarted ambitions and unrealized dreams who somewhat dislike and attack each other,  but more or less comic "frenemies" who've left S&C to be with their best buds.

Even worse is the prospect of our characters 'growing' as they accept that "times are a changing" and that sexism, racism, and homophobia have no place in new America.  Or being shown as bigots and chauvinists bitterly clinging to their out-moded beliefs.  No doubt Roger will end as a bitter old coot in a rocking chair railing against Hippies and women's lib.

But who knows, maybe I'm wrong and the producers will surprise me.  Time will tell.

Mad Men Season 3 - Shut the Door and Have a Seat

Synopsis
Its December 1963 and S&C is to be sold to McCann. Don doesn't want to go - and convinces Bert and Roger to set up their own firm of "Sterling Cooper Draper and Pryce". At home, Don and Betty agree to a divorce and Betty goes with Henry to Reno to finalize it.

The Good

• Its Good to have Joan back
• Divorce was the best resolution to the Betty-Don Relationship
• Betty & Don telling the kids - well acted scene
• A fast-paced plot-driven episode
• Don to Pete -"There's not going to be a lobby"
• Sally expresses her hatred of Betty
• Don kicks in the door - keys are for wimps.
• Pryce to Mr. Moneypenny - "Very good. Happy Christmas"
• Sneaky Pete - "I'm not really sick"
• Roger to Harry - "Yes, we're kidding. Happy Birthday!"
• Don talks Peggy into joining him - damn he's good.
• Hilton is gone or reduced to a very minor character

The Bad

• The Betty Don confrontation was cut short. These two had a lot more to say to each other
• Betty leaving the kids at Christmas to go to Reno
• Ken, Lois, and Paul get left behind.

Other Matters
While an exciting "caper" several points about starting SCDP puzzled me. First, why would St.Johns give Pryce the power to fire Bert or Roger? Sounds like too much responsibility for Pryce considering his position and unnecessary. Second, was the "theft" of S&C documents legal? They not only took their stuff, they took S&C and PPL documents.

The divorce of Betty and Don seems rather rushed. As stated above, the scene where Kinda Drunk Don confronts Betty seemed cut short. Betty had a lot to say and logically would have said it. It should have been a big scene, but was sandwiched into the caper plot.

For Betty, a divorce makes sense. Don left the key and kept a "secret Drawer" because he wanted her to find it. Which was the end for Betty, She found out about the big lie, that Don had been shutting her out and lying for years, that he was really someone else, that he'd been married before, and was a deserter It emphasized - in a biggest way possible - Don's real failure in the marriage. His failure to be honest, to open up, to make her part of his work life, to be there. That's what Betty wanted, and Don refused to give it to her, except at the end. She had to find out about his past life by "accident", she found out about his contract dispute from Roger, and recently Don was absurdly leaving in the middle of night to go visit "Hilton" - even when there was no phone call. Not to mention his other affairs. Don was really the "Man who wasn't there". So, once Henry showed up - it was goodbye Don. And I don't blame her.

And that brings up Don. Don's attitude toward Betty has been so changing and contradictory its slightly unbelievable For example, why would Don leave documents for Betty to find, then be shocked and collapse into a tearful confession when discovered? And his actions at the end contradict his actions in Seasons 1 and 2. Then Don really didn't care that much about his marriage and felt trapped. So, why the shock at Betty asking for a divorce or the attempts in previous episodes to be the loving husband? The change from Season 1/2 to the end of Season 3 was simply unbelievable in many ways.

One can say the same about Bert and Roger. Is it really believable that Bert and Roger, one year after semi-retirement would desire to buy back the firm at 12 percent over the payment price? You can argue that -like many- they just *thought* they wanted money and ease, then realized they missed the action. But if so, why were they so reluctant at to go with Don? It seems the plot was really driving the characters.

Overall Rating -
An excellent episode to close Season 3, probably the best.

Thoughts on Season 3: Overall this was enjoyable but a definite cut below Seasons 1 and 2. I have doubts about where the show is headed, The original dynamic of the show is gone, and it seems that everyone at SCDP are now old chums. A few episodes ago, Roger and Don weren't speaking - now Bert/Don/Roger are the 3 Amigos. One moment Pete is full of resentment at Don and S&C, the next he's off with the 3 Amigos and new firm.

And Season 3 really tread water in many respects. Peggy disappeared, Pete did nothing except cheat on Trudy and be unhappy, the British takeover never amounted to much, and neither did the school teacher or Hilton. Further, Joan left and now is back.

I hope Season 4 is better. Can Mad Men continue without turning into a Soap Opera? Time will tell. Episode 13 ****stars; Overall Season 3 - ***

Good Sites

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Salon

Mad Men - Season 3 - The Grownups

Synopsis
Its November 22, 1963 and we all know what that means. At work, Pete gets the bad news, he's lost the promotion to Ken and he doesn't take it well. Peggy and Duck continue their affair and Roger continues the wedding despite the assassination. At home, Betty tells Don she doesn't love him, Mr. Rockefeller asks Betty to marry him.


The Good

• Both Hamm and January do a good job of showing their changed relationship
• Roger knows how to make a speech
• Pete going home sick after getting the bad news
• Duck unplugging the TV so Peggy won't be "distracted"
• The terrible artwork on Peggy's Desk - yes, Sal is missed - good touch
• The kids sensing somethings wrong when Mom doesn't say goodbye to Don
• Roger and Joan's telephone call - those two have chemistry baby

The Bad

• Too much time spent showing Walter Cronkite and our characters watching the TV.
• Betty telling Don she didn't love him came out of nowhere.
• Everyone's a little too broken up about Kennedy.

Other Matters
Having everyone on Mad Men watching Walter Cronkite and being devastated by the assassination was bad TV and a little over-dramatic. The fact is, in 1963 a lot of people didn't like Kennedy or just didn't care about politics. Others were saddened by the news - but didn't obsess over it and got on with their lives. My mother, for example, was scandalized that many of her friends complained about the endless "boring" assassination TV coverage - they wanted to watch their soaps!

Its looks like Don and Betty are headed for divorce court. Probably a good thing, since the Don-Betty relationship had nowhere else to go. Given how Don has behaved a divorce is really quite reasonable. Don has constantly cheated on Betty, he lied to her about who he is and he's shut her out of his life at work. Other than money and the kids why would Betty want to stay with Don? On the plus side, a divorced (or separated) Don will be able to play the field more openly - which should be interesting.

Overall Rating
Mixed. But after watching a 2nd time better than I first thought Some good moments - January did some good acting - however, seeing our characters watch TV and talk about the Kennedy assassination was kinda boring. On the plus side, the episode set us up for some excitement ahead *** stars.

Mad Men Season 3 - The Hobo and the Gypsy

Synopsis
Betty shows Don the contents of his "Secret Drawer" and asks questions. After a stiff drink, Don provides the answers, and tells the truth, mostly. At the office, Roger meets an old flame but remains true to his child bride, and then helps Joan out with a new job. Finally, Dr. Butterfingers joins the army and the schoolteacher cries when Don ends their affair.


The Good

• So, that's why Betty didn't get a locksmith
• So, that's why Don put all his secret papers in desk drawer, thanks writers.
• Hamm acts up a storm
• Roger and Joan's telephone call
• January acts up a storm
• Excellent Don-Betty confrontation - Betty doesn't give him any room to run
• Roger gets more than a couple one-liners
• Joan hits her husband with a vase
• "Casablanca, that woman got on a plane with a man who was going to end World War II, not run her father's dog food company."
• Hendricks looked really hot this episode
• Don leaving the schoolteacher in the caddy - then forgetting her

The Bad

• Betty takes the baby trick or treating - give me a break. They're wealthy by the standards of 1962. they couldn't get Carla to stay late?
  

Other Matters
The lawyer seem mistaken in so many ways. First, it'd be easy for Betty to prove adultery, secondly in the 60s the wife always got the kids, third, Betty would have gotten a good alimony settlement. Why the writers had the lawyer lie is puzzling.

Both Roger and his old girlfriend need to watch Casablanca again - Ingrid didn't get on a plane with anyone.

Overall Rating
Most excellent. The best episode this far and will probably will earn Hamm an Emmy nomination. The show is always at its best when it focuses in on Don. Where does the show go from here? I have no idea - and that's great. **** stars.

Good Reviews:
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Mad Men - Season 3 - The Color Blue

Synopsis

Betty opens Don's "Secret Drawer" and discovers Don isn't who she thinks he is. Don continues his affair with the School teacher and meets her brother. At the office, we learn the Brits plan on Selling S&C, while Paul gets a great idea - but then loses it..

The Good

• No Conrad Hilton
• Peggy coming up with a Campaign on the spot. Paul realization that Peggy really better than him was well-acted.
• "Does Mona know about?"
• Paul's getting an idea, then losing
• "Who told you I was Vain? Please, its obvious."
• "Churchill rousing or Hitler rousing?"
• Betty calling Mr. Rockefeller Aide & being shot down
• Betty NOT having a cliched confrontation with Don - excellent
• Don and the Teacher on the train

The Bad

• The Hokey way Betty finds out about Don's past.
• The Selling of S&C - so the whole Brit takeover was a shaggy dog story?

Other Matters

My biggest disappointment was the WAY in which Betty finds out about Don's past. I mean, a secret drawer?! If Betty wanted to open that Drawer - all she had to do was call a locksmith. You can argue Don WANTED Betty to find out, or didn't care. But if Don really wanted to keep a secret its unbelievable that he'd put all his secret documents in desk drawer with a wife who has nothing to do all day. Safe Deposit Box anyone?

Whether free Spirit or kook, the teacher-Don relationship seems fated to end badly. Another Don misjudgment - but in character.

Will the sale of S&C open the way for Sal and Joan to get back and will the Duck be involved?

Overall Rating Only a few episodes left this season and things are finally moving. There were so many good things about this episode. Good thing the focus is back on Don and his juggling act. Looking ahead, the story possibilities are endless. It'll be interesting to see if the MM writers can keep up the quality and stay away from cliches. **** stars.

Good Reviews:
Tim Goodman
Whats Allan Watching?

Mad Men - Season 3 -Wee small hours

Synopsis
Betty wants, then doesn't want, to have an affair with Mr. Rockefeller aide. Sal gets fired. Don starts another relationship - this time with the schoolteacher while disappointing Conrad Hilton at work.

The Good

• January gets another chance to show her acting ability
  
• We're back to the old Don - focused on work
  
• Sal's Firing brought some needed drama to the office.

The Bad

• Another Don affair with the wrong woman. Predictably, Don had no trouble getting another one - whose next after this one - Liz Taylor?
• Too much Conrad Hilton.
  

Other Matters
Don's gotten a lot of heat from fans for firing Sal and saying "you people" but he really had no choice. As stated, Lucky is a $25 million dollar account, and Sal's a replaceable employee. And of course, we know the truth about the incident but Don doesn't. We know Sal is the victim, but Don doesn't. He just knows he told Sal to "Lessen your exposure" and now he's in some kind of Gay Sex thing with Mr. Lucky Stripes. He probably wondered why Mr. Lucky Stripes even knew Sal was gay, no doubt he thought Sal did something, hence his comment "You People". And how exactly could he have defended Sal to Roger or Bert? Lets see, "Gee guys, Sal's gay -and he has sex with bell-boys - but he's the victim, because he doesn't put out for just anybody. We need to take his word over the client." I bet Roger would have been very sympathetic.

No doubt if Don had cried and raged against the homophobia of 1963 and then fired Sal , most of the critics would like him better, but the end result would be the same.

Finally, the main villain at S&C isn't Roger/Don but Harry, who should have immediately told Roger or Pete when the call was made to fire Sal. Above all, Harry should have excluded Sal from the meeting. Why was he there? If you're going for "he'll forget in time" then keep him out of sight!

Overall Rating
The Sal firing and Bettys affair made this show enjoyable. I dreaded the Teacher-Don affair, and Conrad Hilton is becoming a tiresome bore... *** stars.

Good Reviews:
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Mad Men - Season 3 Souvenir

Synopsis
Betty wins the Reservoir fight and goes with Dan to Rome. Pete meanwhile stays in the City alone and cleans a dress, meets Jane managing a dress shop, and has a fling with the nanny next door. Sally kisses a boy then beats up her brother.

The Good

• Finally a show that shows Betty in a good light, now we know why Don married her.
• The shot of Sally and Betty in the same mirror was great.
• January looked great (except for the beehive) the entire episode
• Pete and Jane's encounter, well-written and acted
• Betty's look when Mr. Rockefeller aide kisses her.
• Pete's look of guilt and terror when the Nanny's boss confronts him
• Pete shifting the blame to Trudy for his infidelity

The Bad

• No Roger
• Betty's Beehive hairdo - ugh.

Other Matters
Jane's now working as a manager in a dress shop and tells Pete her husband is thinking of Psychiatry. Good - you can't kill a patient with a pad and pencil.

Pete and Trudy seem to following the script from "Seven Year Itch" where all the wives leave New York in August while the men continue to work. Of course, most New Yorkers in 1963 couldn't leave for the summer- only the middle and upper classes.

Overall Rating The show takes a break from the office and focuses on only 3 characters: Don, Betty, and Pete. An above average show which shows Betty (in a good way) and gave January some time to shine. Pete was his usual bad little boy self. ***1/2 stars.

Good Reviews
Tim Goodman
Basket of Kisses
Whats Allen Watching

Mad Men - Season 3 - Seven-Twenty-Three

Synopsis
At the office, Conrad Hilton signs with the Agency resulting in Roger/Bert pressuring Don to sign a 3 contract. Meanwhile, Peggy sees both a part of Duck usually hidden from his co-workers and the bad side of Don. At Home, Betty meets with that Handsome Rockefeller aide to save a reservoir and explore other possibilities. And Don -feeling trapped takes another drive on the wild side.



The Good

• Archie's joke was good.
• Bert: "After all, when it comes down to it, who's really signing the contract, anyway?"
• Betty hanging up on Roger when he calls about the contract.
• The Duck making the move on Peggy
  
• The show focusing on Don again.
  
• The School teacher shooting down Don.
  
• Peggy wearing the same clothes the next morning after her encounter with Duck
  
• Don's chewing out Peggy - Don can be a real bastard sometimes.
• The whole Betty-Henry Francis interaction was well done. In fact, this was the first episode (this season) where Betty isn't shown as a childish bitch. As shown in Season 2, Betty wants to help Don at his job and expects Don to confide her - but he won't.
  
• Bert: (on Connie) "I met him once. He's a bit of an eccentric, isn't he?" - pot meet kettle.

The Bad

• The Hitchhikers talking about the Draft/Vietnam seemed out-of-place. The draft was at a low point in 1963 and while Vietnam was becoming more prominent in the news, no one was discussing sending more troops. In 1963, it was just military advisers.
• Don's going to motel room with the Hitchhikers. Yes, Don had been drinking but Don is nobody fool and is street smart. The only incentive would be to have sex with the girl, but the hitch-hikers story/behavior makes that unlikely. So why did he go there, except to advance the plot?
  
• Seeing Duck and Peggy in bed - a discreet fade out after the kiss would have been sufficient, thank you very much.
  

Other Matters
Don is incredulous when a father tells him at school that he "runs" everyday. People forget that even as late as the early 70s people thought you were a "health nut" if you jogged or ran. I think it was Dr. Cooper with his book "Aerobics" and Jim Fixx who really made jogging popular.

Would Roger really call Betty to get her to pressure Don about the contract? I don't see that as a good idea from any angle. I think Roger would have been smart enough to know that.

Overall Rating
An excellent show, almost all drama, which focused on 3 of the 4 main characters - Peggy, Don and Betty. Don was more of a dis-likable character in this episode -which is good. He was turning into a liberal hero. And Don's locked in to 3 more years at Sterling and Cooper - so the show will stay at S&C till 1966. **** stars.

Good Reviews
Basket of Kisses
Whats Allen Watching

Mad Men - Season 3 - Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency

Synopsis
The Brits come to visit and leave something for the Mad Men to remember them by. Don and Roger kiss and make up - Joan meanwhile, has a going away party and learns her Husband won't be a Surgeon - just a MD. At home, Sally gets a new Barbie Doll and learns babies aren't ghosts.


The Good

• The cobra as a gift.
• Kinsey & the whole beard/guitar/marxist shtick - what a poseur.
• One of your greatest qualities is you always do what you're told
• "I'm being punished for making my job look easy"
  
• "I feel like I've been to my own funeral, and I didn't like the eulogy"
  
• Cleaning the blood off the glass- nice touch .
  
• "It looks like Iwo Jima in here"
• Peggy fainting and Pete catching her
  
• Poor Guy, women drivers -'nough said.
  
• Joan springing into action.
  
• Sally screaming at the Barbie (needs to watch less Twilight Zone)
  

The Bad

• Betty just gets more and more bitchy. The writers are overdoing it.
  
• Is that a new kid actor playing Don's Son? He doesn't look anything like him.
  

Other Matters
As a practical matter, wouldn't be rather difficult to run over someone's foot with a Small JD tractor? You'd have to hit them at just the right angle, otherwise they' d get bumped first or would jump out of the way. And how do you get a JD tractor into a large Manhattan office building all the way up to the 20th floor. Ken must have some hidden talents.


The Profumo Scandal

Joan Harris: Well, we can hire some prostitutes. I know your prime minister enjoys their company.

John Hooker: Secretary of war. You do best not to bring that up tomorrow.

Little did Joan know that JFK liked prostitutes too -lots of them. Those and Gangsters girlfriends and Marilyn Monroe. According to Harold Macmillan JFK stated he had to have sex every day otherwise he got headaches.

Overall Rating
Another comic (well, black comedy) episode highlighting the office. And Joan gets some excellent screen time. Probably the best episode this season, although it looks like the writers are adrift in portraying Don's homelife. The lawnmower bit was a gimmick - but still fun.
**** stars.

Good Reviews
Basket of Kisses
Whats Allen Watching

Mad Men - Season 3 - The Fog

Synopsis Betty has a baby and some drug hallucinations, At work, Don battles the "Penny-wise Pound Foolish" Brits while Pete tries to sell some TVs. Other subplots: Sally's teacher seems interested in Don. and the Duck returns and asks Penny and Pete to join him at Greys.

The Good

• Peggy asking Don for Raise.
• The Return of the Duck.
• Pete to Peggy "Your decisions affect me"
• The whole Pete Admiral TV subplot
• Paul quoting Marx - arch-typical 60s liberal behavior
  
• Betty having a baby, well done
  

The Bad

• Sally's teacher coming on to Don - I know he's a babe magnet, but really.
  
• The prison guard in the Delivery waiting room. Why do TV shows have such a hard time writing believable, likable, blue-collar types? The whole character seemed phony to me.
  
• Betty's overly whiny behavior. This is her third baby, I think she knows the drill by now. And isn't she a WASP? As a part-WASP I can tell you we do "stiff upper lip" rather well.
  
• The reaction of the Admiral TV execs to advertising their TV's to "Negroes" was incredibly overdone. One Admiral exec actually asks Pete if its "legal" to have Blacks/Whites do commercials together, Simply unbelievable. Blacks/whites had been on TV shows together by 1962. Nate King Cole had his own show in 1956, and Belefonte won an Emmy in 1960.
  

Other Matters
To make up for the lack of Black characters, Mad men usually shows its occasional black character in the best light. This time its the African American elevator operator who comes off as classy and informed vs. the clueless, naive Pete.

Overall Rating
The show has stopped treading water and the story is finally advancing - although Don is still in the background. But there's still time to get back to Don Draper, (Season 4 was picked up). ***1/2 stars.

Best Review

SF-gate Tim Goodman

"See, the entertaining part of "Mad Men" looking back at who we were and how we acted resides in all those scenes we never really saw anywhere else (and if they were attempted, they weren't quite as good). You know, like when the Draper kids are playing with that dry cleaning bag but get lectured about messing up the clothing. Or the lack of car seats... "Mad Men" does that extremely well. But talking about race and gender - few series can pull that off without looking like an ABC "Afterschool Special" or some other kind of obvious civics lesson. It's a pop culture millstone. We've seen it too often. There is no element of surprise to it. Even in the best series on television, I'm not sure the treatment can rise above passably good. Since "The Fog" was so much about race - Medgar Evers was as importantly prominent in this episode as references to John F. Kennedy were in last week's episode - and also about gender issues, there was a tone to it that had a somber lecture-heavy "importance" stamped on its figurative forehead.

That's not where "Mad Men" is going to do its best work. Obviously, the changing times MUST affect Sterling Cooper, Don Draper and others. But the danger that "Mad Men" faces, the one I've dreaded for two seasons and four episodes prior, is in the handling of the telling of what we already know. Too much of the "Hey, there sure is a lot of racism out there" or "What? Women get paid less than men? That's outrageous!" will lead down a too-familiar path. There is a delicate balance, to be sure - and we still have so much to discover, timeline-wise, and then to have the characters marinate in those discoveries. But "Mad Men" (despite what some people want it to prod at), never really came to life as a fictional assessment of turbulent times. It sprang to life as an examination of the weird emotional cocktail inside Don Draper's skull."

Mad Men - Season 3 - The Arrangements

Synopsis
Another not much happens episode. We say goodbye to Gene, who goes to that Big Dough-boy Parade in the Sky. Meanwhile, Peggy decides to move to Manhattan and searches for a new roommate, while Sal makes the move to TV director and his wife uneasy. Oh, and Pete takes a rich old college friend to the cleaners.

The Good

• The whole Jai Lai subplot was well done and funny.
• Joan telling Peggy how to write a Roommate wanted ad.
• Gene letting Sally drive (Brings back memories)
• The prank phone call to Peggy (Hilarious)
  
• The Bye Bye Birdie Video ( it was off wasn't it?)
  
• Peggy's smirk to Don after the Video aired.
  
• Gene and Betty's Conversation about his Death.
  

The Bad

• Don's comment about a "Dead Man's Hat". After his obvious distaste for Roger's Black-face, is Don running for liberal prig of the year?
• Sally's little speech at the end "Why are you laughing"? The thrust of the speech was good - but the words and reactions were simply too advanced for a little girl of eight.
  
• Peggy's mother's reaction to her moving to Manhattan. Yes, I"m sure Ma never thought her Daughter "The Big Ad Exec" would ever, ever, move to Manhattan - a whole 1 hour away (Sarcasm off) The whole scene struck me as overdone. Are Irish Mothers really this dramatic? Maybe I'm too much of a cold-blooded Protestant.
  

Other Matters
Gene digs out an old WWI German Helmet and gives it to Draper Junior. He tells Grandson that he personally killed the German (not likely) and the that hole in the helmet is where Gene shot him and the gunk around the hole is "Dried blood". (45 year old blood -Ha). Problem is, the helmet, is a Prussian "dress" or "parade ground" Helmet - not a Combat Helmet. Any German soldier in a combat zone would be wearing the famous steel "Coal-shuttle" helmet, Was that a goof, or was it another detail to show Grandpa as a teller of tall tales?

And yes, some Norwegians marry Catholics and either (1) convert or (2) are perfectly happy to raise the kids as Catholics.

Overall Rating
Except for Gene's death, a lighthearted almost comic episode. Not bad. But enough treading water, lets get the story moving.. *** stars.

Good Reviews
Basket of Kisses
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Slate

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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The House Next Door