Mad Men: The Gypsy & the Hobo
Oct. 26th, 2009 06:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
falafel_musingsThe Gypsy & the Hobo: Review
Man...it's very early in the morning but my sleep pattern hasn't accounted for the clocks going back so it looks like I have time for my weekly MM review before work. First off, let me say that I'm not going to bitch about the Don/Betty focus this episode. My criticism still stands that their story has had too far much screentime in S3 and the sidelining of other characters has weakened the quality (and my enjoyment) of the show.
But this episode I thought Don/Betty drama was powerful and worth it.
I actually don't have very much to say about it. Well, other than I wasn't bored and I thought it was well-written. I thought the way Betty handled the situation was very mature. I like that she took a breather and examined her options first. For herself, I don't think Betty is afraid of divorcing Don, but she is having to consider the children too. I loved how Betty shielded them from the confrontation and how she was prepared to call a temporary truce (yes, I think it is only temporary) so that the kids could enjoy their trick or treating. And people say Betty is a horrible mother? Please. I loved how Betty went about confronting Don too. How she was patient with him and heard him out, while remaining a hardass (as she rightfully should). As for Don, I like that he admitted defeat over this, something he was unwilling to do when Betty confronted him about his infidelity in S2. I liked the feeling of relief in the confessing to his biggest lie. But most of all, I've been waiting three seasons for Don to express some grief and guilt over Adam. I finally got it. And it was worth waiting for. So yeah, I thought this was the best Don/Betty stuff we have had all season. It reminded me that I don't want to hate these characters. I just wish other stories and characters were not being cut down so severely because of them.
Oh, and I loved Don's lie that the army took him for Don Draper "by mistake". Like he didn't purposefully switch those dogtags around. It reminded me of Pete claiming that Don Draper's package came to him "by mistake". Two men who stole Don Draper's name and then claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.
The low point of the episode (again) was Don/Miss Farrell. It's easily Don's most tedious affair so far (and that's saying something because they were all tedious) and the most boring predictable story that MM has ever done. Yes, it was obvious from the start that Don was going to end up banging the hot teacher, just like it is obvious now that Farrell is going to turn all bunny boiler on Don's ass at the worst possible time. Maybe if they hadn't spend so much unnecessary screentime on this story, it would have some subtlety and we would be shocked by Farrell's inevitable stalkerish revenge. Instead I'm just waiting for them to get it over with. Anything to end Farrell's role in the show. Her character is such an appalling contrivance to serve Don's story.
Maybe absence has made my heart grow fonder, but Joan's story in this episode was my favourite. Joan and Greg's story really is being written with grace and maturity and I'm kinda shocked how invested I've felt in their marriage in S3. I love the way the writer's continue to humanise Greg. Most fans still hate and demonise this character, but I'm finding it really tiresome now because (like most characters on this show) Greg's character completely understandable and even sympathetic. I find this marriage so interesting, because in this case it is the wife who has all the career talent and ability, and the husband who is really just a trophy husband who the wife wants to show off. I actually felt a bit sad for both of them at the start of this episode when they were doing the mock job interview. Already it's so obvious that Joan would be infinitely better at psychiatry than Greg, just like she would be better at most proffessions. And Greg is feeling the pressure so much that he is becoming self-destructive and volitile.
This is a man who is terrified of failing his wife. Looking back, even the rape scene was an example of Greg trying desperately not to fail Joan. The build up to that scene was Greg realising that Joan was very sexually experienced and sexually powerful. Even as Greg is pinning Joan down on the floor he says to her - "This is what you want, right?" See, I don't think Greg is an evil guy. I think he is just a dumb and desperate guy. I've always said that Joan should leave Greg for her own sake, but this episode made me think that Greg should leave this marriage for his own sake too. Joan had very high expectations of what she wanted in a husband and Greg is going nuts with his inability to meet them. Which did result in some awesome black comedy - Joan smashing the vase over Greg's head. Everyone has been waiting for Greg to be physically abusive again, so I just thought it was inspired that Joan was violent towards him instead. And Greg declaring "You're insane, you know that?" Really, what an awesome shrink Greg would have made.
I knew someone was going to Vietnam. I had been looking worriedly at the younger Sterling Cooper guys so I was surprised when Greg announced that he had joined the army. Fuck. I know this gesture won't redeem Greg for everyone but I was quite moved that the stupid oaf put his life on the line just so Joan could have everything she wanted. And the most depressing part? Joan doesn't even want it anymore. You could see by the way Joan conducted the job interview and her private phone call to Roger. Joan misses working. She is every bit as ambitious as Peggy and she never admitted it to herself. Joanie!!
Another weak spot in this episode for me was Roger's story. I think this is consequence of the very inequal screentime in S3. We haven't touched upon Roger's personal story since ep3. For me, that is too damn long and I felt disconnected coming back to Roger now. And the whole story with Roger's old flame seemed divicive - a way to prove that Roger does honestly love Jane, something which I had already bought into since their slow dance at the end of the Deerby party. The main purpose of the dog food plotline just seemed to be how it was time to drop the old name on the can; nothing but a shoutout to Don dropping his name.
Anyway, I liked this weeks better than the last two weeks, but I still think they've lost the Mad Men comedy somewhere mid-season and yes please God can we have Pete back because I'm starting to forget what he looks like. Oh dear. From the previews it looks like Pete is getting demoted from Head of Accounts. Which means they'll be a lot of names going on the shotgun list. Yay! Looks like we get Peggy, Lane, Trudy and Duck next week too. Absence makes the heart grow fonder indeed.
Man...it's very early in the morning but my sleep pattern hasn't accounted for the clocks going back so it looks like I have time for my weekly MM review before work. First off, let me say that I'm not going to bitch about the Don/Betty focus this episode. My criticism still stands that their story has had too far much screentime in S3 and the sidelining of other characters has weakened the quality (and my enjoyment) of the show.
But this episode I thought Don/Betty drama was powerful and worth it.
I actually don't have very much to say about it. Well, other than I wasn't bored and I thought it was well-written. I thought the way Betty handled the situation was very mature. I like that she took a breather and examined her options first. For herself, I don't think Betty is afraid of divorcing Don, but she is having to consider the children too. I loved how Betty shielded them from the confrontation and how she was prepared to call a temporary truce (yes, I think it is only temporary) so that the kids could enjoy their trick or treating. And people say Betty is a horrible mother? Please. I loved how Betty went about confronting Don too. How she was patient with him and heard him out, while remaining a hardass (as she rightfully should). As for Don, I like that he admitted defeat over this, something he was unwilling to do when Betty confronted him about his infidelity in S2. I liked the feeling of relief in the confessing to his biggest lie. But most of all, I've been waiting three seasons for Don to express some grief and guilt over Adam. I finally got it. And it was worth waiting for. So yeah, I thought this was the best Don/Betty stuff we have had all season. It reminded me that I don't want to hate these characters. I just wish other stories and characters were not being cut down so severely because of them.
Oh, and I loved Don's lie that the army took him for Don Draper "by mistake". Like he didn't purposefully switch those dogtags around. It reminded me of Pete claiming that Don Draper's package came to him "by mistake". Two men who stole Don Draper's name and then claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.
The low point of the episode (again) was Don/Miss Farrell. It's easily Don's most tedious affair so far (and that's saying something because they were all tedious) and the most boring predictable story that MM has ever done. Yes, it was obvious from the start that Don was going to end up banging the hot teacher, just like it is obvious now that Farrell is going to turn all bunny boiler on Don's ass at the worst possible time. Maybe if they hadn't spend so much unnecessary screentime on this story, it would have some subtlety and we would be shocked by Farrell's inevitable stalkerish revenge. Instead I'm just waiting for them to get it over with. Anything to end Farrell's role in the show. Her character is such an appalling contrivance to serve Don's story.
Maybe absence has made my heart grow fonder, but Joan's story in this episode was my favourite. Joan and Greg's story really is being written with grace and maturity and I'm kinda shocked how invested I've felt in their marriage in S3. I love the way the writer's continue to humanise Greg. Most fans still hate and demonise this character, but I'm finding it really tiresome now because (like most characters on this show) Greg's character completely understandable and even sympathetic. I find this marriage so interesting, because in this case it is the wife who has all the career talent and ability, and the husband who is really just a trophy husband who the wife wants to show off. I actually felt a bit sad for both of them at the start of this episode when they were doing the mock job interview. Already it's so obvious that Joan would be infinitely better at psychiatry than Greg, just like she would be better at most proffessions. And Greg is feeling the pressure so much that he is becoming self-destructive and volitile.
This is a man who is terrified of failing his wife. Looking back, even the rape scene was an example of Greg trying desperately not to fail Joan. The build up to that scene was Greg realising that Joan was very sexually experienced and sexually powerful. Even as Greg is pinning Joan down on the floor he says to her - "This is what you want, right?" See, I don't think Greg is an evil guy. I think he is just a dumb and desperate guy. I've always said that Joan should leave Greg for her own sake, but this episode made me think that Greg should leave this marriage for his own sake too. Joan had very high expectations of what she wanted in a husband and Greg is going nuts with his inability to meet them. Which did result in some awesome black comedy - Joan smashing the vase over Greg's head. Everyone has been waiting for Greg to be physically abusive again, so I just thought it was inspired that Joan was violent towards him instead. And Greg declaring "You're insane, you know that?" Really, what an awesome shrink Greg would have made.
I knew someone was going to Vietnam. I had been looking worriedly at the younger Sterling Cooper guys so I was surprised when Greg announced that he had joined the army. Fuck. I know this gesture won't redeem Greg for everyone but I was quite moved that the stupid oaf put his life on the line just so Joan could have everything she wanted. And the most depressing part? Joan doesn't even want it anymore. You could see by the way Joan conducted the job interview and her private phone call to Roger. Joan misses working. She is every bit as ambitious as Peggy and she never admitted it to herself. Joanie!!
Another weak spot in this episode for me was Roger's story. I think this is consequence of the very inequal screentime in S3. We haven't touched upon Roger's personal story since ep3. For me, that is too damn long and I felt disconnected coming back to Roger now. And the whole story with Roger's old flame seemed divicive - a way to prove that Roger does honestly love Jane, something which I had already bought into since their slow dance at the end of the Deerby party. The main purpose of the dog food plotline just seemed to be how it was time to drop the old name on the can; nothing but a shoutout to Don dropping his name.
Anyway, I liked this weeks better than the last two weeks, but I still think they've lost the Mad Men comedy somewhere mid-season and yes please God can we have Pete back because I'm starting to forget what he looks like. Oh dear. From the previews it looks like Pete is getting demoted from Head of Accounts. Which means they'll be a lot of names going on the shotgun list. Yay! Looks like we get Peggy, Lane, Trudy and Duck next week too. Absence makes the heart grow fonder indeed.
