Mad Men – It’s Getting Grim

 

*Warning – Spoilers ahead from the recent episode of Mad Men.*

There’s only one more new episode left in the fifth season of Mad Men and damn, has it gotten grim. A bright, upstart suffered one too many insults and attacks from her mentor last week and headed out the door of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The savvy office manager was pimped out by the partners in order to land the Jaguar account.

And now one of the named partners -- who embezzled money from the firm and forged the signature of a man who stole his identity from someone else and fears being caught by the feds -- hanged himself in his office. Oh, and Sally is now sneaking around New York City with that creepy Glen kid with his cheesy adolescent lip fuzz.

Remember how the elevator door opened in a mid-season episode and Don peered down the empty elevator shaft, seemingly thankful he didn’t absent-mindedly just step forward once the doors opened? Remember how some of the promos for this season featured the stark image of a falling man, similar to the ones we see in the opening credits? Was this all meant to form a meta-analogy of Don watching things fall apart around him? Again? Everything from the team he created to his reputation among the big companies (who are still angry about his Lucky Strike letter)?

Don -- whose own brother Adam also hanged himself after Don gave him money and his walking papers -- experienced an eerie echo of that scenario in this episode, entitled, “Commissions and Fees,” when Lane was told by Don to keep the money he’d embezzled – Don would cover it – as Don told Lane to just walk away from the firm, resign, leave, skedaddle because Don couldn’t trust him (like Don didn’t trust his brother not to wreck the life he’d created for himself with a stolen identity).

Don has now come face-to-face with death (the last time he did so he was in Korea). Because he told Lane he had to go. (It was only by chance that Don’s new prestige client – the landing of which was sullied by Joan prostituting herself – wasn’t sabotaged by Lane committing suicide inside a Jaguar simply because, ironically, it wouldn’t start.)

What will this all mean to Don, who seems to want to focus on his work and lost boys (seeing a young Dick Whitman in Glen I’m betting), and has returned to form, treating his wife Megan as though she’s no longer a marital equal, that she no longer merits notification that she’s going to be saddled with the care of his daughter and that no longer needs to be consulted on stuff? He's already ditched her at HoJos, and now he's acting like she's a brunette Betty 2.0.

Even the so-called enlightenment that Roger experienced on LSD, which he found so beautiful and significant, has disappeared into thin air, worn off, Roger told Don. Does that mean the newness and freshness of Don's new start with Megan has worn off? That the bubble of the enlightenment that Don found in his new marriage has burst?

At the same time, there was some attempt at an analogy meant to be forged with Sally “becoming a woman,” her girlhood passing her by as she’s hanging out with Megan and her friend and gabbing about the color of pubic hair, drinking sugar and coffee, donning white go-go boots and making clandestine plans with Glen to meet together.

Given the way this season has unfolded, there’s no telling what will happen in next week’s season finale, called, “The Phantom.” Any predictions?

Image credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC.

Mad Men -- What in the Hare Krishna is Goin' on Here?

*Warning: Spoilers ahead from the latest episode of Mad Men.*

Joan and Don flirted in a bar after taking a bright red Jaguar for a spin. And they didn't wind up sleeping together.

Paul Kinsey joined the Hare Krishnas and shaved his head.

Harry Crane had sex in the office with a Hare Krishna leader Lakshmi, a woman for whom Paul not only has feelings but wants to build a life with her. Guilty Harry handed Paul money and urged him to flee to Hollywood to follow his dreams.

Megan channeled Betty Draper as she raged about Don blowing off dinner and not telling her where he was all night.

Lane embezzled thousands of dollars from Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and forged Don's signature. (Oh the delicious irony of Don -- who stole his identity from a dead man -- having his signature forged.)

Roger, who sported some hideous attire in this episode, actually told Joan he wanted to be responsible -- Roger Sterling, responsible! -- and pay child support for Kevin.

To quote Liz Lemon . . . What the what? For yet another week in this very different fifth season from the previous four, events seemed out of whack. (At least there were no semi-naked shots of Rory Gilmore.) Characters behaved, well, out of character so much so that I have no idea what to expect from anyone next week. Will Joan burn her bra? Will Roger join the priesthood? Pete join the anti-war movement?

For example, we already knew that there was more to Lane than his all-business, musty British demeanor. He wanted to leave his wife last season. He had an affair with an African-American Playboy bunny. He drunkenly shouted at a movie screen and later a fine restaurant -- remember the slab of steak he held up as his belt buckle? -- with Don before the two of them busied themselves with women of the evening.

Lane isn't a shrinking violet by any means, the man who "sacked" Don, Roger and Burt in order to afford them a head start to launch their new firm with which he'd be a partner. But I never pegged Lane as an embezzler or someone who'd mess with the books for his own personal gain. He's the guy who chastised Joan last year for wanting to spend "too much" on a Christmas party, then had to turn around and throw a pricey shindig because Lee Garner Jr. announced he'd be making an appearance. A commenter on a TV blog posed an interesting query: On what is Lane spending all his money? Why is he suddenly skint?

As for Joan, I'd completely understand if she wants to wash her hands of Roger's immaturity and is fed up with men in general, especially after Greg's self-serving stunt with the divorce papers. But it doesn't seem to make sense for Kevin's future financial well being, that she'd spurn Roger's offer of monetary support. It's short-sighted and Joan's not usually short-sighted. But hey, at least she didn't melt into Don's arms when he asked her to dance. Now THEY would've made an intriguing couple. If Joan had danced with Don and made it clear that she was open to more, I wonder if Don would've slept with her or said, "Thanks but no thanks."

While the light in Don's eyes from having Megan work on his creative team has been extinguished -- severely disappointing Don who'd sloughed his work to the side in favor of doting on his new wife -- Megan is now wading into Betty territory (although when she chucked the dinner plate against the wall it reminded me of when Don hurled Bobby's toy against the wall after Betty urged him to "do something" when Bobby was misbehaving during dinner). However I don't think Don's a fan of this side of Megan, not when she's yelling at him or openly criticizing Don's profession. Was it her rejection of advertising that set the fire under Don's behind again and prompted him to make that rousing speech about the Jaguar account, recommitting himself to his work?

Last, but not least, the Hare Krishna thing. Paul in that get-up. Harry falling for Lakshmi's line that she was "burning" for him. Harry, not known for being generous with anyone, giving his now floundering colleague a whole lot of money and a load of encouraging words. This I did not see coming. At. All. I was glad to see old Paul though, I'd been wondering what had become of him, just like I wonder whether we'll see Sal Romano again, or his wife Kitty who's busy wrecking her medical career over on Grey's Anatomy.

Image credit: Jordin Althaus/AMC.