Mad Men Watch: Love Child, Never Meant to Be

At first, I thought the theory of the Jew passing as a gentile, as James P. calls it, was put to rest when Dick said he was "whore child." But then I thought his dad could have just been lying to him about his mother. Or that his dad would just use the word whore for Jewish woman. I don't really know. But I love how they aren't giving too much away about Don's past. Only little teases here and there.

I agreed about the Salvatore storyline as well. I was thinking to myself that I have seen this storyline so many times on TV and in the movies. I've seen an interview where Matthew Weiner said that he doesn't like do anything that he's seen of TV. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that it ended up that the Sal's story is a little more complicated.

I've say it almost every Friday it seems but I have to say it again. Mad Men is the best new show of 2007.

I just completely love this show. I resisted it for a while, but then I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I feel utterly enmeshed in Draper's life--in fact, I'm emotionally entangled with nearly all the characters except Don's dull bo-ho chick on the side.

I'm actually a little surprised this show isn't garnering accolades all over. Not only is it smart and funny -- and historically relevant -- but it's got all the romantic coming and going of a soap opera. Plus, it's nice to glimpse a time when people weren't so myopically obsessed with their health that they actually indulged sans guilt. A nice glass of brandy, a good cigar, a steak and a well-made martini. The women have hips and breasts; the men wear hats. If you could dispense with all the sexism, racism and homophobia, I'd say that equals good times.

Yeah, besides the overt reference to Atlas Shrugged, there's the nod in subtext to Camus' The Stranger ("the universe is indifferent!") and, more of a stretch, Keruoac's On The Road, with the link between the hobo and the beatniks.

Was Weiner an English major with a minor in Philosphy?

The Internet campaign has had some effect. And/or, the captioner is dissing me.

Okay, maybe I'm taking this a little too personally. And granted, there weren't many opportunities for screwing up in last night's basic dialogue.

The reference to Tokay wine? The captioner used the Hungarian spelling (Tokaj). Just to make me think it was a mistake?

Almost perfect score, captioner. Granted, it's a long time since Kennedy Airport was called Idlewild (1963), but it was never Idyllwild. Very poetic, but one demerit nonetheless.

I didn't think Sal's storyline was going another way, so that wasn't really a twist for me, but a pleasant surprise was that the guys really did use Peggy's copy and acknowledged that in the office. Everyone but Joan was genuinely happy for her. I was expecting something to go wrong, so it was nice to have it go another way. Of course, Peggy's still weirdly attached to Pete and lets him make her cry at her celebration, but still.

I love how Don can, a little while after giving away $5000 to keep his brother quiet, just give his $2500 bonus to his mistress without a second thought. Maybe it was because he was high. We know how much Pete makes (though I forget the exact number), but how much would Don be making?

I'm with you on the characters being tough to figure out, but I haven't yet figured out if it's in a good way or not. Still, the show's growing on me.

this episode ruled, the show rules...i love it!

Thanx for the link to Sepinwall's Blog---lots more posts which illuminate both Peggy and Salvatore. Here's what I also commented upon there:

Thanx for the insightful blogging re these characters. The link between Ayn Rand and "The Universe is indifferent" was telling of that era. It's the little things I like about the show, like a few episodes back when Don's neutrotic wife was reading from "The Bookhouse Books" to her children. I find Peggy one ofe most interesting characters: her plainess, slightly dumpy and squareheaded, but intuitively bright and very sympathetic and empathetic and sexually agressive--she's sort of a 60's version of Ugly Betty maybe. I wonder how this same woman would evolve today---what would she be? Almost all the backstories are also pretty compelling. One thing: my wife who is over 20 years younger than me, has a hard time I think relating to this show. It would be interesting to figure out how the demographics are doing for AMC.

Also, hearing Sketches in Spain was pretty cool--took me back to the Student Union at Berkeley in the mid 60's. And the contrast between the faux bohemians and the hobo of Don's childhood was terrific.

This show reminds me of a Diebenkorn painting. It's better absorbed at a slight distance. Each episode seems to be a a carefully painted but purposedly unfinished set piece of a blemished era---seen through the haze of smoke and martinis. The alienation is palpable.

@Wizard64: I love the idea of Peggy as a 60s version of Ugly Betty. Also, about demographics: the ratings dropped after the pilot, so it's probably not the same for later episodes, but the pilot had 65% of its audience 50 or older (as opposed to AMC in general, which had an average of 54%); that's all the demo information I know.

The best episode yet. Just when you think where something is heading, Weiner throws us off base. The scene with Salvatore and Elliott in the restaurant was heartbreaking. He's going to lead Lois on now, isn't he? Poor thing. But I have to say that I was really creeped out by Peggy's weird twisting across the dance floor to Pete. There's just nothing sexy about her.

Very funny recap of the episode here. http://www.unboundedition.com/content/view/2366/50/