Diary of a Mad Men Virgin – In which I actually like BOTH episodes

After last week’s diatribe, I really thought about tossing this particular Virgin Diary in the trash. But, while I will never be a big Mad Men fan, that doesn’t mean that I won’t (A) finish what I set out to do (two seasons), and (B) won’t keep searching for what all of these people see in this show. I enjoyed these two episodes much more so than last week (especially “For Those Who Think Young”).

“The Benefactor” Season Two, Episode Three

If I don’t mention anything about these two episodes, I’d like to point out the wonderful shot of Peggy during the Belle Jolie meeting. I liked it so much, I tracked it down and used it at the top of the post. I loved this little moment. Peggy is trapped watching a TV episode that deals with abortion (which, back then, isn’t every other piece of episodic television like it is these days). Just as the father is railing into his daughter for being “that” type of girl, the camera finds Peggy, sitting in the back of the room, her face a stone wall, masking all of the feelings (whatever that they are). It was a brilliant shot, and if the credit goes to director Lesli Linka Glatter, then more power to her.

I really felt for Harry Crane in this episode. There’s a difference between wanting more money, and feeling like you deserve it. I have to admit, I haven’t paid enough attention to Crane over the episodes to remember if he actually did deserve more, but will go with “He’s a likeable character,” and run with that for now. His move to bring in the episode of The Defenders (not the one with Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell) to Bell Jolie showed, as he was later rewarded for, moxie. And who doesn’t love moxie? Roger Sterling does, even if only to the tune of a $25 more a week, and not the $110 it would have taken him to surpass Ken Cosgrove.

I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but Betty Draper has got to be one of the most obnoxious and annoying characters ever created. As fellow Clacker Bob Degon says, she’s “a petulant whinning child.” I’m beginning to think that she was created just so the audience can forgive Don for being, well, Don.

“Three Sundays” Episode Four

I’m sorry, all I could think of when I saw Sally pour Don a bloody mary, was “If it says Libby’s Libby’s Libby’s on the label label label, there’s nothing better better better it on your table table table.” I’m not exactly sure where I got that piece of Americana, but it has always stuck with me.

I’m a big fan of both of the guest stars this week. Colin Hanks gets an automatic pass because of his work on Band of Brothers, and I have always been a fan of Marguerite Moreau (yes, all the way back to The Mighty Ducks, but I’m not going to talk about Firestarter 2: Rekindled). I think there’s an opportunity for both to recur, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Hanks’ Father Gil is a much more intriguing character. His interaction with both Peggy and her sister (whom I’m not officially not a fan of) … I’m not sure, as I’m not Catholic, but was that normal?

All of the shenanigans with American Airlines; was that whole arc constructed to have us not like Duck? All of that work, losing the Mohawk account … I didn’t buy Sterling’s “don’t you love the chase” anymore than Don did. You can’t pay the bills with “the chase” and losing that “chase” doesn’t often impress others you might want to “chase” (and I’ve officially hit my quota for that particular word for the next, I don’t know … year).

If the only thing that came out of this round of Betty’s latest bout of craziness was the nice little moment between Don and Bobby, then it was worth it.

Clacked by Ivey West
on Aug 10, 2011 @ 14:00 EST5EDT