Writer: Matthew Weiner
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Cast: January Jones (Betty), Jon Hamm (Don Draper), Elisabeth Moss (Peggy), Christina Hendricks (Joan), Vincent Kartheiser (Pete), Aaron Staton (Ken), Rosemarie DeWitt (Midge), Rich Sommer (Harry), John Slattery (Roger Sterling), Michael J. X Gladis (Paul), Bryan Batt (Salvatore), Rich Sommer (Harry Crane), Alexa Alemanni (Allison), Alison Brie (Trudy Campbell), Candice Cunningham (Secretary), Anne Dudek (Francine Hanson), Emelle (Secretary), Zachariah James-Jadon Evans (Robert Draper), Andy Hoff (Charlie Fiddich), Elizabeth Ince (Midwife), Maura Murphy (Secretary), Jay Paulson (Adam Whitman), Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper) & Arne Starr (The Artist),
A newspaper photo of Don winning a prize draws out a face from his past, Pete make an unusual request of Trudy, and Peggy overhears a private conversation between Don and his mistress...
Advertising is all about presenting an idealised reality, and that's exactly what many characters on Mad Men do with their home lives. The series may be showing us a vibrant age of consumerism in 60s New York, but scratch beneath the surface and it's nothing but social intolerance, selfishness and dirty secrets. 5G finds Don (Jon Hamm) confronting a face from his dark past, in an episode that really starts to capitalize on the "underbelly aspect" of things...
We open with Don and Betty (January Jones) arriving home from an awards ceremony, where Don won a horseshoe-shaped golden trophy for his advertising work. The next day, Don is late to work with a stinking hangover, where we learn that Ken (Aaron Staton) has had a short story he wrote published in Atlantic Monthly, making Pete (Vince Kartheiser) and Harry (Rich Sommer) extremely jealous.
This week's advertising project concerns a Liberty Capitol Savings Account, with the bank aiming to improve business with a striking ad campaign. The meeting is interrupted by a phone call to Don from "Bix Beederbeck", a nom de plume of Don's mistress Midge -- who starts talking dirty to him, not realizing Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is still on the line, and overhears the sentence "pull my hair and ravish me and leave me for dead." As Don quickly leaves for so-called lunch, Peggy is left feeling conflicted about "snooping" on her boss and discovering his affair.
At the Campbell home, newlyweds Pete and Trudy (Alison Brie) are discussing Pete's own attempt at a short story. Trudy doesn't want to hurt her husband's feelings, but it's clear he's not very talented. Regardless, Pete wants Trudy to show it to publisher Charlie Fiddich, a man she used to be engaged to. Trudy is uncomfortable about dragging up her past just to further Pete's ambitions, but she's persuaded to agree...
The past is also dragged up for Don, when a man called Adam Whitman (Jay Paulson) arrives at work, asking to meet with him. Don finds Adam in reception, a red-haired working class guy who refers to him as "Dick" and claims to be his younger brother. Don tries to convince Adam that he's mistaken, but Adam's adamant and confused that his long-lost big brother (who he thought had died in the army), is acting like this.
Don has no choice but to arrange a noon meeting with Adam at a nearby diner, where Adam's enthusiasm at finding his brother still isn't shared by an anxious Don. They share a one-sided chat, with Don being particularly pleased when Adam reveals his adopted mother died of stomach cancer. Growing uncomfortable, Don leaves, but not before making it clear that Adam must stay away from him.
Back at the office, Betty has arrived with her kids for a photo session with her husband. Peggy is panicked by her arrival, believing Don is out seeing his fancy woman behind her back, but unsure what she should say or do. After confiding in "mentor" Joan (Christina Hendricks), who wheedles out Peggy's discovery of Don's affair, she's told to simply stall Betty for as long as possible. After engaging in small talk for awhile, Don fortunately arrives and apologizes for being late from the printers, assuring Peggy it wasn't her fault.
Trudy goes to see her ex-boyfriend Charlie about publishing her husband's work, but Charlie is clearly uninterested and starts making moves on her. Feeling harassed, Trudy turns down Charlie's suggestions for an extramarital affair, but manages to secure Pete publication in Boy's Life Magazine. Pete is unhappy his story is likely going to sit next to ads for exploding cigars, and Trudy pointedly attacks his ploy – astonished her husband put her in such an awkward position.
The Liberty Capitol Savings Account project goes well, with Don suggesting the bank create something called "Executive Accounts" (separate from home finances) to spark renewed interest from consumers. After collecting his office mail, Don finds one letter contains an old photo of him as a young man, standing next to a 9-year-old Adam, with the address of a hotel scribbled on the back.
At home, Betty mentions to Don about using her mother's cabin for a summer holiday in Cape May, but Don is too distracted to discuss her idea and instead goes to find refuge in his study – where he ponders Adam's tattered photo. He burns it with a lighter, before calling his brother to arrange another meeting. Arriving at a grotty hotel. Adam is initially hopeful that "Dick" has had a change of heart about letting him into his life again, but Don has actually just decided to give Adam $5000 in cash to start a new life, and promise to never return. Heartbroken, Adam hugs Don for the last time, and Don leaves. Arriving back home again, Betty suggests buying their own cabin for the summer, but Don says the Cape May cabin will be fine as they're "not that flush right now...”
I'm really wrapped up in Mad Men right now. Creator Matthew Weiner returns for 5G and ensures the plot thickens with Don's back-story. Why does Don shun his likeable brother so readily? Adam can't possible have done anything to deserve such treatment. It seems clear that something happened during Don's army days, and I still think Don Draper could be a stolen identity from a G.I. Was Don really so dissatisfied with his family that he concocted a new identity after returning from war? If so, restless feet seem to be his curse, as he's still playing away from home and increasingly detached from his wife and kids.
It's also interesting to see the cracks widening in Pete and Trudy's relationship, as it's inferred that Peter knew he was asking his wife to sleep with an old flame just to trump a talented work colleague's success. I really enjoy watching these actors, too; particularly Vincent Karthesier's preppy Pete (think Steve Buscemi with better genes), handsome John Hamm as anti-hero Don, beautiful January Jones as Betty (but whatever happened to her numb hands from episode 2?), and the sublime Elisabeth Moss as Peggy – whose wide-eyed innocence and naivety is a real tonic.
The pace seemed better than usual, although I think it's actually because the characters and storylines have been established now, so it's easier to get lost in the narrative and just soak up the atmosphere and performances. So far it's avoided becoming soap-like in its design, and while the mystery surrounding Don's past probably won’t be anything too mind-blowing, the show's doing a great job keeping you hooked, and deepening the character relationships in believable ways. There's a really nice sense of cohesion and skill in all departments, not least the script and acting.
It might not be the most obvious TV fixture (tucked away on BBC Four on a Sunday night), with only connoisseurs of drama knowing where to find it, but it's certainly a weekend treat for me.
30 March 2008
BBC Four, 10.00 pm
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Cast: January Jones (Betty), Jon Hamm (Don Draper), Elisabeth Moss (Peggy), Christina Hendricks (Joan), Vincent Kartheiser (Pete), Aaron Staton (Ken), Rosemarie DeWitt (Midge), Rich Sommer (Harry), John Slattery (Roger Sterling), Michael J. X Gladis (Paul), Bryan Batt (Salvatore), Rich Sommer (Harry Crane), Alexa Alemanni (Allison), Alison Brie (Trudy Campbell), Candice Cunningham (Secretary), Anne Dudek (Francine Hanson), Emelle (Secretary), Zachariah James-Jadon Evans (Robert Draper), Andy Hoff (Charlie Fiddich), Elizabeth Ince (Midwife), Maura Murphy (Secretary), Jay Paulson (Adam Whitman), Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper) & Arne Starr (The Artist),
A newspaper photo of Don winning a prize draws out a face from his past, Pete make an unusual request of Trudy, and Peggy overhears a private conversation between Don and his mistress...Betty: I like your girl Peggy. She's fresh.
Don: As the driven snow.
Don: As the driven snow.
Advertising is all about presenting an idealised reality, and that's exactly what many characters on Mad Men do with their home lives. The series may be showing us a vibrant age of consumerism in 60s New York, but scratch beneath the surface and it's nothing but social intolerance, selfishness and dirty secrets. 5G finds Don (Jon Hamm) confronting a face from his dark past, in an episode that really starts to capitalize on the "underbelly aspect" of things...
We open with Don and Betty (January Jones) arriving home from an awards ceremony, where Don won a horseshoe-shaped golden trophy for his advertising work. The next day, Don is late to work with a stinking hangover, where we learn that Ken (Aaron Staton) has had a short story he wrote published in Atlantic Monthly, making Pete (Vince Kartheiser) and Harry (Rich Sommer) extremely jealous.
This week's advertising project concerns a Liberty Capitol Savings Account, with the bank aiming to improve business with a striking ad campaign. The meeting is interrupted by a phone call to Don from "Bix Beederbeck", a nom de plume of Don's mistress Midge -- who starts talking dirty to him, not realizing Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is still on the line, and overhears the sentence "pull my hair and ravish me and leave me for dead." As Don quickly leaves for so-called lunch, Peggy is left feeling conflicted about "snooping" on her boss and discovering his affair.
At the Campbell home, newlyweds Pete and Trudy (Alison Brie) are discussing Pete's own attempt at a short story. Trudy doesn't want to hurt her husband's feelings, but it's clear he's not very talented. Regardless, Pete wants Trudy to show it to publisher Charlie Fiddich, a man she used to be engaged to. Trudy is uncomfortable about dragging up her past just to further Pete's ambitions, but she's persuaded to agree...
The past is also dragged up for Don, when a man called Adam Whitman (Jay Paulson) arrives at work, asking to meet with him. Don finds Adam in reception, a red-haired working class guy who refers to him as "Dick" and claims to be his younger brother. Don tries to convince Adam that he's mistaken, but Adam's adamant and confused that his long-lost big brother (who he thought had died in the army), is acting like this.
Don has no choice but to arrange a noon meeting with Adam at a nearby diner, where Adam's enthusiasm at finding his brother still isn't shared by an anxious Don. They share a one-sided chat, with Don being particularly pleased when Adam reveals his adopted mother died of stomach cancer. Growing uncomfortable, Don leaves, but not before making it clear that Adam must stay away from him.
Back at the office, Betty has arrived with her kids for a photo session with her husband. Peggy is panicked by her arrival, believing Don is out seeing his fancy woman behind her back, but unsure what she should say or do. After confiding in "mentor" Joan (Christina Hendricks), who wheedles out Peggy's discovery of Don's affair, she's told to simply stall Betty for as long as possible. After engaging in small talk for awhile, Don fortunately arrives and apologizes for being late from the printers, assuring Peggy it wasn't her fault.
Trudy goes to see her ex-boyfriend Charlie about publishing her husband's work, but Charlie is clearly uninterested and starts making moves on her. Feeling harassed, Trudy turns down Charlie's suggestions for an extramarital affair, but manages to secure Pete publication in Boy's Life Magazine. Pete is unhappy his story is likely going to sit next to ads for exploding cigars, and Trudy pointedly attacks his ploy – astonished her husband put her in such an awkward position.
The Liberty Capitol Savings Account project goes well, with Don suggesting the bank create something called "Executive Accounts" (separate from home finances) to spark renewed interest from consumers. After collecting his office mail, Don finds one letter contains an old photo of him as a young man, standing next to a 9-year-old Adam, with the address of a hotel scribbled on the back.
At home, Betty mentions to Don about using her mother's cabin for a summer holiday in Cape May, but Don is too distracted to discuss her idea and instead goes to find refuge in his study – where he ponders Adam's tattered photo. He burns it with a lighter, before calling his brother to arrange another meeting. Arriving at a grotty hotel. Adam is initially hopeful that "Dick" has had a change of heart about letting him into his life again, but Don has actually just decided to give Adam $5000 in cash to start a new life, and promise to never return. Heartbroken, Adam hugs Don for the last time, and Don leaves. Arriving back home again, Betty suggests buying their own cabin for the summer, but Don says the Cape May cabin will be fine as they're "not that flush right now...”
I'm really wrapped up in Mad Men right now. Creator Matthew Weiner returns for 5G and ensures the plot thickens with Don's back-story. Why does Don shun his likeable brother so readily? Adam can't possible have done anything to deserve such treatment. It seems clear that something happened during Don's army days, and I still think Don Draper could be a stolen identity from a G.I. Was Don really so dissatisfied with his family that he concocted a new identity after returning from war? If so, restless feet seem to be his curse, as he's still playing away from home and increasingly detached from his wife and kids.
It's also interesting to see the cracks widening in Pete and Trudy's relationship, as it's inferred that Peter knew he was asking his wife to sleep with an old flame just to trump a talented work colleague's success. I really enjoy watching these actors, too; particularly Vincent Karthesier's preppy Pete (think Steve Buscemi with better genes), handsome John Hamm as anti-hero Don, beautiful January Jones as Betty (but whatever happened to her numb hands from episode 2?), and the sublime Elisabeth Moss as Peggy – whose wide-eyed innocence and naivety is a real tonic.
The pace seemed better than usual, although I think it's actually because the characters and storylines have been established now, so it's easier to get lost in the narrative and just soak up the atmosphere and performances. So far it's avoided becoming soap-like in its design, and while the mystery surrounding Don's past probably won’t be anything too mind-blowing, the show's doing a great job keeping you hooked, and deepening the character relationships in believable ways. There's a really nice sense of cohesion and skill in all departments, not least the script and acting.
It might not be the most obvious TV fixture (tucked away on BBC Four on a Sunday night), with only connoisseurs of drama knowing where to find it, but it's certainly a weekend treat for me.
30 March 2008
BBC Four, 10.00 pm
