MAD MEN 1.7 – "Red In The Face"

Writer: Bridget Bedard
Director: Tim Hunter

Cast: Jon Hamm (Don Draper), January Jones (Betty), Vincent Kartheiser (Pete), Christina Hendricks (Joan), Elisabeth Moss (Peggy), Aaron Staton (Ken), Michael J. X Gladis (Paul), Rosemarie DeWitt (Midge), John Slattery (Roger Sterling), Rich Sommer (Harry), Bryan Batt (Salvatore), Maggie Siff (Rachel Menken), Robert Morse (Bertram Cooper), Anne Dudek (Francine Harris), Darby Stanchfield (Helen Bishop), Andy Umberger (Dr. Arnold Wayne), Kate Norby (Carol McCardy), Teddy Sears (Kicks Matherton) & Shayna Rose (Rosemary)

Roger and Don socialize together, with Roger's behaviour putting a strain on their working relationship...

The pace is slow to some, measured to others, but Red In The Face is the first episode where the unpeeling of characters' lives wasn't as compelling. Sure, there are a few eye-opening moments for Roger Sterling (John Slattery) and tensions between Don (Jon Hamm) and Betty (January Jones) resurface, but the rest is a collection of moderate plot-nudging...

Don calls his wife's psychiatrist Dr Wayne (Andy Umberger), whose progress report on Betty paints her as a jealous child; a state of mind that’s apparently commonplace amongst housewives married to successful businessmen. Somehow I don't trust the word of a 60s-era psychiatrist in a male dominated world, who's undoubtedly being paid handsomely, and therefore just wants to appease his "employer" with his unethical, secretive reports!

At work, Roger is enjoying a milk-and-vodka at work, which is interrupted by co-owner Cooper (Robert Morse), who tells him Dick Nixon's representatives will be arriving soon, to determine if Sterling Cooper are the ad firm best-suited to marketing Nixon's presidential campaign. Roger later tries to arrange a liaison with office worker Joan (Christina Hendricks), but after discovering she's already made plans with friends, he seeks company with Don...

After drinking at the Oak Room bar, Don invites Roger back home for a home-cooked meal with Betty. The three discuss their childhoods over dinner, with Don quickly changing the subject when Roger mentions always believing Don grew up on a farm because he sometimes drops his g's.

While clearing away the dinner plates, a drunken Roger spots Betty standing alone at the sink and slides his arms around her waist. Caught in a difficult position, Betty turns down Roger's advances flats, just as Don returns and notices the change in atmosphere. Roger makes his excuses and goes home (driving while drunk – how times have changed!), leaving Don to chastise Betty for her inappropriate, flirtatious behaviour! Is he putting too much faith in Dr Wayne's theories of her "childish" nature, or is it simply easier for him to blame Betty rather than the boss who pays his wages?

The next day at work, Roger apologizes to Don with a bottle of rye, before sitting in on a meeting to discuss the arrival of Nixon's "brain trust" tomorrow, preparing the team for success. Before the meeting with Nixon's reps, Don and Roger once again socialize in an expensive restaurant (dining on oysters) before arriving back at work to find the elevator is out of order (a turn of events arranged by Don, who paid the elevator attendant...)

Both men are forced to climb 23 flights of stairs, leaving aging Roger particularly dishevelled -- but eager to put on a brave face in front of Don. They eventually arrive to meet with Nixon's reps, but Roger makes a spectacle of himself by vomiting on the carpet. As first impressions go, it's not the best! They leave Roger to regroup himself, as a grin creeps across Don's mouth...

The main plot with Roger's outrageous behaviour was actually very entertaining, as Roger is a character who's become quite multi-faceted in just a few episodes. I particularly liked the repercussions of his drunken advances on Betty, and even though Don chose to blame his wife for his boss' bad manners, he (sort of) redeemed himself by orchestrating Roger's embarrassment in front of VIPs. Not that it helped clear the air with Betty much.

Unfortunately, the subplot weren't very interesting this week. Pete (Vince Karthesier) scammed a department store into replacing an unwanted wedding gift for a 22-calibre rifle, which didn't go down well with his wife at home. He seems to pining for a more masculine lifestyle, sharing a macho hunting dream with Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) in his office, who became oddly hypnotized by Pete's faintly ridiculous tale. But is Pete actually just fantasizing about being the "man" his father would prefer him to be, instead of a white-collar ad man?

Peggy's recent success at work, earning the opportunity to write copy for Belle Jolie lipstick, doesn't progress far in this episode. She tells Pete about her sideline project, and he offers to cast his professional eye over her work – but I'm not sure if Pete can be trusted. Are you? A part of me suspects he'll undermine Peggy's chance to shine -- but maybe he'll be genuinely helpful? He does seem to like her, after all.

I'm not sure where Mad Men's goals lie as a series, although I suspect we'll see the 60s feminist movement begin to impact the Sterling Cooper advertising agency. Unassuming Peggy's talent could spearhead a change in thinking regarding women's roles in the workplace, helped by fresh-faced Pete -- who seems to have a rapport with her, and might have his chauvinist attitude swayed away from the institutionalized sexism of office life. Basically: are Peggy and Pete the seeds of societal change within the company?

There's also a quick scene for Betty and ostracised-neighbour Helen Bishop (Darby Stanchfield) in a grocery store, with the latter aware her slightly-creepy son Glen was given a lock of Betty's golden hair when she babysat. I really don't blame Helen for her reaction, as it was very strange of Betty to indulge Glen's peculiar request, but her condemnation earns her a slap from Betty. At the moment, I admit I'm still a little flummoxed by that weird Betty/Glen plot from a few episodes back, and agree with Helen that it was bizarre behaviour.

Overall, while certainly not awful and unwatchable (if only for the Roger/Don storyline), Red In The Face didn't have much strength in its subplots. The moments for Pete, Peggy and Betty helped with characterisation, but they didn't really push things forward a great deal. It's fortunate that every actor on this show is so magnetic (especially Moss and her dough-faced virtuousness), as otherwise you'd be clawing the screen.


13 April 2008
BBC Four, 10.00 pm