[SPOILERS] Another masterclass of television rounds out a great sophomore season, as the specter of annihilation with the Cuban Missile Crisis lends added unease to several storylines as they reach a precipice...Don's (Jon Hamm) back from his "spiritual rebirth" in California, unaware that wife Betty (January Jones) is pregnant with their third child (the cause of her bleeding last week), but ready to win her back. To do this, he first arranges quality time with Sally and Bobby at his apartment, giving Betty a well-deserved evening off. And what does Betty do with her free time? She visits a bar and gets picked up by a handsome gentleman (Ryan McPartlin, a world away from his goofy role on Chuck), as a means to get some payback on her womanizing hubbie -- who, in a neat role-reversal, is the one stuck looking after the kids while she cheats. But it's not quite so clear-cut, as Don's also using his time to compose a touching love-letter, delivered to Betty shortly after and powerful enough to earn their marriage a second chance...
At Sterling Cooper, Don settles back into his work and catches up with recent changes (notably, he's the only man to notice Peggy's new haircut without being told.) It's not long before he hears about the company's merger with London-based PPL, which he sounds surprisingly pleased about when Roger (John Slattery) reveals he'll receive a $500,000 payout because of his 12% share...Duck (Mark Moses) is already feathering his nest in preparation for the changes, confiding in Pete (Vincent Karthesier) about the merger and his ascension to Presidency, before giving Pete the surprise news that he'll replace him as Head of Accounts. Suddenly Pete's concerns over losing his father-in-law's Clearasil account fades into insignificance...
Meanwhile, the junior execs all sense something's not right, so they enlist the help of switchboard operator Lois (Crista Flanagan) to spill the beans about what she's overheard on the phones. It proves to be a canny move, as Lois knows all the facts about the company's merger and the execs begin to fret over probable redundancies.
Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is once again pressured by Father Gill to unburden the guilt she has over the secret love-child she gave away, but despite her newfound sense of closeness to God, this kindly priest isn't the person to tell. Later, at work, Pete unexpectedly reveals his true feelings for Peggy (in perhaps his first heartfelt moment, ever), sitting her down in his office to tell her how much he loves her. But this only prompts Peggy to reveal she made a conscious decision to break any chance of a relationship with him months ago, by having his baby in secret and giving it up for adoption. Pete is numbed by the shocking news as Peggy leaves, later seen sitting alone in his office clutching his antique shotgun like an old man on his porch protecting his property...
The above was a truly beautiful scene, perhaps the best of the episode and a season highlight. It's been a long time coming, and Moss and Kathesier managed to make the whole thing armchair-gripping drama. Above all, it highlighted how strong and independent Peggy has become since early-season 1, as she clearly doesn't view the event as a mistake –- which I guess it what Father Gill wanted her to own up to. No, for her, a career just took priority and this was the best option available at the time.
The Sterling Cooper/PPL meeting also throws up some surprises, as Duck is anointed President of the new company and immediately starts picking fault with Don's operation in creative. Don himself reveals he's not tied to a formal contract with Sterling Cooper, so ups and leaves -- his dramatic exit clearly worrying the PPL triptych, who perhaps value Don's abilities more than Duck appears to. Regardless, Don can now afford to go home with his a cool half-million in the bank and be with Betty; the final scene showing him at home with his wife, who finally gives him the news she's pregnant, before they hold hands in silence...
A fantastic episode, but perhaps not quite as climactic as I'd hoped. More than anything it felt like a great appetizer for a more interesting third season (with the company merger, the Draper's growing family, Pete's reaction to news of his son, Joan's weddding, etc.) It was a superb idea to have every character suffer a mini-crisis, to the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, too. The ways in which Matthew Weiner manages to imbue the show with symbolism and theme from events in history is really quite remarkable. What will happen when JFK is assassinated? Or when The Beatles arrive in America? Never mind those events, I want to know how they run in parallel to the Sterling Cooper crowd!Will Don and Betty's reconciliation last? I doubt it. Will Betty spend the next season as the unfaithful one, now she has a taste for it? But I does seem likely that Don will be back to Sterling Cooper at some stage, perhaps with Duck ousted as President in favour of his rival. So, a lot of great things to come for a superb series that gets criminally overlooked by the mainstream here in the UK. It's clearly the best drama around right now, and would certainly appeal to a lot of people if it wasn't tucked away on BBC Four (and late-night BBC2 for repeats). Oh well, maybe that's part of its appeal – it's a weekly gem that only TV treasure-hunters know about.
5 May 2009
BBC Four, 10pm
Writers: Matthew Weiner & Kater Gordon
Director: Matthew Weiner
Cast: Jon Hamm (Don), January Jones (Betty), Michael Gladis (Paul), Rich Sommer (Harry), Aaron Staton (Ken), Bryan Batt (Salvatore), Elisabeth Moss (Peggy), John Slattery (Roger), Christina Hendricks (Joan), Robert Morse (Cooper), Mark Moses (Duck), Colin Hanks (Father Gill), Anne Dudek (Francine Hanson), Ryan McPartlin (Gentleman), Alison Brie (Trudy Campbell), Myra Turley (Katherine Olson), Crista Flanagan (Lois Sadler), Charles Shaughnessy (Saint John Powell), David Doty (Dr. Aldrich), Beverly Leech (Marie), Patti Tippo (Mrs. Conyers), Julie McNiven (Hildy), Deborah Lacey (Carla), Aaron Hart (Bobby), Brandon Hayes (Alex Martin) & Joe Roseto (Bartender)
