Mad Men – It’s all in the subtext

It strikes me, after watching this week’s episode of Mad Men, that the show is so much about subtext. This is a show where things not said are more important than the things that are. So much in this episode went unsaid. Peggy and Pete sharing a moment at the end certainly sticks out as one of them. Years of character development went into that glance through the glass doors of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Certainly Allison and Don’s relationship has not been brewing for quite as long, but there too many things were bubbling under the surface.

I had a feeling that things were not going to end well between Don and his secretary. I think he’s gotten a little too used to treating women like prostitutes. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that most of the women he comes into contact with are prostitutes. The fact that he didn’t quite understand why Allison would get so upset over Don telling her to write her own recommendation letter is telling. The guy just doesn’t get it. However, he did sit down to write his lost secretary a letter of apology. That would have been a big step for him. Of course, he couldn’t go through with it, not when forced to figure out an adjective to describe the state of his sorry life. Get your shit together, Don!

For me, this episode was really all about that glance between Peggy and Pete at the end. It was so perfectly set up, illustrating the different worlds that the two now inhabit. Pete, on one side of the glass, getting ready for a power lunch with the old business men; Peggy on the other side, with the lively group of young hipsters. I think this was a final goodbye to any romantic relationship they may have had, and let’s face it, there was never any romance between them.

Trudy’s pregnancy seemed to have a larger effect on Peggy than it did Pete. I think it closed a door on a chapter in her life, bringing it full circle. It will be interesting to see how her character grows as the season progresses. Is she going to become more and more ingrained with the young artist population of New York? How will her conservative boyfriend react to that?

This episode really worked for me. In classic Mad Men fashion, there was a great mix of humor and drama. I also appreciated that it was much more of an ensemble effort. Last week’s episode was definitely Don-heavy, and those episodes tend to get a little bogged down. This also marked the second week in a row without an appearance from Betty. The character has definitely taken a turn toward the annoying recently, but I’m still curious to see what the future has in store for her and her equally annoying husband.

How are you feeling about season four so far?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Aug 16, 2010 @ 19:12 EST5EDT