Mad Men "A Night to Remember" OAD 9/14/08

886 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Lee L, Sep 18, 2008

Stuart Sweet

Discussion Starter · Sep 15, 2008

From Wikipedia:

Father Gill tries to convince Peggy to volunteer her talents to a church project; Duck and Don team to woo a foreign-beer client by marketing to a new demographic; Harry turns to an unlikely source for help when his department is overloaded with work.

The title refers to the 1958 film about the sinking of the Titanic.

This was the most heart-wrenching, the most difficult, the most painful episode yet. As I said last week, I hope the writers give us a little chance to exhale soon.

It wasn't surprising that this moment would come for Betty. What was surprising was the depth that January Jones found in herself to create such a performance. The sight of Betty of all people having not showered, wearing no makeup, sitting utterly and totally lost in her perfect house was so awful, and made me so sad for the character. This was perfectly played and far outweighed the final shot of Don, although that one was pretty powerful.

Anyone who doesn't understand why Betty lost her temper about the "Heineken incident" has never gone through what Betty's going through. It's a lot easier to keep a clamp on your feelings about the big things than the little things.

I hope the writers find a way through this that rings true for the characters and the time period, and lets the characters lighten up a little bit. They certainly have a battle ahead of them in doing so.

In other news, Joan almost rises above the administrative level, and shows class and grace when it's all taken away. Peggy still hides her private pain, and surprisingly so does Father Gill. Oddly enough there was nothing from Pete or Salvatore this week, but I suppose an hour isn't enough to put every single character through the meat grinder.

Here's the question: Why were there abrasions on Joan's shoulder? They were quite prominent, as if she'd been carrying a heavy load using a shoulder strap (family-friendly responses only... please).

One more little bit of trivia, and proof the art department has a bit of a sense of humor: The typeface used for the flyer requested by Father Gill was Gill Sans Ultra Bold. While it isn't really period-appropriate for use in the US (far more common in the UK) I'll give them a pass for cleverness.

There are five more episodes before the season finale. I hope I can take it.

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SeptemberBaby

· #2 · Sep 15, 2008

I thought for sure that Betsy glued that chair back together put it on the end where Don sits and he was going to fall flat on his butt. :lol:

She should have. That would have been priceless.

As for Joan and her strap marks. I think it is what it is: She needs a breast reduction.
It's not easy looking like Joan... especially in those days. Between the girdles and the straightjacket type bras women wore... on top of the soup cans they used to wear in their hair at night; they must have had migraines all day!

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phrelin

· #3 · Sep 16, 2008

This was the heaviest episode yet, but they did throw in: "Duck, meet Crab. Crab, Duck."

There were just too many symbols for me to keep track of. But a telling moment was when Betty said to Don: "You can't help yourself." A simple statement of fact making it clear who really knows who. And stated without any hint of acceptance.

In our household, of course, there was empathy for all three - Betty, Joan, and Peggy. But Don and his Heineken in the break room was a statement.

Edit: Forgot the whole Father Gil thing, the guitar playing, singing presaging the "modernization" of the Church that included guitar playing.

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Lee L

· #4 · Sep 16, 2008

Great episode. This show is ike Deadwood, The Wire or The Sopranos early seasons in that I instantly pine for hte next episode to be on as soon as one is over. Still can;t beleive HBO passed on this. What are they thinking?

I agree on Joan. The funny thing is that she was the reason for the success, both her job performance (driven by her interest and innate understanding of the job) and her looks. Now she was sumarrily kicked aside for some random dude who knows nothign, but is enough of a yukity-yukmeister to make jokes about it to her face. I am sure he will get along great with the rest of the boys, but I wonder how long it will be before we see issues again in the TV department?

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compac

· #5 · Sep 16, 2008

From Suds on September 15, 2008 5:39 PM

"I found this episode made me feel pity for Joan. She's so burdened by her sexual appeal, her big breasts making her bra cut into her shoulder, and so many shots of her huge ass as she walks away, and the stuttering admirer in the office who can't talk to her because she's so much woman.

Yet, she has brains and gave a great presentation to the client which, while appreciated, was not valued. The Doc is a good catch and she's putting up with his sexist perspectives. Roger telling Don's secretary Joan goes off all the time. She just does not have any support.

I find her a very pathetic and sad figure. I hope something grand comes her way. How about her and Peggy working together and becoming friends and schemers"

http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/talk/2008/09/how-believable.php

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Stuart Sweet

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 16, 2008

I don't see Joan and Peggy being friends, not after the tongue-lashing Joan gave Peggy a few episodes back. I do suspect that by 1965 Joan will be married and desperately trying to have a baby (she's already over 30.)

The question is, who isn't a pathetic figure at Sterling Cooper?

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Lee L

· #7 · Sep 17, 2008

Stuart Sweet said:
From Wikipedia:

It wasn't surprising that this moment would come for Betty. What was surprising was the depth that January Jones found in herself to create such a performance. The sight of Betty of all people having not showered, wearing no makeup, sitting utterly and totally lost in her perfect house was so awful, and made me so sad for the character. Here's the question: Why were there abrasions on Joan's shoulder? They were quite prominent, as if she'd been carrying a heavy load using a shoulder strap (family-friendly responses only... please).

Am I the only crazy one that thought she looked more attractive in the next morning scene at breakfast than at the party the night before? Now, by the end of the day it had worn off, but maybe she just looked more real or something. I will have to say that I am watching the vaseline version of AMC that DirecTV gives us, I might feel different in HD.

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Stuart Sweet

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 17, 2008

I think you're seeing the actress without the 1960's makeup, and that may seem more attractive to you. Google January Jones and you will see that in real life she looks more like the "morning after Betty."

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phrelin

· #9 · Sep 17, 2008

This is one of those cases where the network - AMC - isn't HD yet, but the show should be.

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lucky13

· #10 · Sep 17, 2008

Stuart Sweet said:
One more little bit of trivia, and proof the art department has a bit of a sense of humor: The typeface used for the flyer requested by Father Gill was Gill Sans Ultra Bold. While it isn't really period-appropriate for use in the US (far more common in the UK) I'll give them a pass for cleverness.

My wife, who is an art director, didn't catch the typeface pun.

But when the church ladies were picking apart Peggy's flyer, she blurted out, "That's what I have to go through!"

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Lee L

· #11 · Sep 18, 2008

Stuart Sweet said:
I think you're seeing the actress without the 1960's makeup, and that may seem more attractive to you. Google January Jones and you will see that in real life she looks more like the "morning after Betty."

Now you have gone and done it!

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