Mad Men – Season 5, Episode 7 – Biting the Hand ← FREE KRAUT!

Mad Men – Season 5, Episode 7 – Biting the Hand 17

One of the things I enjoy most about the best television series is its ability to call utilize episodes and seasons past to make a good episode great.  Tonight’s Mad Men was a classic example.

There was plenty happening, with the introduction of new characters – Megan’s parents – in an episode that enriched previous episodes in this season and past seasons.  The episode built and reached a terrific crescendo, leaving most of the major characters in it unhappy or disillusioned even after some significant triumphs for some of them.  A quick review:

— Megan.  She saves the day, and the Heinz account, with a genuinely good advertising idea.  (I do like it when the show’s supposedly smart advertising ideas are actually smart.  The show is about advertising, after all.)  And when the Heinz guy’s wife tips her off at dinner that the agency is about to get fired, she whispers it to Don and then prompts him to deliver what is basically her pitch right then and there.  Don praises her for handling everything perfectly, and we see that this is right.  Further, she deals with her visiting parents – an aging Marxist professor and his younger wife, who flirts with every man she sees – and Don’s two older children, who are around after Henry Francis’ mother breaks her ankle.  She is very aware that her success may not be accepted, so much so that her reaction even to Peggy’s sincere congratulations is guarded.  And her father’s disapproval drags her down by the end of the episode.

— Peggy.  Her journalist husband demands to have dinner, sending Peggy to Joan for advice.  She says to expect a marriage proposal, and suggests Peggy go shopping and prepare what answer to give.  Instead, Abe asks Peggy to move in together, which leaves her disappointed but saying yes.  A subsequent dinner with her mother goes as badly as expected, as Mama thinks he is using her for practice (which, to be fair, is probably true – although just as true of her; see the previous episode for proof that Peggy isn’t an ideal girlfriend).  Joan is supportive of her “shacking up,” which means a lot to Peggy.  It was almost a little too much supportiveness, but worked well because we know why Joan approves.

— Roger.  He’s trying to get business with the help of his ex-wife, talking about his LSD experience, and trying to get back in the game.  But he’s still Roger, dropping his role as Sally’s “date” to get a blowjob from a well-cast Julia Ormond as Megan’s mother.  He is the only one who seems to enjoy himself at the American Cancer Society event.

— Sally.  She is still in touch with creepy Glenn, her childhood friend, and lies about how Mother Francis got hurt (tripping over the telephone cord she was using).  But it gets her an invite to the American Cancer Society event, and a dress (even though Don won’t let her wear makeup and boots to the event).  But the experience is tarnished when she walks in on the blowjob,  and worked dramatically because Sally looked genuinely sickened by it.

— Don. “How can they trust you, after the way you bit the hand?” Don is told at the end of an episode in which he is honored for writing copy attacking the tobacco industry.  Don may be an advertising genius, but these big companies won’t hire him because he can’t be trusted after attacking a former client.  This was mentioned earlier in the episode, and at the time by Pete, but it’s an important truism that even Don seems to have forgotten.

— The final scene.  Aside from Sally telling Glenn by phone that New York City is “dirty,” the final scene was of Megan, her parents, Don and Sally looking miserable at a party held to honor Don.  It was a very nice visual.

This season has picked up some strong momentum.  Last week’s episode was more daring in structure, but this was very solid storytelling from start to finish.  Even the little asides worked.  When Megan’s father, the Marxist professor Emile, seemingly itching for a chance to criticize the capialist system and advertising industry, asks Pete what he does all day, Pete responds with smarmy compliments of the professor’s work and a statement that more of the world should be exposed to his ideas.  Emile, who has just had his book proposal rejected, is pleased and disarmed.  “That,” Pete says with a smile, “is what I do all day.”

17 thoughts on “Mad Men – Season 5, Episode 7 – Biting the Hand

  1. JamesV Apr 29,2012 10:30 pm

    In before “Man Men” correction.

    • bear88 Apr 29,2012 10:43 pm || Up

      You know me well. But I just fixed a missing word and fixed a clause for clarity this time. (And I didn’t spell the name of the show correctly in the title, but who’s counting?)

  2. MikeV Apr 30,2012 8:08 am

    So how come Peggy got fat as hell at the end of S1 and then skinny again like 2 episodes later?

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • AV Apr 30,2012 9:29 am || Up

      you’ll be asking that question a few seasons later too.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • AV Apr 30,2012 9:29 am || Up

        oh, whoops. forgot who peggy was. never mind. wish i could delete.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Bed May 1,2012 8:55 pm || Up

      The bun came out of the oven.

      But seriously, folks....
      • AV May 1,2012 9:18 pm || Up

        spoiler.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • Bed May 1,2012 9:23 pm || Up

          The weird part was the baby was played by Bruce Willis and was dead the whole time.

          But seriously, folks....
          • AV May 1,2012 9:27 pm || Up

            now you’re confused with moonlighting.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
            • Bed May 1,2012 9:30 pm || Up

              Just wait until I do the musical episode of The Lounge to Billy Joel songs.

              But seriously, folks....
  3. FreeSeatUpgrade Apr 30,2012 8:26 am

    Loved Pete’s lesson to Emil in obsequiousness as a profession. Loved the closing scene of the miserable Drapers and in-laws at the table…though I was expecting Roger to waltz in smiling and laughing as the only happy person there, after receiving his BJ. Amusing that Roger, the poster child for smoking and the guy who lost the most when the firm quit the Lucky Strikes account, was the only one who had fun at the American Cancer Society event (also amusing that the room was filled with smoke).

    Fun episode, right down to Don getting a lesson in the amorality of business (and/or the business of amorality) from Leland Palmer.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • lynnzgal Apr 30,2012 5:32 pm || Up

      I wanted to rename it “Our Table of Disillusionment”. I love Roger. I shouldn’t, but I do.

    • nevermoor May 1,2012 8:13 am || Up

      He was perfectly cast, wasn’t he.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  4. andeux Apr 30,2012 1:33 pm

    I don’t watch Mad Men, but this correction is great.

    TINSTAAFK
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Apr 30,2012 1:44 pm || Up

      The fish rots from the head down.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  5. nevermoor May 1,2012 9:38 am

    This was even better than last week. Just a really fantastic episode, between the “Your move to generate hype for your new agency makes you unemployable” reveal (which certainly rings true to me), Sally’s this-is-the-kind-of-crap-that-broke-up-my-parents reaction to the BJ, Peggy going out on another limb (with her mother being unapologetically her mother), and the whole bean pitch sequence.

    Even Sally telling a fairly silly lie just because she could.

    Not an off note that I heard all episode.

    "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  6. Bed May 1,2012 8:58 pm

    A very entertaining episode. Roger was throwing out some great one liners and I think it’s safe to say his dinner had a happy ending.

    More and more it’s obvious to me one of the best decisions the show ever made was to bring in Megan as a replacement for the god awful Betty. She’s a much more intriguing character.

    But seriously, folks....

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