The show’s most important female characters took center stage in what could turn out to be the pivotal episode of the series.
The first was Joan, who was asked to sleep with an important potential client so the firm would have a chance – no guarantees, mind you – of winning a critical account. Â Don is outraged, but the other partners are willing to consider it if she’s willing. Â Lane, who otherwise would have objected, is too caught up in his financial concerns and instead asks her to hold out for a longer-term deal that includes a partnership instead of a cash payment. Â Roger, in a mild surprise given his history with Joan, also does not object and says only that he doesn’t want to pay the money originally envisioned. Â Perhaps he’s starting to feel the financial pinch himself, as he’s going through another expensive divorce and has been giving away money left and right.
Joan is outraged, at first, but she too has financial concerns. Â Her husband is divorcing her, and she has a young child to raise. Â And she is unaware, until it is too late, that any of the partners said they didn’t want her to act as a high-priced prostitute. Â Don visits to tell her not to go through with it, but only – we discover afterwards – after she has returned from her, er, appointment. Â The agency gets the Jaguar account, but it’s not clear whether it was Joan’s actions, Don’s pitch, or Ginsberg’s idea that actually wins it.
Don is understandably unhappy when he realizes what Joan has done, as it takes away the thrill of victory based on creative merit. Â Instead, it’s just a sleazy, dirty win – and it’s hard to see how Joan’s reputation survives this hit. Â It seems like a grievous error, given the importance she places on her reputation at the firm. Â And as someone who likes Joan the character, I wasn’t crazy about it, at least in the minutes since the episode ended. Â It felt like the writers decided to have Joan cross a line I don’t think she would have crossed, because it made for a compelling episode.
As the writers often do, the episode drew a few parallels with its other main storyline, involving Peggy’s decision to leave the agency. Â As with Joan, there was money and bargaining involved, and a sense of isolation as Peggy feels increasingly cut off. Â But Peggy’s situation is completely different, and there has been a logical buildup throughout the season and before, to her decision to leave. Â Importantly, she’s not interested in the money. Â Peggy wants respect, and she’s not getting it from her longtime mentor Don. Â When she informs him of her plans to leave, Don thinks it’s a shrewd negotiating ploy. Â But it’s not. Â She doesn’t want a counteroffer. Â Earlier in the episode, Don literally threw money in her face after failing to appreciate her work again, and that’s the last straw. Â Peggy also is aware that she’s been supplanted as the agency’s creative star by Ginsberg, who comes up with the Jaguar pitch for an account on which she is not permitted to work.
When Don realizes she’s serious, he grows emotional, kissing her on the hand at great length. Â But Peggy, to her great credit, doesn’t break down even then, after all those years and shared confidences. Â It’s far from clear whether either will do as well without the other, but Peggy needs to find that out for herself. Â Obviously, her departure will create challenges for the writers if she stays away for long, but that’s a problem for future episodes. Â In this one, it made perfect sense.
I’m not so sure Joan’s decision was totally out of character in the end. At least, it was understabndable given her circumstances. Lane’s urging that she do it, but demand more long-term payoff (but less immediate cash) was really twisted, given his personal need for the bonuses he’s chasing like a Glen Garry lead.
I loved the scene where Pete, having just reached a new pinnacle of ruthlessness by pushing the Joan-sells-herself agenda, is shown reading Goodnight Moon to his kid, his increasing lack of morality in his career juxtaposed with family life. I’d have to go back and rewatch the previous episodes to see if the reverse is true too, that when he was philandering around it came when his career was not doing as well.
Between Lane and Pete and Roger, plus Don arriving too late with his own not all that righteous paternalist motives, Joan’s decision in the end might have been the purest of any of them.
Very curious to see how much of a role Peggy has going forward. The characters who don’t work at the office (Betty, Sally, Henry, now Megan) have tended to become rather two-dimensional post-SterlingCooperDraperPrice. I wonder if Peggy’s going to make a clean break of it.
I would love it if they came head to head with Peggy at her new firm over some highly valued account. Does Lane’s situation asplode, or does he manage to squirm his way out once more? I’m always ambivalent about him. He’s got a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde thing going on for sure.
I read speculation somewhere that Lane will become the guy who jumps off the building, falling like the silouhette does in the opening credits.
Well, he was starting to look more and more desperate as that episode went on, but I don’t think I dislike him enough, yet, to want to see that happen. Plus, I have a soft spot for his wife.
So, due to a variety of circumstances this was the first episode of Mad Men I have ever watched. Even without knowing the background of the characters beyond what I have picked up through cultural osmosis, that was some pretty powerful television. I’m going to have to start from the beginning.
It’s so fking good!
Definitely a big event episode.
They were always going to get Jaguar, but I certainly didn’t expect it to happen this way. I particularly liked the “Don finally cares, but even winning is spoiled” element. Sucks to have your company’s most important day turned into a shitty one, both because you aren’t sure you earned it and because you lost your mentee.