yakalskovich | Mad Men, episode 4.08, running commentary

This time, the first moments of recap already make me stop the vid and run for Deepest Sender. Don asks for the baby -- I knew there would be something about Baby Gene eventually!! We kept not seeing him, as did Don. Men didn't take care of babies at all back then, and he doesn't know his younger son at all. I guess he won't get visitation rights when the little fellow grows up, either. And probably lose them for his other two kids as well. In any case, if it's included in the recap, it's relevant.
Don is getting his act together or what? And we are getting another episode using an unusual format, this time Don's internal monologue, when we had the two-person journey through one night last week?
Major coughing fit here -- I guess that's all the cigarettes? Or does that just show Don's general out-of-shape-ness?
There he is, watching the world, and for once, we are not watching him being quiet and silent as usual (through all these excesses, he always kept this oddly passive demeanour), we see the world with him. He's the first person narrator of this one. That's a first. We never had a first person narrator.
No hat!! He finally got it!
Aaaaand there goes the first-person-narrator perspective. Seems it's too heard to keep up strict POV forever. But WTF are they doing with that poor machine?
Now Joey, who was in trouble with Joan last week already, is really going to get into deep hot water. Calling her 'mum' was really offensive! And must have stung, as she seems to be feeling the pressure of no longer being as young as she used to be. That silly whelp deserves being taken apart, though.
What??? This guy so needs to be fired. Now!! 'What do you do around here except walk around trying to get raped?' What kind of totally offensive question is that? Good thing Joan quite apparently is not going to stand for it. Apart from where it probably reminds her of that awful, awful incident with her creepy husband-to-be. Damn those times when she still had to marry the bloody creep. Oh, and Rizzo totally needs to be fired as well.
Awwwwww Joan breaks into tears at the Joey disaster, but unfortunately at home with her creepy dolt of a husband. Now let's see what the fucking creep does. He'll probably brush it aside for a bit of sex.
And he does. Fucking creep!
Eurgh what the hell is Don eating? Something cold from a can? **shudders**
Well, he does have some sort of relationship with Baby Gene, after all. At least he thinks about him.
Oh yes, I remember ringpulls that yielded that little shred of deadly sharp aluminium!
I like the glasses. Might be a terribly superficial thing to say in such a tense and fraught moment, but we never before saw them that close up.
Oh Harry please, send him to Hollywood and get him out of there! If Joan tries to discreetly mob the damn rude thing, it might backfire against her, and I would hate to see that. Better feed him to the entertainment industry. Who knows, he might end up as a redshirt on Star Trek? I am, by the way, eagerly looking forwards to future seasons, and how they will treat that particular sixties phenomenon.
Yay 'Odd Couple' reference. I used to love that -- at least the TV version with Jack Klugman and -- who was the other bloke again? I could ask IMDb, but am too lazy right now. On second thought... **does some internet research** Oh, back then it was a Broadway play, not even the movie with Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau yet!
This blonde chick is just realising that she looks a lot like Don's ex-wife. I hope she throws that salad in his face and goes. Of course, that kind of blonde might just be his standard prey pattern for presentable marrying material. But still.
Oh hi, now Henry realises what he has married, and starts getting all authoritative on Betty.
Betty is like a petulant teenager who wants to have her cake and eat it. She was the one who kicked Don out and speedily married the other bloke, but still, she doesn't want Don to have anybody else. Silly entitled bitch!
That Bethany is NOT making out with Don in the cab, is she?
Somewhere, I have seen Don's desk chair still in use. But in pale grey. I never thought the design was that old.
There is no talk any more of the Francises getting out of that house which still belongs to Don, is there? Henry is basically telling Don to get his stuff out of his own garage. Jerk!
That drawing of Joey's is totally harassment, by modern terms, and not to be tolerated, I guess, even by sixties terms. That bloke so needs to be fired instead of made full-time!
Fire him! Don said 'Fire him'!! Yes! Peggy, show what you are made of! Fire him!!
And she did! Yay Peggy!!!!!!!! **cheers mightily** Things are going RIGHT in this episode.
Oh no, Joan, telling Peggy off for not using the 'weapons of a woman' and instead firing Joey outright. She did it for you, too! Joan is quickly becoming old-fashioned, not moving with the times. On the other hand, that Vietnam speech was first rate. She basically told those oiks that soon, they will have to fuck off and die.
Faye's father is a bona fide mobster? Wow!
And she is an intelligent and independent woman much more fitting for Don's real prey pattern!
That was another excellent episode, with lots of things going right. Up to and including to Baby Gene not screaming blue murdered at being lifted up by a scary strange man, as Betty had probably hoped. But this is Mad Men. We can't possibly hope for things to continue in this vein. Can't wait for next week! We only have five episodes left and then the season will be over again, though. **wails**