Mad Men 6x01-02 - 'The Doorway'

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

Random thoughts on "The Doorway" while watching it:

• A Star Is Born indeed! Quite Freudian (and a little on the nose) for Don to leave Hawaii feeling (and acting) like Norman Maine after Megan/Vicki Lester starts achieving success on her own. And then to go the extra mile of including it in his ad idea as if it was his usual brilliant inspiration - ha!. Now it makes sense that in the first 15 minutes of the premiere, we saw Don watching Megan as she partook in everything, without uttering one word. Of course, Norman Maine didn't cheat on Vicki once they were married, but hello! Old Dirty Don is back! And somehow, it's not as sexy as it was several years ago.
• In the first hour, Don says the Dr. Cohen, "Remember, if you come to my office, I get to come to yours." Is Don going to go full Norman Maine, and have a heart attack, or need a new liver? Or will he just spend the season contemplating jumping into the ocean? Everyone at work seems to think he's a shell of his former self. Even Dawn seems to have learned how to "manage" him. And that long shot of Don looking out the window in his office, and the street sounds turn ominous as if a poltergeist is about to consume him...mmm-hmm.
• Peggy seems to command more respect from her clients than her colleagues. But then she seems to employ Don's abuse techniques to her team without providing the positive side (like, say, dinner). Abe has been completely neutered.
• Looks like Don landed Dow Chemical, which means the firm is doing really well (they got their second floor). At the end of last season, he and Roger made that desperate visit to win their business after Don fired Lane.
• I think Matt Weiner wrote this episode so that John Slattery would finally get an Emmy. The analysis monologues were pure show, and the funeral was uniquely Roger. And the bit at the end with the shoeshine kit -- almost too much, but I think it kept its toes behind the line.
• I love that Caroline, Roger's secretary, is still around. She's such great comic relief (even while crying her eyes out). On the other hand, I can't believe that blonde ditz is still at reception. That strains believability.
• I don't think we ever met Roger's mother, but I really wish it was Henry's mom who died instead. (Heh)
• Maybe it's because I've been waiting so long, but even though Matt Weiner is still taking his sweet time (as usual) revealing where people are now and what's happened since the last episode, the first hour went by for me like it was 15 minutes. The 2nd hour felt a little longer, but had more meat to it.
• Sally's all grown! I wanted to cry! And she's gotten even more sarcastic. Maybe too much. (Calling her mother "Betty"?) But maybe she resented how much Betty doted over Poochie, er, Sandy. WTF? She's a part of the family, then she's gone, then Betty is searching abandoned buildings for her...I'm definitely thinking Sandy died on her way back to her home planet.
• I think Betty's shenanigans (reckless driving, dyeing her hair) are Matt Weiner's way of telling us that she's changing back into the rifle-toting Betty of the early years -- which will make her coming rapid weight loss more believable, I guess.
• So time-wise, has 6 months passed (Christmas 1967), or has a year and a half passed (Christmas 1968)? The wardrobe and haircuts have changed way too much for only 6 months to have gone by. If it's now New Year's 1969, that means we have the moon landing to look forward to this season. Also the Mets winning the World Series, lol.
• Interesting attention to detail! Burt Peterson, Peggy's colleague who called her late at night about the Tonight show, is the same Burt Peterson who I recognized from one other episode in S3. When PPL first took over Sterling Cooper, Burt was one of the account men brought into Cooper's office to be fired. In the S3 episode, they tell Burt they waited several months to fire him because his wife was undergoing radiation treatments. In the new episode, he reminds Peggy he's a widower.
• Dr. Cohen's wife (Don's new diversion) -- I was trying to place the actress, because that face is so memorable to me. I'm thinking it was Michelle Greene from L.A. Law. IMDb doesn't have cast info yet and I missed the closing credits...
• Other bits of Actor Bingo: Sandy was the girl who played Paige, Sarah's daughter on Brothers & Sisters. And I think Dr. Cohen was none other than Brian Markinson, Mr. "Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy" himself from DS9. (Also Caprica, Continuum and Angels in America)
• Not much Joan or Pete this episode -- guess they are saving them for the next week or two.
• New characters: Bob Benson -- remember that name! What a turd...but I think he's going to be a fun ride, much like Ginsberg was last year. And who is the sassy middle-aged woman now working for Creative? The other new guy with glasses didn't elicit much curiosity.

EDIT: The Internet has already corrected me: Don's new piece is Linda Cardellini, from ER, Brokeback Mountain, Freaks & Geeks, and Velma from the Scooby Doo movies.

 

[Tisiphone]

Dr. Cohen's wife is Linda Cardelinni (suspicious spelling) from "Freaks & Geeks" and "ER".

 

[SAUSAGEMAN]

[*]So time-wise, has 6 months passed (Christmas 1967), or has a year and a half passed (Christmas 1968)? The wardrobe and haircuts have changed way too much for only 6 months to have gone by. If it's now New Year's 1969, that means we have the moon landing to look forward to this season. Also the Mets winning the World Series, lol.

It's got to be 1967. They offhandedly mention LBJ as if he were still a going concern, which wouldn't be the case in December 1968.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

True dat. They're probably going to go after Nixon's campaign like they did in '60.

 

[Gagh]

Now, I've never seen a single episode of Mad Men, but have certainly picked up the boxsets often enough and thought about it. How accessible is the show, this late into its run?

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

I'd call it accessible, mostly because after five seasons, many many things have happened to the characters, but it's not like the cast has completely flipped or been replaced. But since it stays incredibly true to its period (1960-1968 and counting), it's the kind of show you should watch in order*. Also, each episode is densely packed with 'hints' and subtleties in terms of revealing character or foreshadowing future events. Also, once in a while things seem as if David Lynch toolk over the show for a few minutes, which is cool. So if you get hooked, it's the kind of show where you'll want to watch some episodes more than once (or twice). But if you don't get hooked, about a third of the episodes might seem to be slow-moving for you.

Also, seasons 3-5 include English characters, so you can laugh at how they are portrayed. But I believe they are mostly portrayed by British actors.




* But once you get through it all, there are certain episodes that you will want to watch on their own again, and again.

 

[Loktar]

But if you don't get hooked, about a third of the episodes might seem to be slow-moving for you.

And bland and downright boring.Tried watching a few minutes of an episode once...seemed like a cheesy(but not in a good way), really bad 80's sitcom.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

I'd be interested in which episode you were watching, because I've never thought of the style that way.

 

[SAUSAGEMAN]

Might have been the party with the lawnmower.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Definitely start at the beginning!

So Betty was all "MAYBE I CAN HOLD HER DOWN SO YOU CAN RAPE HER" and I was like "WTF." Then she had those scenes with the drug people. I don't know. Betty scenes were a bit unsubtle sometimes? (I did like that the guy said "grok".)

It was good to see Brian Markinson playing someone other than a bald cop.

I don't know if this episode needed to be 90 minutes. Is it just the first two episodes of the season stuck together? I probably wouldn't have minded watching them seperately.

But good to have it back.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

I'm sure they will split it up into 2 single episodes for reruns. But this is the first time that the first hour isn't really going to stand on its own as an episode, in my opinion. It will probably end when Don looks at the inscription on the lighter, and tosses it in the garbage. Then it will REALLY be a WTF episode.

 

[Loktar]

I'd be interested in which episode you were watching, because I've never thought of the style that way.

It had something to do with someone's baby in a stroller getting passed around the office or something...I think. Is Mad Men supposed to a comedy or a drama? I thought it was a comedy but maybe I'm wrong and its not supposed to be funny and so I wasted my time watching waiting for the laughs?

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

It's a drama that takes place in a very creative environment, so there's a lot of wit and subtle humor infused into most scenes, and plenty of banter like there was in movies of that period (and before). When they go for flat-out comedy, it's usually pretty black.

That episode you saw was actually the 2nd hour of the 2-hour season premiere last year, which could explain why it might have seemed odd (same reason as above).

 

[Loktar]

Ah. That explains it. Thanks. I much prefer the juvenile, straight up silly comedy. I'll give this a pass(for now/until my tastes become more mature and sophisticated)

 

[CaptainWacky]

But you watch other shows that aren't comedies.

 

[Loktar]

But you watch other shows that aren't comedies.

Well yeah, but their usually quirky dramas or have some funny bits in there that are actually funny. Or sci-fi/fantasy with aliens, lasers, explosions, robots and time travel. Or "reality" TV.