Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I really liked Ken this episode. Actually, I've liked him for most of this season (is he the only SCDP person in a happy romantic relationship?). But I cheered this week when stood up for Joan and was there for Peggy. I wonder if he'll be so disgusted with his colleagues that he'll end up leaving, too.

I was disappointed that Roger didn't shoot down the Joan plan in the meeting, but when I watched the episode again, it seemed like maybe he only agreed to it after Pete insinuated it was Joan's idea or that she was otherwise ok with it. So maybe that redeems him a little?

Supercarrot, that's really interesting that the Don/Peggy handholding wasn't scripted. I really hope that Elisabeth Moss/Peggy is still part of the show somehow next season.

Really? That's great; it was a beautifully played and incredibly affecting scene. (In fact, reading this and thinking about it made me want to start bawling again.)

Isn't he going to be pissed that she didn't take him with her? They've got that pact.

Yep. After their spat, he's going to be angry. Ken is very honest, communicative, and faithful. He's going to track her down and they're going to have some argument in a diner or something. I really, really hope he doesn't cheat on his wife with Peggy, though. It's an irrational fear in my head. I don't think he'll find out about Joan- he's too much in the background to ever know.

i think doncherryfan accidentally left out "don" in the statement above.

Ken is almost too good to belong on that show, but I really like him.

Whoops, no, I actually was wondering if Ken would leave the firm because he was so disgusted. Although same thing could be said about Don..

DCF, I am thinking that you might be right about Ken, but I think he might leave the field. I think he might go write about it.

Watching this again: what a weasel is Pete. After what DCF posted upthread, I wanted to look again at how this horrible thing transpired. Pete showed what a true accounts man he is. He shamelessly played Joan, and then shamelessly played the partners, and rubs it in to Don, and none of them meant to do it except Pete. Everybody was sort of hands-off and trying to be respectful in this absolutely insufferable situation . . . except Pete, who exploited it happily and instinctively. I think it's worst for Lane, because in the end, he is totally fond of Joan and he's the one who convinced her to ask for a non-silent partnership, so she's actually be legit to contribute to the company . . . because he embezzled and couldn't give her a cash payout. Pete is a lucky slimy muck. Hopefully Trudy will eventually leave him. She deserves so much better.

The scenes of the guys going in to pitch the account transposed with Joan actually winning the account are heartbreaking. I'm thinking Joan's Jaguar is to be valued for her mind at SCDP. It's just vicious that what's valuable to her is being valued for something other than her body/looks and that she finds her path to that is her body/looks. It never would have gone there except for horrid worm Pete (who is wow, such a great actor, such a great part).

Don throwing money at Peggy: he's totally talking/reacting to Megan, yes? He even yells "If you want to go to Paris [ie go to Boston, or be an actress, or etc], go to Paris." And later says almost the same thing to Megan about going to Boston, but without the dollar bills.

It's like everything big is happening because of small mistakes that snowball.

I'm playing with the idea of the jumper in the Mad Men opening actually being Pete or maybe Lane. The one who is sitting is Don, but what if the jumper isn't? Is that possible? Or--oh god--Peggy just walked into the elevator without looking at the end of this episode and we don't know what happened afterwards. Urgh.

no! she looked ahead when she took her steps, and we hear her heels click on the other side. she's safe.

Yes! She definitely looked, because I was sitting there biting my nails and yelling at the tv "don't step into the elevator shaft, DON'T!!!"

How did I miss this elevator shaft stuff. I know there was that weird moment where it opens without the elevator in it (was that Roger looking at it?), but I totally missed the foreshadowing.

I mean, it's not written in stone that someone HAS to jump just because of the opening credits. Through the whole series it seems that the jumping is a metaphor more than anything else. I guess we all think someone has to jump now that some tv reviewer said so. Maybe someone will! But if no one does, I won't be surprised.

Yup, pretty much!

Well, for me, I never said anyone has to jump. I said I was playing with the idea.

For me, Cooper is the personification of capitalism. Amoral and uninterested in anything beyond the success of the business. He was trying to get Don to read Ayn Rand in the first season, no?

there was a reviewer that said someone had to jump? i thought it'd happen ever since pete mentioned his suicide insurance and the elevator-less elevator.

I would be surprised if someone does, because up to now this show has been so smart. I'd be very disappointed if Weiner & co. decided to get all obvious and literal-minded at this late date. It's Mad Men, not General Hospital.

Then again...this could be fun. Maybe it was Joan's long-lost twin (Jane) who slept with the gross car guy! And maybe Pete is an undercover agent who's infiltrated SCDP to find out if Roger is hiding the long-lost Magic Emerald of Moldavia in his office! And maybe Megan is actually a man!

What else would happen on Mad Men Hospital??

I agree. I would be really, really surprised if it ends up being literal.

Yeah, no, I understand. I thought about it, too. I wasn't coming down on you, I was just saying to myself and everyone talking about it, that it doesn't have to happen.

OMFG.

Noooo! :(

Fuuuuuuuck. How sad. Jared Harris was amazing in this episode, though. I will really miss him on the show.

One jumped. I am so sad. Oh, and they made us see. I am so sad.

I am gutted; poor Lane. That was so awful, and so merciless of Don; he has a lot of blood on his hands. (Remember when his long-lost brother hanged himself back in Season 1?)

And poor Sally! I was just relieved when Betty finally showed some relatively normal human emotion.

I don't think Don was merciless. He could have called the police and had Lane arrested. He offered Lane the chance to save face. Lane just didn't have the capacity Don would have had in such a situation. I even wondered if Don, when speaking crossly with Roger about bonuses and client sizes, was hoping that Roger would agree to bonuses so Lane's situation could be ironed out.