Three Up
3. Darren Richmond. Ladies and gentlemen, your new mayor of Seattle: Darren Richmond! Don't expect to hear a few words from him, though, as he's with one of his staffers, who is confessing to murder. And once that's over, he's going to break the heart of another one by "moving on" into politics as usual, as his first post-election meeting is with Chief Jackson and Michael Ames, who are recently sprung from jail and ready to talk about the waterfront. So while the man has won, his ideals have lost, badly.
2. The Larsen Family. OK, not a complete win given what happens the last time we see them in Rosie's room, but they are also moving on, literally, moving into the house that Stan bought. But before that happens they get a mystery movie in the mail, and it's Rosie's last film, where she tells them that she's taking off to see the world, but that she loves all of them and will return. It's a tearful yet positive bonding moment for the family, knowing that no matter what Rosie did love them.
1. Sarah Linden. She makes the final connection to what actually happened at the lake, and gets Terry to admit to what she did. She earns her badge back, but when the call comes in to her and Holder to pick up a new case she gets out of the car. She's also moving on, choosing something other than homicide, which is very much to her benefit. The last shot is of her walking, heading hopefully to get her life back in order.
Three Down
3. Rosie Larsen. Avenged, but still dead. Plus we get to see just how things went down the night she died, and it's pretty grim, especially when the car slips into the lake, and we hear screaming - until we don't.
2. Jamie Wright. As Jamie's drunk grandfather tells Richmond that Jamie lied about the story with him and his leg, old grandad also mentions that Jamie wasn't with him on the night of the murder. Jamie takes Richmond back to the office, and admits that he killed Rosie. She was on the 10th floor of the Wapi Eagle when Jamie met with Jackson and Ames about the bones buried on the waterfront, and Jamie beats her when she can't explain why she's there. He drives her out to the lake thinking she's dead, only to learn otherwise when the car goes in the water. He says he did it - did everything - to get Richmond into office. When the cops finally show up he aims a gun at Linden, and Holder shoots him dead. But as Richmond goes ahead and meets with Jackson and Ames, Jamie's result-oriented approach apparently sunk in.
1. Terry Marek. Now here's the twist. Turns out that Terry was with Ames the night of the killing, picking him up from the ferry. She drives him out to the lake when Jamie calls, and as Jamie and Ames argue, she hears Jamie say that taking care of this problem guarantees the waterfront deal, giving him his own money and a chance to break away from his wife. Ames doesn't want to be party to this, but Terry, seeing her chance at happiness slipping away, gets out of her car, goes to the campaign car, and puts it in drive. She has no idea it's Rosie... until the next day. Linden figures this out when in the Larsen's garage, as she sees Terry's car and figures out that she was the mysterious "cab" with the missing taillight. They get Terry to crack just as Stan and Mitch come back from the house. That's an ugly scene, but Holder manages to get Stan calmed and Mitch, as shattered as she looks, still manages to hug her sister. But where Rosie and Jamie are at peace, Terry gets to live with the knowledge that she put Rosie in the lake. No amount of hugging will clear that up.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing
Three Up
3. Stan Larsen. With Mitch back, he finally gets a chance to call her out her leaving and the position in left him in. Getting that off his chest, he does try to talk Mitch into moving to the house, but she wants to stay. Mitch seems aghast at the idea that Stan is moving on, but Stan does not have such issues. He also hears on the radio that Janek was killed, so that's a nice bonus for him.
2. Darren Richmond. His speech about his suicide appears to actually be helping him, and on that surprise he finds that he's very much in the race. For all the good he feels about his speech and the possibility of becoming mayor, the mood is tempered when he has to drive out to meet someone. That turns out to be Jamie's grandfather, who appears to have both his legs. Richmond is not amused.
1. Sarah Linden. While she has some concern about going crazy again, she shows her investigative prowess by getting a deal with the mayor to call off the dogs so they can solve the case, then uncovering various leads, and finally making the connection between the Chief and her abusive past to get to the camera footage that was withheld. From there, she and Holder discover their main suspect is Jamie Wright, who was in the casino and going to the 10th floor for the meeting with Jackson and Michael Ames. Things are looking very poor for him indeed, thanks to Linden's dogged pursuit.
Three Down
3. Mitch Larsen. Her husband calls her out for abandoning the family at time of need. Terry calls her out for similar reasons. Tommy can barely look at he. Welcome home, Mitch! And thanks for wallowing rather than following Stan's lead to move to the house, which is bigger, brighter, and will give your troubled sons their own rooms.
2. Nicole Jackson. Not only does Roberta give the withheld footage to the cops, but Linden sees an old photo where the previous security chief was sporting cast. Turns out Jackson is physically abusive, and then likes to hang her lovers out to dry when problems arise (the woman in the photo is doing 20 for something I did't quite catch). Turns out Jackson was dating that security chief, too, but let her take the fall for something. Not the best way to treat your girlfriends. This leads the police to see that the City Hall attendee to the 10th floor Wapi Eagle meeting is...
1. Jamie Wright. While the episode title suggests that it's him or Gwen who did it, the pendulum swings Jamie's way quite a bit. We learn that Jamie got a company owned by Michael Ames expedited approval to bid on city projects. He also appears to have not completely truthful about his grandfather, who still has both legs. And when Jamie shows up on the withheld footage, he quickly becomes the lead suspect. Except Linden has an idea that Jamie and Gwen committed the crime together. which doesn't get followed up but is a tantalizing idea. Assuming Jamie's apparently guilt is explainable.
1.
3. Stan Larsen. With Mitch back, he finally gets a chance to call her out her leaving and the position in left him in. Getting that off his chest, he does try to talk Mitch into moving to the house, but she wants to stay. Mitch seems aghast at the idea that Stan is moving on, but Stan does not have such issues. He also hears on the radio that Janek was killed, so that's a nice bonus for him.
2. Darren Richmond. His speech about his suicide appears to actually be helping him, and on that surprise he finds that he's very much in the race. For all the good he feels about his speech and the possibility of becoming mayor, the mood is tempered when he has to drive out to meet someone. That turns out to be Jamie's grandfather, who appears to have both his legs. Richmond is not amused.
1. Sarah Linden. While she has some concern about going crazy again, she shows her investigative prowess by getting a deal with the mayor to call off the dogs so they can solve the case, then uncovering various leads, and finally making the connection between the Chief and her abusive past to get to the camera footage that was withheld. From there, she and Holder discover their main suspect is Jamie Wright, who was in the casino and going to the 10th floor for the meeting with Jackson and Michael Ames. Things are looking very poor for him indeed, thanks to Linden's dogged pursuit.
Three Down
3. Mitch Larsen. Her husband calls her out for abandoning the family at time of need. Terry calls her out for similar reasons. Tommy can barely look at he. Welcome home, Mitch! And thanks for wallowing rather than following Stan's lead to move to the house, which is bigger, brighter, and will give your troubled sons their own rooms.
2. Nicole Jackson. Not only does Roberta give the withheld footage to the cops, but Linden sees an old photo where the previous security chief was sporting cast. Turns out Jackson is physically abusive, and then likes to hang her lovers out to dry when problems arise (the woman in the photo is doing 20 for something I did't quite catch). Turns out Jackson was dating that security chief, too, but let her take the fall for something. Not the best way to treat your girlfriends. This leads the police to see that the City Hall attendee to the 10th floor Wapi Eagle meeting is...
1. Jamie Wright. While the episode title suggests that it's him or Gwen who did it, the pendulum swings Jamie's way quite a bit. We learn that Jamie got a company owned by Michael Ames expedited approval to bid on city projects. He also appears to have not completely truthful about his grandfather, who still has both legs. And when Jamie shows up on the withheld footage, he quickly becomes the lead suspect. Except Linden has an idea that Jamie and Gwen committed the crime together. which doesn't get followed up but is a tantalizing idea. Assuming Jamie's apparently guilt is explainable.
1.
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men
Three Up
3. Peggy Olsen. She's in place at CGC and riding her copyrighters hard, expecting better work. She does get saddled with some work to test and name a new woman-focused cigarette (what will become Virginia Slims), but rolls with it pretty well. She has a chance meeting with Don at a movie, and while their talk is a little strained, you do get the sense that he's proud of her and that she's proud of herself for taking the step she did. And while she doesn't get to go to Paris to film that Chevalier Blanc ad, she does get to go to Richmond - where her hotel view is a couple of dogs going at it. So, yeah, not all wins.
2. Megan Draper. There is a lot of difficulty here - she continues to have the argument with Don about her choice of acting and her "hate" of advertising. She also has issues with her mom, who is frank in her assessment of Megan's chances. But when she asks Don to get her a part in a commercial, he declines but later relents when he watches her reel, which appears to make him fall in love with her all over again. She gets the ad and is incredibly happy, especially with Don. We'll see how long that lasts.
1. Roger Sterling. He hooks back up with Megan's mom, and builds up enough courage to try LSD again, this time on his own (which includes standing in his hotel window naked, which really dashed the hopes of what was to come when the nudity warning came up at the start of things). And with the money rolling into the firm, Roger's in as good a place as he can be considering where he was to start the season.
Three Down
3. Beth Dawes. Beth and her husband run into Pete on the train, and they say she's going to visit her sister. Turns out, though, that she suffers from depression and is getting electroshock therapy, which she tells Pete during an assignation at the same hotel Pete had planned for earlier in the season. She also mentions it's not her first time, and she's hoping their coupling will persist through the "fog" that the therapy causes in her brain. Turns out it doesn't, as when Pete visits her afterwards she has no idea who he is. Which may be for the best, as remembering that you had sex with Pete Campbell may not be the best thing for long-term mental health.
2. Don Draper. Don has a bad tooth, and lets it go until it gets to the point where he can't bend over without it causing pain. When he goes to get it extracted, he has a vision of his brother Adam. It's not his first for the episode, and the parallel with Lane is clearly playing tricks with his head. Don and Adam talk briefly, with Adam saying he'll see Don again, as he'll be "hanging around." It's not helping that Don met with Rebecca Pryce to give her money that Lane had previously put into the firm. She's hostile, to be charitable, and gives Don an earful. Don also squabbles with Megan and Marie over Megan's career, and while he continues to be resistant his work to get Megan a role after watching her reel is promising. That is until he's at a bar and a blonde asks him - for her equally attractive brunette friend - if he's alone. The episode ends on Don's face, and while he's not answered the question his past suggests he's going to give the answer that we got used to in earlier seasons.
1. Pete Campbell. Things are typical for Pete - what with his reacquaintance with Beth and his continuing desire to not stay in Cos Cob with his wife and child - but it's when he visits Beth in the hospital that he really exposes his despair, as he says the friend he's visiting (a construct to explain to Beth why he's at the hospital, as she doesn't know they know each other) is losing this great thing, but has also discovered that his permanent life also isn't right, that the "friend" is stuck and failing fast. All of this comes out as resentment towards Beth's husband, with whom Pete fights after he suggests they get off the train and go find women. When Pete throws the hospitalization in his face they fight, and the husband says Beth always winds up sleeping with someone when she gets out of the hospital. A conductor breaks up the fight, but winds up having to punch Pete as well when Pete starts getting physical with him (which built up from the conductor saying Pete needed to apologize to Beth's husband). Pete manages to pass of his injuries as a result of a car accident. and Trudy takes this as the final sign that yes, Pete does need an apartment in the city so he doesn't kill himself driving home. So Pete finally gets his love nest, just with no one to love in it. Seems fitting, really.
3. Peggy Olsen. She's in place at CGC and riding her copyrighters hard, expecting better work. She does get saddled with some work to test and name a new woman-focused cigarette (what will become Virginia Slims), but rolls with it pretty well. She has a chance meeting with Don at a movie, and while their talk is a little strained, you do get the sense that he's proud of her and that she's proud of herself for taking the step she did. And while she doesn't get to go to Paris to film that Chevalier Blanc ad, she does get to go to Richmond - where her hotel view is a couple of dogs going at it. So, yeah, not all wins.
2. Megan Draper. There is a lot of difficulty here - she continues to have the argument with Don about her choice of acting and her "hate" of advertising. She also has issues with her mom, who is frank in her assessment of Megan's chances. But when she asks Don to get her a part in a commercial, he declines but later relents when he watches her reel, which appears to make him fall in love with her all over again. She gets the ad and is incredibly happy, especially with Don. We'll see how long that lasts.
1. Roger Sterling. He hooks back up with Megan's mom, and builds up enough courage to try LSD again, this time on his own (which includes standing in his hotel window naked, which really dashed the hopes of what was to come when the nudity warning came up at the start of things). And with the money rolling into the firm, Roger's in as good a place as he can be considering where he was to start the season.
Three Down
3. Beth Dawes. Beth and her husband run into Pete on the train, and they say she's going to visit her sister. Turns out, though, that she suffers from depression and is getting electroshock therapy, which she tells Pete during an assignation at the same hotel Pete had planned for earlier in the season. She also mentions it's not her first time, and she's hoping their coupling will persist through the "fog" that the therapy causes in her brain. Turns out it doesn't, as when Pete visits her afterwards she has no idea who he is. Which may be for the best, as remembering that you had sex with Pete Campbell may not be the best thing for long-term mental health.
2. Don Draper. Don has a bad tooth, and lets it go until it gets to the point where he can't bend over without it causing pain. When he goes to get it extracted, he has a vision of his brother Adam. It's not his first for the episode, and the parallel with Lane is clearly playing tricks with his head. Don and Adam talk briefly, with Adam saying he'll see Don again, as he'll be "hanging around." It's not helping that Don met with Rebecca Pryce to give her money that Lane had previously put into the firm. She's hostile, to be charitable, and gives Don an earful. Don also squabbles with Megan and Marie over Megan's career, and while he continues to be resistant his work to get Megan a role after watching her reel is promising. That is until he's at a bar and a blonde asks him - for her equally attractive brunette friend - if he's alone. The episode ends on Don's face, and while he's not answered the question his past suggests he's going to give the answer that we got used to in earlier seasons.
1. Pete Campbell. Things are typical for Pete - what with his reacquaintance with Beth and his continuing desire to not stay in Cos Cob with his wife and child - but it's when he visits Beth in the hospital that he really exposes his despair, as he says the friend he's visiting (a construct to explain to Beth why he's at the hospital, as she doesn't know they know each other) is losing this great thing, but has also discovered that his permanent life also isn't right, that the "friend" is stuck and failing fast. All of this comes out as resentment towards Beth's husband, with whom Pete fights after he suggests they get off the train and go find women. When Pete throws the hospitalization in his face they fight, and the husband says Beth always winds up sleeping with someone when she gets out of the hospital. A conductor breaks up the fight, but winds up having to punch Pete as well when Pete starts getting physical with him (which built up from the conductor saying Pete needed to apologize to Beth's husband). Pete manages to pass of his injuries as a result of a car accident. and Trudy takes this as the final sign that yes, Pete does need an apartment in the city so he doesn't kill himself driving home. So Pete finally gets his love nest, just with no one to love in it. Seems fitting, really.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing
Three Up
3. Lt. Erik Carlson. He's not done much on the show except be a by the book pain in the ass for Linden and Holder, but when pushed to choose if he'll support them to find Rosie's killer or continue to play along with the mayor (who dangled a promotion if Carlson would get Linden off the streets) and the other powers that have stymied the investigation, he chooses the side of the angels. Good to see that, even if we still didn't get much screen time for Mark Moses, a shame in its own right.
2. Stan Larsen. Things start to come up for Stan a bit, as he finally gets an offer on the home he bought as a surprise. With that debt off of his shoulders, he hits a bump in the road when Janek threatens the boys if Stan doesn't take out Novak (the guy who broke into the waterfront development and told Holder about it). Stan decides to play along - until he sees the baby in Novak's car. He gives Novak a bit of a beating, tells him Janek knows, and tells him to get out of Seattle and never return. Having avoided falling back into Janek's trap, Stan goes home and finds Mitch has returned. Which I guess makes it win-win-win, though we'll see what Mitch has to say for herself.
1. Sarah Linden. Still fragile from her hospitalization (she retorts that Holder is on "their" side when he suggests she take a nap), she does manage to talk Gwen into using her father to get a federal warrant to search the Wapi Eagle. That search appears to have turned up nothing, but we later learn that Linden found the key card and held onto it, fearing that Seattle PD or County would make it disappear if it entered official channels. She notices that she and Holder are being tailed, allowing them to shake it and head to Seattle City Hall. Once in she tests the card around, and surprisingly discovers it does not open the door to the mayor's office. It does, however, open the door to Richmond's office. Which explains why the upcoming episode is called "Donnie or Marie," as this makes the main suspects Jamie and Gwen.
Three Down
3. Leslie Adams. His lead is evaporating, and the success of the Richmond "viral" video coupled with Abani's revelation that Jamie is getting info on the Larsen case from his ex-girlfriend prosecutor, leads Adams to a desperation play. He gets a copy of Richmond's sealed testimony and plans to expose his suicide attempt if he doesn't withdraw from the race. Only Richmond turns it around and admits to the attempt at a rally, spinning it as a time where he let bitterness win and he discovered the will to live while falling from the bridge. Tying it into the despair that everyone feels at some point, Richmond turns his potential undoing into a humanizing moment. Adams is so busy watching this that he doesn't see Linden test the key card on his door. I expect he'd be too angry at seeing them to realize that (a) Carlson rejected his deal and (b) the card's not working means he and his staff are in the clear.
2. Nicole Jackson. She thinks the search has gone her way until her security chief shows her elevator footage where Linden intentionally shows the key card to the camera and slips it into an evidence sleeve. Jackson is enraged, slamming a door on the security chief's fingers and then calling someone to say the card's been discovered. There's a cut that suggests she's calling the mayor, but that looks like a feint now. In any case, if this plays out the way it looks like Jackson will be lucky to not be in prison, never mind still chief, when all is said and done.
1. Janek Kovarsky. He thinks he has Stan back in his clutches when he orders Stan to kill Novak, but in the ensuing discussion Stan says he killed Piotr for Janek but that was supposed to let Stan be free. Janek's acknowledgement of this seems innocuous, except that Alexei Giffords is back in the garage and hears the whole thing. Later, when Janek gets into his car, a gun is put to his head. He tries to talk Stan into not killing him, saying that Stan doesn't have the will to kill him. Only the gunman is Alexei, who is getting revenge for his father. Alexei pulls the trigger, and the Kovarsky mob has an opening at the top.
3. Lt. Erik Carlson. He's not done much on the show except be a by the book pain in the ass for Linden and Holder, but when pushed to choose if he'll support them to find Rosie's killer or continue to play along with the mayor (who dangled a promotion if Carlson would get Linden off the streets) and the other powers that have stymied the investigation, he chooses the side of the angels. Good to see that, even if we still didn't get much screen time for Mark Moses, a shame in its own right.
2. Stan Larsen. Things start to come up for Stan a bit, as he finally gets an offer on the home he bought as a surprise. With that debt off of his shoulders, he hits a bump in the road when Janek threatens the boys if Stan doesn't take out Novak (the guy who broke into the waterfront development and told Holder about it). Stan decides to play along - until he sees the baby in Novak's car. He gives Novak a bit of a beating, tells him Janek knows, and tells him to get out of Seattle and never return. Having avoided falling back into Janek's trap, Stan goes home and finds Mitch has returned. Which I guess makes it win-win-win, though we'll see what Mitch has to say for herself.
1. Sarah Linden. Still fragile from her hospitalization (she retorts that Holder is on "their" side when he suggests she take a nap), she does manage to talk Gwen into using her father to get a federal warrant to search the Wapi Eagle. That search appears to have turned up nothing, but we later learn that Linden found the key card and held onto it, fearing that Seattle PD or County would make it disappear if it entered official channels. She notices that she and Holder are being tailed, allowing them to shake it and head to Seattle City Hall. Once in she tests the card around, and surprisingly discovers it does not open the door to the mayor's office. It does, however, open the door to Richmond's office. Which explains why the upcoming episode is called "Donnie or Marie," as this makes the main suspects Jamie and Gwen.
Three Down
3. Leslie Adams. His lead is evaporating, and the success of the Richmond "viral" video coupled with Abani's revelation that Jamie is getting info on the Larsen case from his ex-girlfriend prosecutor, leads Adams to a desperation play. He gets a copy of Richmond's sealed testimony and plans to expose his suicide attempt if he doesn't withdraw from the race. Only Richmond turns it around and admits to the attempt at a rally, spinning it as a time where he let bitterness win and he discovered the will to live while falling from the bridge. Tying it into the despair that everyone feels at some point, Richmond turns his potential undoing into a humanizing moment. Adams is so busy watching this that he doesn't see Linden test the key card on his door. I expect he'd be too angry at seeing them to realize that (a) Carlson rejected his deal and (b) the card's not working means he and his staff are in the clear.
2. Nicole Jackson. She thinks the search has gone her way until her security chief shows her elevator footage where Linden intentionally shows the key card to the camera and slips it into an evidence sleeve. Jackson is enraged, slamming a door on the security chief's fingers and then calling someone to say the card's been discovered. There's a cut that suggests she's calling the mayor, but that looks like a feint now. In any case, if this plays out the way it looks like Jackson will be lucky to not be in prison, never mind still chief, when all is said and done.
1. Janek Kovarsky. He thinks he has Stan back in his clutches when he orders Stan to kill Novak, but in the ensuing discussion Stan says he killed Piotr for Janek but that was supposed to let Stan be free. Janek's acknowledgement of this seems innocuous, except that Alexei Giffords is back in the garage and hears the whole thing. Later, when Janek gets into his car, a gun is put to his head. He tries to talk Stan into not killing him, saying that Stan doesn't have the will to kill him. Only the gunman is Alexei, who is getting revenge for his father. Alexei pulls the trigger, and the Kovarsky mob has an opening at the top.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Three Up Three Down: Mad Men
Three Up
3. Ken Cosgrove. When a decision is made to go after Dow Chemical, Roger sits Ken down to talk out Ken's reluctance to involve family with business. Ken assents to the approach, but makes Roger agree to tell his father in law that, if Dow comes to SCDP, Roger forced Ken onto the account. He also requests that Pete not take any meetings with Dow at all. He also turns down a partnership with a veiled remark about how the partners pimped Joan out. Nice to see him assert himself, even if he's doing so from a weak position.
2. Don Draper. A mixed bag for Don. When Cooper discovers Lane's forged check, Don says he'll take care of it. He does so by asking Lane for his resignation, noting that it's a better path than letting the partners know. He gives Lane the weekend to plan a smooth exit, a kindness that will come back to bite him. Don takes the meeting with Dow and rediscovers his aggression, telling Dow that their current firm is using them to fund their more interesting work, and that moving to SDCP will give them a firm that will not become complacent in the face of Dow's large market share. We don't know how the meeting went, because when they get back to the office the other partners let them know what happened with Lane. Don gets Roger and Pete to help cut Lane down, and when the suicide note turns out to be a generic resignation letter, you can see the guilt on Don's face, even if it is misplaced. When Don gets back to the apartment to find Glenn there, he winds up driving him back to school. Or, more correctly, allows Glenn to drive himself back after they have an elevator discussion about good things turning to crap.
1. Betty Francis. Win-win for Betty, as she gets to dump a Sally on Don when Sally complains about a skiing weekend only to have her need her mom when Sally gets her first period. Of course, Betty also gets to use this to tweak Megan about Sally running home because she needed her mother. You didn't expect Betty to be totally dignified, did you?
Three Down
3. Sally Draper. At first it looks like she's going to win, as she gets to avoid skiing with the family and spend the weekend at Don's, which includes missing school on Monday when both Don and Megan have work. She manages to get coffee when out with Megan and her friend, and later talks Glenn into ditching school to visit on the heels of talking about boyfriends with Megan. Turns out Glenn isn't going to be her boyfriend, as Sally discovers she doesn't feel romantically towards Glenn. It's not long after saying this that she goes to the bathroom and discovers her period. She freaks out and takes a cab home, where she runs into the arms of Betty for support. She's not quite Miss Independent yet.
2. Joan Harris. Joan talks with Lane after Don asks him to resign, and in discussing a vacation has Lane suggest that she wants him to imagine her in a bikini. This winds up being their last conversation, which I think has to run through her mind when she tries to open his office door and can't, as there's a chair in the way. There's also a smell, and the combo prompts her to ask Pete, Ken and Harry to check on the problem. So in a way she's the one to discover Lane's body (though Pete is the first to actually see what happened), and given their particular relationship you can imagine how she's feeling.
1. Lane Pryce. The episode started on a good note - he took a position with a professional organization - but quickly falls apart when Don asks him to resign. He goes home, and finds that his wife has bought him a Jaguar. She might as well have bought him a noose. Not sure when he decided to kill himself, but when he's at home catching up on errands it made me think he was tying up loose ends. Suspicions were confirmed when he went down to the Jag with towels and garden hose, and he's all set to kill himself that way until the Jag won't start. Fitting. He winds up going to the office, types out what we later learn is his resignation, and hangs himself on the back of his door. Unbelievably tragic, and very sad to think we'll not have Jared Harris on the show anymore.
3. Ken Cosgrove. When a decision is made to go after Dow Chemical, Roger sits Ken down to talk out Ken's reluctance to involve family with business. Ken assents to the approach, but makes Roger agree to tell his father in law that, if Dow comes to SCDP, Roger forced Ken onto the account. He also requests that Pete not take any meetings with Dow at all. He also turns down a partnership with a veiled remark about how the partners pimped Joan out. Nice to see him assert himself, even if he's doing so from a weak position.
2. Don Draper. A mixed bag for Don. When Cooper discovers Lane's forged check, Don says he'll take care of it. He does so by asking Lane for his resignation, noting that it's a better path than letting the partners know. He gives Lane the weekend to plan a smooth exit, a kindness that will come back to bite him. Don takes the meeting with Dow and rediscovers his aggression, telling Dow that their current firm is using them to fund their more interesting work, and that moving to SDCP will give them a firm that will not become complacent in the face of Dow's large market share. We don't know how the meeting went, because when they get back to the office the other partners let them know what happened with Lane. Don gets Roger and Pete to help cut Lane down, and when the suicide note turns out to be a generic resignation letter, you can see the guilt on Don's face, even if it is misplaced. When Don gets back to the apartment to find Glenn there, he winds up driving him back to school. Or, more correctly, allows Glenn to drive himself back after they have an elevator discussion about good things turning to crap.
1. Betty Francis. Win-win for Betty, as she gets to dump a Sally on Don when Sally complains about a skiing weekend only to have her need her mom when Sally gets her first period. Of course, Betty also gets to use this to tweak Megan about Sally running home because she needed her mother. You didn't expect Betty to be totally dignified, did you?
Three Down
3. Sally Draper. At first it looks like she's going to win, as she gets to avoid skiing with the family and spend the weekend at Don's, which includes missing school on Monday when both Don and Megan have work. She manages to get coffee when out with Megan and her friend, and later talks Glenn into ditching school to visit on the heels of talking about boyfriends with Megan. Turns out Glenn isn't going to be her boyfriend, as Sally discovers she doesn't feel romantically towards Glenn. It's not long after saying this that she goes to the bathroom and discovers her period. She freaks out and takes a cab home, where she runs into the arms of Betty for support. She's not quite Miss Independent yet.
2. Joan Harris. Joan talks with Lane after Don asks him to resign, and in discussing a vacation has Lane suggest that she wants him to imagine her in a bikini. This winds up being their last conversation, which I think has to run through her mind when she tries to open his office door and can't, as there's a chair in the way. There's also a smell, and the combo prompts her to ask Pete, Ken and Harry to check on the problem. So in a way she's the one to discover Lane's body (though Pete is the first to actually see what happened), and given their particular relationship you can imagine how she's feeling.
1. Lane Pryce. The episode started on a good note - he took a position with a professional organization - but quickly falls apart when Don asks him to resign. He goes home, and finds that his wife has bought him a Jaguar. She might as well have bought him a noose. Not sure when he decided to kill himself, but when he's at home catching up on errands it made me think he was tying up loose ends. Suspicions were confirmed when he went down to the Jag with towels and garden hose, and he's all set to kill himself that way until the Jag won't start. Fitting. He winds up going to the office, types out what we later learn is his resignation, and hangs himself on the back of his door. Unbelievably tragic, and very sad to think we'll not have Jared Harris on the show anymore.
Saturday, June 02, 2012
Three Up Three Down: The Killing
Three Up
3. Darren Richmond. He's back on the campaign trail, and he has a good outing with his Seattle All-Stars program, which results in a viral video showing him shooting hoops. Turns out Gwen paid for the video, but he doesn't know that. He also confronts Gwen about a meeting she had with Adams, and learns about her teenaged dalliance with the future mayor. He's pretty supportive about the failed attempt, which is a good sign.
2. Stan Larsen. At the end of his rope, Stan calls Terry for help trying to figure things out. She gives him some pretty good advice about forgiving, and he does a pretty good job of making amends - he apologizes to Bennett Ahmed - even fixes a light for him, though he doesn't know it - and starts to find forgiveness for himself when he leaves a message on Rosie's still active cell phone. He also gets a dog for the boys. At the end of the episode he turns off a lamp in Rosie's room, which is a good sign that he's beginning to find a way past the murder.
1. Steven Holder. When he's not working to get Linden sprung from the psych ward, he's still working the case. He uncovers a new connection between the existing cabal - the mayor, Ames and Chief Jackson - and Kovarsky, as one of his foot soldiers was arrested the night of the murder breaking into the waterfront site to plant Native American bones on the site. He manages to turn Lt. Carlson around on the case once he comes up with this (and after telling him that the case files never made it to County). He does get Linden sprung, with the help of her former fiance, but is now in charge of her.
Three Down
3. Bennett Ahmed. In show time it's only been a couple of weeks since he got a beating from Stan and Belko, which is easy to forget given how long it's been since we've visited his character. He's still in bad shape, and isn't helped when he sees Stan Larsen skulking around his house. He's not particularly interested in taking Stan's apology (understandably). I suppose things aren't so bad for him - he's alive, mobile, and has a new child - but he still looks like hell.
2. Chief Nicole Jackson. She doesn't do anything in the episode until the end, where we see her supervising the work on the 10th floor of the casino after reassuring someone on the phone that any evidence will be gone. She apparently doesn't know about the key card, which is still sitting where Linden found it, waiting to be discovered.
1. Sarah Linden. The episode starts with Linden waking up in what looks like a hospital ward. Turns out that it's actually a psych ward, where she was put after reportedly trying to kill herself on the 10th floor of the Wapi Eagle. She denies this, but much of her recent behavior suggests a lack of mental health. She will be in lockup for 72 hours unless her new shrink finds a reason to let her out earlier. They talk about the previous case that saw Linden wind up in psych, and comes very close to connecting that case, Rosie's case, and Linden's abandonment as a child (dark, enclosed spaces play a prominent role). Before Linden can make her breakthrough, word comes that's she's being sprung. She sees Rick signing her out, but by the time she gets into the lobby he's gone, leaving her in Holder's care. As much as she's been trying to keep the case uppermost in her mind, she's got to be in a bit of a state to go back out. She did at least get some food in her, based on a brutal scene where she builds up into an eating frenzy over hospital dinner.
3. Darren Richmond. He's back on the campaign trail, and he has a good outing with his Seattle All-Stars program, which results in a viral video showing him shooting hoops. Turns out Gwen paid for the video, but he doesn't know that. He also confronts Gwen about a meeting she had with Adams, and learns about her teenaged dalliance with the future mayor. He's pretty supportive about the failed attempt, which is a good sign.
2. Stan Larsen. At the end of his rope, Stan calls Terry for help trying to figure things out. She gives him some pretty good advice about forgiving, and he does a pretty good job of making amends - he apologizes to Bennett Ahmed - even fixes a light for him, though he doesn't know it - and starts to find forgiveness for himself when he leaves a message on Rosie's still active cell phone. He also gets a dog for the boys. At the end of the episode he turns off a lamp in Rosie's room, which is a good sign that he's beginning to find a way past the murder.
1. Steven Holder. When he's not working to get Linden sprung from the psych ward, he's still working the case. He uncovers a new connection between the existing cabal - the mayor, Ames and Chief Jackson - and Kovarsky, as one of his foot soldiers was arrested the night of the murder breaking into the waterfront site to plant Native American bones on the site. He manages to turn Lt. Carlson around on the case once he comes up with this (and after telling him that the case files never made it to County). He does get Linden sprung, with the help of her former fiance, but is now in charge of her.
Three Down
3. Bennett Ahmed. In show time it's only been a couple of weeks since he got a beating from Stan and Belko, which is easy to forget given how long it's been since we've visited his character. He's still in bad shape, and isn't helped when he sees Stan Larsen skulking around his house. He's not particularly interested in taking Stan's apology (understandably). I suppose things aren't so bad for him - he's alive, mobile, and has a new child - but he still looks like hell.
2. Chief Nicole Jackson. She doesn't do anything in the episode until the end, where we see her supervising the work on the 10th floor of the casino after reassuring someone on the phone that any evidence will be gone. She apparently doesn't know about the key card, which is still sitting where Linden found it, waiting to be discovered.
1. Sarah Linden. The episode starts with Linden waking up in what looks like a hospital ward. Turns out that it's actually a psych ward, where she was put after reportedly trying to kill herself on the 10th floor of the Wapi Eagle. She denies this, but much of her recent behavior suggests a lack of mental health. She will be in lockup for 72 hours unless her new shrink finds a reason to let her out earlier. They talk about the previous case that saw Linden wind up in psych, and comes very close to connecting that case, Rosie's case, and Linden's abandonment as a child (dark, enclosed spaces play a prominent role). Before Linden can make her breakthrough, word comes that's she's being sprung. She sees Rick signing her out, but by the time she gets into the lobby he's gone, leaving her in Holder's care. As much as she's been trying to keep the case uppermost in her mind, she's got to be in a bit of a state to go back out. She did at least get some food in her, based on a brutal scene where she builds up into an eating frenzy over hospital dinner.
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