Three Up
1. Joan Harris. The episode opens with Richard telling Joan that her life is undeveloped real estate, and in time (and after a lunch with Ken Cosgrove), she finds something she wants to develop - a film production company, doing industrial films for Dow to start. She offers a partnership to Peggy, who declines, but Joan presses on. Her desire to build something of her own winds up driving Richard away. It's the crowning moment for Joan in the series, really, as she finally has true independence. And Kevin is also now getting part of Roger's estate when he dies, so he's even secure.
2. Peggy Olsen and Stan Rizzo. They're both staying at McCann, but in talking over Joan's offer to Peggy, and Peggy insulting Stan, they learn in their make-up phone call that they're in love with each other. There will be fans that will hate this, but it's the sort of professional and personal synthesis that kind of makes sense for someone as driven as Peggy. And Stan hanging up the phone while Peggy was talking to run up to her office was too cute.
3. Don Draper. Don starts the episode in Utah test driving cars, and now looks every bit a Whitman with his plaid shirts, jeans, and (relatively) untamed hair. He finally learns that Betty is sick, and calls her to say he's coming home, but she (and Sally before her) tell him to keep his distance. This leads him to California, and to Anna's niece Stephanie, where he's looking to crash a bit before heading back. But Stephanie takes him to some sort of New Age retreat up north, which eventually leads to him breaking down after calling Peggy to say goodbye. He's completely adrift until, in one session, he listens to an office worker talk about how he feels unloved and ignored. It's a cathartic moment for Don, as the troubles of this guy put his own issues in perspective. It also apparently leads Don to realize that the best solution for his issues is the one he used before: reinvention. The episode closes with Don in a meditation group, chanting om and smiling. He's at peace and one with the universe, the yin to New York Don's yang.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling and Marie Calvet. Marie has left Emile and come to New York, but she and Roger get in a fight because Marie thinks Roger will eventually throw her over. He responds by marrying her and apparently moving to Canada. They seem very happy in the last scene we see them in. As Joan noted, the timing finally worked out.
Three Down
1. Sally Draper. Sally breaks the news about Betty to Don, and then has to make the argument that it's better that he not come back to assert his fatherhood. She thinks it would be too much for Bobby and Gene, and that living with their uncle and aunt would be more stable. She makes no argument about herself, already assuming the mantle of adulthood. She later assumes a maternal role when she comes home to check in on everyone, and finds out that Bobby already knows (he overheard the fights between Betty and Henry). Sally cooks them dinner (Bobby tried but failed), and is still home washing dishes in the last scene we see her in, Betty sitting at the kitchen table and smoking. Welcome to adulthood.
2. Richard Burghoff. For all of Richard's talk about Joan's ability to do whatever she wants, Richard really wants Joan to be with him and not tied down. Her new business will tie her down, and he knows that, so he calls it off before things get ugly. Which is a wise move, but giving up Joan is a mistake.
3. Stephanie Horton. When Don arrives on her doorstep she assumes her folks sent him over to cause trouble over her son, who is being raised by the father's parents. Once they straighten out that Don is there simply because he wanted to check in, she invites him to the retreat. Which she leaves after people in a group session judge her on not wanting to be with her son. She leaves the retreat, going back into the world with the same baggage and problems as before. On the plus side, her conversation with Don before she leaves helps him, I think, as he talks with her about reinvention, potentially getting him to realize that starting over will be best for him.
Honorable Mention: Meredith. She gets canned once McCann realizes that Roger has been using her in addition to Caroline. She's still perky about her chances, agreeing with Roger that she'll land on her feet. Hopefully with a translation service in need of a pig Latin expert.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
2015 Upfronts: Fox
What's Cancelled? The only relatively new cancellations are The Mindy Project (which was announced last week, with the potential that Hulu may pick it up) and The Following.
The New Lineup:
Monday: Gotham opens the night, followed by Minority Report, a TV version of the movie where one of the precogs has secretly returned to fighting crime, aided by a cop with a troubled past. They're once again trying to prevent crimes before they happen, so sort of a Person of Interest without the computer. I would have more faith in this if Fox had a better track record with shows set in the future.
Monday will also see the return of The X-Files in January.
Tuesday: is all new, and opens with a pair of sitcoms. Grandfathered stars John Stamos as a bachelor who learns that he's not only a father, but a grandfather. He then has to balance his new family with his work family, and work out the love lives of his son and himself. This is followed by The Grinder, in which a TV lawyer (Rob Lowe), finding his show cancelled, moves home to work in his family's law firm, to the consternation of his brother (Fred Savage) and father (William Devane). I find the latter show more interesting than the former.
The following hour gives us Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy's follow-up to Glee. An elite sorority is forced to open its pledge process to all students, which apparently causes a killing spree. We'll get another body each week until the killer is found, or something. I'm dubious about this one, if only because of how Glee wandered for most of its run.
New Girl returns later in the year, followed by a new comedy, The Guide to Surviving Life. The new show follows a group of young people who are living together for the first time. Probably a good match for New Girl and for viewers who don't remember Friends.
Wednesday: Opens with Rosewood, in which a brilliant private pathologist (Morris Chestnut) uses his sophisticated lab and skilled assistants (his sister and her fiancee) to find clues that the Miami PD missed. Which leads me to wonder why the Miami PD doesn't just have him do their autopsies to begin with. And there's a detective with her own inner demons for him to clash with, of course.
This is followed by Empire, which doesn't seem like the most natural combination.
Thursday: Bones, followed by Sleepy Hollow in a new time slot.
Friday: Masterchef Junior, follwed by the clip show World's Funniest.
Saturday: college football
Sunday: unchanged, notable in that midseason comedy The Last Man on Earth will return in the 9:30 slot after Family Guy.
Midseason?
*Lucifer, based on a comic book where the fallen angel moves to Los Angeles to punish bad guys, although living in LA means he's not keeping the peace in Hell, which may allow evil beings to escape (from a hellmouth?). Seems very Buffy/Angelish.
* The Frankenstein Code, where a septugenarian sheriff is killed by mobsters but brought back to life by a couple of thirtysomething techies, with some unpredictable superpowers thrown in to boot. I assume the reanimated lawman is not afraid of fire?
* Bordertown, an animated comedy from Seth MacFarlane set in a town on the US-Mexico border. Which I assume will allow him to use all of the jokes left over from The Cleveland Show, only edited to be about Mexicans.
We're also getting a live version of Grease, as Fox horns in on NBC's territory. And, as noted pretty much everywhere, American Idol will return for its final season.
Thoughts?
Seems like Fox is betting heavily on sci-fi/fantasy themed programming, which hasn't quite worked out for them in the past. But if they can embrace it, and give shows time to develop, it could work out very well for them. And while there may be derivative notes in some of the new shows, they are at least for older shows that may not be as familiar to current 18 to 34 year olds; it's new to them!
The New Lineup:
Monday: Gotham opens the night, followed by Minority Report, a TV version of the movie where one of the precogs has secretly returned to fighting crime, aided by a cop with a troubled past. They're once again trying to prevent crimes before they happen, so sort of a Person of Interest without the computer. I would have more faith in this if Fox had a better track record with shows set in the future.
Monday will also see the return of The X-Files in January.
Tuesday: is all new, and opens with a pair of sitcoms. Grandfathered stars John Stamos as a bachelor who learns that he's not only a father, but a grandfather. He then has to balance his new family with his work family, and work out the love lives of his son and himself. This is followed by The Grinder, in which a TV lawyer (Rob Lowe), finding his show cancelled, moves home to work in his family's law firm, to the consternation of his brother (Fred Savage) and father (William Devane). I find the latter show more interesting than the former.
The following hour gives us Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy's follow-up to Glee. An elite sorority is forced to open its pledge process to all students, which apparently causes a killing spree. We'll get another body each week until the killer is found, or something. I'm dubious about this one, if only because of how Glee wandered for most of its run.
New Girl returns later in the year, followed by a new comedy, The Guide to Surviving Life. The new show follows a group of young people who are living together for the first time. Probably a good match for New Girl and for viewers who don't remember Friends.
Wednesday: Opens with Rosewood, in which a brilliant private pathologist (Morris Chestnut) uses his sophisticated lab and skilled assistants (his sister and her fiancee) to find clues that the Miami PD missed. Which leads me to wonder why the Miami PD doesn't just have him do their autopsies to begin with. And there's a detective with her own inner demons for him to clash with, of course.
This is followed by Empire, which doesn't seem like the most natural combination.
Thursday: Bones, followed by Sleepy Hollow in a new time slot.
Friday: Masterchef Junior, follwed by the clip show World's Funniest.
Saturday: college football
Sunday: unchanged, notable in that midseason comedy The Last Man on Earth will return in the 9:30 slot after Family Guy.
Midseason?
*Lucifer, based on a comic book where the fallen angel moves to Los Angeles to punish bad guys, although living in LA means he's not keeping the peace in Hell, which may allow evil beings to escape (from a hellmouth?). Seems very Buffy/Angelish.
* The Frankenstein Code, where a septugenarian sheriff is killed by mobsters but brought back to life by a couple of thirtysomething techies, with some unpredictable superpowers thrown in to boot. I assume the reanimated lawman is not afraid of fire?
* Bordertown, an animated comedy from Seth MacFarlane set in a town on the US-Mexico border. Which I assume will allow him to use all of the jokes left over from The Cleveland Show, only edited to be about Mexicans.
We're also getting a live version of Grease, as Fox horns in on NBC's territory. And, as noted pretty much everywhere, American Idol will return for its final season.
Thoughts?
Seems like Fox is betting heavily on sci-fi/fantasy themed programming, which hasn't quite worked out for them in the past. But if they can embrace it, and give shows time to develop, it could work out very well for them. And while there may be derivative notes in some of the new shows, they are at least for older shows that may not be as familiar to current 18 to 34 year olds; it's new to them!
Monday, May 11, 2015
2015 Upfronts: NBC
It's the most wonderful time of the TV year: the broadcast networks trout out their planned schedules for the upcoming season, in the hopes of selling as much ad time as possible. NBC and Fox go today, ABC tomorrow, CBS Wednesday, and The CW on Thursday. Let's start with the Peacock.
What's Cancelled? Nothing surprising, really, and mostly things that have already been cancelled. Most notable shows not coming back include Parks and Rec, Parenthood (both planned endings), State of Affairs, The Sing-Off, Allegiance, and Constantine.
The New Lineup. Here's what's on tap for the fall:
Monday: The Voice for two hours, with Blindspot moving in at 10. This new drama sees a woman wake up in Times Square not knowing who she is or how she got there. She's also only covered by a set of intricate tattoos, one of which is the name of a FBI agent. Working together, they realize that her tats are related to crimes, and that solving them will help the woman get back her identity and apparently expose some sort of international conspiracy. If it's done well it might not be bad, but I'm sensing this as every international conspiracy show of the last decade with a Blacklist overlay.
Tuesday: begins with The Voice, and then moves to new drama Heartbreaker, about a heart surgeon whose professional brilliance in a male-dominated field may only be matched by a "racy" personal life. This is the latest attempt to find a Grey's Anatomy for a younger set, I'm guessing.
The day wraps with what might be the most interesting new show of the year, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. It's a return to the variety show, promising music, comedy, stunts, audience participation, and various giveaways. I'll admit to being intrigued.
Wednesday: No changes here, with The Mysteries of Laura (so much for a repeat win in the Ted Marshall Open) followed by Law & Order: SVU and then Chicago PD.
Thursday: Starts with the reboot of Heroes, which still seems like a bad idea. That's followed by The Blacklist, and then The Player, which stars Wesley Snipes as a special ops guy turned Las Vegas security pro who is tasked to stop major crimes by a shadowy group of millionaires. This may also help Snipes finally learn the truth about the death of his wife, because working for a shadowy group of millionaires to stop major crimes isn't enough. I just hope Snipes gets his withholding correct this time around.
Friday: The one relocated show is Undateable, which kicks off the evening, followed by People are Talking, in which to diverse couples who live next door to each other talk about life, love and... sorry, I fell asleep in the middle of the synopsis. Marc-Paul Gosselaar stars, for those of you still upset about Saved by the Bell not getting the reboot treatment.
Grimm and Dateline round out the evening.
Saturday: Dateline followed by vintage SNL repeats.
Sunday: Football scores, followed by football game.
Midseason?
Chicago Fire comes back in November in place of NPH's show, and there are a variety of unscripted programs (Celebrity Apprentice, The Biggest Loser, etc.) that aren't on the schedule but will likely fill some cracks. As far as new scripted shows go, we have:
* The reboot of Coach, where Hayden Fox comes out of retirement to help his son, who is the head football coach at an Ivy League school where the eggheads don't know sports.
* Hot & Bothered, a sitcom set behind the scenes of a telenovela. Eva Longoria stars.
* Crowded, about empty nesters who suddenly have children and parents living with them. The description calls this setting "timely," which is probably true if we're measuring in geologic time.
* Superstore, a big box workplace comedy starring America Ferrara and Ben Feldman. This is closer to timely, NBC, especially if the leads started working their after losing their jobs in the Great Recession.
* You, Me and the End of the World, an apocalyptic comedy about a group of misfits whose lives intersect in the shadow of an impending collision between the Earth and a comet. Stars Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer and Megan Mullaly.
*Chicago Med, another Chicago Fire spinoff. Looking forward to next year's Chicago Sanitation.
* Game of Silence, which strikes me as Revenge combined with I Know What you Did Last Summer, when a secret shared by a group of high school friends comes to light 25 years later.
* Shades of Blue, about a crooked cop (Jennifer Lopez!) who has to turn on her fellow crooked cops when she gets pinched by the FBI.
Also, we're getting a live version of The Wiz this season.
Thoughts?
First thought is that after years of giving NBC crap about turnover, they've done a nice job of developing some shows with staying power. Quick second thought is that they've only got one hour of traditional sitcoms for the fall, and it's on Friday. Must See Thursday is well and truly dead.
There's not much among the new shows that really piques my interest, other than the variety show, and that's less about content than format. But I also think the new shows are OK, not so derivative to be obvious about who they're ripping off but not so original to potentially be off-putting (though People are Talking sounds dreadful). So good work, I guess?
What's Cancelled? Nothing surprising, really, and mostly things that have already been cancelled. Most notable shows not coming back include Parks and Rec, Parenthood (both planned endings), State of Affairs, The Sing-Off, Allegiance, and Constantine.
The New Lineup. Here's what's on tap for the fall:
Monday: The Voice for two hours, with Blindspot moving in at 10. This new drama sees a woman wake up in Times Square not knowing who she is or how she got there. She's also only covered by a set of intricate tattoos, one of which is the name of a FBI agent. Working together, they realize that her tats are related to crimes, and that solving them will help the woman get back her identity and apparently expose some sort of international conspiracy. If it's done well it might not be bad, but I'm sensing this as every international conspiracy show of the last decade with a Blacklist overlay.
Tuesday: begins with The Voice, and then moves to new drama Heartbreaker, about a heart surgeon whose professional brilliance in a male-dominated field may only be matched by a "racy" personal life. This is the latest attempt to find a Grey's Anatomy for a younger set, I'm guessing.
The day wraps with what might be the most interesting new show of the year, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. It's a return to the variety show, promising music, comedy, stunts, audience participation, and various giveaways. I'll admit to being intrigued.
Wednesday: No changes here, with The Mysteries of Laura (so much for a repeat win in the Ted Marshall Open) followed by Law & Order: SVU and then Chicago PD.
Thursday: Starts with the reboot of Heroes, which still seems like a bad idea. That's followed by The Blacklist, and then The Player, which stars Wesley Snipes as a special ops guy turned Las Vegas security pro who is tasked to stop major crimes by a shadowy group of millionaires. This may also help Snipes finally learn the truth about the death of his wife, because working for a shadowy group of millionaires to stop major crimes isn't enough. I just hope Snipes gets his withholding correct this time around.
Friday: The one relocated show is Undateable, which kicks off the evening, followed by People are Talking, in which to diverse couples who live next door to each other talk about life, love and... sorry, I fell asleep in the middle of the synopsis. Marc-Paul Gosselaar stars, for those of you still upset about Saved by the Bell not getting the reboot treatment.
Grimm and Dateline round out the evening.
Saturday: Dateline followed by vintage SNL repeats.
Sunday: Football scores, followed by football game.
Midseason?
Chicago Fire comes back in November in place of NPH's show, and there are a variety of unscripted programs (Celebrity Apprentice, The Biggest Loser, etc.) that aren't on the schedule but will likely fill some cracks. As far as new scripted shows go, we have:
* The reboot of Coach, where Hayden Fox comes out of retirement to help his son, who is the head football coach at an Ivy League school where the eggheads don't know sports.
* Hot & Bothered, a sitcom set behind the scenes of a telenovela. Eva Longoria stars.
* Crowded, about empty nesters who suddenly have children and parents living with them. The description calls this setting "timely," which is probably true if we're measuring in geologic time.
* Superstore, a big box workplace comedy starring America Ferrara and Ben Feldman. This is closer to timely, NBC, especially if the leads started working their after losing their jobs in the Great Recession.
* You, Me and the End of the World, an apocalyptic comedy about a group of misfits whose lives intersect in the shadow of an impending collision between the Earth and a comet. Stars Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer and Megan Mullaly.
*Chicago Med, another Chicago Fire spinoff. Looking forward to next year's Chicago Sanitation.
* Game of Silence, which strikes me as Revenge combined with I Know What you Did Last Summer, when a secret shared by a group of high school friends comes to light 25 years later.
* Shades of Blue, about a crooked cop (Jennifer Lopez!) who has to turn on her fellow crooked cops when she gets pinched by the FBI.
Also, we're getting a live version of The Wiz this season.
Thoughts?
First thought is that after years of giving NBC crap about turnover, they've done a nice job of developing some shows with staying power. Quick second thought is that they've only got one hour of traditional sitcoms for the fall, and it's on Friday. Must See Thursday is well and truly dead.
There's not much among the new shows that really piques my interest, other than the variety show, and that's less about content than format. But I also think the new shows are OK, not so derivative to be obvious about who they're ripping off but not so original to potentially be off-putting (though People are Talking sounds dreadful). So good work, I guess?
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Milk and Honey Route"
Three Up
1. Pete Campbell. Pete runs into Duck in the elevator at McCann, and it turns into Duck talking Pete into meeting with an executive from a private jet service. This is actually Duck trying to get Pete into a senior position with the company, which Pete turns down because he's happy at McCann. At least he is until Duck is able to work the company into an offer that matches what Pete would get from McCann. Pete rushes to Trudy with the news, proposing that they all move to Wichita and resume family life, which Trudy accepts.
2. Don Draper. Don is still on his road trip, keeping tabs with the kids and enjoying not being at McCann. His car breaks down somewhere in Oklahoma, and he's stuck there for nearly a week before it can get fixed. He gets in good with some of the locals, enough to get invited to a social for veterans (which is actually a fundraiser, at which he is able to admit that he caused his CO's death). Don later takes a phone book to the face a few times when he's suspected of stealing the fundraiser proceeds (the locals know he has money, and seem to think this is how he gets it). Turns out the thief is the handyman at the motel, and Don gets him to return the money, and gives him a quick lesson on being a con man and the negative aspect of living under a false name. Don gives the kid a ride to the bus station, but then gives the kid his car. The episode ends with Don sitting at the bus stop, huge grin on his face. He's gotten rid the last physical reminder of his New York life and is apparently looking forward to letting Greyhound do the driving.
3. Duck Phillips. Duck gets to eat for the rest of the year! Nice bit of work maneuvering Pete into the new job, maybe not so nice that he's apparently back on the sauce. Probably too much to ask that we'll have one more great drunk Duck scene.
Honorable Mention: Trudy Campbell. For all the great backbone that Trudy's shown as a divorcee in the suburbs, it turns out that she's spent the last couple of years waiting for Pete to come back and declare his love for her. She's not forgotten what he's done, but she seems amenable to moving on. Which I'm not sure I'm happy about, but it'd be nice to have a happy Trudy back, even if we don't get to see it.
Three Down
1. Betty Francis. HOLY CRAP BETTY HAS TERMINAL CANCER. A fall at school leads to the discovery that she's got lung cancer that's spread to bones and lymph nodes, and could have a year if she submits to various treatments. She's not going to do this, much to Henry's dismay. Betty asks Henry to not tell the kids until she figures out how she wants to do it, so of course he goes and tells Sally. This leads to Sally coming home, ostensibly to talk Betty into treatment, but Betty gives Sally a pretty good explanation about knowing when something is over, and how fighting that is generally not worth the trouble. This is easily the most adult thing we've ever seen Betty do.
Also, between Anna and Betty, Megan should use some of the million that Don gave her to get regular cancer screenings. Being Mrs. Don Draper is apparently carcinogenic.
2. Sally Draper. Sally is apparently going to be the responsible adult when it comes to Betty's death, as Betty gives Sally postmortem instructions, noting that Henry isn't going to be any use once it happens. So Sally is going to have to deal with helping him through as well. She can't even tell her brothers what's going on, and doesn't have a way to tell Don until he calls again. So she's carrying this on her own, at least for now. And she has to sell her field hockey equipment, what a drag.
3. Henry Francis. When Henry breaks down after telling Sally about Betty, it's the first and best clue that Betty's assessment is correct. He's also in pretty heavy denial, doing research into oncologists and telling Betty that she's always been lucky. He is going to make a horrible widower.
Honorable Mention: Al Bettendorf. The drunk vet burns down his kitchen, and then beats up a stranger who he thinks stole the money raised to fix it. Wonder who he'll beat up next year when they have to have another fundraiser to rebuild whatever he burns down next.
1. Pete Campbell. Pete runs into Duck in the elevator at McCann, and it turns into Duck talking Pete into meeting with an executive from a private jet service. This is actually Duck trying to get Pete into a senior position with the company, which Pete turns down because he's happy at McCann. At least he is until Duck is able to work the company into an offer that matches what Pete would get from McCann. Pete rushes to Trudy with the news, proposing that they all move to Wichita and resume family life, which Trudy accepts.
2. Don Draper. Don is still on his road trip, keeping tabs with the kids and enjoying not being at McCann. His car breaks down somewhere in Oklahoma, and he's stuck there for nearly a week before it can get fixed. He gets in good with some of the locals, enough to get invited to a social for veterans (which is actually a fundraiser, at which he is able to admit that he caused his CO's death). Don later takes a phone book to the face a few times when he's suspected of stealing the fundraiser proceeds (the locals know he has money, and seem to think this is how he gets it). Turns out the thief is the handyman at the motel, and Don gets him to return the money, and gives him a quick lesson on being a con man and the negative aspect of living under a false name. Don gives the kid a ride to the bus station, but then gives the kid his car. The episode ends with Don sitting at the bus stop, huge grin on his face. He's gotten rid the last physical reminder of his New York life and is apparently looking forward to letting Greyhound do the driving.
3. Duck Phillips. Duck gets to eat for the rest of the year! Nice bit of work maneuvering Pete into the new job, maybe not so nice that he's apparently back on the sauce. Probably too much to ask that we'll have one more great drunk Duck scene.
Honorable Mention: Trudy Campbell. For all the great backbone that Trudy's shown as a divorcee in the suburbs, it turns out that she's spent the last couple of years waiting for Pete to come back and declare his love for her. She's not forgotten what he's done, but she seems amenable to moving on. Which I'm not sure I'm happy about, but it'd be nice to have a happy Trudy back, even if we don't get to see it.
Three Down
1. Betty Francis. HOLY CRAP BETTY HAS TERMINAL CANCER. A fall at school leads to the discovery that she's got lung cancer that's spread to bones and lymph nodes, and could have a year if she submits to various treatments. She's not going to do this, much to Henry's dismay. Betty asks Henry to not tell the kids until she figures out how she wants to do it, so of course he goes and tells Sally. This leads to Sally coming home, ostensibly to talk Betty into treatment, but Betty gives Sally a pretty good explanation about knowing when something is over, and how fighting that is generally not worth the trouble. This is easily the most adult thing we've ever seen Betty do.
Also, between Anna and Betty, Megan should use some of the million that Don gave her to get regular cancer screenings. Being Mrs. Don Draper is apparently carcinogenic.
2. Sally Draper. Sally is apparently going to be the responsible adult when it comes to Betty's death, as Betty gives Sally postmortem instructions, noting that Henry isn't going to be any use once it happens. So Sally is going to have to deal with helping him through as well. She can't even tell her brothers what's going on, and doesn't have a way to tell Don until he calls again. So she's carrying this on her own, at least for now. And she has to sell her field hockey equipment, what a drag.
3. Henry Francis. When Henry breaks down after telling Sally about Betty, it's the first and best clue that Betty's assessment is correct. He's also in pretty heavy denial, doing research into oncologists and telling Betty that she's always been lucky. He is going to make a horrible widower.
Honorable Mention: Al Bettendorf. The drunk vet burns down his kitchen, and then beats up a stranger who he thinks stole the money raised to fix it. Wonder who he'll beat up next year when they have to have another fundraiser to rebuild whatever he burns down next.
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Lost Horizon"
Three Up
1. Pete Campbell. We see very little of Pete in this episode, but it seems clear that Pete is the one SC&P partner who is really fitting in at McCann (Ted seems OK too, but maybe not to the same level as Pete). He kind of wins by default given how things go for everyone else.
2. Peggy Olson. She's having a rough start at McCann, as her office isn't ready and her boxes get sent back to SC&P. She keeps working at the old office, and discovers that Roger is still hanging around. They spend the second half of the episode getting drunk, but they do talk enough that Peggy, when she finally shows up at McCann, comes in with confidence.
3. Betty Francis. Also a short appearance, but kind of a sweet one with Don involving Sally and Betty's return to school. She's doing what she says she's always wanted to do, and Don is genuinely happy for her.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling. He's still processing the move and his role in it, but his drinking with Peggy helps him to see how the move might just be the kick in the pants he needs. Not sure he'll fit in at McCann, but he does help Joan make an important decision.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. Things are going just as expected for Joan at McCann. No one takes her seriously, and she's unlikely to get any more accounts than those she brought over. She's also being saddled with a McCann exec, who more or less expect that she's going to be arm candy - or more. This leads to a tense meeting with Jim Hobart, who offers Joan half of what she's due to disappear. She threatens a lawsuit involving the EEOC and ACLU, but eventually takes the deal. She's equal parts furious, embarrassed and sad, but in the long run this may be the best for her. Especially if this frees her up to finally be happy in her personal life.
2. Don Draper. Don appears to be settling in reasonably well, and Jim Hobart is clearly smitten. Accounts are lining up for Don, including a return to Hilton and a new account with Miller beer that McCann more or less got specifically for Don. But he's clearly not all the way there, and when the first Miller meeting mentions Wisconsin, Don thinks of Diana and how she's apparently returned home. This leads Don to leave the meeting and, eventually, drive to Racine to find her. He doesn't, but does meet her ex-husband, who wants nothing to do with Diana or Don. Don is now fully adrift, and has apparently decided to keep going westward.
3. Jim Hobart. He's landed his "white whale" in Don, but his happiness in finally bringing SC&P in is short-lived. Don goes AWOL, Joan threatens a lawsuit which leads to a buyout, and Roger, when he finally shows up, is less of an ally than expected. Maybe Jim should have stayed in the Bahamas.
Honorable Mention: Ferg Donnelly. No happy fun time with Joan in Atlanta. Which is possibly a good thing for him, as Joan's new man would likely have him disappeared by one of those guys he occasionally calls.
1. Pete Campbell. We see very little of Pete in this episode, but it seems clear that Pete is the one SC&P partner who is really fitting in at McCann (Ted seems OK too, but maybe not to the same level as Pete). He kind of wins by default given how things go for everyone else.
2. Peggy Olson. She's having a rough start at McCann, as her office isn't ready and her boxes get sent back to SC&P. She keeps working at the old office, and discovers that Roger is still hanging around. They spend the second half of the episode getting drunk, but they do talk enough that Peggy, when she finally shows up at McCann, comes in with confidence.
3. Betty Francis. Also a short appearance, but kind of a sweet one with Don involving Sally and Betty's return to school. She's doing what she says she's always wanted to do, and Don is genuinely happy for her.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling. He's still processing the move and his role in it, but his drinking with Peggy helps him to see how the move might just be the kick in the pants he needs. Not sure he'll fit in at McCann, but he does help Joan make an important decision.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. Things are going just as expected for Joan at McCann. No one takes her seriously, and she's unlikely to get any more accounts than those she brought over. She's also being saddled with a McCann exec, who more or less expect that she's going to be arm candy - or more. This leads to a tense meeting with Jim Hobart, who offers Joan half of what she's due to disappear. She threatens a lawsuit involving the EEOC and ACLU, but eventually takes the deal. She's equal parts furious, embarrassed and sad, but in the long run this may be the best for her. Especially if this frees her up to finally be happy in her personal life.
2. Don Draper. Don appears to be settling in reasonably well, and Jim Hobart is clearly smitten. Accounts are lining up for Don, including a return to Hilton and a new account with Miller beer that McCann more or less got specifically for Don. But he's clearly not all the way there, and when the first Miller meeting mentions Wisconsin, Don thinks of Diana and how she's apparently returned home. This leads Don to leave the meeting and, eventually, drive to Racine to find her. He doesn't, but does meet her ex-husband, who wants nothing to do with Diana or Don. Don is now fully adrift, and has apparently decided to keep going westward.
3. Jim Hobart. He's landed his "white whale" in Don, but his happiness in finally bringing SC&P in is short-lived. Don goes AWOL, Joan threatens a lawsuit which leads to a buyout, and Roger, when he finally shows up, is less of an ally than expected. Maybe Jim should have stayed in the Bahamas.
Honorable Mention: Ferg Donnelly. No happy fun time with Joan in Atlanta. Which is possibly a good thing for him, as Joan's new man would likely have him disappeared by one of those guys he occasionally calls.
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