‘Mad Men’ season 7, episode 11 podcast: Talking ‘Time & Life’ with Jessa

We know that we are a little bit late to the game when it comes to presenting this episode of our “Mad Men” CarterMatt Podcast, but sometimes it is better late than never! We wanted to sit down for at least a few minutes (or 40) to discuss “Time & Life,” which is one of the more fascinating episodes that the AMC series has presented us in the final home stretch.

The first thing that makes this particular installment so interesting right away is the hope, or lack thereof, that it gives us of the future for Don Draper. Think about his present circumstances for a minute: McCann has forced them into being employees, and gone is some of that freedom and self-reliance that Don so craved for many years. In its place is having to be a tool of someone else; this is really one of the first times when he has not been able to out-think a situation.

In addition to the Don story, we (being Matt Carter and Jessa) also go through what was one of the better Pete Campbell stories in recent memory. Who doesn’t love it when he punches someone in the face? We talk about how this, even if it is an immature act, may be somehow still mature for a man well-known at this point for doing a number of immature things.

By the end of this podcast, we also get into the Diana mystery, the friendship between Peggy and Stan, and our desire to never see Harry Crane again.