‘Mad Men’ season 7, episode 6 review: Bob Benson, Joan, and a dance
Tonight’s new episode of “Mad Men” revolved around a number of themes, with one of the major ones being that of consequences. If you act in a certain way, you are only fooling yourself if you suddenly think that you are going to be respected for that and not get anything thrown back at you.
Take, for example, Pete Campbell on his return to New York City this week. It is hard to necessarily imagine why he thought he was going to be able to glide back into things and get along with Trudy and his daughter, and this was instead absolutely painful to watch. In between this and his realtor “girlfriend,” this was just not a good episode for Mr. Campbell.
As for Don, the good news for him was that he seemed to actually have everything together now on the surface. He was getting along with Megan, and he was finding a stride at work. But, you know that there are many shoes that are going to drop here when it comes to this. There was even a demented part of us that thought that something more was going to happen when it comes to Don and Peggy near the end in the middle of their dance, but we are happy that it didn’t because their relationship is so … interesting.
We also must discuss the glorious return of Bob Benson. He’s such a strange guy with strange motives, but he is a master of putting on that perfect facade in front of others … at least until he really tried to push for something more with Joan. She is very good at seeing through people, but the interesting thing is that there may have been a part of her that wanted to actually accept the “offer” that was being made of her. But, she didn’t do it for one reason: A hope for love someday.
All of the stories this week culminated with the surprise announcement of Harry Crane as a partner to the dismay of some, but also the meeting between Peggy, Pete, and Don a Burger Chef making it clear that rather than face consequences of a bad day’s work, they would find a way to figure this out. The stories ended in mostly ambiguity, but at least it was mystery in its most entertaining form. All we can say is that Bob may be gone for now, Pete’s miserable again, and Don’t new position has made matters more complex than ever. Grade: A-.
What did you think about this episode of “Mad Men” as a whole? Share some of your thoughts with a comment.
61n61
May 19, 2014 @ 7:00 am
In light of Harry giving Don the “heads up” in last week’s episode that SCP&D were in the hunt for Phillip Morris & it would lead to Don getting fired, Don’s response in tonight’s episode that “he’s loyal” to the question of what he thought about Harry being made partner during the partner’s meeting was the funniest of the episode.
Thought the final scene of Don, Peggy, & Pete chowing down at Burger Chef w/the camera panning and fading out a stark reminder of how the three of these series “originals” have morphed into their own unique kind of family over the series’ life. Don’s wife Megan is on a plane back to LA, w/Pete’s RE sale’s girlfriend heading to the same place, which happens to be where Peggy’s last romantic involvement presently resides, & yet, there the three of them sit, chugging burgers, fries, & shakes at a fast food joint whose account they’re trying to win for their agency as they contemplate the work that defines who they’ve been and still might yet become before it’s all over. Don’s support of Peggy here really did feel like the torch has been passed.
Loved how Joan’s gaydar existed decades before there was even a term for it, & despite all the questions that yet remain concerning Bob Benson, his homosexuality was never in question at least as far as she was concerned.
The storyline about the GM(?) executive who gets arrested for attempting to fellate an undercover cop was quite the surprising detour. After Bob Benson bails the exec out, the exec tells him, among other things concerning Bob’s future employment prospects, something to the effect that the exec’s own wife knows about this little predilection of his. Knowing how the game’s played, Bob asks Joan to marry him so he, too, can look the part of a successful, established, heterosexual, Alpha male business executive in the Detroit Automobile industry. Along w/the obvious thoughts about closeted people, the issue of secret & double lives pops up once again on Mad Men, & as with Dick Whitman/Don Draper, we understand yet again how appearances can be deceiving, & likewise, how deceptive so much of what we encounter in our world really was & still is.
What was the significance of Don reading/reviewing the November 23, 1963 NY Times “JFK assassinated” issue while in his apartment? Have to view the episode one more time to figure that one out.
Sally Schwartz
May 19, 2014 @ 4:41 am
I can’t get enough of this show, that dance with Don & Peggy was just beautiful. funny how the balance of power shifts & now Don wasn’t the odd one out during the partners’ meeting but Roger was. did Don show disloyalty to Roger there by showing loyalty to Harry? and Trudy is sooooo over Pete, don’t we think? was the art on Roger’s wall the Peter Max style ad artwork for this season? so much more to savor & ponder, yowser!!!
NationalGalleryofClipArt
May 19, 2014 @ 3:35 am
Bonnie & Megan on same flight to LA; menage with the pilot?
Sally Schwartz
May 19, 2014 @ 4:43 am
That’s great, I thought now Megan is becoming a boozy floozy like her mom, she sure was having some sneaky smug thoughts with her red wine & ciggy.