Ok the nitty gritty: Don and his secretary Allison:
If you notice, earlier in the episode, Don made a play for the nurse. Didn't happen. Then, he could've easily made a play for the psychiatrist-type woman but didn't because she wanted in to him, not take care of him. In the end, he went for, and got, Allison, the secretary, who takes some care of him.
What's the common denominator with the nurse and the secretary? Two women who can take care of him. That's what it's about. That's what he went for. This is where Don Draper is now. That's the point of the episode, to me anyway.
Even though he gave Allison the next day sober boot, however immediately after the sex, did you see the tender touch he gave her after the sex? The face caress, the personal attention, the emtional attention from a man who is incapable of such? It's the contradiction that makes us men. You women have all been there.
I thought that was the key scene of the episode; not the sex but his touching her face afterward.
Again, no blonde, just like last week when it didn't work out with Jane's friend, and here instead he goes for the first brunette, the nurse, and gets the other brunette secretary Allison.
When Betty found the box last season, she said. "you wanted to get caught". Does Don cry out for things by action instead of words? Is Don crying out for something by going for caretaker girls here?
In the series premiere season1, when Peggy put her hand on his, he rejected it. He didn't need it. Does he need it now though? Obviously.
Was the emphasis on the kids this episiode metaphorical? Kids need a foundation, and so does Don right now?
Don is grasping for something other than sex, but seeking that unknown however through what he knows, which leads to so much more mess. Not the first guy.
The last scene was terrific. Don leaving the office with Allison's "gifts", (cough, cough, metaphor) while she, the girl, is left with meaningless words the next morning you put in a drawer. Perfect metaphor.
He definitely needs to be taken care of. He's drinking more and eating less. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out. I think the psychologist typed him correctly when she said he would be married by next Christmas. As much as he is a loner and secretive, he does not want to be alone. He's been alone his whole life. As a child he never had the love of his parents. Married to Betty, he had to keep his secret so he couldn't open up to her and now he has no one. It's very sad. You can't help but feel pity for him.
Your insight into Don being attracted to caretaker types is interesting. Especially in Don's present state he's not going to go for the Alpha Female but rather women who will look up to him and bolster his fragile ego.
It's looking as though Don's primary relationship is not SCDP, not the folks at the office or his clients, not the kids and not with a woman who is marriage material, but with the bottle. Classic problem drinker behavior.
So here Peggy is playing like she's a virgin with her boyfriend. Why is that? Is it Peggy having a past she wishes wasn't true, and has decided to eliminate form her mind, like Don? Are they giving us some sort of parallel with Don and Peggy? That whole thing was very interesting.
It's also interesting because twice now Don has had moments where in ep1 he called her I think hunny, and here at the party he called her sweetheart. I don't think it's the usual office parlance, he's never referred to anyone like that.
I do not think at all it's any foreshadowing of anything of any romantic nature whatsoever, but I think those 2 things maybe are leading to something. It's like they're using 2 different ways to connect these characters. Or is it just coincidence?
Hi, Greg: I really like your new blog site. AMC is really to high traffic to read all comments.
I have a question. I remember reading somewhere that MW has a site called "Little Things" in which are clues, hidden details, themes, etc. that you can watch for in each MadMen episode.
i.e. Episode 1 the new office was a squares decor. Episode 2 has circles and semi-circles. Roger explains "Jane hired a decorator" when Freddy says he likes the new place, then as they sit in front of the mod painting of circles Freddy comments, "I feel like I'm getting sucked into that thing." Hmmmm....what did THAT mean?
Know where we can find out? Thanks for your insight.
I've always just waited till the dvd commentaries to see what we're right or wrong about. I don't know if there's sites around during the season.
But my feeling is it shows the old school guys vs what's new. Freddy jokes about it not interested in it, unlike season 2 when the younger SC workers were all into Bert Cooper's painting.
Also later Peggy yells at him calling him old fashioned regarding something else.
Getting sucked into that... as in being swallowed whole, something overtaking you? Think there's a little expanded symbolism there about the old guard butting heads with the new, about the Rogers and the Freddies of the world and their time coming; something absorbing then overrunning them, something unavoidable coming to scoop them up and dispose of them? "I feel like I'm gonna get sucked into that".
7 comments:
Nurse and Allison: Don going for the caretaker
Ok the nitty gritty: Don and his secretary Allison:
If you notice, earlier in the episode, Don made a play for the nurse. Didn't happen. Then, he could've easily made a play for the psychiatrist-type woman but didn't because she wanted in to him, not take care of him. In the end, he went for, and got, Allison, the secretary, who takes some care of him.
What's the common denominator with the nurse and the secretary? Two women who can take care of him. That's what it's about. That's what he went for. This is where Don Draper is now. That's the point of the episode, to me anyway.
Even though he gave Allison the next day sober boot, however immediately after the sex, did you see the tender touch he gave her after the sex? The face caress, the personal attention, the emtional attention from a man who is incapable of such? It's the contradiction that makes us men. You women have all been there.
I thought that was the key scene of the episode; not the sex but his touching her face afterward.
Again, no blonde, just like last week when it didn't work out with Jane's friend, and here instead he goes for the first brunette, the nurse, and gets the other brunette secretary Allison.
When Betty found the box last season, she said. "you wanted to get caught". Does Don cry out for things by action instead of words? Is Don crying out for something by going for caretaker girls here?
In the series premiere season1, when Peggy put her hand on his, he rejected it. He didn't need it. Does he need it now though? Obviously.
Was the emphasis on the kids this episiode metaphorical? Kids need a foundation, and so does Don right now?
Don is grasping for something other than sex, but seeking that unknown however through what he knows, which leads to so much more mess. Not the first guy.
The last scene was terrific. Don leaving the office with Allison's "gifts", (cough, cough, metaphor) while she, the girl, is left with meaningless words the next morning you put in a drawer. Perfect metaphor.
What say you?
He definitely needs to be taken care of. He's drinking more and eating less. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out. I think the psychologist typed him correctly when she said he would be married by next Christmas. As much as he is a loner and secretive, he does not want to be alone. He's been alone his whole life. As a child he never had the love of his parents. Married to Betty, he had to keep his secret so he couldn't open up to her and now he has no one. It's very sad. You can't help but feel pity for him.
Your insight into Don being attracted to caretaker types is interesting. Especially in Don's present state he's not going to go for the Alpha Female but rather women who will look up to him and bolster his fragile ego.
It's looking as though Don's primary relationship is not SCDP, not the folks at the office or his clients, not the kids and not with a woman who is marriage material, but with the bottle. Classic problem drinker behavior.
So here Peggy is playing like she's a virgin with her boyfriend. Why is that? Is it Peggy having a past she wishes wasn't true, and has decided to eliminate form her mind, like Don? Are they giving us some sort of parallel with Don and Peggy? That whole thing was very interesting.
It's also interesting because twice now Don has had moments where in ep1 he called her I think hunny, and here at the party he called her sweetheart. I don't think it's the usual office parlance, he's never referred to anyone like that.
I do not think at all it's any foreshadowing of anything of any romantic nature whatsoever, but I think those 2 things maybe are leading to something. It's like they're using 2 different ways to connect these characters. Or is it just coincidence?
Hi, Greg: I really like your new blog site. AMC is really to high traffic to read all comments.
I have a question. I remember reading somewhere that MW has a site called "Little Things" in which are clues, hidden details, themes, etc. that you can watch for in each MadMen episode.
i.e. Episode 1 the new office was a squares decor. Episode 2 has circles and semi-circles. Roger explains "Jane hired a decorator"
when Freddy says he likes the new place, then as they sit in front of the mod painting of circles Freddy comments, "I feel like I'm getting sucked into that thing."
Hmmmm....what did THAT mean?
Know where we can find out? Thanks for your insight.
I've always just waited till the dvd commentaries to see what we're right or wrong about. I don't know if there's sites around during the season.
But my feeling is it shows the old school guys vs what's new. Freddy jokes about it not interested in it, unlike season 2 when the younger SC workers were all into Bert Cooper's painting.
Also later Peggy yells at him calling him old fashioned regarding something else.
Getting sucked into that... as in being swallowed whole, something overtaking you? Think there's a little expanded symbolism there about the old guard butting heads with the new, about the Rogers and the Freddies of the world and their time coming; something absorbing then overrunning them, something unavoidable coming to scoop them up and dispose of them? "I feel like I'm gonna get sucked into that".
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