So this season has turned the midpoint of a decade. Midpoints are always seen as tipping points. Change is about reaching a tipping point, and what follows.
So we have the tipping point of a decade, the end of this season taking place in mid-decade, and we have a metaphoric parallel of a tipping point of Mr. Draper.
Tipping points and change: Don has shown us before his gravity toward the wedding cake motif in his moving toward Faye who is uncoincidentally a Betty visual. However, he is now going against the grain and supplanting that with Megan. That's a marriage of tipping point and change.
Change for Don is also being more responsible with his kids. In earlier episodes this season we saw the pics of his kids on his desk, and they were always visually cut off, (best seen in the episode with Peggy late night in the office) either by other objects or literally the frame of the screen. Now, he's being less Don as we know him, and more Dad.
After his literal bottoming out (the brawl with Duck) he's slowly grown more home-like. That's his thing with attracting to the visual of Faye. But now he's gone the furthest yet by bringing his kids to Cali, and doing so with something new, (a change for him) in Megan who is not of the wedding cake motif.
He kept his promise of his kids meeting Anna, in showing them Anna and Dick's signing the walls (in ink like a contract, if you remember Don's allergy to contracts but he did sign a contract on the wall if you think about it with Anna). That's him introducing them to Anna. He actually kept his word for once, in a sense.
The change in him continues in the restaurant scene with Sally fighting with Bobby. That's very home-like, the kids fighting at the table. The shake spills and what is the result? No fighting but instead it is handled by the soon to be former secretary, playing the role of "mother and a waitress" (if you remember one of the most important lines ever in the series, from the pilot). The waitress cleaning the spill in the restaurant, the mother in charge of the kids. Both metaphors intended.
He changes in growing more toward the home-like side of things. He changes in that his ideal of such is not the same anymore.
But... he also battles the idea of the Same. Here's the other and unfortunately more real side of Don.
He's impulsive. He panics in stress at times. Remember when he wanted to run off with Rachel Menkin when Pete busted him, and she thought he was nuts? What he is doing now with Megan is basically the same thing. He's nuts. He's still the same.
Tipping points married with change are supposed to be about the concept of forward. But what is Don actually doing? Moving backward. Marrying his secretary. Moving back in that he is now on par with Roger. The resemblance is not a coincidence between Jane and Megan in both looks and situation, just like the resemblance between Betty and Faye.
It used to be about the motif of the blondy wedding cake image, but is now about the motif of the brunette secretary you get with and end up marrying because it's change just for the sake of change.
Change doesn't always mean better.
He's regressed thinking he's moving forward, which is always a pitfall in the allure of change. New always feels good, like a drug. But it's not alwas right.
One of the things to take out of this finale? Don is still damaged. He for now has simply traded in his oasis from damage in switching from the bottle to Megan. That's all Megan probably will be, a better looking bottle. A bottle that puts out. A bottle that smiles back. He hasn't really changed.
The episode was titled Tomorrowland. The idea of tomorrow always feels good, but it's ultimately up to you to make it good. You still have the ability to make it bad for your own self as well, however. This is Don.
Don at Anna's, the only thing left is the piano. I thought that was homage to Mountain King and Don's first arrival to Anna's from back at one of the prior best episodes. One of the best edits in the series is Mountain King playing as Don approaches and knocks on her door, Anna opens it, Don, very noir-ish there. And I thought they last season visually referenced that twice when Don would knock on Suzanne Farrell's place. The way they shot it was so visually structurally similar to his showing up at Anna's, reminding us of the metaphor of escapism regarding both Anna and Suzanne in their own respective ways by shooting his arrival to each girl similar looking.
Another example tonight of the idea of change and arrival is even Ken Cosgrove says, "I'm not like Pete." Ken wouldn't sell out his father in law like Pete. And Ken even mentioned the line about when you hire a client that's when you fire them. Ken changes from Pete.
Betty yelling at Henry, "I'm entitled". Remember back when Megan said, I want to learn, I want to do what Miss Olson does? Big difference in both of Peggy and Megan compared to Betty in that regard of Don.
I didn't really get last episode's Glenn and Sally stuff, but notice here how Glenn knocked on Sally's door asking if she was decent, and remember when he in season 1 he did quite the opposite with Betty in walking in on her?
Here, Betty says, "you don't think I know what you're doing? regarding his alleged friendship with Sally. Is Betty really being insensitive mom, or does Betty know about ill intentioned males now, and see that Glenn is only befriending Sally as a way to get Betty's attention?? It's easy to hate Betty, but really, is she on to something here because through Don, has Betty learned some things? Glenn says something on the way out that lends credence to the latter.
Betty's attention is had at the end conversation in the empty home with Don, through learning he now has another woman. Is Glenn kind of doing the same thing in a way? Remember a few episodes ago at the restaurant, Betty looking over at Don and his date, Betty getting jealous? Is that what the whole Sally/Glenn thing is about, Glenn using a girl for his own personal goal to really actually get attention from Betty? Is that what the, "I know what you're doing" remark is about? On the surface it looks like it's about Sally growing up fast, but, is there a lil more that we need to think about? Is Glenn a little Don in the making, is that the greater point to be had?
In that last dialogue with Don, Betty mentioned change. Stephanie says to Don they both have the rest of their life ahead of them. Change. The combination of "Tomorrowland" and the idea of going West. Change. The 60s thing of moving West to San Fran for change. Don goes West. West, change, metaphors, etc.
There was a lot of layers here. I said before Don put down one bottle just to pick up another in the form of Megan. Isn't that pretty much what Betty did with Henry? Things are not always what they seem, right?
The motif of midpoint, tipping points, was addressed yet again with Peggy. Like Don, Peggy has had her own walk along lines; new guard vs old guard. Which is Peggy? The ponytail brat keeps coming around, yet that crowd doesn't appreciate Peggy's work which is SO important to her. But the old guard doesn't do so as much either, until recently. Peggy constantly like a sinking ship lists from port to starboard all this season regarding the new artsy friends on one side and the old guard on the other. Which is she? Since last season Peggy has been searching for her identity.
I thought ponytail brat was there to softly force Peggy to make a decision on which side of the line to fall. Ponytail has done this before.
So you have Peggy, at a midpoint of her decisions in life, just like Don. Ages different but situation the same. Midpoint, both. Tipping point, both. It's a midpoint of the decade, it's the tipping point of the decade. Again, metaphors intended.
And if you notice Ken gave her credit saying Peggy did it regarding landing the acct at the end. Isn't that part of what she wants? Remember her to Don, "you never say thank you." Remember Allison wanting some sort of recognition and Don was all dumb saying whatever, just write something, I'll sign it," (that'll get things thrown at you real fast). But, Ken, old guard, gives that to Peggy. Don sort of does too when they talk.
So I guess Peggy is a typical girl dealing with typical guys, in that she's left to interpretation of their accolades, like Jane Goodall having to interpret another language.
Don is damaged, apparently beyond repair. He is trying to move forward but only really moving back. He is lost. He, after all this, all these different choices of avenues with women, he is still lonely. He put down one bottle to only pick up another bottle in the form of Megan.
Best line of the episode? "You only like the beginnings of things..."
The prolonged negotiations between Lionsgate and AMC threaten to put off the next season of Mad Men to 2012.
If you can't wait that long for the return of Don Draper, please sign this petition urging that Season 5 Mad Men air this year! ...http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mm_s5/
Hey everyone so I decided to do the Mad Men casting call contest and I think I have the look! What do you think? Lets get another redhead on the show (Me!) So if you would take and minute and vote for me- Jamie Baker- LA http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/browse/detail/f629c86c6f0749257eaa6637e3d3228a4e7f5f03
MAD MEN
6 comments:
Change vs. Same
So this season has turned the midpoint of a decade. Midpoints are always seen as tipping points. Change is about reaching a tipping point, and what follows.
So we have the tipping point of a decade, the end of this season taking place in mid-decade, and we have a metaphoric parallel of a tipping point of Mr. Draper.
Tipping points and change: Don has shown us before his gravity toward the wedding cake motif in his moving toward Faye who is uncoincidentally a Betty visual. However, he is now going against the grain and supplanting that with Megan. That's a marriage of tipping point and change.
Change for Don is also being more responsible with his kids. In earlier episodes this season we saw the pics of his kids on his desk, and they were always visually cut off, (best seen in the episode with Peggy late night in the office) either by other objects or literally the frame of the screen. Now, he's being less Don as we know him, and more Dad.
After his literal bottoming out (the brawl with Duck) he's slowly grown more home-like. That's his thing with attracting to the visual of Faye. But now he's gone the furthest yet by bringing his kids to Cali, and doing so with something new, (a change for him) in Megan who is not of the wedding cake motif.
He kept his promise of his kids meeting Anna, in showing them Anna and Dick's signing the walls (in ink like a contract, if you remember Don's allergy to contracts but he did sign a contract on the wall if you think about it with Anna). That's him introducing them to Anna. He actually kept his word for once, in a sense.
The change in him continues in the restaurant scene with Sally fighting with Bobby. That's very home-like, the kids fighting at the table. The shake spills and what is the result? No fighting but instead it is handled by the soon to be former secretary, playing the role of "mother and a waitress" (if you remember one of the most important lines ever in the series, from the pilot). The waitress cleaning the spill in the restaurant, the mother in charge of the kids. Both metaphors intended.
He changes in growing more toward the home-like side of things. He changes in that his ideal of such is not the same anymore.
But... he also battles the idea of the Same. Here's the other and unfortunately more real side of Don.
He's impulsive. He panics in stress at times. Remember when he wanted to run off with Rachel Menkin when Pete busted him, and she thought he was nuts? What he is doing now with Megan is basically the same thing. He's nuts. He's still the same.
Tipping points married with change are supposed to be about the concept of forward. But what is Don actually doing? Moving backward. Marrying his secretary. Moving back in that he is now on par with Roger. The resemblance is not a coincidence between Jane and Megan in both looks and situation, just like the resemblance between Betty and Faye.
It used to be about the motif of the blondy wedding cake image, but is now about the motif of the brunette secretary you get with and end up marrying because it's change just for the sake of change.
Change doesn't always mean better.
He's regressed thinking he's moving forward, which is always a pitfall in the allure of change. New always feels good, like a drug. But it's not alwas right.
One of the things to take out of this finale? Don is still damaged. He for now has simply traded in his oasis from damage in switching from the bottle to Megan. That's all Megan probably will be, a better looking bottle. A bottle that puts out. A bottle that smiles back. He hasn't really changed.
The episode was titled Tomorrowland. The idea of tomorrow always feels good, but it's ultimately up to you to make it good. You still have the ability to make it bad for your own self as well, however. This is Don.
Don at Anna's, the only thing left is the piano. I thought that was homage to Mountain King and Don's first arrival to Anna's from back at one of the prior best episodes. One of the best edits in the series is Mountain King playing as Don approaches and knocks on her door, Anna opens it, Don, very noir-ish there.
And I thought they last season visually referenced that twice when Don would knock on Suzanne Farrell's place. The way they shot it was so visually structurally similar to his showing up at Anna's, reminding us of the metaphor of escapism regarding both Anna and Suzanne in their own respective ways by shooting his arrival to each girl similar looking.
Another example tonight of the idea of change and arrival is even Ken Cosgrove says, "I'm not like Pete." Ken wouldn't sell out his father in law like Pete. And Ken even mentioned the line about when you hire a client that's when you fire them. Ken changes from Pete.
Betty yelling at Henry, "I'm entitled". Remember back when Megan said, I want to learn, I want to do what Miss Olson does? Big difference in both of Peggy and Megan compared to Betty in that regard of Don.
I didn't really get last episode's Glenn and Sally stuff, but notice here how Glenn knocked on Sally's door asking if she was decent, and remember when he in season 1 he did quite the opposite with Betty in walking in on her?
Here, Betty says, "you don't think I know what you're doing? regarding his alleged friendship with Sally. Is Betty really being insensitive mom, or does Betty know about ill intentioned males now, and see that Glenn is only befriending Sally as a way to get Betty's attention?? It's easy to hate Betty, but really, is she on to something here because through Don, has Betty learned some things? Glenn says something on the way out that lends credence to the latter.
Betty's attention is had at the end conversation in the empty home with Don, through learning he now has another woman. Is Glenn kind of doing the same thing in a way? Remember a few episodes ago at the restaurant, Betty looking over at Don and his date, Betty getting jealous? Is that what the whole Sally/Glenn thing is about, Glenn using a girl for his own personal goal to really actually get attention from Betty? Is that what the, "I know what you're doing" remark is about? On the surface it looks like it's about Sally growing up fast, but, is there a lil more that we need to think about? Is Glenn a little Don in the making, is that the greater point to be had?
In that last dialogue with Don, Betty mentioned change. Stephanie says to Don they both have the rest of their life ahead of them. Change. The combination of "Tomorrowland" and the idea of going West. Change. The 60s thing of moving West to San Fran for change. Don goes West. West, change, metaphors, etc.
There was a lot of layers here. I said before Don put down one bottle just to pick up another in the form of Megan. Isn't that pretty much what Betty did with Henry? Things are not always what they seem, right?
Don speaks in the beginning about moving forward.
But in the end of the episode he only moves back.
The motif of midpoint, tipping points, was addressed yet again with Peggy. Like Don, Peggy has had her own walk along lines; new guard vs old guard. Which is Peggy? The ponytail brat keeps coming around, yet that crowd doesn't appreciate Peggy's work which is SO important to her. But the old guard doesn't do so as much either, until recently. Peggy constantly like a sinking ship lists from port to starboard all this season regarding the new artsy friends on one side and the old guard on the other. Which is she? Since last season Peggy has been searching for her identity.
I thought ponytail brat was there to softly force Peggy to make a decision on which side of the line to fall. Ponytail has done this before.
So you have Peggy, at a midpoint of her decisions in life, just like Don. Ages different but situation the same. Midpoint, both. Tipping point, both. It's a midpoint of the decade, it's the tipping point of the decade. Again, metaphors intended.
And if you notice Ken gave her credit saying Peggy did it regarding landing the acct at the end. Isn't that part of what she wants? Remember her to Don, "you never say thank you." Remember Allison wanting some sort of recognition and Don was all dumb saying whatever, just write something, I'll sign it," (that'll get things thrown at you real fast). But, Ken, old guard, gives that to Peggy. Don sort of does too when they talk.
So I guess Peggy is a typical girl dealing with typical guys, in that she's left to interpretation of their accolades, like Jane Goodall having to interpret another language.
Don is damaged, apparently beyond repair. He is trying to move forward but only really moving back. He is lost. He, after all this, all these different choices of avenues with women, he is still lonely. He put down one bottle to only pick up another bottle in the form of Megan.
Best line of the episode? "You only like the beginnings of things..."
See you next August....
PETITION TO BRING BACK MAD MEN IN 2011!
The prolonged negotiations between Lionsgate and AMC threaten to put off the next season of Mad Men to 2012.
If you can't wait that long for the return of Don Draper, please sign this petition urging that Season 5 Mad Men air this year!
...http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mm_s5/
Hey everyone so I decided to do the Mad Men casting call contest and I think I have the look! What do you think? Lets get another redhead on the show (Me!) So if you would take and minute and vote for me- Jamie Baker- LA http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/browse/detail/f629c86c6f0749257eaa6637e3d3228a4e7f5f03
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