Redemption Song

By Ryan O'Connell on 04/30/2014 • ( 1 )

We are nearing the halfway point of the first half of the last season of Mad Men. Four more episodes before the show disappears for a year and hits it’s final stretch. A year? Yeah, a year. AMC is milking it’s hit shows in a way that even Betty Draper would find impressive.

Three episodes in and with all due respect to Game of Thrones, Mad Men has the Best Show on Television title still clenched tightly in it’s cigarette and booze stained hands. This season has been great so far- three really solid episodes that are hinting at a change in direction for Don Draper. It seems like old Don has seen the error of his ways and has finally learned from his mistakes. Or at least has started to learn from his mistakes. Or maybe he just wants to learn from his mistakes.

Either way, the show has been great so far.

So let’s open the floor to some questions.

Why was Peggy so frosty towards Don?

Because she blames him for breaking her boy Ted over the course of last season and driving him away to California. And probably one or two other things- stuff like this…

and this…

You’d be kind of frosty too.

Don seems to be a changed man these days. Is that something that will stick?

I’d say there is a 30% chance Don continues along the course he’s on now, which is a course of humbling realization and facing down the barrel of the mistakes he’s made. He is making strides, though, and making us think at least a little bit that he’s a changed man, or at least trying to be a changed man. This week we was faced with two problems the old Don would have run away from- woman trouble and work trouble. But he didn’t run away. He seems to be trying to mend his broken relationship with Megan and was cool with the shitty offer he got from the other partners to return to Sterling Cooper. The Hobo code is currently on stand by for Don.

About that offer, why was it so…what’s the word…handicapping?

Don was always the firm’s wild card, but last season he went from lovable wildcard to liability wildcard. And I also don’t think any of them really want him back, although they realize they’d probably be better off if he was back, which is the only reason why they listened to Roger and asked Don to return with such stifling limitations. Last season, the headache caused by Don became more painful and burdensome than the benefit that came with it. Don just wasn’t worth it. But he is still super talented and Sterling Cooper would be better off having him be their problem as opposed to another firm’s problem. It’s kind of a devil you know thing…for both sides.

What are the chances Roger dies before the show ends?

I’d say decent.

How old is John Slattery?

He’s 51.

How old is Roger Sterling?

Early 60’s maybe.

Is there any chance Don gets back together with Betty?

5% chance. And it’s only a slight chance if Don fails to change and continues to be a Ken doll version of himself. If that happens, then I can’t rule out Don and Betty, two people stuck in a perpetual rut of past glory days, reconnecting. But like I said, I think Don does change and I actually hope Betty does as well. But I also don’t think Betty changes while married to Henry. Being Henry’s wife allows her to rest on her laurels and be just a pretty face. Don is changing because he’s finally facing adversity. Betty has yet too. Until she does, I can’t see her changing.

Is Sally the only person who truly understands Don?

I think Megan has a read on him, but Sally seems to be the one person in the world who sees Don for who he is and is able to get the most out of him. She’s the one person he can’t slip one past. In some way, she’s Don’s conscience.

What happened to Ken’s eye?

He got shot in the eye while in Detroit…or hunting with the dudes from Detroit.

But hey, they got Chevy! And now he has a cool eye patch. Because eye patches are cool. Well, kind of cool. Or at least cool if you don’t have one. Actually the more I think about it, eye patches aren’t cool. At least Ken has some sweet dance moves to make him feel better.

What happened to Bob Benson?

He’s Sterling Cooper’s man in Detroit. And in our hearts. And our conspiracy theories.

Will Pete start his own agency?

Pete Campbell ain’t really the kind of person to settle and I think he’s going to continue to feel cut off from everything out in California. It would be a fitting end to his story to leave Sterling Cooper and start something on his own. It’ll probably fail, but that’s for the spin-off. Which will also probably fail.

No really, has Don changed?

Still not sure. Remember, as Doctor Faye said, Don only likes the start of things, when they are new. Don 2.0 is still in the fresh out of the box phase, the phase Don likes the most. Whether or not he can stick it out will be the true indicator if he’s really changed or not.

How will Don handle answering to someone, specifically Lou?

Again, at first, he’ll manage. But the clock will be ticking.

Could Lou be anymore of a douche?

Probably.

Will Cutler punch Harry at some point?

You mean like when Lane punched Pete?

I don’t see that happening. Cutler seems too devious to do something like that. Now if you were to ask me if Cutler would take Harry out on the town, get him real drunk and then frame him for murdering a hooker- I’d say that yes, I could see that happening.

Ultimately I could see a lot happening this season and I could also see nothing I could see happening this season. And that’s the beauty of Mad Men, the mystery and unpredictability of it. It starts with the promos at the end of each episode– those maddening and vague snippets of nothingness, and continues with the air of uncertainty that hovers above every episode, scene and line in Mad Men.

We know nothing Jon Snow.

We know nothing Lebowski.

We know nothing.

Only that we are watching greatness.

And for me at least, that’s enough.

Photos: AMC