Margaux and I talk about this week’s frustrating installment of Mad Men.
Trevor: I’m so unsure of how to feel about “New Business.” On the one hand, there was more stuff happening than in a usual episode of Mad Men, but I found it weirdly confounding. Todd VanDerWerff at Vox called it “the worst Mad Men ever,” which I don’t agree with, but also reasoned that it was “hugely necessary,” which is definitely true. I’m agonizing over here, especially cause this wasn’t one of those confrontationally weird episodes like 7A’s “The Runaways.” What do you think?
Margaux: I don’t think “New Business” was the “worst Mad Men” episode ever nor do I think it was particularly necessary. My biggest problem with the episode itself was, with only 5 episodes to go, why the hell is Weiner and Co trying to shoehorn in so many new, side characters? Not like the Pima story arc told us anything new about Peggy or Stan – they’re both highly competitive, but there’s a reason why Peggy is the boss and Stan is not. Speaking of Stan, introducing his girlfriend Ellen Eliane, only to have him cheat on her 7 minutes after their sexy nurse photoshoot. And lastly, I’m sure I’m not the only one who let out a long, disappointed sigh at the reappearance of Megan – for someone who told Don last year that he didn’t “owe her anything”, she definitely acted as if she was owed a hell of lot more than say, BETTY – MOTHER OF ALL THE DRAPER CHILDREN, WHO WAS LITERALLY LIED TO FOR TEN YEARS.
What resonated the least for me was Marie (Megan’s mother) and Di (personified crying face emoji) and their nearly laughable over-dramatic acting. I thought Megan was the one on a soap opera.
Trevor: Okay, I’m going to address your points one at a time, because you made several good ones.
1: I’d argue that the episode was “necessary” because the divorce storyline had to be put to bed. That would be a huge loose end to leave dangling.
- I didn’t quite “get” the Pima stuff either. Mimi Rogers did a fine job as Pima, but you’re right, it didn’t advance Peggy or Stan, other than what might have been a slight twinge of jealousy on Peggy’s face when Stan told her he slept with Pima. And I believe that Peggy messed up Elaine’s name on purpose.
- Marie didn’t do much for me either, but then again she never has. I like her back-and-forth with Roger, but that’s an obvious point because everyone has a back-and-forth with Roger (like the scene in his office with the two secretaries).
- Di is the worst one-night ever.
Ultimately I think “New Business,” like most of season 7, was all about the women in Don’s life: Megan, Betty, Di, hell, even Sylvia Rosen made an appearance.
Margaux: That was a seriously uncomfortable elevator ride though Arnold seemed to taking the piss out of Don. But you make a good point about “New Business” (which I keep hearing in a Nick Kroll voice saying, “good at business”), which I think might be overarching theme for the final season since I doubt there’s enough time or space for Mad Men to make any sweeping changes – and this is a show about how people never change – it’s all about the “women” in Don’ life. Sort of like Ted said last week, “a man has three women in his life”. Last week we discovered the three women of Don’s life at that moment are: death, sex, and Peggy. This week was a touch less subtle.
Trevor: Yes, absolutely. Speaking of Di, I’ve read idiotic rumors online that she might not be real, which I think is bullshit because both Roger and Arnold Rosen have interacted with her. Mad Men is weird, but it’s not A Beautiful Mind.
What’s weird to me about this episode is that even though a lot of stuff happened, it still dragged on. Also weird to me: that Don is an actual millionaire, and has been for years. Like, I know he’s rich, but it’s weird to suddenly start thinking of Roger and Don and Joan as millionaires. Is that just me?
Margaux: It was never really as pointedly addressed as it has been in these last two episodes. First, Peggy calls out Joan for being able to afford any clothing she wants because she’s rich. Then, Roger goes on a glorious rant about divorce, using Megan and Jane as examples, “thrwarted her career? WHAT CAREER? She’s a consumer!”; that basically foretold how Don’s divorce proceedings would end up: just throw money at it.
Trevor: Can we talk about Harry trying to hook up with Megan? In his defense, she showed up to a lunch date wearing what looked like a negligee. But Harry’s reaction showed what a chauvinist dick he’s becoming now. “Maybe you’re not getting roles because of your reaction to this.” MAYBE SHE DOESN’T WANNA FUCK YOU! #NOTALLMEN
Margaux: Oh yeah, Megan was definitely asking for it in that sheer blue get-up (this is said sarcastically). BUT, legitimately in Harry’s defense, if Megan went into that lunch truly thinking Harry would advance her career out of the goodness of his heart, she smoking something a lot stronger than weed (probably meth).
Did you notice a lot of this episode went a long way to play to certain characters disillusion of themselves? Like Megan thinking she could flirt her way into a new agent with, OF ALL PEOPLE, Harry – number one creepo. Or Betty, who I felt a real pang of pride for when she told Don she’s going back to school. Only to have the pang burst when Betty said, “people seek me out to tell me their problems.” BITCH – NO THEY DO NOT.
Trevor: The opening actually kind of bummed me out, because at first it looked like a flashback – Don at the house in Rye or Ossining, making milkshakes for the kids, barely listening to Betty. But once again Henry fucked up Don’s racket by barging in. He even drank some of the milkshake, a none-too-subtle “fuck you” to Don. Or maybe an oblique There Will Be Blood reference.
Margaux: God, I hope it’s the latter. I can just picture Henry shouting at Don as he leaves, “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE, DON! I DRINK IT UP!” Fuck, that woulda been sooooo good.
“New Business” was a slog, in the sense that, you felt it beat up on Don who, again, is trying for whatever that’s worth. The opening, the ending with Di, even his car ride with Pete to go golfing with clients, all of it ended up making me feel pity for Don. He’s trapped in some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare, I mean, Pete all but says this exactly. “What if you never get past the beginning?”
Trevor: Don is definitely at the beginning. It’s a hard reset. Di splits, Megan is gone for good, and all his shit is gone. Like we’ve been saying, “New Business” isn’t exactly subtle.
Do you want to talk stars, or is there anything else you want to discuss?
Margaux: It’s sort of a throwaway moment, but I feel compelled to point it out; Harry and Meredith talking about the “Manson Brothers,” that’s just Wiener straight fucking with the audience. The blond on Don’s arm from last week’s episode looked a lot like Sharon Tate, too.
Star wise, I’m leaning towards three and a half. I know the show will begin and end with Don, but it’s a disservice to the audience to half ass a story arc like Pima in favor of spending time with better developed characters like Sally or Joan, or hell, Bob. They’ve spent 7 seasons laying out the complicated inner workings of supporting characters, and trying to make us care about Pima or Megan’s Mother or Very Dramatically French Sister, honestly feels like a waste of time. Probably how Di ended up feeling about her ‘affair’ with Don. So, can we just drop this as effectively as Di dropped Don? Thanks.
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