“A sex receptionist answers calls all day. A sexcretary does scheduling, light filing—basically runs the office” – Schmidt on New Girl
Well, it’s been another busy week for me. And another very sparse week of TV. Really. I can practically count the number of shows that were on on one hand. But there were some notable things, especially the return of Mad Men. Because I don’t have time to go through each show this week, I’m gonna just focus on Mad Men. Everybody cool with that? If not, oh well, I’m in charge here. The rest will get cursory reviews at the end. And that’s final.
Now, to the reviews.
Mad Men
It’s been a long time since Mad Men was last on television – more than a year and half – and I think that fact hampers the return of the show more than it would for other series. Some shows you can just jump back into, snuggle right down, and immediately you feel like there was never a gap in the relationship. I feel that way about Community or Parks and Rec, both of which had overlong hiatuses. But with Mad Men, there is such a unique texture that it takes a while to get comfortable again. And I think the first two episodes back, collectively titled “A Little Kiss,” suffer from the need for that breaking-in period.
That’s not to say that I didn’t like the episodes. Undoubtedly, they were good, well written and well acted. But it’s hard to do an episodic review of this series because Matthew Weiner is a showrunner who likes to build houses of cards. To just look at one card at a time would be like looking at a Monet from one foot away – completely myopic and pointless.
But then again, that’s the whole point of this blog, right? To do weekly reviews? So here goes (and bear with me):
Sitting down to a new season of Mad Men always involves a little sense of vertigo. Unlike other shows that start up right where they left off, Mad Men jumps into the middle of things. Time passes, and each season, we have to start in a new era of sorts. It doesn’t help that the writers are pretty stingy with telling you how long it’s been since we’ve last joined the crew at SCDP. From context clues, however, we can figure it’s been at least seven months. In that time, Don has married Megan (a new regular on the show) and he’s bought a new place big enough to entertain his children on the weekends (And boy, isn’t Eugene getting big?); Pete has moved to Connecticut and doesn’t really know what to do with fatherhood; Peggy has gotten more authority at work and has become serious with her free-thinking boyfriend; and Joan has had her baby, though no one is mentioning that it’s Roger’s baby too.
The world around the characters has also changed, as the first scene tells us. The Civil Rights movement is clearly in full swing (and apparently the advertising snafu with Young & Rubicam is real), and from the conversation at the party, Vietnam is beginning to ramp up. Normally, Mad Men stays pretty removed from these things, but if these two episodes are any indication, times, they are a-changing, and the show looks like it’s willing to delve a little deeper into the world outside of advertising.
In some ways, season five seems to be presenting a dividing line between the old guard and the new generation, the traditional values and the revolutionary upstarts. Messrs. Sterling, Cooper, Draper, and Price are standing on the brink watching as Peggy, Pete, Stan and Megan rise into positions they once held. And this is a generation that, according to the old stalwarts, doesn’t know real war, doesn’t know how to be adult, and surely doesn’t know how hard the forebears suffered.
This idea is never most clear with Pete’s rivalry with Roger. Over the past four seasons, it has grown increasingly evident that Roger is becoming a fossil. Or, I guess fossil seems a harsh way to say it; let’s say that Roger is becoming Burt Cooper. When once Sterling could close a deal and sleep with the secretary all in the same day, now, he’s wasting said day on booze, cigarettes and chasing leads out of Pete’s own appointment book. He’s become rather superfluous in the office, only there to crack wise about Don’s wife or to show up an hour late to the partner’s meeting. Pete is clearly surpassing him, but Pete can’t get the recognition he deserves (he’s literally and figuratively blocked by a cement column). I can see that this season will most likely address that struggle, as Pete tries to rise up, as he always does, and Don and Roger try to keep him down. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Don shifted allegiances this season. Personally, I think this might be the last gasp for the once beloved Roger Sterling.
The generational gap is also present in Don’s relationship with his new wife, Megan. I think the most telling scene was at the party, Don’s 40th birthday party to be exact, when Megan is on the couch, laughing with her young friends, while Don watches from the sidelines, jealous and left out. Roger then comes along and says not to worry, they’re not talking about him (Don). Ouch! The truth hurts, and it hurts Don’s ego the most. The glimmer of youth that once drew Don to Megan is starting to grate, even if Don doesn’t know it yet. Sure, she’s nice to look at – and have sex with on your white carpet – but how long can that last? I think these first two episodes are setting us up for another implosion of Don’s personal life. Which I sort of feel bad about. I, in fact, like Megan, gap-teeth and all. She seems to get Don more than Betty ever did, and I like how she speaks her mind. But as Don said to her, “There isn’t one problem … that wasn’t there before you.” Don was destined to fail at marriage long before Megan came around, and I feel sorry for her that she got herself involved.
Elsewhere in the office, the writers are setting up more stories for the season to come. Peggy is to the point in her career that she no longer needs Don for everything, and I’m excited to see her struggle to get her voice heard. She’s my favorite character on the show, and so far, the writers have really been meticulous in her growth. I hope that continues this season. If the scene where Peggy has to hold Joan’s new baby is any indication, I feel like the character is in good hands (How awkward did you feel when Pete came up and saw Peggy holding a baby? It made my stomach hurt a little bit). I also like Joan’s story so far. Always the one to buck traditional notions, I like seeing her trying to be a mother and a career woman, even if, at times, she has to break down in tears in Price’s office. I’m looking forward to how the two parts of Joan’s life interact as the fifth season progresses.
Some things I want to mention before I round out this review. Did anyone else wonder about Price’s wife? I couldn’t remember if she had come back to New York last season or if it was something I missed entirely. I guess it was just something that happened in the time gap, but more than anything else in the episode, I felt like I was missing something important. Also, Sally Draper is really going to need some therapy in the future. I thought at one time that Megan would be good for Sally, but I don’t think seeing your naked stepmother in your father’s bed is good for anyone. A teenage Sally is going to have some serious daddy issues. I predict teen pregnancy. Finally, anybody else love that Harry is the butt of jokes in the office. He loses his office; he makes a fool of himself in front of Megan and Don doesn’t like him. I’ll take my humor on Mad Men when I can get it, and I’m enjoying it now.
And with that, I guess we have to wait until next week (aka tomorrow) for more of this season. Here’s hoping that they follow the pattern of previous years and they keep the quality high, the writing crisp, and the intrigue delicious. I look forward to it all.
The Rest
Nothing besides Mad Men this week really stood out to me, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t entertained. Some good outings were had, especially by Happy Endings, Justified, The Good Wife and Community. So let’s go through one by one, very briefly.
The Good Wife – Matthew Perry as a guest star is automatically going to raise my opinion of this episode, but all bias aside, it was a good one. Kalinda’s IRS story played well, Alicia was good as a person dealing with too many things at once and the office politics were a nice storyline. I wasn’t so sold on the flashbacks, but I can see why they were used. But what I really like about this episode was the end. The overthrow at the office definitely surprised me and Jackie as the villain really made me smile. I can’t wait until the next episode.
Smash – Meh. I liked the fight between Tom and Derek, but the bowling scene was a little unbearable, and Ellis really needs to die, like now. I did like Grace Gummer as Eileen’s daughter. Meryl Streep’s children kind of rock as guest stars. However, not a great ep. If you have an interest in the show, you should read this article. I agree with everything in it.
Castle – This show doesn’t do serious well. Funny it can do, but serious just slides right into melodrama. Not my favorite this week, big Castle/Beckett love story reveal or no.
New Girl – Martin Starr was a pretty awesome guest star and I really liked Nick drunk. Romantically awkward Jess reappeared, which was pretty painful, but I liked the end, schmaltziness and all. And I’m happy the Schmidt/Cece relationship is coming out, if only for the scenes of Winston singing Wicked songs at the top of his lungs. I loved, loved, loved that part.
Raising Hope – Funny, but a little too out there for me. There’s a fine line on this show, and we definitely crossed over into unbelievabilty this week, especially with Mah Mah butchering the pig. That said, I liked David Krumholtz as blind Carl. It made me think of 10 Things I Hate About You, and that’s never a bad thing.
Justified – Things are really ramping up here, and I’m getting more and more excited for the finale in two weeks. Quarles is really coming off the rails, and it makes these past few episodes much more exciting to watch than the middle of the season. Also, I think Art might be my new favorite character on the show. I love how he gives Raylan a hard time.
Happy Endings – What’s with actors from last year’s Perfect Couples being on shows this week? “The waitress,” as I like to call her, was a decent guest star, but it felt a little too cartoony for me. Which the writers acknowledged with their references to Three’s Company, but still… Very funny jokes though, as always. I especially liked Brad looking at baby clothes. “What does he have, a job? He’s not fooling anybody; he’s a baby!”
Bent – I meant to do a full review of this, but I’m not sure it’s worth it. I want to like this show, mostly because I like Amanda Peet and it’s a Scrubs alum who is running it. But I don’t love it…yet. I’m not sure about the pacing of the jokes; it seems a little all over the place. And I’m definitely not sold on the chemistry between Alex and Riggins (groan at the name choice – there will only ever be one Riggins in my heart and that’s Tim). However, I do like Jeffery Tambour and Jesse Plemons, and it does seem to be getter better. However, the ratings are horrible, so I guess I won’t get too attached.
30 Rock – The show pretty much reviewed itself this week. The same story, the same vicious cycle, very few laughs to be had. Overall, a very disappointing week.
Up All Night – Cute baby. Cute puppy. Will Arnett plays hockey. That about sums it up, right? Anything else to add? I didn’t think so.
Community – This episode was mostly set up for next week, but I like how the show is addressing Troy and Abed’s rift in friendship. It’s been brewing for a a little while now, and I’m excited to see what happens next. Also, Britta was pretty great this week – it reminded me a little of “Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy” – and I loved seeing Subway, aka Keith from Scrubs. It was a nice commentary on the whole “corporations are people” thing, and having them fall in love over 1984 was pretty genius. Jeff’s story was also funny, if only for the part where he tries to argue that he’s not inconsiderate.
Jeff: Clearly she doesn’t know me. [Annie sneezes]
Girl offscreen: Gesundheit.
Jeff: [oblivious] I didn’t sneeze.
Girl offscreen: Gesundheit.
Jeff: [oblivious] I didn’t sneeze.
That was my biggest laugh of the show, just because it was so subtle and perfect. Oh wait, I forgot to mention Pierce drinking ink. That’s gonna come back, right? Senility seems to be setting in, and only Jeff is the one to notice so far.
Awake – A good case this week, but I think I liked this episode more than the past ones because it delved deeper into the psychology of everything. What’s going to happen if wife-world moves to Portland. My problem with the show has always been its sustainability as a concept, and I like that, already, the show is changing and taking risks. It makes me look forward to more, and that’s always a good thing for a show.
Fringe – It seems like we’re coming full circle again on Fringe, which is good in some ways, because I have missed the old dimension, but bad in others because it means leaving behind characters that we’ve grown to like. Lincoln, for example. He was very funny this week, but also very sad. He’s losing his Olivia. It’s this type of tension, of graying of things, that I like about the show. It also helps that the case was very good, and Walter was in fine form. I liked the set up for the future too, though how many Battlestar Galactica alums can we have on the show before we just admit that it’s filmed in Vancouver? Also, can we take a second to talk about last week? Anybody else think the spin and kiss between Peter and Olivia was a tad too cheesy, or was that me? Just putting it out there.
Oh wait, before you go, watch this. It’s so effing cool.
Until next time,
Mary
Mary the TV Maven 