By Bryan Hood | Anyone familiar with “Mad Men” can tell you that Matthew Weiner’s show has felt different in its sixth season. The past nine episodes have traded in the subtlety of past seasons for something more visceral and direct. That wasn’t the case last night, though, as the John Slattery-directed “A Tale of Two Cities” focused on smaller character moments. But even then, it still felt like everything was about to fall apart.
As the title implies, this week’s episode focuses on the office’s (in)ability to operate on both coasts. Things are as disorganized in New York as they have been since the merger, and the fact that they still don’t have a new name is starting to hurt the firm. Don and Roger have other things on their minds, though. Along with Harry, they’re off to LA for a few days to schmooze with clients, a few of whom aren’t particularly enthusiastic about the big city act.
This is no issue for Harry, who’s effortlessly transformed himself into a Hollywood hanger-on after getting off the plane. All he wants to do is carouse with celebrities. Don, on the other hand, would rather relax in his hotel room, watching coverage of the Democratic National Convention and thinking about his beautiful wife back in New York. His night is disrupted by nightmarish scenes from Chicago, though, where police have taken to protesters with billy clubs. Megan calls him from New York to ask if he’s watching, and then starts to cry. Don, who’s as shocked by the events as his cynicism will allow, comforts his wife, reminding her that she can’t even vote — and she reminds him that she still has to live here.
In New York, Joan’s friend has set her up on a date with a man from Avon, which turns out to actually be a business meeting. He’s looking for a new ad agency, and Joan, as awkward as we’ve ever seen her, realizes this is a chance to really contribute to the agency. Ted has other ideas though, and places Pete and Peggy in charge of wooing the new client.
Elsewhere in the office, Cutler is struggling to get used to the other half of the company. After Ginsberg calls him a fascist, he wants to clear out creative while Don and Roger are gone. Ted talks him out of it, so Cutler’s solution is to put Bob Benson in charge of making sure Ginsberg doesn’t screw up an upcoming meeting with Manischewitz. Bob, who’s back to seeming smarmy, gives it his all, but the agency is placed on notice by the Kosher wine company. Cutler doesn’t seem that upset that they may have lost one of Roger’s clients, and promptly bumps Benson up to working on Chevy. Ted points out that the rest of the office isn’t going to be too thrilled, and a gesture will be needed to keep things civil.
In LA the meetings turn out to be busts, one with Carnation growing very uncomfortable when jokes are made about the past night’s troubles at the DNC. As the Carnation executive sternly tells everyone, what’s going on in the country is no laughing matter — he then tears into Nixon, a surprise move, especially after his partner’s gleeful reaction to the violence.
There’s nothing left to do but go to a Hollywood party, one which sees Don staying true to Megan until he’s smoked some hashish. After that, he’s back to his old ways, getting close to the host and envisioning conversations with a pregnant Megan and the (newly dead) soldier from the season premiere, before nearly drowning in a huge pool. Luckily for him, Roger’s there to save him.
Things aren’t going much better business-wise in New York. Joan shows up in Pete’s place at the Avon meeting, which doesn’t go as planned. At the office, Pete is apoplectic after finding out he was left out (again), and brings the matter to Ted’s attention. Joan, realizing her gamble has backfired, looks as if she’s done for, until Peggy comes to the rescue, sending in a secretary with a note that Avon’s on the line for Joan. They’re not, of course, but Ted and Pete don’t know that. For the time being at least, Joan’s safe, but as Peggy tells her, she’d better hope Avon actually calls.
There are two bits of good news by the time Don and Roger return later that day. Ted’s finally got the okay from Chevy to move forward with the campaign. He and Cutler also have an idea for a new name for the firm: Sterling, Cooper, & Partners. Of course Don, like Ted and Cuter, has to be okay with his name being dropped, which he is. Less thrilled is Pete, who can see what’s just happened. As with everything since the merger, he feels he’s being marginalized and wonders if Don feels the same way. He doesn’t, and tells Pete that maybe it’s time to get out of the business.
“On Hashish”
Is Don still truly in love with Megan? He might be, as he manages to stay faithful to her for most of this episode. That changes slightly after he smokes hashish, but not really. Sure, he gets close with the blonde who seems to be hosting the party, but before that can get too far he’s visited by a vision of his wife, looking all hippie’d out and telling him she’s pregnant again. It’s not the most haunting of his hallucinations, that would be the dead soldier, but it’s enough to help send him tumbling into the pool.
The Ampersand
The name change, the one that’s dropped Don, Ted, and Cutler’s last names, sure is a nice gesture, right? Probably not. With Don and Roger on the opposite coast, and Cooper doing whatever it is that he does, Cutler starts making noise. Ted reminds him repeatedly that it’s not just their company anymore, and if they want to try to turn things in their favor, they’ll have to make some empty offerings. This is the first of those, and only Pete sees it.
The Marginalization of Pete Campbell
The merger has been nothing but bad news for Pete, who was already having a rough year. Unlike nearly everyone else in the office, he’s been unable to put his name on anything meaningful, and feels his chance of being recognized slipping further and further away. One gets the sense that the Joan incident and the name change have pushed him exponentially closer to his breaking point, or at least left him with nothing to do but smoke a joint in creative to de-stress.
***
Nothing particularly shocking happened on last night’s episode, but you can feel the stage being set for our final three episodes. This season’s been one of chaos, and whether it’s Don’s marriage, Pete’s sanity, or Joan’s Avon deal, everything seems as if it could crumble at any second.
Image: “A Tale of Two Cities”/Michael Yarish/AMC
