Mad Men Monday

Photo via AMC

Photo via AMC



Spoiler Alert: Mad Men, Season 6, Episode 3
Find a full recap here.
Even though I missed my girls Betty, Joan, and Sally this week, some serious Mad Men s#%t hit the fan! Three thoughts on episode three...
Although he claims he "doesn't want to do it anymore," Don is still carrying on an affair with his neighbor's wife, Sylvia. For some reason it feels different now that he's with Megan than it did when he was with Betty. While I've murmured the word "scumbag" through most of Don's affairs, it was somehow more entertaining when he was with Betty. Yes, Betty could be a cold-hearted witch at times and she didn't deserve to be cheated on; Don just seemed more suave, debonair, and daring when he strayed from Betty. Now he comes across guilty, addicted, and depressed. Up until now, Don seemed to hold a respect for Megan that never existed with Betty. His reaction to her confession about the miscarriage was surprisingly subdued. I have a feeling that this will end badly.
Pete Campbell finally got what's been coming to him for years. His uptown affair with a suburban neighbor, Brenda, was revealed after she grew a conscience and told her husband. The severely beaten woman arrived at Pete and Trudy's house screaming for help. Trudy, being the nice person she is, offered to drive the woman to a hotel. Apparently the mistress confessed again because the next morning Trudy announced that Pete's philandering days are over. The moment that shocked me most was when Trudy admitted she had been aware of Pete's promiscuity for a while but expected him to be discreet about it! I think we're about to see a new, fiercer side of Miss Trudy.
Peggy is by far the most interesting and surprising character so far this season. After her unexpected move to CGC and her rise to "leader of the pack," Peggy still seems to be struggling with communication skills. Her awkward attempt at discouraging--while encouraging-- her copywriters was incredibly uncomfortable. Former SCDP co-worker, Stan, told her that Heinz ketchup is shopping for a new agency, a detail that Peggy then accidentally leaked to her new boss Ted, who promptly turned around and asked her to work on a bid. This will not end well for Stan.
While this episode was rather slow compared to most, I feel that a lot of awesome twists and turns are just around the corner. The women seem to be taking on a new independent and controlling role as their men fall like dominoes around them.