Monday, August 31, 2009

Season Three, Episode Three

When I watch doctor shows, I always wonder if doctors watch them too looking for things that don’t measure up to reality. That’s not really how I watch Mad Men, but it’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. It’s the subtle nuances in the dialogue that tell me somebody on Mathew Weiner’s writing staff actually worked on Madison Avenue. Things like “He wants to see copy on Monday and art on Tuesday. Sorry you’ll have to work the weekend.” And what about getting so desperate for ideas that you end up calling the pot guy and clogging the door with your Mohair sweater while you turn your office into Spicolli’s van?

Yes, that really happens.

But I have to say that while I am enjoying the show’s true-to-lifeness about the ad biz, I’m getting bored with the lack of soap opera drama that would carry the plot from episode to episode. Like, what is Sal doing to repair those closet door hinges? Why isn’t Don’s past looming over him anymore, or his infidelities? Where did Pete’s fight go? He was pissed when he found out he had to share Head of Accounts duties with Kenny, and suddenly they’re going to the Hampton’s together on the weekends?

It seems the character to despise on Mad Men is turning out to be Roger Sterling. What an ass he is. Black face? Really?

But the real disappointment last night was the ending. When Roger’s drunk wife says something stupid to Don and Betty about getting back together, shining a bright light on their recent problems, it would have been the perfect time for Betty to confront him. Instead, the show ended with a romantic moonlit hug shared by Mr. and Mrs. Draper.

Then again, maybe she was thinking about that handsome man with salt and pepper hair who hit on her by the bathroom earlier in the evening. Is Betty silently plotting her own revenge?

If this plot continues in a disjointed, Lost-like fashion, we may never know.

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