Mad Men Season 6 (spoilers)

[Guardsman Bass]

That episode was quite a slow burn. I think I'll actually like it more when I can watch it again, but it was still rather ponderous at times.

1. Death and the inevitable progression of time hung over everything, although with Roger it was at the most obvious. He's terrified over the fact that it's all downhill for him from here, with no real prospects for new change. It will just be his life fading away, until others are toasting his funeral and scavenging what they can from his life (namely his money - I don't think that was the first time that his daughter has asked for money to help keep her husband solvent). We continue to see how his impulsive decision to divorce Mona and try to start over with Jane continues to roll downward, as she's constantly there reminding him of what he did (and now she has moved on).

Meanwhile, Don spent a chunk of the episode in a funk. He's come full circle, once again being lauded at the top of his professional gain while fooling around on the side with a long term affair (I liked that his New Years Resolution was to end the affair, but they both knew it wasn't going to happen - there were no illusions there, unlike with Suzanne back in season 3). And yet, he's unhappy - and this time I think he's realizing that there are no more fresh starts for him. The marriage on the beach, while he watched a penniless younger man with "no people" get married (much like how he probably got married to Betty) reinforced that. The unintentional suicide-themed pitch was likely him reflecting that without even realizing it.

It's interesting to contrast that with Bert Cooper, who has been a relic since episode one and knows it. Yet he seems to be satisfied and mostly happy, unlike Roger and Don. Maybe they'll end up that way, although I doubt it with Roger. Roger had no real accomplishments, not like how Bert Cooper founded SCDP and kept it alive through the Great Depression.

2. Peggy's obviously absorbed a ton from Don, and her save on that cheesy Shakespeare pitch at the end was Don-esque. She's in the same position Don was back in Season One, while Ted Chaough seems to be fading out - I could see him reaching a state of Bert Cooper-style mellow.

3. It's hilarious that she's built up a friendship with Grizzly Adams Stan Rizzo, when he always seemed to slightly disgust her earlier on.

4. There was a mild reminder there of the technological limitations of the 1960s. There was a cultural moment that Peggy missed that affected her campaign, and she had no way to go back and figure out what it was because there was no way to get the video. Meanwhile, everything's moving so fast that even she's getting left behind in some ways - that Shakespeare ad felt musty.

5. Lots of Betty, compared to the total lack in the Season 4 premiere. Tying in with the death and transition themes, Betty was trying to "save" a girl in whom she saw herself, far more than she does with the daughter she no longer understands or relates to. But she was too late.

6. It was pretty cool to see Ken finally get tough with the overly aggressive self-promoting guy. I mean, Jesus, sending an unasked-for catering platter to the funeral of one of the partners? I could understand and sympathize with the elevator scene, since Don more or less did the exact same thing to try and corner Roger into order to "Draper Caper" his way into a job.

7. Megan didn't really seem to notice Don's ennui, presumably because she's on the up and hungry for more with her own career. She finally landed a repeating role that has brought her fame and notice (including from obsessive soap opera fans), but she hasn't broken into film yet. I almost wonder if she would even really care that much if Don's cheating anymore, since she's happy.

It's like a flip of Don and Betty back in season one. She's the unhappy one wondering if this was all it was ever going to be, while Don was rising, hungry, and happy. Now it's flipped.