The first time I saw Six Month Leave, I was as shocked by Don at the ending. How was it that Roger interpreted what Don said as being about Roger and Roger’s marriage? They were talking about Don, and Don’s marriage.
Watch the scene again. This time, pretend you’re Roger.
Pretend you are so utterly self-centered that every conversation is about you. You don’t need to single a change of subject, because you are the only possible subject. Any apparent concern about an employee’s personal problems is really just a way of reinterpreting your own life.
If you think like Roger and re-watch the scene, it’s quite obvious that he’s deciding to leave Mona. And yeah, the more I observe Roger, the less I like him.
14 Responses to “Living like I'm on shore leave”
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I agree; I noticed the same thing about that scene going back.
Just busting in to say I got that very special email from amazon that my Season 2 DVDs just shipped!!! Woot!!!
Me too, DB! I was very excited.
Mona’s dressing down of Don is one of the great laugh-out-loud moments of S2. I went back and watched that scene between Roger & Don immediately and it’s so funny once you realise where Roger’s mind is at. And Roger isn’t so special in that regard, we all tend to think of things in terms of how they affect us personally.
I never thought that Roger was that special. Frankly, he strikes me as being just as self-involved as Don and many of the other characters.
I did that after the episode aired. I watched it from Roger's point of view and saw that he probably thought Don was just waxing philosophical, so he took the advice as his own and acted on it.
And when Roger of all people shunned the other girl away at the bar, you knew something was up with him.
But I thought he was talking about Joan, not Jane.
As Bette Midler likes to say, "Enough about me. What do you think of me?"
I think it’s also likely that Roger and Don are just used to talking “in code.” Don might speak frankly (occasionally), but Roger always responds to him with obfuscated language and meaning. Most of the time they’re both sort of chattering away in their own hidden speech.
Think about when Don went in to talk to Roger about psychiatry in S1. “You said you’re daughters seeing a psychiatrist.”
“You must be mistaken about that.”
“O-kay.”
Cue long, obtuse diatribe on psychiatry.
Or when Roger comes in to apologize for putting the moves on Betty (also in S1) he does so through some crazy story about parking in the wrong building.
So basically their whole style of communication that they’ve built up over the years is ripe for misunderstanding, and finally the dam broke.
I remember I really felt for Mona in the scene she had with Don. She focuses her anger on Don because although she is disappointed, humiliated and broken hearted with Roger she needs to express her deep anger at someone else. She realizes Don is an extreme philanderer; actually Roger strayed all on his own and for some reason he still feels the need to disclose Don’s comments.
I’m anxious to see what happens with Roger and Jane in Season 3; as well as some explanation as to how Joan handles her emotions about Roger and Jane. Joan seems to hide her real feelilngs with social sophistication and work place perfection.
I’m getting the feeling Roger is going to “get his” from Jane. She’s going to run around on HIM, and he’s going to find out what it feels like.
See if I’m right.
I think John Slattery deserves an insane amount of credit for a personal charm that makes Roger likable. When you really think about who Roger is, the phrase "douche nozzle" is not out of place, but Slattery has great comedic timing. He also played the hell out of his "I love you, Mona" hospital scene in season 1.
We need a poll — Douchiest Roger Moment.
Hitting on Betty.
Stupid garage analogy to explain why he hit on Betty, where we could pretty much substitute vagina for garage. Yes, yes, you almost parked in the wrong vag-rage, er, Rog!
His name is on the building, dammit!
He unfired that flooze, and in the process embarrassed Joan and demoted her to Second Finest Piece of Ass.
Er, left Mona for the flooze.
His treatment of Freddy who might have pissed in his office while, but doesn't seem to want to ask married women if they have a 1 or 2 car garage.
His interest in twincest between girls his daughter's age.
Did I miss anything?
Very, very, very close to coffee all over the monitor.
Thank you, Ms Darkly. You just made my day. And in much better words than I could come up with on my own, expressed exactly how I feel about Roger.
You say the personal charm of John Slattery makes Roger likeable. I think personal charm makes douches like Roger likeable in life too. If he wasn't charming, wouldn't get away with half of the things he does. He would just be a jerk.
Jen L, spot on.