Season 3 has had a number of theme or motif episodes. Seven Twenty-Three was noir. Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency was kind of screwball/Tarantino comedy. Shut The Door was definitely that “getting the band back together” vibe. In the end, I don’t mind it because they all serve their stories faithfully, without sacrificing what they needed to accomplish. Gimmicks, sure “ but it adds spice and nothing felt forced.
I always believed that the worst way to watch an hour-long drama at 10 p.m. is in a bar with a huge crowd of people. The Final Four, sure. But real television? Never.
I was wrong. I was lucky enough to be in a room full of Basketcases (as opposed to basketcases) to see Archie kick from a kick, the Drapers dissolve, and the birth of an agency. As Lane Pryce would say, “HUZZAH!!”
THE WALDORF
Don’s late again.
Has Chelcie Ross’s portrayal of Connie been discussed? I think it was brilliant, and gave extra weight to the office-element in a season that was lacking the right home/work balance. He established the perfect tone for the character from the first scene, and never had a bad moment on screen.
I’d love to think we’ll see him again, but Hilton was in his seventies by ’63, and soon handed over the business it might be a stretch to get him back. Just another brilliant character crossing the Mad Men sky. We’ve got to get Chelcie, Rosemary, Melinda, Patrick, Colin and Maggie all together on some show
“You come and go as you please.”
“I own hotels. It’s a business based on coming and going as you please.”
“And you don’t give a crap that my future is tied up in this mess because of you.”
“You wanted my account. And you were lucky to get it.”
“And you wanted to play with me. Kick me around. Knock me down to size. That’s why you called me ˜son’. I get it now, Connie. It’s business.”
“You know, I got everything I have on my own. It’s made me immune to those who complain and cry because they can’t. I didn’t take you for one of them, Don. Are you?”
Don’s asking Connie to make a business decision based on Don’s personal situation. But Don knows better. As Deb’s brilliant “You Grow Bullshit” post perfectly outlined, Don has learned the hard way that those who build their own lives get to determine what happens to them. Those who live in other people’s houses are at the mercy of their owners.
What Hilton, the self-made man, is saying is: you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. It goes back to when Connie called Don to the Waldorf for the first time. He was put off that Don didn’t think bigger. It took Don most of the season, but he’s starting to.
STERLING-COOPER
Don’s flashback “
“Dammit, Whitman. This is a cooperative.”
“No more.”
Someone on some board pointed out that you can’t spell ˜cooperative’ without ˜cooper’ and Don’s on his way to breaking it up, but in a more productive fashion than Archie ever conceived.
COOPER’S OFFICE
“I want to work.” Put that on my t-shirt.
STERLING’S OFFICE
“From one john’s bed to the next.” Takes one to know one.
Trollup. Name another show on television that would do that word justice. Can’t, can you?
“If I’m useless, so be it. There’s a deck chair somewhere with my name on it.” Some time I’d like to do a mega-super-hefty-jumbo Mad Men marathon, and note every time a line of dialog sums up a character’s entire essence.
“So you do want to be in advertising after all.” First time we see Roger teaching Don something.
DRAPER HOUSE
“I’m not going to let you break up this family.”
“I didn’t break up this family.”
And there you have it.
WHITMAN KITCHEN
So Archie screws over his partners, says he’ll wait until the price goes up. Then catches shit from his wife and does an about-face and decides to sell right away. Oh, the irony.
Seen some talk about the quality/usefulness of all the flashbacks in MM I’m definitely in favor. They’re used so skillfully and actually move the present-day plot along. I hope that doesn’t change “ there are thousands of ways that shows get self-conscious and self-reflective in their use of narrative devices like flashbacks. There’s been no signs of it, and I bet they will continue to do it right.
I’m interested why Don has that flashback when while he’s watching Sally sleep. Deb, did the post on Don’s drinking, and the presence of the bottle in his new room. With what we know about Sally, is there a relationship to Don’s flashback, including his taste of his father’s whiskey? Only on MM would that connection even be worth wondering.
Of course it’s also about a child losing his father. And with the state of the Draper marriage, Sally is losing her father too.
DON’S OFFICE
So this is where the drama becomes a comedy. The scene is lighter “ jokes appear (funny ones). Even before Don suggests Lane fire them, it’s lighter. Don didn’t sleep “ but he’s refreshed nonetheless.
“I should think this is worth more than that.”
“So we’re negotiating ” Suddenly Don likes negotiation. Like his shift to wanting to be in advertising, he’s changing his attitude.
“Obtain we have to steal everything.” Don’s okay with that.
“Do we vote or something?” Roger raises his hand first.
“Peggy! My office “ Don, along with all the other assumptions he makes about Peggy naturally following him, he fails to realize that Peggy would probably benefit from the move to McCann. Larger accounts “ at least a greater variety of ones needing a woman’s voice “ and probably more mobility and chance for higher salary. Not that it would all be roses, but McCann has real upside for her.
“I’ve had other offers, you know. They came with a sales pitch about opportunity. And breakfast the next morning.”
All Peggy’s experience is about this decision to turn down Don’s request. Her instincts are really honed here.
CAMPBELL’S APARTMENT
Love looking at Roger’s face throughout this whole scene. He loves watching other people put on an act because he knows he does it better than anyone else.
“Don’t bother. I have other plans. They’re the same as Peggy’s but without the free supply of condoms.”
Really though, it’s fun to see them have to address all their missteps from the last few seasons. Peggy, Duck, Lane that’s why everyone thought Sal would be back.
“Peter may I speak to you for a moment.” Again the comedy.
“We need you to keep us looking forward. And not just at Peggy’s ass.”
Pete extending his hand is a callback to the same gesture in Smoke when Don rebuffed him.
Corporate espionage turns Trudy on.
DRAPERS BEDROOM
“Because you’re good. And everyone else in the world is bad.” For me, this line told more about their relationship than all the dialog in the past three seasons.
I keep thinking about MW’s comment that Betty will have gone through this learning as little as possible. So true. And also so counter to the way television usually works.
S-C ELEVATOR/OFFICE
I agree with Matt about the brands displayed on the boxes. Maybe not all the meanings, but they’re not chosen by accident.
Love Harry’s coat.
DRAPER HOUSE
Hate watching this scene even though it’s just a show.
What stands out to me is that Sally calls him out on his bullshit. She’s about 25 years ahead of Betty’s pace. That and that Don and Betty weren’t on the same page what to tell the kids. I don’t know how that could possibly happen.
Oh, that hug from Bobby.
PEGGY’S APARTMENT
“Do you want to know why I don’t want to go to McCann?”
“Because you can’t work for anyone else.”
“No. Because there are people out there who buy things. People like you and me. And something happened. Something terrible. And the way that they saw themselves is gone. And nobody understands that. But you do. And that’s very valuable.”
This strikes me a lot like Henry and Betty’s conversation in the car. Are they talking about the Kennedy assassination or themselves? Or both?
“Is it?”
“With you or without you, I’m moving on. And I don’t know if I can do it alone. Will you help me?”
“What if I say no? You’ll never speak to me again.”
“No. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to hire you.”
That’s as good as Duck’s speech, but without the “rip your clothes off with my teeth” part.
S-C OFFICE
“Joan. What a good idea.” Says it all.
Okay “ the Art Department door totally a headfake toward Salvatore. But I love the layers of meaning in Don kicking the damn thing open. The violence. The destruction of property. The allusion to Archie. I’ll even throw in “Break on Through” by the Doors “ coming some three years hence.
“I’ll need you to find me an apartment.”
“Furnished?”
“For the time being.”
“Sorry.” Professional. Not needing to say a word more than necessary. C’est magnifique indeed.
Also, for the record, can they have more scenes with Christina Hendricks in casual attire? Thanks.
Don kneels to lock the door “Don’t bother.” Perfect.
S-C OFFICE THE NEXT DAY
It’s possible that Sinjin would have had the wisdom not to fire Lane “ realizing that he must be in on something. Why fire the S-C crew unless he himself was benefiting? Firing Lane only allows them to get away with it. They could just keep Lane on “ make him a janitor or something “ continue to pay him, and hold him to his contract, which must have a non-compete in it. Just a thought
SCDP OFFICE
Trudy “ oh, that hat. Can’t help but think of Trudy’s victory at helping and being welcomed at Pete’s office “ both because of how Pete’s reacted to her visits in the past, and in contrast to Betty, who wants to be waited on hand-and-foot for being Mrs. Draper.
Oooh, love that awkwardness between Trudy and Peggy. For Peggy anyway.
DRAPER KITCHEN
My mom never dressed that way.
I forget, is JJ up for a Globe? This was a remarkable season for her. She’s the standout, IMO.
Alright kids, that’s three in the books. I don’t believe in the five-season-and-out rule for our beloved show. I think we’re going to be further blessed. Besides, MW’s contract takes him through S4, which means he would be turning down at least a year “ probably more “ in a renewal. Technically he could renegotiate for an extension to make it to 5, but he’d be leaving serious dough on the table.
Finally, this song in most cases you could play Orbison over a coma patient and I’d nominate it for an Emmy. But just skim the lyrics and think of where the season left off. Its’ like he wrote the song for S3 “ the song was released in 1963.
˜Night, all. I’ll backtrack on some of these NSLB’s during the off-season gotta do something to kill time until August.
Shahadaroba, by Roy Orbison
Where the Nile flows
And the moon glows
On the silent sand
Of an ancient land
When a dream dies
And the heart cries
Shahadaroba
Is the word they whisper low
Shahadaroba, Shahadaroba
Means the future
Is much better than the past
Shahadaroba, Shahadaroba
In the future
You will find a
love that lasts
So when tears flow
And you don’t know
What on earth to do
And your world is blue
When your dream dies
And your heart cries
Shahadaroba
Fate knows what’s
best for you
Shahadaroba, Shahadaroba
Face the future
And forget about the past
Shahadaroba, Shahadaroba
In the future
You will find a
love that lasts
Shahadaroba
26 Responses to “Not-So-Live Blogging "Shut The Door. Have A Seat."”
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Wow. Thanks, B. Cooper. This was perfection. All I can say is that I cannot imagine the honor of joining you, the wonderful Lipp sisters and all the others in NYC for the live viewing party of the finale. I feel so lucky to have found the Basket for the next best thing.
Yes!
Yes, yes!
“I want to work.†Put that on my t-shirt.
I can hear him say it. God, he is such an actor.
“If I’m useless, so be it. There’s a deck chair somewhere with my name on it.†Some time I’d like to do a mega-super-hefty-jumbo Mad Men marathon, and note every time a line of dialog sums up a character’s entire essence.
And you're the guy. But I will grab them as I see them too. Because it's genius.
Bravo, Coop. This is what I wanted for Christmas.
Once, I felt Don had devolved from Michael Corelone to whining Johnny Fontane, without Don Vito to straighten him out with a slap and the advice “You can act like a man!â€
Now, Conrad Hilton has squared him away… and some steel has returned to the man's spine. A welcome development.
To the Lip Sisters and all readers of this blog, I find the views orthogonal to mine most interesting.
Happy and safe 2010.
Great read!
One quotation I'm having problems with understanding is this:
“No. Because there are people out there who buy things. People like you and me. And something happened. Something terrible. And the way that they saw themselves … is gone. And nobody understands that. But you do. And that’s very valuable.â€
I would understand if Don had said that he and Peggy were people who sell things, but what do they buy? And how was this aspect of them changed by recent developments?
I guess the dialogue is deliberately vague so that it conveys different meanings but right now i don't really get any of them.
I'm sure there's a post on here somewhere addressing this and I've missed it – but it sure does seem like MW takes a song lyric and lets the plot fall in line with it. I know the song "Suzanne" has been discussed on here for this reason, and maybe others that I have missed. As a music lover myself, I find this whole concept to be brilliant. And who is right around the corner in 1964? Hmmm…….
Great point about the comparison of Trudy and Betty….goes back to the episode in Season 2 where Pete 'asked' Trudy to help him get his story published. Whereas Betty expects to be pampered by coming to the office, Trudy takes a different approach… nice catch B. Cooper…..
Tetris
I loved that Shadaroba was chosen as the closing theme. I was so impressed that I wrote up an ode to David Carbonara using the Shabaroba with new lyrics. Here it is, enjoy:
A tribute to David Carbonara by Therese Bohn
(Sung to the tune of ‘Shahdaroba’by Roy Orbison)
"When the mood’s sad
And Don feels bad
When our Sally’s low
And Bobby’s tears flow
When their dream dies
And our heart cries
Carbonara
Is the one Matt will turn to
Carbonara, Carbonara
Is the one to match the music to the scene
Carbonara, Carbonara
His music gently lifts the love on screen
So when Pete mopes
And Paul needs to tope
What’s the tune we need
To make Mad Men succeed?
From old Babylon
To RoyOrbison
Carbonara
Will find what’s best for you
Carbonara, Carbonara
I can’t wait for Season 4 to begin
Carbonara, Carbonara
Til then I might just need a loony bin
Carbonaa-a-a-a-a-ara
Fun post! I hold special love for the scene in the SCDP “office” when Trudy brings in the sandwiches. I can’t help but think it’s supposed to be Don’s alternative Christmas. He’s not going to have Betty and the kids gathered around the tree, but he has his work “family” to celebrate with. I like how everyone is unwrapping Trudy’s sandwiches like they’re gifts. And Trudy’s reddish outfit and fetching hat make her a charmingly fashionable Santa Claus.
Did MW say that about the "five seasons and out"? That's *totally* a negotiating tactic if he did.
Of course, there's also irony in the Orbison lyrics. We know that there's more changes and tumult coming that'll make '63 look like a picnic. And we *don't* know if Don will ultimately triumph or not by series' end. But yeah, it definitely works to mark the turning point in Don's season-long spiral downward.
Hope everybody had a happy and safe holiday season.
# 6 – “No. Because there are people out there who buy things. People like you and me. And something happened. Something terrible. And the way that they saw themselves … is gone. And nobody understands that. But you do. And that’s very valuable.†I would understand if Don had said that he and Peggy were people who sell things, but what do they buy? And how was this aspect of them changed by recent developments? I guess the dialogue is deliberately vague so that it conveys different meanings but right now i don’t really get any of them.
What I took from this exchange between Don and Peggy is that he was talking about the effect of JFK's assassination had on people generally – and the buying public, in particular. I think Don is also referring to the fact that many people were imbued with "vigor" (a big term during Kennedy's brief presidency) and with optimism and enthusiasm, as the gray Eisenhower years gave way to Camelot and JFK's New Frontier – but in the wake of the recent tragedy, people believe all that is now suddenly "gone".
It would make perfect sense that advertising types like Don and Peggy, would see abundant opportunities ahead, to help people recapture a sense of magic in their lives, by way of their new ads for the thousands of products that consumers would read, view and hear via the nice folks at Sterling Cooper Draper and Price. This, of course, after a proper interval for mourning.
Because Peggy "gets it," Don really wants her on the new team.
Think back to when Don encountered Peggy in the office, on the morning of Kennedy's funeral. Peggy was on the job, taking care of tweaking the hair spray campaign. In this situation, I think Don and Peggy are kindred souls in that they both seem to be channelling their troubles and grief, into their work.
As for what Don & Peggy "buy" – the agency buys ad time on TV & radio and ad space in newspapers & magazines. But I think he was also referring to the simple humanity that the consumers and he and Peggy also share.
Finally, while re-watching "Shut the Door, Have a Seat," it made me think back to that episode in Season Two when everyone was pulling the presentation for the TWA brass together, though I think the new SCDP will work out much better than that Good Friday pitch for TWA did.
It really did have a "getting the band back together" feel. Or, for you old-timers out there, the "hey kids, let's put on a show!" feel of those old Judy Garland – Mickey Rooney films.
Oops!
My mind was thinking “American Airlines” while my fingers were typing “TWA”.
I have no idea where TWA came from — unless I’m having a premonition about Season Four and we’ll see Howard Hughes crossing paths with the folks at SCDP (like Conrad Hilton did in Season Three).
On the outside chance that this comes to pass, I think Dean Stockwell should reprise his portrayal of Hughes, from the 1988 film “Tucker: The Man and His Dream”.
I think I'm not suited for the business world. I totally read the Connie scene differently. Your take is actually really enlightening.
Either that or I misread your post …
I had to read other people to get the business take. I read the Connie/Don scene emotionally. Don wants to work to prove himself, and I get that, and I get how important "I want to work" is. But I keep seeing Connie as a father who rejects Don, and I wasn't at first clear that Connie really was doing Don a favor. I'm dense sometimes.
St John, not Sinjin.
Re: Connie & Don – that's how I read he scene as well. Connie was telling Don to man up, to understand that business is business, and you have to make your own opportunities. He did Don an enormous favor, not just by warning him of the PPL sale (which I'm sure he heard from McCann in confidence, and probably shouldn't have revealed to Don) but also because he didn't give Don the easy out of going to McCann to follow his Hilton account. He pushed Don to do the right thing for himself. Whether or not that was actually Connie's motivation is another thing, but either way, the Tough Love worked, and was just the impetus Don needed to break out of his funk.
Re: the Don-to-Peggy speech. I read "People buy things" as "People buy into a certain way of thinking about the world, a way of believing how the world is supposed to work, and what they're supposed to want." Because that myth has been shattered for Don and for Peggy, they more acutely understand the value of wanting and yearning for that comforting belief system. So when they are creating advertising, both of them instinctively know they are selling more than a product, they are selling what people want at their deepest level, they are selling a comforting vision of life – life how it's supposed to be, not how it is.
@ Acrylamid #6
I saw the Don/Peggy conversation as relating the effect of the Kennedy assassination on the public (the shattering of hope, of people believing everything in their lives would work out just the way they wanted) to what Don knows about what happened to Peggy (her pregnancy and the giving up of her child), and, by implication, what she knows about him (nothing specific, of course, but because of the famous "it will shock you how much this never happened," she knows it was something equally as shattering to his life). This, then, is something that they can truly understand in a way that most others can't.
I found it an especially moving scene, since this is the one thing that Don and Peggy never speak about. It is the heart of their bond.
With what we know about Sally, is there a relationship to Don’s flashback, including his taste of his father’s whiskey?
You know, in the episode The Three Sundays, there is a moment at the 32 minute mark where Sally grabs a whiskey glass sitting on a desk (and presumably, drinks it). So this couldn't have been her first.
Did some fact checking, and saw that she falls asleep on the couch a while later. She definitely finished that one, if not several others. Really, it's details like this that makes this show.
One of my favorite lines of the whole season was
"I'll spend the rest of my life trying to hire you."
Wow. Don gave Peggy the ultimate security blanket, not to mention devoted loyalty. All of Duck's horny proclamations would never top that!
#20 Therese,
Yes. And in that speech, Don gave Peggy (at last) the one thing no other man at Sterling Cooper ever had: credit for being exactly as good as she knew she was. Not for having "darling little ankles", not for being "new" and/or female — but for being good.
You have no idea how far I would follow the right boss — of either sex — for that. Even now.
Props too for your little mashup of the Orbison song, up there. Nice!
But the big ups go to Coop. Nice work, my friend. I was honored to watch this episode in your company — and I'm pleased that we feel the same way about that line.
I remember barking, "Yes!" when Don threw down with "I want to work". That line was the fabric of the firm tearing apart — and the character of Don and Dick (perhaps) coming together.
It also happens to be the way I feel about work. Which is nice.
Great job, B. Cooper. You're a treasure.
Thanks, Anne! And I think if any of us were to get a committed statement from an employer, lover, or friend in our lives like Don said to Peggy, we would be totally blessed — not to mention go for it!
And on a slightly different note, Joan's comment about Peggy's ankles in S1E1 initially lead one to think that Joan only cared about ones exterior, but I think we know she's a LOT deeper than that. Joan is the penultimate caregiver who deserves a hell of a lot better than Dr. McRape-Jerk. I think she and Roger need each other.
"Joan. What a good idea."
You bet! I can't wait to see her storyline in S4.
Deb – I see what you mean. But I don't see the rejection so much as the kick in the pants that motivates.
Anne – that's awfully nice; just keeping up with you.
Also, and slightly o/t, but knowing in hindsight how much involvement the Hilton organization had in the advent of the character, I'm sure there was some obligation (most likely implied), that Connie's heart be true. Eccentric and a little nutty, okay, that's been documented and would be accurate. But not cruel or serving to crush the lead character's psyche. That's just my take.
That's funny because I thought Connie was a huge jerk.