Basket of Kisses

Many months ago I wrote a post called 9 months for Don. It was inspired by an idea Matthew Weiner had sparked. I explained it then:

Weiner, at the oft-quoted Jacob Burns Film Center event, talked about the influence of the film the Apartment. We’ve heard this a lot, and the film itself is alluded to in Babylon. But what Weiner discussed was how in the Apartment, most of the movie is set-up. Exposition. The bulk of the film is the audience and the characters discovering the circumstances that are already in occurrence.

So there are these two components in storytelling; exposition and occurrences. So much of Season One was discovery… in this episode we find out that (Don is married. Betty had been a model. Don had a secret identity. Paul and Joan had dated. Roger has been having an affair with Joan.)

You get it. Things that had happened in the past, or were happening in the present. Reveals. And I wanted to draw the distinction, to actually sequester the events of Season One. The topic came up recently, and I pretty much promised I would do this. Also, promised myself. I really, really wanted to write this before Season Two.

Plus Deb and I are a little sick of hearing how this is a show where nothing happens. You’re all making it sound like Seinfeld, forfucksake. (Well, not really most of you, but a lot of people out there.)

Anyway, here it is, the sequel…

9 months for everyone (more…)