Talking ‘Mad Men’ Week 2: The Coca-Cola of Condiments

Every Monday morning, Sloane Crosley and Logan Hill will be offering their post-”Mad Men” analysis here. Read on and share your reactions to Pete’s behavior, Don’s affair and more, in the comments:

Logan Hill: Wow, Sloane, that was a lot of plot for one episode. The Heinz betrayal. Pete and Trudy’s split. The miscarriage. And the return of Herb. I thought we were going to have a key party and a couples swap in the first three minutes.

Sloane Crosley: That party was a major red herring. Because tonally I thought, “Wow, Trudy is frighteningly good at playing along with these two horny knuckleheads and Pete seems so over the female equivalent, perhaps burnt by Beth.” But of course it turns out that Pete doesn’t quite know the score as well as he thinks he does.

LH: We’ve always known Pete was a cretin: We’ve seen him force himself on women and cheat on Trudy before. But, God, it’s the callous cluelessness that makes me hate him. And Trudy destroys him, with a line as bold as her bouffant dresses: “If you so much as open your fly to urinate, I will destroy you.”

SC: Honestly, I was so affected by Trudy’s Last Stand that when later in this episode Roger says, “You know what this is It’s Munich!” I kept having visions not of WWII but of Eric Bana. Trudy! An assassin!

LH: Trudy is a warrior. And this episode is set during the Tet Offensive. Do you think Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, is putting these characters through so much because, well, so much is happening in the world at large

SC: Yes, but I think it’s even more than that â€" would you agree that the theme of this episode, or a theme anyhow, is surprise attacks Whoops, I had a miscarriage. Whoops, I am going to steal an account from my friend. Whoops, Trudy knows all.

LH: Well, I think a few things are going on: I think Weiner’s pushing the pace and amplifying the sense of crisis to mirror the world outside Madison Avenue. I didn’t read it as surprise, so much as just brutal war, with real victims. There’s lots of blood. And Heinz ketchup.

SC: So Stephen King prom-queen blood. I think it’s about that fake and contrived in this particular episode. Usually the bleed, if you will, between the fictional and the historical is a bit more smooth. All the radio broadcasts felt a little grafted on in order to fulfill the basic tenets of the show.

LH: Yes: The “Hair” reference in the first five seconds. The Johnny Carson spot. Peggy’s pants. They’re pushing so hard. I’m hoping that the show will calm down a bit once the table’s set. Question: Do you think Megan really had a miscarriage Or was it a euphemism for abortion

SC: Oh, no, I think she had one. Remember, she’s not that great of an actress (Megan, not Jessica Paré, who plays her). Her guilt stems pretty clearly from the fact that she didn’t want to be pregnant and would have had an abortion. Also: she has no reason to lie to Ms. Pearly McLong Nails downstairs. Question for you now: Why is it that I am pretty disinterested in Don and Megan vs. Pete and Trudy

LH: Well, the commenters last week also seemed very uninterested in Don and Megan. I wonder if it’s because everyone’s given up on Don changing â€" that his season so far feels like a repeat.

SC: Twitter was full of that sentiment as well. Lots of: “Next time on Mad Men, Don drinks something and says, “Some people can’t help themselves,’ puts on his coat and leaves the room.”

LH: And what about the lurid flashbacks They practically reminded me of “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” the Melvin Van Peebles movie about the gigolo who grows up in a brothel.

SC:The flashbacks! The flashforwards! I feel like they’ve both been used more effectively in the past, like when Joan is prostituted out to Herb. I’m a bit down on this episode, I have to say, because seeing Don as a kid in a brothel and then seeing him hand money to his mistress:  It’s all so obvious. At least he didn’t throw it in her face.

LH: Absolutely. At this point, I feel like there should be AMC coffee mugs emblazoned with Don’s catchphrases, which he repeats in this episode: “Don’t Think About It.” And “This Didn’t Happen.”

SC: Yes, Theme No. 476: Compartmentalization.

LH: I have some faith because past seasons were so good, but every line this week was so portentous. One exception: Peggy and Stan. Aren’t they adorable

SC: Can men and women really be friends, Logan An age-old question. All they need is to watch “Casablanca” together.

LH: Ha! And that â€" the show’s one decent relationship â€" is corrupted immediately: Peggy uses Stan’s insider info on Heinz to help her boss steal the Coca-Cola of Condiments. Sad.

SC: It’s all so tawdry, so Sausage King of Chicago. And on top of that, the face of this monstrous tomato-based paste Kip Pardue! Last I saw him was maybe in the film adaptation of “The Rules of Attraction.” Love his oeuvre. Meanwhile, I think the show might be in some legitimate danger if the center will not hold.
LH: Yes. And the line I hated most in this episode was from Peggy’s boss: “Do you need a friend more than a job This is how wars are won.” How novel: a war reference. I hear there was a war in the ’60s.

SC: There was I thought Agent Orange was a dish best served at a key party. But truly:  when the dark-horse B plotlines cannibalize a series, it’s bad for the show. We shall see …

LH: I’m curious to see what our commenters make of all this. Let’s ask them a few questions. I’ll start: How much more horrible do you think Pete can become without literally sprouting horns

SC: I’ll see your horns and raise you some Lee Press-Ons: Where do we think Don’s affair is going this time around Why is this affair with the doctor’s wife different from all other affairs

LH: And, after our first chat, most commenters seemed disappointed. This episode was even less satisfying for me. Were they let down too And are they craving more Joan

SC: Well, Kip Pardue has few lines but one of them is something like, “You tell me” in response to “What do you want”

LH: Don says the same thing to Megan!

SC: That he does. I was so conscious of the slowness of this episode that I had actual time to wonder about this, about what I would prefer as a fan. It was a bit like tripping down a long flight of stairs and having time to think, “I hope I stop falling soon.” I thought: What do viewers want if not this More Joan for sure. But beyond that â€" what’s the show driving at, anyway

Sloane Crosley is the author of “How Did You Get This Number” and “I Was Told There’d Be Cake“; Logan Hill is a journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, New York, GQ, Rolling Stone, Wired and others.