Welcome to Mad Cap: a daily rundown of every episode of the acclaimed AMC series Mad Men. During this time, I will be compiling my thoughts and highlights as we travel through every moment and season of the Emmy-award winning drama that has come to define modern TV. The goal is to be a refresher on every moment for Don Draper and his band of advertisement executives leading up to the final season. Stay for all of the shocking moments and the brilliant acting performances, and make sure to chime in with your thoughts and criticisms on why the show means something to you.
Season 4, Episode 2
"Christmas Comes But Once a Year"
"I don't hate Christmas. I hate this Christmas."
- Don Draper (Jon Hamm)
Plot:
It's the Christmas season and everyone is getting ready for a great time. The Francis family stops by a tree lot where Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka) runs into Glenn Bishop (Marten Holden Weiner), whom she confides in about her father Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley) being mean. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is enjoying the single life as Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce gets read for the big Christmas party. Fred Rumsen (Joel Murray) returns to work and gets into a fight with Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) over whether or not women take advice from older people. This causes a riff and Fred is angry and Peggy. The party is a lot of fun, though Don gets drunk and ends up having sex with his secretary at his apartment. Meanwhile, Glenn throws food all over the Francis residence to stage a crime scene. He messes with everyone's room except Sally's. Fred and Peggy patch things up after Fred doesn't show up to the party because he didn't want to be tempted to doing alcohol again. Don leaves the office with Christmas presents, which he hopes to give to his children, who greatly miss him.
Rating: 4 out of 5
MVP:
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)
It is a Christmas that looks fun, but isn't actually that much fun when dissected. Sure, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is having a ball, but is Don? Is Sally? The people that matter are miserable being separated from what gave them an identity. Don is secretly a mess still, yet he manages to care for his kids more than ever as the episodes dwindle on. In this one, he may not get a central plot, but he does sulk through the evening and deals with the sense of escapism that is likely to consume him. He doesn't remember having sex and the only redemption is pleasing his kids, whom he doesn't see all that often to begin with. In a way, he may be a jerk, but he is a lovable jerk whom deserves as happy of an ending as everyone else seems to be getting.
Best Scene
Quite probably the strangest gesture of the whole episode comes in the form of Glenn's attack on the Francis residence. While there is confidence between him and Sally about why this is, it's still still appalling to see someone go through with it. Even then, Glenn's former affinity for Betty Francis (January Jones) makes the move even more striking. Also, the phone call that followed gives the impression that Glenn is out to impress Sally and that this is the start of something bigger between them. It is creepy and considering that Sally already has some trauma from her missing father figure, things can only get more complex from here. Even then, to come home to a messy house raided by your neighbor is quite a sight that will hopefully be resolved by the sign of Don with gifts that were personally picked out by the kids.
UP NEXT: "The Good News"
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