Mad Cap: "The Fog"

Jon Hamm

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 3, Episode 5

"The Fog"

"You came here because we do this better 
than you, and part of that is letting our 
creatives be unproductive until they are."

- Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

Plot:

Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka) is acting up at school and is causing the teacher to call Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Betty Draper (January Jones) in for a meeting. This is revealed to be related to the recent passing of Gene Hofstadt (Ryan Cutrona), whom Sally deeply misses. Betty finally goes into labor and Don drives her to the hospital where he waits in the waiting room while talking to a man named Dennis Hobart (Matt Bushell) about him working in a prison. Betty hallucinates during the labor and decides to name her child Eugene, which Don doesn't seem happy about. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) decides to confront the elevator operator about the spending habits of black people. When Don returns to the office, he is confronted with gifts and a series of tasks that need to get done but also need his approval. Pete pitches the idea of marketing to black audiences to Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) and Lance Pryce (Jared Harris), which sees him shot down. Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) tells Don that she is considering getting a new job in order to get better pay. Sally brings the baby home for the first time and the Draper children welcome him with pride and joy.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

January Jones

MVP:

Betty Draper (January Jones)

While it has only been for five episodes, the pregnancy of Betty has been one of complete mystery. It also has been rather uneventful with her simply being pregnant. This may be thanked to her already having two kids. However, it is all about her as she finally goes into labor and looks back on her childhood with her parents and the strange realization that she has some admiration for the man that raised her. In a vicarious move, she wants to name the child Eugene. While Don has to do all of the lifting, Betty has to do the hardest job and doesn't get any respect for it in the process. What is the point if she can't have her way. It may all be a fog to her, but deep down, it's how she thinks of past few months of trying to sabotage the baby's life. It starts a new chapter for the Draper family, though will it be one of pride and joy? Who knows. 

Best Scene

The first half of the season has been building to this moment. Betty is pregnant and on the verge of giving birth to a child. As Don patiently waits while talking to Dennis, there is a looming sense that the dysfunctional couple now have another toxic hurdle in their way. It is painful to think of a baby as this, but the choice for Don not to immediately name it is telling that there is some control issues here. Will the issues be resolved? Who knows. However, for a brief moment, the baby is born in a fog as Betty thinks back on her childhood. For some reason, Gene is wiping blood off of the floor and leaves Betty to wonder "Am I dying?" It is a regression into childhood. While the memory isn't specific, it also allows a confusing peek into Betty's psyche, which for some reason includes a black man sitting at their table. What does this all mean? It feels like another paradox is in the works. For now, Betty is stuck with another child that will hopefully solve her problems, or just create another Sally. Either way, this is a nice change of pace from the first portion of the season, which has been anticlimactic and slow.

UP NEXT: "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency"