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 3
"The Good News"
"Let's begin 1965."
- Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks)
Plot:
Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is going on vacation to Acapulco, but decides to take a detour to Los Angeles where he meets up with Anna Draper (Melinda Page Hamilton) and her friend Stephanie (Caity Lotz). They decide to enjoy their evening by going out for drinks and dancing. During this time, Don discovers that Anna has cancer and a short life expectancy that causes him to cancel his second stop in order to be with her. He declares that he is bringing the kids out to visit. He wants to be there. Meanwhile, Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) botches an order in which he sends flowers to his wife and Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks), but switches who received which one. A secretary is fired and Pryce is increasingly flustered by the situation. Don returns to New York and decides to hang out with Pryce the whole evening by getting escorts to show them a good time. Meanwhile, Joan and Greg Harris (Sam Page) celebrate the New Years at home where an accident leads Greg to perform minor surgery on his wife. It's full of witty banter and cheer. Everyone returns to the office after New Years Day to start work in 1965.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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| Jared Harris |
MVP:
Lane Pryce (Jared Harris)
Right as it looked like Anna would win over the week, Pryce had to go and mess up a flower order. From there, things only got worse for him and his flavorless drinks. Thankfully, with Don in tow, the night is saved and the two spend a wonderful, memorable night doing anything they want. They see Gojira and eat at a fancy diner. Meanwhile, Pryce is flamboyantly enjoying himself. While Pryce has been around for awhile, this is the first chance that it feels like he has done something beyond boss people around. It is exciting and interesting, considering that he pretty much makes this the funniest episode of Mad Men that has been released to this point.
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| Left to right: Jon Hamm and Pryce |
Best Scene
It is an episode full of bad news. Anna has cancer and a short life expectancy. Pryce is on the verge of losing his wife after messing up a flower order. When things seem at their worst, the two defeated men decide to go out for a night on the town that includes movies, food, comedy, and women. It is full of individually funny moments that declare Pryce a character worth keeping an eye on. However, the one scene that stands out among the many, many that reflect his aloof glee is the moment that they are in Gojira and Don talks about hand jobs. Without a filter, Pryce simply begins talking real loud in gibberish about it to a confused, disgruntled theater. It is momentary and fleeting, but it still comes across in an abruptly hilarious way that only starts the remaining chain of events.
UP NEXT: "The Rejected"
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