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| Left to right: Jon Hamm and Christina Hendricks |
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 6
"Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency"
"That's life. One minute you're on top
of the world, the next minute some secretary's
running you over with a lawn mower."
- Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks)
Plot:
The Draper family is starting to get situated at home. However, Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka) is taking offense to the presence of Eugene and Betty Draper (January Jones) cannot figure out why. Meanwhile at Sterling Cooper, there's going to be a surprise inspection that gets everyone upset. Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) is also retiring to move with her husband Greg Harris (Sam Page) who is a doctor. Only he decides to spend his last days in the city doing a lot of sleazy stuff. Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) has a contract with John Deere that allows him to ride a lawn mower through the office. After the inspection from the British officials reveal that there's going to be new higher power staff members, the office turns their focus to Joan's farewell. At this point, someone rides the lawn mower indiscreetly over somebody's foot, causing them to reconsider everything about their operation. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) considers changing companies but quickly rushes to the hospital when Joan calls. The British heads decide to reconsider their proposals since they lost one of their top guys, who cannot work simply because he cannot walk from a severed foot. Back at home, Sally reveals that the reason that she is so uptight is because the baby is named Eugene and it reminds her too much of her grandfather. Betty thinks Don is making this up and immediately tries to comfort her.
Rating: 5 out of 5
MVP:
Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks)
Things must change at some point. At least that is how this episode of Mad Men chooses to look at everything. For starters, Sterling Cooper is on the verge of a major face lift after being bought out by Lane Pryce (Jared Harris). Even the Draper household is stuck in a limbo as it tries to move on from Eugene's death with the arrival of a new baby who shares a name to keep his legacy alive. Of the cast, there's Joan moving with Greg, and she definitely gets the most memorable send-off. After all, she helped Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) transition into the company and has been the secret force behind a lot of aspects in the company. While she seems to simply be a gawking person in most situations this week, she ties everything up by realizing just how wild and strange the Sterling Cooper men can be. Don't think of her as leaving a dull office job, but one of partying and foot severing. What a way to leave.
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| Left to right: Hamm and Kiernan Shipka |
Best Scene
It is increasingly hard to deny the magic of Sally Draper. In the past two seasons, she has become a force of nature by rebelling against her crumbling parents and discovering the frustrations of life. In this instance, replacing one Gene for another is traumatic in ways that aren't made clear until the final act as she yells from her bedroom. She is having nightmares about the loss. It is in telling Don about this that the sentiments come in and bridge the discomfort of change at Sterling Cooper to the change at the Draper household. She doesn't want it just as badly as Don can't handle a demotion. Things are complex and Betty doesn't understand Don. However, through the power of parenting, Don manages to prove that he has the ability to fix things when he needs to by convincing Sally that baby Gene isn't as bad as she thinks. He is just a baby. It is a sweet moment that captures a tenderness to Don as a parent that isn't really present all that often.
UP NEXT: "Seven Twenty Three"
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