Mad Cap: "Love Among the Ruins"

Left to right: Jon Hamm and Ryan Cutrona

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 2

"Love Among the Ruins"

"I was in California. Everything is new, and it's clean. The people are filled with hope. New York City is in decay. But Madison Square Garden is the beginning of a new city on a hill."

- Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

Plot:

Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) is wanting to tear down Penn Station and build a new public center there known as the Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) is working on making a soda commercial that parodies the opening of Bye Bye Birdie. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is trying to help Pryce see his way about Madison Square Garden despite Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis) holding up a fight. Peggy decides to go out on a date with a random stranger at a bar, whom she tells that she works at Madison Avenue. Don convinces Pryce that because California is "new" that New York needs to update as well. Don is also dealing with Betty Draper's (January Jones) side of the family including her neglecting father Gene (Ryan Cutrona) and brother William Hofstadt (Eric Ladin). Don decides to solve all of the problems by having Gene stay with them. Betty is against this at first due to their complicated relationship. However, it becomes complicated when Gene is up at night causing a stir with hallucinations. Roger Sterling's (John Slattery) daughter Margaret Sterling (Elizabeth Rice) is getting married, which gets him discombobulated. Don ends his story at Sally Draper's (Kiernan Shipka) Maypole dance, at which he begins watching other women.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

MVP:

Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

It wasn't a particularly exciting episode. However, it was one in which Don did his best to save the day yet again. Whether he is at work or at home, he tries to make his mark and attempts to make the final statement. He wants Pryce to invest in Madison Square Garden, which he promises will bring loads of business. He wants Betty to be preoccupied with her father. There's a lot in play that may seem like selfish motives, but Don is proving to be the boss and not entirely learning from the traumatic fallout from last season. He is still kind of sleazy and playing the same level of cool wherever he goes. What does he hope to get out of Gene being around besides someone that he can toss his problems onto? Gene is a delusional war veteran with a lot of problems. Maybe something will come of it, but it all seems like a bigger distraction from whatever he has planned.

Left to right: Hamm and January Jones

Best Scene

It wasn't a particularly strong episode of key moments, though there is one that stands out and one that will likely continue to build over the series. After Don makes the great move of having Gene stay with him, he wakes up in the middle of the night to find Gene pouring out the liquor into the sink. He is going on about how there are people after him and that they must dispose of the evidence. It makes no sense, but in one momentary scene, Gene establishes himself as the problematic figure that we have had hints at, but not entirely sure what makes him so forgetful as Betty has hinted at. If nothing else, this is going to be a long, strange trip between Betty and Gene that may involve more liquor disposal and delusional late night moments. Nonetheless, he's here and it's all Don's fault if you wish to blame anyone.

UP NEXT: "My Old Kentucky Home"