Mad Cap: "A Night to Remember"

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 2, Episode 8
"A Night to Remember"

"There is no sin too great to bring to God. 

You can reconcile yourself with him and 

have a whole new heart."

- Father Gill (Colin Hanks)

Plot:

On the heels of Billy Barrett's (Patrick Fischler) reveal, Betty Draper (January Jones) begins to turn sour towards Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and ignore him. Meanwhile, Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) is sought upon by Father Gill (Colin Hanks) to help promote an upcoming dance. Ken Cosgrove (Harry Crane) hires Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) on to help look at all of the TV scripts for commercials. At a dinner party thrown by the Drapers, Betty feels insulted when Don makes a joke about her buying Heineken beer (which also helps to sell the client later on). Confessing that Billy told her everything, she requests that Don start treating her right or get out of the house. Upon printing flyers, Gill discovers that Peggy had a child out of wedlock and feels a little misguided in how to feel about it. Joan has married Greg Harris (Sam Page), and the two have a quaint little relationship going. Ken feels some esteem after he gets the TV department up and running. He finds a replacement for Joan after she was hired full time, which doesn't go well. Upon seeing Billy's commercial on TV, Betty asks Don not to come home, leaving him to spend the night at the office.

Rating: 5 out of 5

January Jones

MVP:

Betty Draper (January Jones)

While there have been a few tiffs here and there, the Draper marriage has been rather consistent for most of the series. In this episode, things change in a major way. After feeling like a repressed saint, Betty finally gets her say. She is having it rough and when she begins to feel like a prop in Don's universe, she decides to start acting aggressively. Much like Don, she has a public persona that hides her shame, but deep down, she is tired of it and wants to confront him during every turn. She has had it and the affair with Bobbie Barrett was the final straw. What is the next move for Betty after this? What is going to happen to the kids? After 20 episodes of complaining about things, there's finally some action, and I cannot wait to see how things go. Betty finally feels like more than a trophy wife for a successful liar.

Left to right: Jon Hamm and Jones

Best Scene

No contest, it is the second fight scene between Don and Betty. After the initial ventilation has been cleared up, Betty gets to express some heartbreaking truths. Has Don ever said that he loves her? No. He even confesses that she used her to sell products. Even when Don is being sincere, there's an air of entitlement to him that everyone should fall in line with his politics. Even if he is doing phenomenal work at Sterling Cooper, his own family is crumbling and he cannot understand why. He has built a myth and has an ego so strong that it seemed impenetrable until the people that Don meant the most to confess their feelings. He has ditched birthday parties and hidden his problems with gifts. However, he has confronted his past as Dick Whitman. Now he is confronting his more recent past of frivolities with women, thanks to a sleazy comedian. With the final shot of him sitting in the break room of his office, the truth speaks volumes in a single shot. His work is his new home and it is likely to be that way for quite some time.

UP NEXT: "Six Month Leave"