TV Review: Mad Men 5.8, 'Lady Lazarus'
So the most recent episode of Mad Men was quite a thing...
rating: 4
(WARNING: significant spoilers follow) So the most recent episode of Mad Men was quite a thing. Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) did several stupid things while Megan (Jessica Pare) did one very smart thing. Time will tell on what the fallout of these things were. Lets start with Pete. We find him first riding a train home and chatting with an insurance salesman hes become acquainted with. Turns out the man is, among other things, cheating on his wife, which is pretty much par for the course for this series. Anyhow, the next evening, Pete (toting a set of skis. Dont ask), gets off the train to find the mans wife, Beth, waiting for her husband. She knows hes probably not going to actually arrive, but since he has the car keys she needs to get home, shes in a bit of a bind. Pete gallantly drives her home where the two have sex. Yeah, its pretty much that basic. The next day he tries to hook up with her again. She makes it clear that it was a mistake and mustnt happen again, and unlike a lot of people, she seems to actually mean it when she says this. Then Pete rather stupidly ups the ante by going home with his friend the insurance agent, ostensibly to buy insurance, but really to hit on the mans wife. This is something of a new low for Pete and may show thats becoming desperate for something new in his life. Anyhow, he tries to make arrangements to meet with Beth, but she doesnt show, leaving him alone and frustrated, while the audience basically says, Yeah, thatll learn ya, Petey! I liked this particular story, at least a bit. Pete really comes off as being stupid and slimy, but thats ok, because thats how we generally like him. I do think it was pushing credibility at a couple points, but never really seemed to go over the edge. Then came Megans story, which waswell, not quite what Id expected. First off, we find her making a quiet, private phone call at the office, then lying to Peggy (Elizabeth Moss) and lying to Don (John Hamm). After Peggy calls her out on her lying, we learn that Megan has been auditioning to act again. It seems that her desire to perform has never left her, and she thinks that being a copywriter is acceptable, but not what she wants to do, and she tells Peggy as much. Later that night, she wakes up Don and tells him, too, making it very clear (at least after a bit), that she wants out of SCDP, and out of the ad game entirely. The next day we see her packing her things and leaving (and Don staring into an open elevator shaft in a way that Im sure isnt even remotely intended to be symbolic). She seems much happier as she leaves, as Im sure anyone is when they have the ability to chase their dreams. I liked this particular twist with Megans character, though I wasnt expecting it and perhaps I should have. Its always interesting to see her being and doing what Don doesnt think she should be and do, and I think her character out there working and acting should add an interesting dimension to the relationship. That said, the episode didnt really draw me in as much as it should have. I was frequently distracted and had trouble focusing, which is a surprise because even though Petes tale wasnt much of much, Megans was. But something about it left me unengaged. Perhaps its just because I didnt expect it, though in retrospect, I really should have. Overall this was an ok episode, though, and even if it was a tiny bit weak, well, its mid-season, so I can forgive that, especially given the quality we got in previous episodes. As it was, in a season of homeruns, this one was at least a triple, and Ill take that any day.