Pajiba

I think I got mind whiplash when they cut to John Slattery in blackface, did not see that one coming.

That's a'ight.
I'm still in Season 1 -- took a break to devour Life, Season 2.

The first episode of season 3 was great, and then the next 2 have been meh. I keep waiting for something to happen, and it just seems to be random boredom all over the place. Dustin's review was right on target.

The only theme I could see in the last episode was "Let's put on a show." Whoever could sing or dance, did. I guess everyone else is tonedeaf.

And what's with Betty's dad? I know people who've had strokes, and they don't act like he does. He's fully functional, except for living in the past occasionally. The stroke victims I know have speech and movement problems.

I can't believe someone with Winnebagos that big would choose the accordian as their instrument of choice. I kept waiting for a nipple to get caught in the squeeze.

Um...I'm gonna go ahead and call whale's vagina on this one. Maybe there were no significant plot developments, but the character interactions were wicked insightful and I loved every minute of it.

First, we explored Joan's dynamic with her husband Dr. Douche, which was fascinating (and we found out Dr. Douche is a bad at his job and lies to Joan about it, which will definitely come up later);

Second, Betty's dad John McCain's interactions with the housekeeper and with Sally showed that while he's definitely 'in and out', he's a lot sharper than we were led to believe*;

Third, Don calling Cooper on his shit with his new trophy wife was important; and

Finally (and most important), Peggy and Kinsey smoking dope and working on weekends while the higher-ups relive the 20s sort of highlighted the coming culture clash of what we traditionally think of in the 60s. Peggy, while still somewhat naive, is confident about her place in the future and is seeking out the possibilities and new opportunities that the future holds. Meanwhile Pete is busy trying to impress his boss with a dance from 30 years ago, and said boss is dressing up in fucking blackface at a derby-themed party. The whole episode juxtaposed the old school with the new school.

I feel like we got a tempature reading on where all the characters are in their personal and professional lives, which I think is necessary for the events of the next episode (based on the trailer). Maybe not super significant plot-wise, but I think this episode holds up as one of the better ones.

*I fucking love the way the film Granpa McCain scenes...there's just this horrible silence and feeling of dread whenever he comes on; like I'm just waiting for this situation to come to a head where he'll do something terrible. I didn't like that he came to live at the house last week, but now I love it.

I just want Don Draper to make me an Old Fashioned. He makes a wicked cocktail.

Hey! I completely forgot to watch this episode Sunday. Dammit.

It's a period piece. Get it?

I liked your comments Marra. One small correction though. Don called bullshit on Roger Sterling's trophy wife, not Bert Cooper's.

Marra:

I hope you're right. That little girl is already so damaged. Her mother seems to resent her. Her father practically ignores her existence (something that has always puzzled me because one would think he would be great to his children based on wanting to change how he grew up, or alternatively a monster and yet he just seems like another disengaged), and now the GrandPa is taking her under his very damaged wing. It will not end well.

@BWeaves: This is kind of a side note, but Betty's dad as a stroke victim is totally plausible. There are different kinds of strokes, which is not something I really understood until my grandma started having them - but the effects are entirely mental with her. They caused no speech or movement problems. She had been very sharp, and after the first stroke she suddenly started acting like someone with Alzheimer's. Each successive mini-stroke has taken away a little more of her awareness.

Marra - I agree. I get more of a catastrophe vibe than a straight creepy-sex vibe. The thing with Bess was b/c he legitimately thought she was his dead wife b/c of his dementia. I'm worried for a fire or a violent flashback or something like that.

All I could think when Sally was reading was how she was able to pronounce all the words even though she's so little, unlikely in the NCLB world of today. Sigh.

I can recap everything important that has happened in every episode. Nothing.

Me hopes some explaination for this lame post is that someone at pajiba was smoking too much ganjiba. In that ("good") place, this post might seem clever, or poignant even.

In short, if these kinds of low-key episodes bore you, you're probably watching the wrong show.

true dat!

i have really been enjoying this season and i think this episode was fabulous. i didn't think they could top the Peggy getting high scene then they cut to Roger in black face--brilliant--even if it was a little heavy-handed.

i also really enjoyed the scenes with Joan and Dr. Douche. i'm hoping that she gets away from him soon, but since this show isn't really about happy endings i'm not holding my breath.

It's probably a common complaint, but what is *supposed* to be happening? Even for a show is character-driven, this episode lacked plot, true. What of it? I enjoy the show a lot, but it's effectively a soap opera with better lighting and wardrobe. I do think that the show sometimes takes itself too seriously, and if anything is bothering me, it's not that there isn't any kind of story progression, but that there is major character progression not happening--at the moment.

I get the feeling that the people in charge are trying to push us to the end of our collective tether before a really big development.

Please get that lisping freak off of my screen, however. Mother-Daughter relationships are 'complicated', and this just came in over the newswire, 'Trix are for kids'. Well, as I live and breathe. Of course she resents her daughter, why do you think she had one? Mothers give birth to daughters so that they can take out their own strained lives on someone else, someone who 'deserves' it.

Okay, a little hyperbole, and I'm biased because stories about kids and animals aren't my thing. Sure, the kid is having some crap visited upon her, I'll grant you that. But she's also a stone-cold brat, and they're going to wish they had paid more attention come 1970.

Uh, Marra, thank you for doing Dustin's job.

Seriously, they should put you on the payroll for that comment. Well done.

(only thing- Don called shenanigans on Roger Sterling, not Cooper. Cooper is crazy crazy Robert Morse.)

And "Grandpa McCain" isn't going anywhere. That's the character's name now. Forever.

And I want Don to make me an Old Fashioned too, SkyBlue.

Heh. Steel your loins, Tarn.

I'm not really sure where they're going with Peggy, either. I do think Elisabeth Moss does a wonderful job with her though. Makes me wish she weren't a Scientologist. Last time I ever read an actor's bio, that's for certain.

What with her giving birth and landing a promotion, it's going to be interesting to see where her 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach to navigating through modern and professional femininity will land her. I am interested in seeing what gems will be left to posterity through her dictaphone session. Harshin'.

More Carla!!!