You’re the Worst doesn’t have a return date yet (*sigh*) however the cast are back on set and they are already gifting us with plenty of photos. More like you’re the best (I will see myself out). Also included in this week’s Instagram round-up is my new favorite show, an unexpected crossover idea, Mad Men feels and getting ready for wrestling.
Aya Cash calls it like she sees it when it comes to her co-stars dissatisfaction at this adorable photo. Yes I am still coveting Cash’s Alice + Olivia dress that she wore to the FX event.
Will Edgar still harbor his “This Woman’s Work” infused crush on Lindsay? All signs point to yes, especially if she is wearing this super cute strapless dress.
Adding to the forever always Peggy Olson worship is this photo courtesy of Elisabeth Moss from the set of Mad Men. Forever wincing at what Vincent Kartheiser went through to get the perfect Pete Campbell hairline.
Without having seen a single episode I’m already calling the untitled Jenny Slate/Ari Graynor FX show from The Obvious Child team my new favorite. T-necks and leather jackets assemble.
This organized chaos desk scene looks very familiar and Jessica Williams audacious Effie Trinket inspired outfit is all part of a Daily Show bit skewering CNN’s coverage of the WHCD over Baltimore.
The Elementary team are pretty prolific Instagram users, but alas they have shot the final day of season 3 so this will be the last one from awhile (it hasn’t been renewed yet, but it seems likely it will).
Crossover potential ahoy! The Scandal team would probably do pretty well in a zombie apocalypse situation particularly the B613 trained folk. It would not be so good for all the beautiful costumes which feature on the show. If they ever get to Washington DC on The Walking Dead they might need a fixer of a different kind.
Couches are a vital part of the office furniture on Mad Men; just think of how many times we have seen Don Draper reclining on one. In this episode he does so contemplating how they can keep their independence (they can’t). Don’s reclining experience is not what interests me and it is Peggy Olson who springs to mind when I think of this location. From her early morning encounter with Pete back in season 1 when only a cleaner was in the office to the end of the second year as nuclear annihilation loomed. Pete confessed his love as the Cuba Missile Crisis peppered the unburdening of the soul with Peggy revealing how she “could of had you in my life forever if I wanted to” because she had his child. In “Time & Life” this story is revisited in a couple of ways and Peggy earns her Queen of the Sofa Confession title.
First between the parents who never were.
Pete is having a shit fit about the merger and after he storms out of the meeting the first thing he sees is a very awkward looking Peggy getting hugged by an over-excited child.
Automatically conjuring up feelings of their big secret it jolts Pete into telling Peggy about the drama which has just unfolded. He thinks it is only fair and no one else is going to tell her. No matter how many arguments they have about work (such as the bickering match last week) they have this unspoken bond and one that is unknown to anyone else. Yes Don and now Stan know about Peggy’s baby secret, but she has never spilled who the father is. On another show this would have probably been worked in along with a final season reunion with their son, but Mad Men is not that show and this is probably all the closure we are going to get with this storyline. If that is the case then I am more than fine as it is dealt with so beautifully this week. There is much space between them so despite their strong connection the void is wide. Now take into account the couch confession at the end of season 2:
Obviously a lot has changed as 1961 is very much sponsored by the color brown (so is 1970 but there’s a lot more color) plus they both look like babies themselves. Pete’s couch has grown substantially and so has the gap between them; this secret is there forever connection and destruction of what was. There is a tiny part of me that ships these two and of course Peggy deserves so much more than Pete and yet I can’t help how much I relish their scenes particularly when they allude in the vaguest terms to what occurred in the past.
Adventures in Stan and Peggy inadvertently babysitting while at work include Peggy revealing all about the big McCann move to Stan while the girl they’re not watching accidentally staples her finger. Peggy and Stan have a high comfort level with telling each other how it is and despite their many disagreements they are close enough for Peggy to warn him about this merger. Lots of pointing of knees toward each other.
After the bleeding finger/Peggy joining the list of characters who have uttered fuck this season moment (Sally and Megan being the other two so far) Stan and Peggy end up having a the kind of conversation which pretty much has me wanting to make PEGGY OLSON 4EVA tees/cushions/banners. What starts off as a discussion about what transpired with the girl and her mother moves into very personal territory as Stan finds out his assumptions about Peggy and her feelings about kids are way off base. Stan thinks Peggy is angry she has got to this certain time in her life without having kids and he compliments on everything she has achieved because she hasn’t had kids. It is like a precursor to the “Can a woman have it all?” discussion and Peggy tells him not to “do that.” Double standards feature heavily as Stan makes a joke regarding not having any kids that he knows of with Peggy countering “It wouldn’t matter if you did. You can walk away.” Stan’s claim of understanding because he had a mother who wasn’t great is not enough for him to understand his mother.
Of course this is nothing to do with Stan, his mother or the woman who yelled at Peggy and Stan is intuitive enough to pick up on this and the strong feelings of guilt Peggy is projecting. And Peggy is right that a woman should be able to move on the way a man can in the same situation. Peggy has managed to do this because it was kept so hush hush and because the circle of people who know about it is so small, but this doesn’t stop her thinking about this (remember in “The Suitcase” when she told Don that playgrounds made her think of her son, this line still devastates me now). Also gut-wrenching is Peggy’s answer to Stan’s “What did you do?”
“I’m here… and he’s with a family somewhere. I don’t know but it’s not because I don’t care. I don’t know because you’re not supposed to know or you can’t go on with your life.”
Peggy says she’s fine and my screen is very blurry right now as this scene is heartbreaking/stunning/soul crushing/life affirming/all of the above. Elisabeth Moss is so spectacular at revealing Peggy’s pain without tipping into hysterics and she is particularly good at holding her tears so we can see them but they don’t fall from her eyes. I’m not looking forward to the moment when Peggy Olson is not in my life.
And in other non-Peggy couch moments from this episode that are worth pointing out and another encounter that comes with a lot of feelings.
Roger and Joan have both moved on (Roger is still seeing Megan’s mother Marie and Joan is with Richard) they also share the bond of a secret child and a whole lot of history.
A less than happy former couple waiting on a coach at a prospective school for their child is Pete and Trudy as they fail to hide their animosity with each other. All it takes is insults from another, a punch and my new favorite Pete Campbell line – “The King ordered it!”- for Trudy and Pete to go from these faces to a tender moment. Pete is in a rush to get back to the city because of everything that is going on, but there is time to listen to Trudy’s woes including how she hasn’t got many friends because their husbands hit on her. Her worries then turn to ten years time when the attention from everyone stops and actually this might be my favorite Pete line as he tells her “you’re ageless.” Pete Campbell the sweetheart. Catch it soon before he is gone forever.
TV Instagram round-up time with clones aplenty, a glimpse at what Coachella would have been like in the days of The WB, show crossover ideas, tees to covet and what goes on between takes on Mad Men.
Spot the real Tatiana Maslany and Orphan Black season 3 opens with a clone filled scene requiring a whole lot of time and several clone doubles. Extra points for whoever uploaded this picture for using tilt shift giving it a dreamy aura much like the scene itself.
More Mad Men treats from new Instagram favorite Elisabeth Moss and an intense looking game of giant Jenga. Not as intense as the scene in this week’s episode which led to Peggy’s inclusion in this picture parade.
Busy Philipps knows what the people want delivering a Scott Speedman photo shoot and while I am partial to the ‘Shy Speedman’ I think “Smiley Speedman” is my true weakness.
Laverne Cox looks stunning as does Julia Garner, although I can’t help but get a little nervous at the sight of Garner and if Kimmy will make an appearance on tonight’s season finale of The Americans.
Caitlin Fitzgerald gets back into the Masters of Sex swing of things and the checks are very on point for 2015 as well as the 1960s. Nice emoji usage summing up maybe where this year will take Libby Masters.
Patterns aplenty on The Today Show as shows collide with Gina Rodriguez and Taryn Manning. While Diane Guerrero is already on both Jane the Virgin and Orange is the New Black I could definitely see some of the other ladies on Jane ending up in Litchfield. Or some of the ladies heading to the Marbella when they get released from prison.
Playing House returns Tuesday, August 4 and in the meantime you can stock up on plenty of Jammer merch, some of it as modeled by the shows stars Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair. I am very excited to have these ladies back in my life.
Looking to the past and asking questions about the future is what advertising does by using nostalgia and desire for the things we had/want to shift products. Mad Men explores this notion throughout its seven seasons charting one decade and the two that bookend it. The 50s influence was clear to see at the start of the show from the style to the traditional Draper family setup.
Change has come in an explosive fashion throughout this ten year period and when a new decade begins there are plenty of questions/thinkpieces (even before this term was a thing) about what the future will look like, while examining the ten year period that has just occurred. The question of the future is something that looms over this episode which is kicked off by Roger giving Don the task of writing their Gettysburg Address for his work trip to the Bahamas.
This is the most we have seen Don work in a while, but all he really does is ask other people how they see their future because he has no idea about his own. We see another divorced man celebrating the freedom of no plans, but without anything to look forward to, what is the point? Even the empty apartment which Don swears had some good times – all I can think of is arguments aplenty and Zou Bisou Bisou – is gone by the end of the episode and we are left with Don out in the hallway with no idea what the fuck he is going to do. Enter this week’s killer closing credits song choice with Roberta Flack singing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and even though Don’s sad face often has me rolling my eyes in exasperation on this occasion and with this song I feel for the dude.
You know who I feel more for? Yep, it’s Sally after she has to endure not one but two flirtatious encounters with her parents and her friends. The Glen/Betty relationship has always included this weird energy and Betty is incapable of not making something about her as she has this desire to be better than everyone, even her own kids.
Don’s problem comes courtesy of his inability not to flirt if presented with the opportunity; on this occasion he claims he played along so not to embarrass Sally’s friend Sarah and even if this is the case it is still worthy of every moment of side eye and snark that Sally sends in the direction of her father. Before she gets on the bus she tells Don that he “can’t control himself” and that if anyone pays attention to either him or Betty then they just “ooze everywhere.” That imagery alone conjures up a whole lot and considering what Sally has walked in on the past it has a profound effect on how she views these interactions. Sally digs the knife in a little further by pointing out that she will hopefully be different to her parents, but Don flips this back on her by telling her “you are like your mother and me, you’re going to find that out.” Run, Sally, run!
Expectation versus reality comes into play throughout the episode and while advertising is fleeting – Don lightly scoffs at Peggy’s desire to create something with lasting value – it uses certain hopes/dreams to sell a product to us. No, this new vacuum cleaner won’t turn a house into a happy magical home, but they might use that idea to get you to buy one. So when Glen comes to see Sally, he’s really there to see Betty and he’s hoping to get something good out of his Vietnam predicament. Betty isn’t the reason Glen is going to fight in a war we have previously seen him want to protest (as Sally pointedly reminds him while also asking him “are you fucking stupid?”), but if he can re-establish his connection to Betty through this, then maybe there is a point. The same goes for Joan and Richard as his version of a post-divorce plan is ruined by Joan having a four-year old, something Joan inadvertently yells at Kevin about, but luckily her resentment is directed at the babysitter and then she feels like shit about it. Later on she snarks at Richard how she ditched her son for him.
There is a lot of disappointment oozing its way through the episode and a whole lot of side eye and angry face going on as demonstrated by this picture parade of brilliant reactions to dudes pissing off these ladies:
Oh, Pete.
Oh, Richard.
Oh, Don.
And Sally isn’t the only one in Don’s firing line this week as Mathis takes Don’s ‘no apology’ advice after a horrific pitch meeting and ends up getting fired because he is no Don Draper. Mathis breaks the whole thing down saying how Don can get away with behaving like this because of how he looks and how the Lucky Strike story where he doesn’t give a shit about offending the clients is different in reality; it was only because Lee Garner Jr thought he was hot that earned him a valued seat in those meetings. Ahh, the handsome bubble. See expectation versus reality. You can dream big all you want but there will forever be obstacles in your way. Whatever magazines dare to envision for this new decade as hope springs forth will get mired down by what has come before it and the Vietnam War is not just going to go away because it is 1970. The past will haunt the present and while this allows us to dream for a better future, this won’t always be the case.
The sun is shining and the influx of summer looking prints and hemline lengths at the MTV Movie Awards has me both fearing and embracing the ditching of tights. Plus the best sartorial moments of the week from other premieres and events.
It has been a big week for Amy Schumer with hosting the MTV Movie Awards, receiving a Peabody and being part of Time’s 100 Most Influential People (Tilda Swinton wrote this spectacular ode to her). Inside Amy Schumer returns next week and we have already been gifted with this. To top it off she looks really great in this monochrome Balmain mini frock, which is giving me all the Megan Draper feels.
Short hemlines were on trend as Holland Roden demonstrates in another take on black and white in this super funky Caterina Gatta dress. And this ensemble also wouldn’t look out of place on Mad Men this season. Cute blue pumps too (although it is a shame they blend into the carpet).
Another very fun dress and Anna Camp’s Peter Pilotto is a textured/pattern joy. Not entirely sure about chunky straps on the Stuart Weitzman sandals, but this is the kind of outfit that would also work at Coachella (without looking too Coachella).
Now for a pair of dapper FNL boys and one thing I am really excited about when it comes to the new Fantastic Four is Michael B. Jordan on the red carpet and he is already killing it in plaid Vivienne Westwood.
All the Matt Saracen swoons are occurring right now and Zach Gilford’s got the whole cute smile thing down. Now to find him a decent TV project.
Moving on to the Lilly Pulitzer for Target event with Ellie Kemper rocking a bob with bangs and an ideal dress for the warmer weather. This looks like an ideal Jane the Virgin outfit and I can see this collection popping up on this show (it is Jane’s favorite store after all).
Rose Byrne opts for a slightly longer cut at the Adult Beginners premiere in velvet (!) Christopher Kane and the 70s influence here is strong (and I love).
Going for chic simplicity at the Avengers: Age of Ultron premiere and slaying it in Galvan is Elizabeth Olsen (I have to concentrate extra hard so I don’t end up typing a mashup of Peggy Olson/Elisabeth Moss). The white tee element is accentuated by the gold necklace and combined with midnight blue makes this a winning look.
It’s May 1970 on Mad Men and the message is that some things change, some stay the same. Don’s penchant for brunettes in pain is one staple you can rely on and “New Business” opens with the exception to this rule. Yes Betty has been in pain, but she is never going to admit it and now she’s going to be studying psychology. Betty is smart remember (“I speak Italian“) and there’s part of me that would love her to be my therapist. No, really.
The tableau Don looks upon is the family he once had and he can’t go home as this family has moved on. So has Betty’s style as there is a softness here with frills and pattern.
“New Business” showcases the women of Don Draper including Megan as she is in town to finalize their divorce and get the rest of her things from the apartment. Megan is as stylish as she has ever been doing Cali cool in a hoodie peasant blouse and flared jeans looking nothing like her more traditionally dressed mother and sister.
For her meeting with Harry, Megan dresses up in her “Welcome to LA” blue baby doll number prompting Harry to call her every man’s fantasy and that she looks like Ali MacGraw and Bridget Bardot had a baby. Harry does what Harry does and is the worst by hitting on her and then running to Don to call Megan crazy. Megan is incredibly fashion forward so it is strange to see her wearing something from a year ago, but it is obviously a look she feels confident in despite her lack of good acting fortune recently.
Past and present collide for Don with elevator awkwardness and I don’t think Arnold would be cracking so many jokes if he knew what his wife Sylvia, had done with Don. Here we see sadness through the prism of the wealthy and the not so financially secure as Di has nowhere near the amount of money, but just as much pain. Di remarks to Don that he can’t know the amount of heartbreak and boy he should dish out the Dick Whitman routine. Don later gives Megan $1 million dollars and the feeling of ennui can’t be cure by money alone and there’s a whole lot of dissatisfaction running throughout this show.
Annie Hall before Annie Hall and celebrity photograph Pima Ryan sashays in with all her sexuality and confidence in a range of amazing tailored menswear. Pima seduces Stan after he is rude and abrupt when he first meets her and she tries her hand at Peggy delivering the super cheesy ‘I want to photograph you’ line. Mimi Rogers is incredible in this role as she plays Stan and Peggy sees through the hustle. On both occasions Peggy wears bold colors with strong patterns and while her style isn’t ever going to match the sartorial highs of her colleagues it is definitely improving. Peggy is still in control and showing her femininity at the same time.
And because I can’t resist Pete Campbell in sportswear I will leave you with this beauty to round things off.
From these first two episodes alone I am so happy to see what Janie Bryant has already managed to do with the end of 60s fashion with a push into my favorite clothing decade.
Another magazine heavy week with Mad Men and Orphan Black doing the final promo push. Plus pretty dresses aplenty from various panels, premieres and events.
Tatiana Maslany gives good face on the cover of Adweek and a thoughtful response to a question relating to Strong Female Characters:
“The characters all have a complexity to them, an unapologetic individuality. They’re not physically superhuman and emotionless and without flaws. Having a strong female character doesn’t mean she’s beyond suffering and fragility. There’s a fearlessness. That to me is strong writing for women. It defies gender.”
Not the first time I have swooned (nor will it be the last) at how she talks about the multiple roles she plays on Orphan Black and what it means to be a Strong Female Character (and why this terminology is outdated). Maslany also discusses whether the show is a feminist piece and while she doesn’t thing that’s how it begun life she believes that it is now adding “Women aren’t often the default in movies, TV, media—there’s often very limited space for them. But it’s exciting to mine these stories and see a show that puts women at the center of it.”
Bonus smiley Maslany and her favorite show on TV is one we definitely agree with “I love Broad City. It’s that unapologetic approach where the characters are not defined by their gender. It’s all about their personalities, sense of humor, flaws and friendship.” For more from this Adweek interview head here.
A stylized Stylistcover with Kiernan Shipka going full 1960s with a Twiggy homage. This makeup looks great on Shipka even if it ages her up by quite a bit. Not too sure about the velvet headscarf but I’m guessing Shipka didn’t want to go full pixie (and there are plenty of Twiggy headscarf modelling shots). In the interview Shipka reveals that she has the necklace Don gave Sally with SD on it, although she hasn’t found an occasion to wear it yet. There was sadly no Sally (or Betty) in the mid-season Mad Men premiere so I’m holding out hope she will appear in this Sunday’s episode.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus goes full leopard print at the Paley Center ‘Evening with Veep‘event and as is generally the case with JLD she is killing it. I’m a little so so on the footwear, but when wearing a bold print nude heels are fine I guess.
Now here’s a pair of fantastic shoes and Lake Bell’s choice of multicolor Christian Louboutin mules work wonders with her equally bold orange Dior tuxedo inspired frock at a New York screening of Dior and I.
Another pair of so-so shoes with a fantastic dress as Lily James does the final leg of the Cinderella promo tour in Tokyo. James has worn plenty of princessy frocks recently and it is good to see her in something with a shorter hemline, but just as pretty in star covered Valentino.
Vanessa Hudgens is ditching crochet attire and Coachella this year for Broadway and at the Gigi opening night after party she makes a dramatic impact in a stunning Alice + Olivia gown. A sleek blunt bob and dark lip color all add up to create one of her best looks yet.
Mad Men returned this week and one of its stars joined Instagram; so far Elisabeth Moss is killing it with the set photos, costume peaks and cat pictures. Plus moreMasters of Sex season 3 costume hints and a new furry addition to the Girls set.
One of my favorite Peggy costumes (from “The Flood”) and a break from the dreaded pantyhose. I have definitely worn a variation of this outfit. Probably not with those shoes.
Random Mad Men hookup reveal. Or rather a preview of their appearance on Watch What Happens Live. Elisabeth Moss prepared for this interview in the best way she could – by watchingReal Housewives. Have I mentioned how much I adore her?!
January Jones is still the undisputed Instagram hashtag queen and her co-star has far to go to reach these heights. This includes Jones’ Easter post in a very on point Betty frock from her Coca-Cola audition back in season 1.
Carrie Bradshaw wasn’t too hot on technology particularly phones and SJP has similar feelings; getting lightly teased by an off camera Kerry Washington as part of their Glamour cover behind the scenes.
As with Peggy, I love seeing Virginia in pants on Masters of Sex and as there’s going to be a time jump I’m really looking forward to seeing how this impacts Virginia’s costuming. These sneak peeks are fantastic.
My first question when I saw this photo was whether this is a new addition to the Girls cast as a puppy would sure be a step up from Desi for Marni. It turns out this is Moxie, Allison Williams’ new pup and so sadly I don’t think we will be seeing this cutie onscreen.
Teen TV often deals with some pretty heavy subjects relating to sex and one area where Julie Hammerle and I have praised Felicity in our conversations both here and over at This Was TV is how it explores matters of sexual health. One such storyline which was handled with sensitivity was when Julie was date raped by Zach in season 1 and the reason I felt it was necessary to bring this up is due to this interview from Cosmopolitan with Devon Gummersall. Gummersall also played Brian Krakow on My So-Called Life and like many other fans of this show I went to Twitter with all caps blaring when he appeared as Peggy’s date on Mad Men.
The post Mad Men interviews with Gummersall have mostly stuck with reminiscing about MSCL(you know I am so here for this) and Mad Men, which is why when the Felicity rape storyline is broached Gummersall’s response is incredibly disappointing “I loved being on the show, but in the end I realized that it was sort of a mistake to do that kind of a storyline. I would have much rather been on the show more long-term and done something that didn’t have to end in such a bad way.”
I’m guessing that playing a rapist is not high up on any actor’s wish list and his character on Felicity was a sweet and shy guy, not necessarily who you might expect to do something like this. Gummersall notes how quickly the storyline turned “And also it’s weird because it started out with this light-heartedness, the whole thing with him washing his clothes the wrong way and all his clothes were pink, and he was a sweet guy. And all of a sudden he becomes this bad person and you’re like, What?” This factor is something we addressed when we talked about these episodes as we liked Zach a whole bunch and then he did this; not every rapist is a scary dude hiding behind a bush with a knife or waiting for any girl to get drunk at a party. Sometimes it is the guy who you trust and doesn’t listen when you say no. This story is not played for sensation, instead it is portrayed with sensitivity in showing the consequences of a sadly common scenario like this.
So for all of you who haven’t seen the episode in years/have never seen it here is a brief explanation of what happens in “Drawing the Line.” Zach is dating Julie and they’ve been fooling around a bit. Julie wants to take things slow as she’s been hurt in the past by guys who haven’t been good for her and while we only hear about the assault after the fact (not showing it puts the audience in the position of choosing a side to believe) it becomes quite clear that Julie said no and Zach carried on regardless. The scene where Julie describes what happened to Felicity is devastating and heartbreaking right down to details such as he rolled over and fell asleep after he was done. Julie does not think it is rape at first and she blames herself; scenes like these add to why this episode is such a vital piece of television.
I didn’t watch these episodes when they first aired in 1998 and it was depressing to note when we watched them for This Was TV in 2013 for This Was TV how relevant it is 15 years later. This is still the case in 2015 and the issue of consent in college is sadly still a hot topic. One of the reasons why Devon Gummersall’s response is so disappointing is that he can’t see the wider social implications of a story like this instead it all revolves around being sad that he couldn’t be on the show longer because his character did something awful or because of the reaction he received as he references what fans said to him “Oh my God, you were Brian Krakow and then you broke our hearts when you were on Felicity because we were like, ‘Oh my God, Krakow raped her.'” And I was like, Dear God, what have I done?” I get that this must suck to have a fan encounter like this, but putting a storyline out there like this has far more value. In our discussion I talk about how to me he is Brian Krakow still, but ultimately I can disassociate between the two characters. And it’s not like I don’t still heart Brian Krakow after this.
While watching the new episode of Mad Men (spoiler alert) and Stevie went back to Peggy’s all drunk and horny I momentarily worried we were going to get a repeat of the Zach incident. Thankfully this was not the case and Stevie listened to what Peggy said. My fears weren’t due to the role Gummersall has played in the past, instead Zach provides a frame of reference for a character that doesn’t get what consent means.
Felicity challenges our perceptions of characters and their actions in the two-parter “Drawing the Line.” It also calls into question the conclusions we have drawn from previous episodes as I had incorrectly assumed that Julie had slept with Ben. When Ben punches Zach he also emphatically beats him with words too, telling Zach “The difference is, when you told me to stop, I did.” Zing.
Gummersall ends this brief foray into Felicity with “I never talked to J.J. Abrams or Matt Reeves about that actually, but I wonder. I bet you they were like, “Yeah, maybe we should have gone in a different direction with that.” I wonder if they think that. I don’t know.” I really hope they didn’t think that because in terms of important storytelling this is one of Felicity’s benchmark moments addressing a subject which is sadly all too relevant almost 20 years later.
Mad Men returns for its final episodes and the end credit music is asking the big question “Is That All There Is?” Peggy Lee’s half spoken track is also heard at the start of the episode in a scene which plays with the setting; is this a flashback to Don’s fur coat selling days? Is he in full seduction mode? Is he dreaming? The answer is none of the above; it is all an illusion and instead Cindy is in casting session with a couch full of dudes (some with new facial hair, oh hi Ted) all eager to take part in this decision.
“Let’s break out the booze and have a ball”
That’s what we should be doing with these last few episodes and everyone on screen is striving to make sense of what they have or what they want to have. Advertising is about wish fulfillment and these characters embody this idea albeit in a wonky fashion; Ken gets fired and instead of seeing it as a sign to write that novel he maybe dreamed of doing he instead takes another advertising position as big fuck you to the company that has shown him no loyalty. Joan is more than financially secure, but the original source of those funds can’t be forgotten when skeezy dudes don’t take her seriously and Peggy backs up this notion that it’s down to her appearance. So she goes shopping and pretends that she never worked at Bonwit Teller. And yes people will still go shopping even when department stores are being blown up with Joan proving Don right.
Peggy allows herself to dream a little suggesting an impulsive trip to Paris trip with Brian Krakow (!), but then she can’t find her passport and the hangover the next day leads to sourness towards what she deems is a ridiculous notion. But I can’t forget her post smooch smile as it was a joy to see. Groovy looking Stan is quick to point out this is what fun looks like and yet all Peggy can feel is the hangover shame.
Don seems to have it all, except for any real personal connections returning to an empty apartment and ringing his messaging service (oh hey a real life answer machine). And while he can still pull his old Don Draper moves there’s something so sad and hollow about it. From women in their underwear almost mirroring Megan cleaning long ago or a back alley hook-up which only takes place thanks to Roger’s $100 tip. Don repeatedly comes back to the diner trying to place the waitress and yes Elizabeth Reaser has more than a passing resemblance to Rosemarie DeWitt; so much so that at one point even I was questioning whether or not it was Midge. Seeing exes all over the place infiltrates Don’s dream world as he sees Rachel Katz (née Menken) modeling the fur as if she is in casting.
What this dream does is prompting a desire to reconnect, which doesn’t quite pay off as Rachel died the previous week and Don’s trip to her apartment doesn’t necessarily provide him with the closure he maybe desires. There was something about Rachel and in a way she was one of the ones that got away even if Don was the one who couldn’t commit. Instant seething at his name from Rachel’s sister Barbara with passive aggressive questions about his family (fair) while pointing out that Rachel had everything (I don’t know how true this is, but also totally understandable why she tells Don this). Barbara wants to know what Don is looking for by coming here and it isn’t surprising Don wants to know what happened to this woman he once loved. ‘The life not lived’ to echo Ken’s sentiment.
Is Don going to find out there is something more or that all there is?
Oh and one quick costuming bonus starting with how much do I want Peggy’s dress that looks like a pre-DVF wrap dress pattern dream?
If you answered with anything less than a “crazy amount” then sadly you do not get today’s prize (today’s prize is a plate full of hot cross buns, may or may not be imaginary).
And Joan’s rage filled retail therapy includes a dress that looks a whole lot like Peggy’s hanging in the background, but there is no way Joan would ever contemplate mirroring Peggy’s style. Not in season 1 when she gave her the tour of Sterling Cooper and not now after that elevator argument that broke my heart. These two women are never going to be the BFFs I so crave them to be.
I’m going to leave you with this and pretend they are going off on lunch time missions in a secret spy caper.
TV Ate My Wardrobe 
