David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place. If it’s Thursday, it must be time for another “Mad Men” paean
Tonight: Sterling Cooper parties hearty while awaiting the election returns (SPOILER ALERT: Nixon loses). Much alcohol flows; much flirtation and groping and more ensue. A couple of men are revealed to be more sensitive than they let on (must be the alcohol talking).
But the big news tonight is that we learn how Don Draper (Jon Hamm) became Don Draper – it’s a flashback to his time in Korea, and you’ll pretty much see where it’s going from the outset, but that weasel Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) has figured some of it out, as well, and blackmails Don for a promotion. Don tells him, “When you threaten someone in this manner, you should realize that if your information can make them do what you want, what else can it make them do?”
But we see that Don hasn’t always been – and in fact, still isn’t – the unflappable man’s man he portrays himself as being. It gives Hamm the chance to do some nicely nuanced work, some of his best of the series.
Don and Pete’s clash is resolved in an absolutely brilliant sequence that concludes with the enigmatic epigram, “One never knows how loyalty is born.”
Oh, and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) whines: “I tried to follow the rules. And people hate me. … And people who are not good get to walk around doing whatever they want. It’s not fair.”
Talk about not fair: Next week in the season finale, she finally discovers what we’ve known for quite some time now, that she’s pregnant.
- “Mad Men:” 10 tonight, AMC.
Comments
Someone's decided to risk the wrath of AMC, I see. (OK, so it's not exactly like risking the wrath of HBO, but still...)
Or are those not the "secrets" we weren't supposed to give away?
Posted by: Ellen | October 11, 2007 2:03 PM
AARRRRGGHH! I missed it last night (sheer stupidity and bad memory), and due to my ongoing and frustrating computer problems, I missed your weekly reminder. Dammit.
But all is not lost; I have it TiVoed for Monday at 1:00 AM. It's just that it's a little bit of torture to have to wait that long...
Posted by: Suzy Q | October 12, 2007 7:27 PM