Season 6 was the show’s weakest (& the Blu-ray release sucked), but I’m still looking forward to tonight. So just to recap where we left off last season; Don’s been sent on “a leave of absence” by the other partners, Pete & Ted are both of to run the West Coast office (Ted with his family, Pete without), Peggy may or may not be in charge of Creative (depending on why Duck was bringing that guy in), Megan’s left Don, and Joan has a new gay best friend (who’s actor is now on a CBS sitcom).
PS: I’m also not happy that this season is being split in two, even if we do get an extra episode.
January 20th, 1969. Megan hasn’t actually left Don, but he’s lying to her about work. No promotion for Peggy and she’s clashing with her new boss (no sexual tension or whatever the hell she has w/ Don). Roger’s living in what looks like a very high class crack den, and his daughter sounds like she joined a cult.
I’m most intrigued by Joan’s subplot. It looks like she got her wish, and is expanding into Accounts. She’s even getting tutored by a business school professor. I really liked when she put the shoe brat in his place.
I gather that was Neve Campbell as the widow seatmate on the plane. I thought their conversation was a little poi
gnant. Everyone assumed, aha, Don is going to accept that offer of a ride from her and he’ll be up to his old tricks, but it didn’t happen.
And Ken apparently lost his eye. I don’t suppose he could sue those idiots who shot him since they were clients?
And Megan is a bit too old and a bit too dressed up for those micro-mini length dresses. She looks like she forgot to put pants on.
Seriously, the fuck is up with Roger? I don’t remember anything foreshadowing this.
Random: what was Megan’s car?
Oh, and I think Ken was rocking the eyepatch last season.
Well, he was taking LSD last season so it looks like he’s started his own commune.
Yep. He’s a player but even the post orgy scene and the “everyone is welcome in this bed” seemed like something he’d have outgrown by now.
I do enjoy watching him torture his daughter.
Aston Heally, I think.
I know the episode was meant to catch us up on the main cast, but is seemed a bit random and disjointed.
I’m looking forward to seeing less of Megan.
Don’s become a predictable bore and I wish he’d get on with his mental breakdown or whatever he’s about to have.
I think Pete (?) embracing the California lifestyle was the most interesting character in this episode.
Pete’s hijinks reminded me of Lane’s new life after moving to New York. Is Pete’s dad dead? I could do with another scene of someone clubbing Pete…
I’m not buying Roger in a threesome with another guy.
Did Don say Pete was dressed “like a hippie”? More like preppie!
I know these guys are a stickler for details, but were men still wearing hats in 1969??? There was one scene where Don was walking outside and pretty much all the men were wearing hats. I was 13 in 1969, and I don’t remember that. I don’t think my father even owned a hat.
My Grandfather would have been around Don/Dick’s age. The height of his career was in the early 70s, and he wore a hat until the day he died in 2010. When I used to visit his office as a kid in the 70s and 80s, most of his clients and associates dressed the same way (coat/tie/hat). This wasn’t in NYC or CA, though- or advertising.
I liked the Los Angeles / New York City contrast. LA is sunny, bright, expansive, laid back. NYC is cramped, cold and dark. This is pretty accurate for the times, NYC is becoming a bit of a hellhole, LA was an area of promise and sunshine, at least in appearance.
I also loved how horrible the LA house looked, because it reminded me so much of the house we had in the early 70s in LA. Fake wood paneling everywhere.
What did the Airplane Woman’s husband die of? She said he was thirsty and went to a hospital and she just observed. The doc said he would be dead in a year. WTF was she talking about?
Hats for men were mostly over by 1969. Yes, some men still wore them, but when President Kennedy didn’t (1960-63), they declined in popularity.
And it was amusing that Don thought Pete was dressed like a hippie (never “hippy”) when he actually looked like he was ready for the PGA tour.
Glad it’s finally been acknowledged that Megan has horse teeth.
No WONDER the opening pitch by Freddie (?) was so great-- it was really Don talking! (Loved that.)
I’m guessing Roger’s daughter has found TM or EST or TA or some such.
As we start a new season, I’m reminded of how much I really don’t like any of these people, but somehow feel compelled to watch them.
I thought Don wearing a hat was another cue that he is literally old hat.
That’s how I read it.
And “he was thirsty”… meaning he was an alcoholic? Just about too sub-*tile *for me.
I liked seeing Canters. I think it’s the first LA restaurant they’ve used as itself.
I lost my shit when Ken tossed the earring to Joan and missed completely.
Well, the first restaurant was The Dresden on Vermont.
At first I thought he threw the earring AT her, not TO her and missed deliberately, but I guess that could have been his depth perception thing.
This episode was just full of nastiness between/among the players. I didn’t feel the love anywhere, except from Roger’s daughter, and that was so airy-fairy it was almost worse than nastiness.
It’s only been a couple of months since the end of the last season, so it’s probably just healing still. Or it could be gone for good, but it’s still early at least.
Gotta say, Neve Campbell looked a lot nicer in her return to the little screen than Linda Cardellini did.
I snickered when Megan got the “good news” that she’d won a callback for Bracken’s World, a total fail of a show that was described by Harlan Ellison thusly: “It has the evil fascination of rotting fruit. And smells about the same.” Movin’ on up, girlfriend!