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MAD MEN RECAP 8: DARK SHADOWS

Television
by Deborah Lipp
May 14, 2012 1:12 AM
17 Comments
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"I’m thankful that I have everything I want, and that no one else has anything better."

Betty can't just be happy. She can't just have what she wants. Having what she wants doesn't feel good. Instead, what feels good is having what she wants at the expense of others. It's a mean-spirited way to live, and no amount of window-dressing can make it sound nicer. "Selfish" would be an improvement. She lacks self-awareness to such an extent that she can say the above as a sincere expression of gratitude at Thanksgiving. The Internet is full of Betty haters, and I don't consider myself one of their number, but this aspect of her character cannot be explained away, softened, or justified. It's just nasty.

I know what you're thinking. You thought I'd open with the "Every man for himself" quote. Clearly, that's the, or a, theme of Mad Men Episode 5.09: Dark Shadows, and it's also something that Matt Weiner has been talking about in the media. Because Weiner is so secretive about what's to come on the show, when he releases a quote or a theme, it spreads like wildfire in the blogosphere.

Yet "Every man for himself" only takes us halfway on our journey. Don could have pushed hard for himself without ditching Ginsberg's work in the cab. Betty could work to lose weight and be a supportive wife without trying to destroy Don's new marriage. Pete could pursue Beth Dawes without taking a shot at her husband. (Check out Pete's delightful Beth fantasy in the video below, and don't fail to notice that Pete can't fantasize about sex without fantasizing about power and recognition as well.)

MAD MEN Clip # 1, "Dark Shadows"

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So, it's every man for himself, sure, but it's also about crushing the other guy in the process, and the notion that success just isn't as much fun unless someone is under your bootheel. I don't think many fans love Jane Sterling, but her plaintive realization that she's been defeated by Roger touched me: "You get everything you want, and you still had to do this." That, as much as Betty's Thanksgiving gratitude, is the real point: Winning in this show's world is hollow unless someone else loses.

What are the major plot lines this episode? First is Betty: Her weight struggle, and her competitiveness with Megan. Then comes Don and his competitiveness with Ginsberg. Then there's Roger, who is competing with Pete for business and with Jane for a sense of ownership. Others are swept up into various competitions: Peggy versus Ginsberg, Pete versus Howard, Julia versus Megan. These people compete not only for themselves, but because they specifically and pointedly resent what others have.

I doubt fans will love this episode. There is, first of all, the Betty backlash to contend with. I think her character was absolutely compelling this week, but she usually sets off an Internet Comment Shitstorm. You heard it here first. It was also kind of a difficult episode. It didn't have a lot of BANG WOW moments: I mean, sure, Megan in a bra, Beth in nothing at all, but no hand jobs or blow jobs or fisticuffs in sight, so maybe people will feel shortchanged. I also think seeing this kind of nastiness can be wearing; it feels petty and so you come away from it like Sally at the end of last episode; "Dirty." The "killer smog" at the end of the episode really happened, and it also serves as a symbol for the creeping toxicity of these cutthroat shenanigans. It makes it hard to breathe for all of us, and I suspect some portion of the audience might react negatively. [Click through to the next page for more...]

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17 Comments

  • kpely | May 15, 2012 11:46 PMReply

    Betty's thanksgiving statement at the end of the episode said it all for her character, and really, most characters in this episode: "I'm thankful that I have everything I want... and no one else has anything better."

  • Teresa | May 15, 2012 9:04 PMReply

    How about if we say we don't like the CHARACTER of Betty as created by Matthew Weiner?

  • KarinGal | May 14, 2012 5:59 PMReply

    I took the Burt comment, "Hep," to show exactly how aware and quick he still is.
    (Hip was a bastardization of hep - a term coined in Burt's day).

  • NamePatR | May 14, 2012 12:48 PMReply

    You were never in Weight Watchers in the '60s. One of their dictums was to chew each mouthful of food 15 or 20 times to make sure you got the "maximum enjoyment" of each bite. You can almost see her counting her chews.

    Love your insightful recaps.

  • Pryceisright | May 14, 2012 12:05 PMReply

    I thought this episode was the best so far in this maddeningly bewildering season. Betty is the classic, malcontent (malicious) wife-in-the-burbs. She's aging with predictable malevolence. Sally is becoming the assertive, precocious adolescent we all anticipated. Her adoration of her dad should keep her out of harm's way as the late '60 begin to take their toll on young people. At least I hope it does. Draper? Hey, dude's still Draper. But -- reality check -- NO WAY would a hot-shot, alpha-dog creative director have put up with Ginsberg's tiresome petulance. Little twerp would have been unemployed that very same day. I've witnessed it.

  • Stephanie | May 14, 2012 11:02 AMReply

    Todd, "doggy dog world" was one of Danny's many malapropisms (Danny was Jane's cousin who Don was forced to hire as a copy writer after he drunkenly stole Danny's idea).

  • Brandon | May 14, 2012 10:21 AMReply

    This season we're being treated to a kinder, gentler, and more enlightened Stan Rizzo. Recall that he ignores the large breasts of a wise-cracking art critic because he is obsessed by the idea of photography's supremacy over the man-made. Also recall that he sympathizes with Meghan's decision to quit the agency in favor of pursuing her artistic aspirations: "Reality got her. You work your ass off for months, bite your nails--for what? Heinz. Baked. Beans." And most recently, he instructs Ginzo, who quotes "Ozymandias" out of context, to reread his Shelley. Apparently, the misogynist and sophomoric jokester of season 4 was belying the sensitive artist who we're now coming to know in season 5. It's clear that like Ken and Meghan, he realizes the limitations of advertising in terms of artistic fulfillment, but I wonder if, like them, he's seeking his fulfillment elsewhere...

  • Todd | May 14, 2012 9:56 AMReply

    What is "doggy dog world" referencing? I followed the link, but didn't see any joke or reference to "doggy dog." Are you just using the quotation marks to let us know that you are being funny by writing "doggy dog world" instead of "dog-eat-dog world"? Maybe this is a joke from an earlier post, but it distracted me, obviously, from the point.

  • Deborah Lipp | May 14, 2012 7:03 PM

    I linked to the quotes page of the episode where the character Danny Siegel said "doggy dog world." I thought it would be a fun in-joke for fans, and I apologize if it fell flat for yoj.

  • rl1856 | May 14, 2012 9:34 AMReply

    I some of Betty's scenes, I thought she looked just like Sally.

    Betty's enjoyment of food and the associated chewing was due to Weight Watchers. They used to teach you to chew each bite a specific number of times as a way of slowing and then controlling ones food intake.

    Others have mentioned a possible advance to senility for Bert. But I thought his response to Roger and Jane's separation was sarcastic. Both the ironic tone of his voice and simultaneous glance at his watch communicated sarcasm to me. "Hep" for "Hip" should not be considered out of place for a man in is 70's/80's at that time. Recall earlier in the season when he consoled Roger by telling him that Nixon was waiting in the wings...very accurate at the time and prophetic. Bert will be around for a while.

  • Leslye | May 14, 2012 9:24 AMReply

    In the first scene I thought she was counting her chews. A common suggestion when dieting.

  • Deborah Lipp | May 14, 2012 7:03 PM

    I never would have figured that out. How annoying.

  • amdd | May 14, 2012 12:37 PM

    Yes, she was counting her chews each time they had her in close-up while eating.

  • Virginia | May 14, 2012 7:48 AMReply

    Oops! I meant I AM glad to have Betty...

  • Virginia | May 14, 2012 7:47 AMReply

    I need to watch this episode again -- I always have to watch the episodes more than once. However I wanted to say I for one and glad to have Betty with a sizable role this week. Whether I like Betty or not, January Jones is so perfectly cast that I wait for all her appearances. I feel the same way about John Slattery as Roger, he's always brilliant. The casting of Mad Men has always been one of its strengths and for me, these two are outstanding.

  • Tilden Katz | May 14, 2012 7:28 AMReply

    Thank you as always for your recap, Ms. Lipp! My own was just posted:

    http://scarylawyerguy.blogspot.com/2012/05/mad-men-season-five-green-eyed-monster.html

  • Nomi | May 14, 2012 3:49 AMReply

    "I also think seeing this kind of nastiness can be wearing; it feels petty and so you come away from it like Sally at the end of last episode; "Dirty." " Correct.

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