Mad Men: Commissions and Fees

I have watched last week's episode multiple times.  It is one of the best episode's of the season.  Christina Hendricks acting was exquisite, and it should be her episode that she submits for her Emmy nomination.

I am not going to lie.  I wanted to put up this post earlier, but I had a beer festival this weekend, and I needed my sleep on Sunday night.  I ended up watching Mad Men after work.  I did stay up late enough to see Don fire Lane, and to have Roger set up the Dow meeting.  I really loved the scene with Ken and Roger.  It's obvious Ken isn't aware how much Roger dislikes Pete, and I cannot wait to see how this new combination plays out.

Roger and Don get the meeting at Dow, and Don blows them out of the water.  One of the best speeches he's given this season.  As a someone who manages vendors for a living, I would be reevaluating my current firm.

Poor Sally Draper, she has a mother that acts like a child.  The one time a young girl needs her mother, she runs to her.  Betty is surprisingly compassionate, and I was actually quite shocked by her reaction.  But it is only because it reinforced Sally's need of her, Betty is at all times self serving.  Sally didn't want Megan, Sally wanted her mother.  Betty was totally undeserving of this, considering her juvenile reaction to Sally's attitude.  Sadly, Betty is not confident in her role as Sally's mother to know that she'll always need her.

The consequences of Lane's embezzlement have finally caught up with him.  The whole time he was writing that check, I thought about how he should just ask for it.  But he made his bed, and Don sternly made him lie in it.  When he arrived home to find his wife had bought him a car, this irony is something that happens in real life.  Even though you think you've hit bottom, you can still go lower.  Even his first attempt at suicide didn't work.  Unfortunately, Lane did find a way to kill himself at the office.  He chose the permanent solution to a temporary situation.  Everything in life is temporary, and he could have started over. Don knows this.

Joan found Lane in his office, but Don is the one who knew a man couldn't be left like that.  I wonder how Don is going to handle Lane's choice in this situation.  From the previews, you can usually never tell what's going to happen next.  But it looks like some letters arrive possibly revealing the indiscretions of the firm.  I really hope Lane didn't do that before he committed suicide, I wouldn't think he was that vengeful.  But oh what a revenge that would be.