Matt Weiner is a stickler for historical verisimilitude. Whether it’s the shade of a woman’s hair, the length of her skirt, or the night CBS aired an episode of The Defenders. “The Benefactor” aired in the spring of 1962, and its three regular sponsors pulled their ads for the night. The episode was controversial at the time as it presented an unequivocal argument for the legalization of abortion, and it set the show on a course to presenting more issues of import.
For Harry Crane – the always wonderful Rich Sommer, it meant a $25 raise and promotion to the head of the new Television Department at Sterling-Cooper.
See, anyone else would lead with Don’s manhandling of Bobbie Barrett. His actions toward her in the lobby at Lutece were certainly shocking, particularly as they echoed Betty’s stern advice to Arthur. But I’ve never been surprised by Don Draper, the things he does, or the way in which Jon Hamm manages to keep him sympathetic.* So while I was aghast watching Don “pull up on the reins,” it was fleeting. Back at the table, after he calmly restored his facade and wiped his hand – the one that held Bobbie’s hair – I fell back in beside him.
In reacting to Bobbie the way he did, Don tried to reassert himself in a way he’s been unable to with Betty since their detente. Whatever arrangements have been made, she’s the head of the Draper household now, and in an era of male dominance, that’s emasculated Don. He can’t perform for his wife, but no longer cheats. He can’t get his way at work, and watches Duck win every argument. He can’t even get Bobbie Barrett to bend to his will without resorting to violence.
While Don’s lost his mojo, Betty’s learning to play with hers. Here we get another episode of Betty using her beauty on a man, this time the hapless and hopeless Arthur. Once Betty learned her usual riding companion would be away on Saturday, she changed her plans and left the children home with Don, lying about it being just mommies. This freed her up for some very WASP-y flirtation with the young rider with the very wealthy fiancee.
But once the flirtation turned serious, Betty cut it off and ran. One of these times, she’s going to encounter a man who, like Don Draper, isn’t going to take a tease and a no. She’ll find a tow truck driver without honor, or a man in his twenties who is more insistent. This time, she just gets the shakes, something we haven’t seen from her since early in the first season.
Arthur does get one thing right about Betty. She is “profoundly sad”. She tells him she’s not, that she’s grateful, but that’s only superficially true. Betty has everything she was told she should want. She has a devoted and faithful husband, two children, a beautiful home, and a true partnership with Don. On the way home from Lutece, she finally cries, realizing that she got what she wanted and it doesn’t fill her emptiness. She and Don might “make a great team,” but that doesn’t make her any happier.
Harry’s wife Jennifer seems happier with her lot than Betty. Whether that’s just her nature, or indicative of the healthier relationship the Cranes have, it’s hard to say. They seem to communicate better, though not perfectly, and have what appears to be a more modern relationship-as-partnership. I found it interesting that Harry did not want to tell her about the subject matter of the show he’d used as his parlay into the promotion, but that could be nothing more than a husband protecting the feelings of his pregnant wife.
Other Thoughts
I noticed that Sal was changing an old Mohawk ad, presumably for an American presentation. We don’t know what’s transpired on that front yet, whether Sterling-Cooper got the account, or is just in the running for it, but American looks to still be in play. Sal actually got a few interesting moments tonight. He got to tell Harry he’s worth every penny he’s paid, implying he’s not worth a penny more. He also had an awkward moment with the Belle Jolie representative who had hit on Sal last season.
Sal’s closet is beautifully decorated, as one would expect from a man of his tastes, but it’s still confining. That scene, where he was cold to (presumably) the first man to ever acknowledge Sal’s preferences, was short but compelling.
Don’s front seat dalliance with Bobbie Barrett was…odd. His reluctance was commendable, but he finally did succumb to her advance. The hail striking the car, her aggression, and his acquiescence were strangely out of sync, almost as though Weiner wanted us to see Don playing the traditional “female” role here and giving in to the advances of the more dominant partner.
That too, Don’s perceived emasculation at the hands of yet another woman, might have played a part in his lobby assault.
Belle Jolie lost out by not taking a risk on that episode of The Defenders. Harry was right to push for that ad placement and it was the right move for Roger to make him the head of the new television department. As the decade goes on, Harry’s star should rise as his print colleagues see their position and power diminished.
There was a lot of fun, and one incredibly insightful comment at dinner at Lutece. First off, Jimmy biting down on his hand after his apology. He delivers a pitch perfect apology to Mrs. Schilling, but her response, “I know that’s what you do, I guess I just don’t have the stomach for it,” was almost too much. Fortunately, she didn’t see Jimmy’s reaction.
Finally, amongst his comments to Don and Betty, he tells Don he liked him in Gentleman’s Agreement. An excellent movie to be sure, and Don does have the square-jawed, cleancut good looks of its star, Gregory Peck. But the movie was 15 years old at that time. There were far more contemporary Peck films Jimmy could have referenced. Clearly, Jimmy’s choice was knowledgable and intentional, as Gentleman’s Agreement tells the story of Peck’s character, Philip Schuyler Green, a journalist who goes undercover as a Jew to expose the blatant and widespread anti-Semitism of the day.
Don, passing as someone he is not, is obvious to a clown like Jimmy.
*Oops. Had to edit the post to put in this little footnote. I may think Don is still sympathetic, but that is definitely not going to be a universal opinion. TheWife believes he’s crossed a line too far.
What did everyone else think?
R.A. Porter is an aspiring television writer who currently toils away in the software mines. He can be found at his personal blog and stalked on Twitter.
