Another Take By Zac: TV Review: Mad Men 4.10

Well crap, just when things started to look up a bit for a good portion of the family of SCDP, things go flying and hit the fan.

Don is freaking out, I mean panic attack level freak outs, and that is because he is being background checked by the government due to SCDP’s involvement with North American Aviation.  Don thinks his rouse as Don is about to be up and could be lined up and shot for desertion.  Luckily, Betty doesn’t turn him in, and they seem to be on better terms lately don’t they, but she drops the bomb on Don as he was unaware of the process.  Don has only one other loose end to tie up in Pete but the paranoia is running rampant in his mind.  When Pete can’t use his Department of Defense contact to clean up the mess their only option is to break ties with NAA as it will halt the government’s investigation.  Begrudgingly, Pete cuts ties and takes the blame for the loss of the freshly minted 4 million dollar account and gets a ton of heat from Roger but Don is relieved.  The loss of Don Draper at SCDP is averted at the cost of 4 million in bookings and all seems well again for everyone at SCDP.

I can’t believe how shaken up Don got over this, not that he didn’t have good reason; it was just so not Don Draper.  Sure he had been a drunk and a mess as of late this season but he has always somewhat kept a level of cool.  Here it is completely gone and we realize that the thing that most terrifies Don is the government uncovering his past, especially in the volatile Red Scare era the country is in.  The positives that do come out of the episode for Don though, Sally seems to be warming up again after last weeks episode when Don gets her Shea Stadium The Beatles tickets and Faye seems to really be a keeper.  He even let her in on his switcharoo in Korea.  So now that Don isn’t going to run everything is fine and dandy right?

Wrong. Roger had the meeting we all knew was coming with Lucky Strike, they are pulling the plug.  SCDP biggest partner is leaving them behind and the firm is in jeopardy of now failing.  Sure they have taken on some new accounts and are less reliant on Lucky Strike then they were when the season started but it could still be a crushing blow.  Added on top of this, Roger doesn’t tell the partners what is up after dressing down Pete for “losing” NAA. I don’t know how Roger is going to make some magic happen in the next 30 days but I can’t wait to find out.  Why, oh why Roger, did you not tell the partners?

Speaking of some magic, Roger and Joan’s hook up ended up in a pregnancy that neither of them is willing to go through with.  Roger is still more than smitten with Joan though and as much as he is ready to terminate it he tries to see if she will buy into the baby being a sign that they should be together.  But Roger can’t sway her and Joan ends up with her third abortion in her young life; poor Joanie.

Where will the Lucky Strike and NAA upheavals leave SCDP, I hope the last three episodes of the season let us know.

The Bullets:

-Again, Don telling Pete he, Pete, could run the company without him.  Don and Pete have truly come miles.

-And the fact that Pete tries to help Don in anyway he can, even losing a client shows how much Pete has grown as well.

-Well we found out what Lane has been doing the last few weeks, Playboy Club (he even has a key!), and he has found himself a new love as well.  It really sucked to see his Dad tear him down and boss him around though.  I really hope this isn’t the beginning of the end for Lane at SCDP.

-It was very nice to see Don and Betty have a positive and nice conversation, twice even, in another episode.  I can’t wait till they can be civil again.

-I don’t think the Faye-Don relationship is going anywhere and the revealing of the Dick Whitman bits to her and Peggy is the biggest and brightest sign of the new Don.

-Don was so ready to go he was ready to put his money in a trust and give it all to Betty and the kids, yikes!

-Lee Garner is gone, do you think the staff at SCDP can find Sal whoring it up in Central Park and bring him back?

-Trudy’s night gown had me laughing for quite a long time, so frilly.

-First F-bomb to be dropped on Mad Men belongs to Roger Sterling!  And thank god Don stepped in and said something, though he should have even sooner.

-What was that look Don was giving Megan at the end of the episode?  This better not be the return of serial adultery Don Draper.

That’s it for this week, only three episodes left this season, can any top The Suitcase?