Every season of Mad Men, there is an episode (usually in the middle of the season) that completely knocks it out of the park with some sort of comedy, leaving you to say “did that seriously just happen?” Last year’s? Sterling Cooper had just been taken over by the British and Joan (the busty head secretary) is leaving the office. But they are wooing John Deere and there is a lawnmower in the office…and the lawnmower is eventually started during the going away party for Joan and runs over the foot of one of the new Brits in the office in a bloody spray of glory. Who thinks of that? And even better…did I fall of my couch, cackling and snorting and giggling because I thought it was one of the funnier things I had seen in a while? Why yes, yes I did.
This season, Mad Men has been knocking it out of the park. Now that Bryan Cranston is out of the running for the Emmy’s next year, I believe Jon Hamm should be preparing his speech. This week’s episode was nothing spectacular up until about 30 minutes in. Don and team is presenting to a new client, working on trying to find the best way to pitch an auto parts store to both mechanics and the general car driver. Don has had to excuse himself once because his daughter decided that day was the day to run away from home and go visit Dad in the big city. Peggy – one of Don’s copywriters – returns from lunch and notices that Don’s secretary is sleeping at her desk.
Here’s the thing about Don’s secretary. Don is a little bit of a dog – he loves a pretty lady and after sleeping with his last secretary and her quitting, Joan (who has returned as the head secretary and still quite busty) assigns him this old lady secretary named Miss Blankenship as punishment. Miss Blankenship has had probably the best lines of the entire season, and has provided some much needed comic relief in a couple of very dark episodes.
Okay, back to the point of this story. Peggy, thinks she’s sleeping…cept she’s not. She’s dead. Mouth open, head back, huge old lady glasses on, dead. I’m already rolling. Don is interrupted again – steps out and is now dealing with his runaway daughter in his office, with his dead secretary right outside the door. Oh and nevermind the fact that the dead secretary is sitting right behind the glass conference room that auto parts clients are sitting in. The entire scene of getting her out of the office without the daughter or the clients finding out has to be one of the funniest damn things I have seen.
This clip kicks it off – you’ll have to watch the episode to see the entire experience. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid83327935001?bctid=610582892001 Good news is that Mad Men is always up On Demand the day after.
Matthew Weiner is the producer, creator and writer for the show. He’s got a wicked streak in him that brings a lot of darkness to this show, but also, in moments a significant amount of hilarity. Kudos to you sir…for making me laugh, and snort and cackle on Sunday night and RIP Miss. Blankenship – “she was an astronaut.”
[kcs]
