I don’t know why I keep posting Megan as the episode’s picture. Google Images, thou art a cruel mistress. Is it just me, or does this episode’s title bring to mind Season 3, Episode 5, “The Fog� Probably coincidence, but who knows, maybe they’ll throw us a few nice anesthetic hallucinations.

Previously on reminds us: The encounter between SCDP and CGC (you know, one whole episode ago), Trudy giving Pete an epic smackdown (two episodes ago...our memories are not that short, AMC), Don’s kids asking him about his birthday way back in Season 5, along with Bobby’s priceless “You’ll be dead†line, something to do with Henry’s political career, and Don shagging Sylvia. Here go the opening credits. Alison Brie is credited this episode – hopefully it’s not a fake out like last week?

Peggy’s new lifestyle has allowed her to upgrade to a better apartment. As the realtor shows her around, she wears the smug look of success on her face. Good for you, Pegs – you’ve fought hard to get this far. Abe arrives, and it’s nice to see the two as lovey-dovey as ever, though I have a feeling this will not last. It’s the law of Mad Men, right? Abe comments that the doorman seems especially vigilant. Aww, hippie can’t get past the establishment. Serves you right for growing that epic facial hair. The realtor totally shames them for not being legally married and stuff, but they decide to take the place anyway. Life is good.

At the Francis Mausoleum, Bobby Draper is tearing up his bedroom wallpaper. Are we going to get a Bobby plotline? Man, they haven’t had a proper Bobby story since Season 2. They keep changing the actors and I barely notice. Maybe this time they’ll make an actual character out of him rather than human guilt focus for Don. When Betty calls him for dinner, he hides the wallpaper in one of his books. Wonder what that was about.

Don and Megan get out of the elevator – Megan wearing this fabulous pink embroidered outfit in the above photo – and promptly run into the Rosens. They’re all cordial and stuff, and Don and Sylvia manage to avoid major awkwardness. The Rosens are off to Washington D.C., and judging by Don’s tux, the Drapers are headed to somewhere either very special or very important for SCDP. Don comments that it’ll be nice to have a weekend in Washington, and Megan says they should totally go away (like they just didn’t go to Hawaii or whatever). Don needs to be reminded where the Rosens are going, even though they told him. It turns out Megan’s up for an award – an advertising award. Paul Newman’s going to be there, guys! Is this for writing the Heinz ad or acting in the Beauty and the Beast one or what? The couples depart, and Arnold and Sylvia remain none the wiser. Though Arnold does tease Don about not remembering D.C. I sincerely hope Don is not descending into dementia, though after all that alcohol it’s not such a far-fetched idea.

Ginsberg comes home to his apartment only to find out that his dad has set him up with a Nice Jewish Girl, Beverley. The ad man is flustered, Beverley is just as awkwarded out, but papa is insistent, and he finds himself on a date with the daughter of a family friend. Only after Ginsberg’s dad practically pushes them out the door, of course. Ginsberg is in a snit. I’m sure this will come up again.

At the awards ceremony (the Clios, or something else?), Don and Megan mingle and diss the other agencies. The Drapers do make a handsome couple, I will give them that. Megan suggests that they go off and greet Peggy. Don insists that they wait for the rest of SCDP to show up. All business, that one. Megan goes off anyway.

Peggy (radiant in pink and green) is delighted to see her, compliments her TV show, and introduces her to the bigwigs of CGC. Turns out they’re competing against each other. Awkward. Cutler (Head of Accounts) points out that they “didn’t have copywriters like you†at the beginning of his career. “You’ve come a long way, baby?â€

As they talk, Peggy points out that she and Megan are the only finalists from SCDP, and neither of them work there anymore.  Megan also adds that her nominated work for Heinz beans (I was right!) is for a former client. Can Draper and his minions be losing their touch? Anyway, it turns out that Peggy’s apartment is fairly close to Draperland. I smell shenanigans upcoming. Drunken talks late at night, “The Suitcase†style. Sign me up.

Just about everyone comments that SCDP got terrible seats. Looks like their lustre is fading after all. Roger introduces them to an insurance man, Randall Walsh, who is nerdy-looking but seems okay. He says of Don, “We’ve already met.†DICK WHITMAN SIGHTING?! Apparently not, it’s just Walsh being glib. Darnit. Roger tells him not to worry about it, which means we should worry.

Ted Chaough and his wife show up at the CGC table, where it quickly becomes apparent that all is not well between them. Peggy demurely looks away. Abe comes up, and it turns out Ted is in his seat. SUBTLE. The Advertising Club of New York’s “Andy Awards†begin. Ted and Peggy exchange looks. Shit, don’t fall for him, Peggy! Aren’t Pete and Duck Phillips enough sleaze for a lifetime?

At a diner, Ginsberg and Beverley exchange awkward small talk. Turns out she’s a teacher and graduate student, so not entirely useless (shut up, guys). Ginsberg rants about how weird his dad was about the entire date. Beverley pleads to give him a chance. He thinks she’s sexy and that the whole orchestration is unfair. In the process, he admits he’s a virgin, which makes Beverley pretty flustered. She admits that she’s just doing a favour for her parents, but he is handsome. She seems way, way too nice for anyone in the world of SCDP. I predict that she and Ginsberg are married in three episodes and divorced by next season. Happiness, it never lasts.

A convincing-from-a-distance Paul Newman lookalike gets up to present the award. Seeing as the real Newman is currently dead, I’ll take this one in a pinch. I must say, he has an excellent voice imitation. Joan puts on her glasses, which is how you know she’s serious. Pete looks like a douche, which is normal. Peggy cranes her neck to see. Looks like CGC has been shut out too.

Okay, wild prediction – SCDP and CGC merger by the end of the season, dropping Peggy back under Draper’s wing. I’m probably super wrong, but that’s the vibe.

Okay, Paul Newman goes on in an extremely dull speech, in which he announces he’s supporting Gene McCarthy for President at pretty much the least appropriate moment ever. Eyes glaze over as we watch. Abe applauds. Suddenly, a heckler comes up from the back. (Duck Phillips again? Please, Duck Phillips again.)

Turns out it’s a guy angry at him for speaking on something frivolous when Martin Luther King, Jr. is dead. A gasp goes up, and people are visibly upset. Why is it that assassinations always seem to ruin SCDP’s parties? I am being flippant, but seriously, everyone’s upset. Abe flips out. Paul Newman says they were hoping to keep the news of the assassination quiet until the event was over, so as not to interrupt advertisers patting each other on the back. Icky. He calls for a ten-minute break. Don grabs Megan’s hand. She’s in tears. Everyone is in shock. Joan wipes her eyes, and Abe takes Peggy out of the room.

Considering how good the Kennedy assassination episode was in Season 3, this could be a portal for some interesting drama. It will be neat to see how this plays out. If I’ve read accounts correctly, the MLK assassination caused more a feeling of “How can we come to this? We’re sinking†as opposed to the total shock of JFK – augmented even more by RFK’s death a few months later (which I’m guessing will be, like, just a newspaper headline or something). The “dread†mood overall might fit the 1968 tone of the show nicely. Let’s keep going.

We return to Michael Ginsberg’s Blind Date. More small talk is going on. They discuss advertising. Ginsberg whines about his creative genius getting stifled. They suddenly hear about the assassination on the radio. All conversation in the diner is instantly brought to a halt. We really are getting Kennedy 2.0, aren’t we? Though I guess many listeners in 1968 thought the same thing. One of the cooks, who is African-American, breaks down in tears. Beverley is not far from them herself, but Ginsberg is just angry.

Sally, Bobby and Betty (still a brunette- ack that’s weird) listen to the news at Casa Francis. Henry wonders why they aren’t watching TV, and Betty says she won’t let them because she’s afraid they might show something awful. This really is a barometer of how much everything has changed since the Kennedy episode – Betty has a new husband, they’ve left the Draper house, Sally is very grown-up, and Bobby is played by yet another new actor. Life goes on, but some things unfortunately don’t change – there will always be horror and suffering, and those who fight for what’s right will always be in danger. Henry is going into the city. Betty tries to stop him, but he insists that “they†are going to burn it down. Nice casual racism you’ve got going there. He tries to reassure the children, but they’re still on edge. Betty can’t stop him, but she does not want to let him go, either.

Back at the awards ceremony, everything has ground to a halt. There’s a long lineup for the phone and Pete’s impatient. Abe relays details to Peggy, and tells her that he wants to head uptown to cover it. She immediately begins to worry, which okay, I can understand. He insists – it’s an opportunity to work for The New York Times, something he can’t turn down. Ambulances and police cars can be heard. Peggy tells him not to do anything stupid. He kisses her goodbye. Someone’s getting killed off, right? Abe or Henry?

Solemn-faced, Megan and Don approach Peggy, presumably to find a friendly face in a scary atmosphere. She explains where Abe has gone.  They offer to give her a ride home. Pete steps in to say he’s leaving (good), and the power begins to flicker. Google tells me that this does not happen every time Vincent Kartheiser enters the room. Oh wait – it’s just a signal that they’re going to continue with the awards, so everyone should get back to their seats. Peggy is flabbergasted. Don asks, “What else are they going to do?†Considering what he said to his kids after Kennedy, it’s just eerie. Megan and Don embrace. Peggy fidgets.

Bobby is still playing with his bedroom wallpaper. This is supposed to be some kind of destructive metaphor, right? If I didn’t have a few beers in me I’m sure I could figure out a more specific interpretation. Unfortunately for him, Betty walks in and flips the fuck out. We learn that she does not favour Bobby over Sally in any manner, because damn, the woman can go insane over anything. “Why are you destroying this house?†she wails. SUBTLETY, LOOK GUYS, I HAZ IT. Surprisingly, though, Betty is worn out and leaves him alone without punishment. Maybe they’ll all feel better after a night’s sleep.

At the Man Whore Apartment, Pete calls his wife up in Connecticut. They bonded over the Kennedy assassination – can more bad news bring them together? Trudy, looking very sophisticated in a purple turtleneck, accepts the phone call and confides in Pete how badly she feels. They exchange some remarks about how horrible it is. Pete offers to come up and stay with Trudy and Tammy for the night. Trudy declines.

...does this mean she has a guy there? PLEASE tell me she has a guy there, preferably someone Pete hates.

Pete insists that he’s worried about Tammy, but Trudy points out she’s too little to understand what happened. Finally, he tells her he’ll see her at one of their preapproved meetings on Saturday – but Trudy declines that to, saying she’ll make excuses to her parents. He hopes she’s not worried, she assures him she isn’t. They hang up and go back to watching the same coverage in different states. It’s an interesting scene. Even though their marriage is falling apart, they still care about each other on some level. They can finally have some decency now that they’ve stopped pretending. Trudy is both more grown-up and more fragile than I’ve ever seen her. Alison Brie is excellent, as usual.

Ginsberg returns to his dad’s place and tells him the news. He turns on the TV – colour TV! The first we’ve seen on the show – to see reports about rioting in New York, Boston and D.C. Don stares in silence. Three guesses who’s on his mind, and the first two don’t count. Megan argues with her father over the phone in French, as he has said something she finds highly offensive. She reports to Don that her father applauds “the escalation of decayâ€, presumably so they can get to his dream Marxist world faster. She bemoans that he “hides behind his intellectâ€. They wonder about Dawn’s safety, as well as that of Arnold and Sylvia. After a while, Don takes her into the bedroom, where they might watch coverage and also (hopefully) fall asleep. On the couch lies Megan’s Andy award, never mentioned until now.

Don arrives at work only to meet up with Roger, who comments that “the man knew how to talk. I don’t know why, but I thought that would save him.†Chills. Serious chills. We’re all thinking the same thing – let’s move on. He also brings news – Randall Walsh the insurance guy wants to meet at 3:00. He leaves, and Don calls Dr. Rosen’s office in search of his lady love’s safety. They’ve heard nothing. Don decides to try later. He looks at the newspaper and throws it back down, exasperated.

Peggy arrives to find Phyllis in her office. She’s relieved – it turns out she’s been calling all night to see if her secretary was okay. Phyllis spent the night at a relative’s in Newark. Peggy says it could have been worse. Instantly she realizes how stupid that sounded, and offers her condolences. Phyllis is about to burst into tears. Peggy holds out her arms, and they hug, all while Phyllis mutters that she knew it was coming – but it won’t stop anything. Peggy sends her home, which Phyllis appreciates – though as Peggy points out, no one should be at work that day.

Henry tells Betty about his experiences in New York, saying it was “terrifyingâ€. The impression he gives of the mayor is of some kind of insensitive dimbulb with no regard for safety. Any idea if that’s accurate, New York-based FJers? He remarks that cutting deals with “militants†worked better than photo ops. Betty is clearly relieved to have him home, and not happy that he has to go out again. They’re actually decently happy together (as happy as anyone can be with Betty) – and that’s kind of nice to see. At least someone hasn’t fucked up their marriage for good.

Speaking of which, Pete is running around SCDP screaming for his secretary. He is soon joined by Harry in the same predicament. Pete thinks they’re off watching TV. Harry confides that all the clients are demanding compensation, as their ads are pulled in favour of news coverage. He’s upset by the giant headache this gives him, but as he says, maybe they can “make goodâ€. Pete rightly says “How dare you?†and puts him in his place over his tiny little ad exec problems.  He ends up yelling that “IT’S A SHAMEFUL, SHAMEFUL DAY!â€, and oh my god did I just approve of something Pete did? He berates Harry for only being upset about the cost to SCDP. Harry freaks out about how New York is going downhill. I see we’re setting up the 1970’s. Bert Cooper (always a welcome appearance) comes in and breaks it up, shouting at them to stop. Pete continues the argument and calls Harry a racist. “Everyone’s a racist!†Harry yells. Unfortunately, the Internet tells us that this argument will essentially be repeated for the next forty-five years without ever evolving.

“I urge you to shake hands in the spirit of erasing these remarks,†says Cooper, with the deathly silence that lets you know he’s super pissed. Reluctantly, Harry and Pete do so. Harry apologizes. Full of venom, Pete taunts him about profiting off the death of a great man, concluding with “That man had a wife and four children.†Ahh, so this is where it’s coming from. Pete’s guilty about destroying his marriage and losing contact with his daughter (and maybe his long-ago son?). He stomps off, leaving a shocked Cooper and Harry. Incredible scene. So much tension, such a well-constructed argument. Excellent job from all three actors, in totally different ways.

Dawn arrives at the office full of apologies, but Don assures her that he’s just glad she’s all right and expresses concern over her working. Joan comes in wearing some kind of pseudo-gothic houndstooth outfit that wouldn’t look out of place on Helena Bonham Carter – is she finally changing with the times? – and gets pissy at Dawn for not answering her calls. They both assumed that Dawn wouldn’t be coming in, but as she explains, “My mother told me I should.†Aww, the only nice person at SCDP tries to have a moral compass. Good luck with that. Joan lets them know that Cooper’s closing the office early – poor Dawn having travelled all the way there – but that Roger still wants this insurance meeting. Stan and Ginsberg are already stuck there. Don is screwed, but Dawn is happy to stay a bit longer. Joan hugs her and offers condolences. The three of them get back to work, where it seems they will always be.

Over at CGC, Peggy gets a call from the realtor, who is about to send over her offer. Though they both initially thought that no one would be doing business that day, the realtor has figured out that with unrest so close to the building, the owners are probably frightened. They might reduce the price. Peggy is unsure, but the realtor suggests that they give them a low offer and “let the TV news do the rest.†She answers with silence, which the realtor takes as a yes. Oh boy.

The meeting begins, with Don, Stan, Ginsberg, Walsh and Roger in attendance. Walsh is weird as usual, claiming he was trying to “communicate without wordsâ€. Ginsberg helpfully points out that since he’s in property insurance, this will undoubtedly be a crazy time. Walsh gets offended, saying that he “really caresâ€...and doesn’t finish the sentence. He sees an ad with their logo, a Molotov cocktail, and a coupon at the bottom. Charming. Everyone is nonplussed. Walsh claims he got the idea when he was visited by the spirit of Dr. King the night before, because apparently a recently murdered civil rights leader has nothing better to do. Soon enough Walsh goes full hippie, saying that Dr. King told him to “question the whole property thing, man.†I check to make sure that I didn’t accidentally stream Mike Myers’ The Love Guru, then decide that I really like Walsh and want him to stay for several more episodes, Miss Blankenship-style.

Ginsberg has a concerned look on his face, Don is impassive, and Stan is about to explode with laughter. Finally, Don puts his foot down – the ad is in poor taste and really stupid. He won’t do it. Walsh continues to babble on like a stoner about tears or something. Yes, Matt Weiner, keep Walsh. Roger smooths it over with some diplomatic talk about good intentions – “and whatever else you’ve got in your system†– good catch, Mr. LSD – and Walsh is sent on his way. But not after some faux Native American chanting. What is this guy on and why won’t he share? Ginsberg follows him out, demanding to know if he really talked to King’s ghost. Don and Roger exchange mutual shrugs and leave.

However, Walsh does have one point – “The heavens are telling us to change.†Maybe it’s not with Molotov cocktail ads, but society is undergoing extreme change at the moment, and it’s pretty needed by this point. It’s not lost on the ad men, either. Thanks for spelling out the moral of the episode, Weiner, we would never have guessed.

At the Draper Apartment, Don slowly gets drunk while watching the news. The phone rings. Sylvia, right? Nope, Betty. He’s supposed to pick up the kids, but forgot. Let’s all have a round of applause for Dad of the Year. Betty berates him for being a terrible person, because she is obviously sinless, and demands that he come get them despite everything occurring in New York because HENRY TOTES SAYS IT’S OKAY. He’s incredulous, she is sniping. Classic Don and Betty. Megan thinks it’s insane too, but he goes anyway. Driving back through chaos, the kids are agog.

Ginsberg and his dad have an early-morning talk before work. Dad is not pleased about his son’s general lack of competence around the house. He blames it on being single, of course, but accuses him of being gay because he didn’t shag Beverley on the night of a huge assassination. He says it’s time to seize the day. Ginsberg is skeptical. His dad points out that during The Flood (title drop!), the animals got on board two by two, and Ginsberg sure as hell isn’t getting on with his father. Ginsberg insists no more blind dates. His father reluctantly agrees. Yay first real Ginsberg-centred storyline! First Dawn, now him, which minor character is next?

Don wakes up hungover and wanders into the living room to find Megan getting the kids ready for a vigil. Bobby, who is grounded from TV and generally unhappy, makes an excuse to get out of it. Megan goes off with Sally and Gene (who is almost five, ahhhh), leaving Bobby to get both quality time with his father and more than a couple of lines at a time.

Alone with his son, Don manages to find out about Bobby’s punishment, then promptly breaks it by taking him off to a movie. Planet of the Apes, guys, this is awesome! Don and Bobby are adorable together. Bobby admits he was punished because “the wallpaper didn’t line upâ€. Don doesn’t attempt to make sense of it. We cut to the famous ending, where Heston is howling and pounding his fists on the beach. It was earth all along! (Spoilers are not spoilers when they’re forty-five years old and quoted almost everywhere.) Bobby thinks it’s amazing (his dad is possibly a little taken with the movie too), and they happily sit through another viewing.

At the Olsen-Drexler Lair of Unmarried Sin, Abe is hurriedly working on his riot coverage. The realtor calls. They missed out – someone else was willing to pay more. Peggy is frustrated, but Abe shrugs it off. She gets annoyed with him for being wrapped up in his story, and thinks he’s being a martyr. Before she can stop herself, she accuses him of leaving her to do the apartment search alone. This really upsets Abe. She challenges him to have an opinion, any opinion. He finally comes out with it – he didn’t want to live on the Upper East Side because he couldn’t imagine them raising their kids there. It’s his first EVER hint at a permanent future. Peggy is shocked but mollified. He suggests the West 80’s, renovating a run-down place. After some convincing, it’s clear the idea has stuck. Peggy tests the waters, saying she didn’t know he felt that way – er, about the Upper East Side, that is. He says that he does feel that way – and his look indicates it’s not just about the neighbourhood. She declares that he’s part of her life and can have an opinion, and they kiss. Go Peggy! Finally, your life is good! Just don’t sleep with Chaough and fuck it all up.

Between screenings, Bobby chats up one of the ushers, who I should point out here is African-American just for context because I have a feeling MLK will come up in about three lines. To the writers’ credit, it’s not quite as blatant as that. “Everyone likes to go to the movies when they’re sad,†Bobby says. The usher looks at him with amazement. Even Don is surprised. The usher walks away, father and son tear into a box of Milk Duds, and the famous Mad Men theme comes up. Tonight, they really are taking us back to the show we remember.

Henry and Betty meet in their bedroom, where Henry reports that things are settling down and he shouldn’t have to be in the city as often. The difficult time is passing. Henry assures her that she’ll never have to worry about money, which of course scares Betty. He reveals that he was questioning his motives the entire time, and that there is plenty rotten in the municipal government. He would do it differently – and he’s been offered a seat in the State Senate, so he will change things. Betty is stunned but happy, as it’s what she’s always envisioned. Her political-climbing husband will undoubtedly bring her into a more prestigious way of life – and hopefully not mess up like Don did. They kiss. Happy couples everywhere.

Of course, just as I say this we return to the Draper Apartment, where Don is drinking, again. Megan comes to bed having settled the kids down. Turns out she had to cover for his drunkenness and is not pleased. “You don’t have Marx, you’ve got a bottle,†she says. Ah, Megan, it only took you three years to figure out your husband perfectly. It took Betty at least three times that. She asks him if he’s what he wanted to be, which he denies – he only ever wanted to be the man who loves children.

When  his children were born, he says, he acted proud and excited, but never felt anything. He blames his childhood, of course. He didn’t love his children, though he wanted to – and naturally he wonders if his father was also a fake.  But then there’s a moment where the kids do or say something, and the feeling kicks in, and it’s real – “like your heart is going to explode.†Incredible acting from Jon Hamm, who is utterly amazing with drunk scenes. Why does this man lack an Emmy? Give him an Emmy. Megan puts an arm around him. He looks like he’s about to cry.

Pete gets Chinese take-out. He asks the delivery guy if things have calmed down, but the man is silent. After a moment, he gives up, tips the man, and wishes him a good night. He returns to his empty apartment to eat alone.

Betty holds up a fancy dress in front of the mirror. You can already see what she’s imagining, just from the look on her face. Senator’s wife. Governor’s wife. First Lady? A girl can dream. She runs a hand through her hair, sighs and goes off to bed.

Don gets up in the night and walks past the kids’ room. He opens the door and whispers to Bobby, who is lying awake, that he needs to go to sleep. Bobby says he can’t. Eerie Season 2 echoes. Don lies down on the bed next to him and asks why. He explains he’s scared that Henry will be shot. Considering the upheaval of 1968, I would guess this was a pretty common feeling – fear of yet more assassinations, even if you didn’t know anyone close like Bobby. Don assures him that it won’t happen, because “Henry’s not that important.†Stay classy, Draper. He tells his son once more to go to sleep. Walking out to the balcony, he lights a cigarette and looks out over the city. Sirens are heard in the distance. End credits.

This is Mad Men at its finest, guys, and little wonder – the episode was co-written by Matthew Weiner. All of you who complained about how slow the first few episodes were, you forgot the pattern. First it’s slow – then it heats up. If we’re only on episode five and all this goes on, who knows what’s going to happen by the end? What’s interesting is that not much actually happened, but it felt like it did. Intense, beautifully acted, with a nice divergence from the endless Don-Megan Collapse, and tying in real life events without making them seem clichéd like so many shows and movies about the 1960s, it brings to mind some of the best writing and pacing of Season 3. Excellent job for everyone involved  – and let’s hope that the rest of the season has more like it in store.

Next episode: “For Immediate Release.†Sounds urgent. This of course means nothing will happen. We’ll see.

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