All I can say is that this was an incredible hour of television. I don't think that an episode of Mad Men has ever been so moving, or so well acted. Not only was the episode smart, heartfelt, and visually beautiful, but it was the Don and Peggy episode that the viewer (me) has been waiting for for four seasons.We know that Don and Peggy are kindred spirits, whether they (he) acknowledge it or not, but we finally see, for an entire hour, the culmination of all of the secrets that they've kept for one another in the small and huge gesture of Don briefly holding Peggy's hand. It was such a tender movement, but the look on his face was deadly serious. Somehow Don and Peggy have finally reached common ground -- during Don's steepest downward trajectory and Peggy's highest upswing.
I think that the thing that makes this episode most effective is the tension building between where Peggy wants to be and where she feels obligated to be. It's such a relatable feeling -- being exactly where you want to be, but being pulled elsewhere by other forces. Or knowing that what you want isn't what you're "supposed to" want. As always with Mad Men, though, the beauty is really in what goes unsaid -- except when Peggy says, "that's not true."
No comments:
Post a Comment