"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Friday, October 5, 2007

Mad Men 11: Heat!

With the early October temps in 80s here in New York City, there couldn't be a better day to review last night's Episode 11 on AMC's Mad Men which, in one way or another, was all about heat...

Peggy's asked to test out and analyze for her second ad campaign a device that is supposed to help women lose weight. The guys are trying to figure out why some women seem to really like it - it's an electric belt that is supposed to massage away fat - even though there is no evidence that it really melts away any weight.

Peggy discovers its secret: its vibrations give women orgasms. The problem is how to explain this to Don and the guys - which she does a pretty good job of doing.

Meanwhile, Betty has her own hot experience. With the temperature high and uncomfortable in this Indian summer, Betty gets a call from a traveling air conditioner salesman. (The traveling salesman is another great artifact, long gone from our culture.) Betty lets him in, she's attracted to him, but buys nothing and tells him to leave. She later tells Don, who is furious - about as angry as we've seen him - that Betty has let in a stranger. Little does Don know that later, in one of the most interesting scenes of the series, Betty fantasizes about the salesman as she enjoys the vibrations of the washing machine against her .... enjoys the vibrations a lot ... Like I said, it was a hot show.

There's no hot physical sex tonight between Joan and Roger, back in the office to put up a show for a client, even though he is still far from recuperated. But there is perhaps the tenderest kiss in the series. Joan asks if it's ok to kiss him.... He tells her a few seconds after that she was the best piece of ass he ever had.

I found this scene really winning and memorable. Joan is among my top 3 or 4 favorite characters on the show - not just because of what she looks like, but what she says. Christina Hendricks and John Slattery put in their best performances.

But Roger suffers a second heart attack, which leads to Don's getting made a partner in the firm ... as we move into next week's show, about Nixon and Kennedy, just one before the finale...

A superb series, which I'm sorry to see conclude, but I'll be looking forward to round two of next year.

See also reviews of other episodes: Mad Men Debuts on AMC: Cigarette Companies and Nixon ... Mad Men 2: Smoke and Television ... Mad Men 3: Hot 1960 Kiss ... Mad Men 4 and 5: Double Mad Men ... Mad Men 6: The Medium is the Message! ... Mad Men 7: Revenge of the Mollusk ... Mad Men 8: Weed, Twist, Hobo ... Mad Man 9: Betty Grace Kelly ... Mad men 10: Life, Death, and Politics ... Mad Men 12: Admirable Don ... Mad Men 13: Double-Endings, Lascaux, and Holes

20-minute interview with Rich Sommer (Harry Crane) at Light On Light Through








6-minute podcast review of Mad Men






The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

4 comments:

LA said...

Paul - Just so you know, there are actually two episodes left, not one. Great news, eh?

Paul Levinson said...

Excellent! I'm correcting in the post (which also had at least one idiotic typo...:)

LA said...

You mean the "organism" one? I didn't want to say anything...

Paul Levinson said...

Yep, that was the one ... I got so excited I forgot how to spell...

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