"I went to a place to eat. It said 'breakfast at any time.' So I ordered french toast during the Renaissance". --Steven Wright ... If you are a devotee of time travel, check out this song...

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Between Ray Bradbury and Telstar on Mad Men 2.10

Mad Men 2.10 began tonight with a mention of Ray Bradbury as an attraction for Paul in Pasadena and ended with the Tornados' 1962 instrumental hit "Telstar" playing on the plane as Don and Pete fly to Pasadena...

And in between, let's see ...

1. Betty's father suffers a stroke and is starting to go senile, which prompts a visit from Betty and Don. They have to stay in the same bedroom for appearances, and Betty, after consigning Don to the floor, joins him there in the dead of night to make love, once again. But not to worry, those in the audience who want Betty to be tough, this is just "pretend," as Betty tells Don as she sends him away, again, the next day when they get home. Will they be together at the end of this season? Choices being yes; no, Betty asks for a divorce; no, Betty starts up with someone else; no, Betty leaves town with the kids ... A lot more no's in there than yes's - but I think the yes still has a shot.

2. Glenn the neighbor's boy with a mad crush on Betty is briefly back in the picture - I don't know, not one of my favorite story lines...

3. Paul was supposed to go to Pasadena. That means he can't accompany his African-American girlfriend on a freedom ride down south. But Paul is able to recover, and go with her, when Don decides he wants to go to Pasadena himself. Paul's angry, but at least that cloud has a silver lining. I sometimes think there's not a single nice person on the show - which, come to think of it, is part of its attraction.

4. Trudy's in perfect baby doll pajamas asking Pete why can't they adopt ... and the office is celebrating Harry's impending fatherhood. Harry, played by Rich Somner who still looks to me like Isaac Asimov (speaking of science fiction writers and Ray Bradbury) is probably the happiest guy in the office ... But you get the feeling he's hanging on to that by a thread...

Lots of good situations to be resolved as the season moves well into its last quarter...



See also: Mad Men Returns with a Xerox and a Call Girl ... 2.2: The Advertising Devil and the Deep Blue Sea ... 2.3 Double-Barreled Power ... 2.4: Betty and Don's Son ... 2.5: Best Montage Since Hitchcock ... 2.6: Jackie, Marilyn, and Liberty Valance ... 2.7: Double Dons ... 2.8: Did Don Get What He Deserved? ... 2.9: Don and Roger ... 2.11: Welcome to the Hotel California ... 2.12: The Day the Earth Stood Still on Mad Man




And listen to my fabulous 20-minute interview last Fall with Rich Sommer (Harry Crane) at Light On Light Through



The Plot to Save Socrates


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2 comments:

lapidus48 said...

Speaking of S-F authors (Bradbury and Asimov) do any long-time SF aficionados (most, I bet, love this show) besides myself think that Paul is a stand-in for the real, late lamented Alfred Bestor?

And, SF fans do love this show, don't they?

We do.

Paul Levinson said...

Definitely a science fiction bent to Mad Men, lapidus - Harry=Asimov, Bradbury, and last night's Day the Earth Stood Still - and great to know another sf fan loving the show.

Paul as Bester is an interesting connection. Bester actually left writing science fiction to write advertising for many years. Can't say much about the physical resemblance, though. Any photos on the Web you know of?

My best proof of Harry Crane and Isaac Asimov is here
.

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