Mad Men - "The Jet Set" - 10/12/08 [Text View]

TiVo'Brien

10-13-2008, 08:43 AM

Well, Don seems to have hit a personal jackpot. On a business trip with Pete, he falls in with a 21 year old woman, Joy, and her father's group of jet setters who travel the world living a responsibility-free, commitment-free life, totally ditching Pete and his work responsibilities in the process. Joy promises him sex, no entanglements, and her father will pick up the tab for the whole thing - she then swims off to make out with another guy. Well, Don, tired of the family man lie he's been living at home, must think he died and went to heaven. He can live the life of a high class hobo. What will Betty and the kids do without him? I loved the symbolism at the end of the show - a suitcase detached from its owner is the only thing that returns to the Draper household after Don's trip. Not only that, the house is vacant, as if to say Don and Betty's marriage and family have been left dark and vacant. Great writing yet again.

My reports of Duck's demise were greatly exaggerated apparently. With Roger Sterling's divorce war upcoming, and Bert Cooper's addle mindedness Duck sees weaknesses at the top of Sterling Cooper and seizes the opportunity to engineer a buyout by his former firm wherein he will end up as Don's boss. Of course, that assumes Don comes to his senses and returns.

Wow, the look of pain on Sal's face when the European came out of the closet in the break room was intense.

Another great episode. What did you guys think?

TiVo'Brien

10-13-2008, 08:53 AM

Alan Sepinwall's excellent Mad Men blog at NJ.com here (http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2008/10/mad_men_the_jet_set_old_habits.html).

gossamer88

10-13-2008, 09:11 AM

Don is a weird guy. He tells Pete that this trip is all work and no play and all he does is play. I guess his wish of leaving everything behind him (like he wanted to do with the dept. store client last season) may be coming to fruition or so he thinks. Something tells me that girl is younger than 21 and he could be in a heap of trouble.

Funny (not ha-ha funny) how gay people are perceived as perverts (a belief that unfortunately is still prevalent today). So sad.

Could've sworn they were going to show Kinsey in Mississippi...what happened?

jennifer

10-13-2008, 10:55 AM

Was Joy's voice actually Betty's'voice? It sounded very much like Betty's.

TeighVaux

10-13-2008, 12:27 PM

Great episode and again the show takes a turn I never expected.

On top of the already mentioned sympolism, I was thinking of the alternate comparison with the hobo that young Dick met in the first season flashbacks, the one man who, while a poor hobo, had integrity. Now Dick can be a high class hobo but with no integrity.

Nice to have a second identity in your back pocket for those moments when a young rich temptress offers you yet another new life. I think that the girl is much younger than 21 and that the crew at the house are just confidence people. I think there will be a big price to pay later.

When he passed out at the pool when he took the drink, I thought they had drugged him.

tbowie

10-13-2008, 02:26 PM

Was Joy's voice actually Betty's'voice? It sounded very much like Betty's.

If you read Alan Sepinwall's blog, he thought so as well but evidently it was not.

TiVo'Brien

10-13-2008, 02:46 PM

If you read Alan Sepinwall's blog, he thought so as well but evidently it was not.There was a point, however, when Joy's words seemed to have been dubbed in. Me thinks the producers were playing a few games with this episode to put us inside Don's head. I really do think January Jones was in and out of that scene at the bar.

jennifer

10-13-2008, 03:14 PM

There was a point, however, when Joy's words seemed to have been dubbed in. Me thinks the producers were playing a few games with this episode to put us inside Don's head. I really do think January Jones was in and out of that scene at the bar.

I agree. I listened to it several times, and it sounds SO much like January.

jgerry

10-13-2008, 03:55 PM

I'm 100% sure that the long shots of the girls at the bar were January Jones sitting there, later replaced by the blonde with the same hairstyle. Subtle, but cool.

It's no accident that Don's new little friend is named "Joy". Not a subtle reference.

I really enjoyed watching Pete muddle along just fine by himself after Don's disappearance. Pete may be a sociopath, but I really enjoy his character.

Casual

10-13-2008, 06:25 PM

my observations:

Sterling's new girlfriend looks better in the office than she does in bed.

Duck getting shot out of the sky when he goes for a partnership in the company. Duck then doing his best to undermine his current employer. Duck getting shot down when he asked his old pal for a job.

Joy mimicking all of Betty's mannerisms and voice.

Don getting a taste of his own medicine when he meets ppl who are more mysterious than he is.

Salvatore finding out how much of a bigot his secret crush, Ken Cosgrove, is.

Peggy Olson finally doing something with her hair. Oh, and once again choosing the wrong guy.

sallypnut

10-13-2008, 07:11 PM

I really do think January Jones was in and out of that scene at the bar.

She was - that was her in 2 of the 4 shots.

dianebrat

10-13-2008, 07:21 PM

When he passed out at the pool when he took the drink, I thought they had drugged him.
I have to say, I thought exactly the same thing.. and still think it's a possiblity.

Diane

JLucPicard

10-13-2008, 07:44 PM

So who was it that Don called at the end and told them his name was Dick Whitman?

I guess I must be blind or something because I just saw all that stuff at the house with the gypsies (so to speak) as another of Don's daliances, but didn't get the impression that that's it, his old life is behind him now and he's not going back.

But then again, it brings me right back to 'Whom did Dick Whitman call'?

rrrobinsonjr

10-13-2008, 08:45 PM

When he passed out at the pool when he took the drink, I thought they had drugged him.

I have to say, I thought exactly the same thing.. and still think it's a possiblity.

When he looked at his glass, I thought there was some sort of powder residue on the sides. I believe he was given drugs, but apparently either doesn't care or likes the effect.

brianric

10-14-2008, 05:25 AM

I found it very unreal if I was having sex with someone, then have her dad make an appearance while you are still in bed with that someone.

smickola

10-14-2008, 07:14 AM

When Christiane (or whatever his name was) came out by the pool with the kids, and was talking about the divorce - the young boy in the short white pants was a dead ringer for the kid who played young Don in the Hobo Code.

scottykempf

10-14-2008, 08:34 AM

BobB

10-14-2008, 11:24 AM

I found it very unreal if I was having sex with someone, then have her dad make an appearance while you are still in bed with that someone.

To my mind that just underscored how completely the value set of this particular ultra-rich set differs from the mainstream. There are no responsibilities, no needs (other than to get to the Caymans often enough to maintain their tax-exempt status), nothing in life except pleasure and the pursuit of further pleasure. Though we do get a glimpse of the downside in Christien's frustration with his (apparently) ex-wife - Joy's older sister perhaps? Or is he her brother?

Overall a great episode, with lots of major balls in the air at the end:

Will Don permanently disappear with this gang of happy-go-lucky hedonists? (My guess: maybe he would if this were real life, but he won't because it's a TV show and if he did it would lose its raison d'etre).

Will Duck succeed in having his former company take over Sterling Cooper and become Don's boss? (My guess: yes, but with complications involving the senior partners).

Will Don and Bets get back together? (My guess: no, because it opens up a new area for Don to deal with - maintaining his relationship with his kids after a divorce. He's great at shutting doors behind him and not looking back, but his kids are the one thing he can't do that to.)

Finally, who was he calling as Dick Whitman? I say it's the woman who showed up and recognized him as a car salesman during one of the earlier flashback scenes. She was clearly inserted back then as a teaser for something to come.

barbeedoll

10-14-2008, 11:30 AM

barbeedoll

10-14-2008, 11:33 AM

When he looked at his glass, I thought there was some sort of powder residue on the sides. I believe he was given drugs, but apparently either doesn't care or likes the effect.
...aren't you clever. I saw it was murky, but didn't get that it was residue.

Barbeedoll

BobB

10-14-2008, 11:41 AM

...aren't you clever. I saw it was murky, but didn't get that it was residue.

Barbeedoll

I think that's a red herring. For one thing, why would they drug him? It was plausible that he had heat stroke, he's just spent a dizzying day in the sun, mostly wearing too many clothes for the climate. For another, he had just taken a sip - no orally ingested knockout drug works that fast.

TiVo'Brien

10-14-2008, 11:51 AM

.........
Don getting a taste of his own medicine when he meets ppl who are more mysterious than he is.........Anyone notice the disapproving look Don got when he simply said "You people must be well off." As if to say, "oh, dear, how uncouth of you to bring up money." Excellent character contrast for Don - nobody who belongs in that crowd would say such a thing.

flatcurve

10-14-2008, 01:36 PM

whoever Don called, I think it's probably the reason he went to LA in the first place. I don't think he'll stay with the jet set crowd for very long...

smickola

10-14-2008, 02:23 PM

Given the timeline, it looks like we're heading towards the Cuban Missile Crisis as the backdrop for the season ender - as foreshadowed by the MIRV presentation in this episode. It's a great metaphor for the ultimate facedowns - between Don and Betty, Duck and SC, Roger and Mona. Don has shown that he would take the ultimate "nuclear option" - abandoning Betty and the kids, as he was ready to do with Rachel last season. Will Betty cave in and take Don back? On what terms?

rrrobinsonjr

10-14-2008, 04:53 PM

Given the timeline, it looks like we're heading towards the Cuban Missile Crisis as the backdrop for the season ender...It's a great metaphor for the ultimate facedowns....

Good call.

Dawghows

10-15-2008, 08:15 AM

So who was it that Don called at the end and told them his name was Dick Whitman?

After he hung up the phone, he tore out the page from the back of the book he had written in. At one point, the camera angle briefly showed the note from over his shoulder. I paused the TiVo and it appeared that he had written a name. The last name was almost surely Whitman, but it was harder to make out the first name. It looked like Ray or Roy or possibly Kay. Then underneath the name was a smaller scribble that I couldn't make out at all. Maybe a time?

TiVo'Brien

10-15-2008, 09:16 AM

After he hung up the phone, he tore out the page from the back of the book he had written in. At one point, the camera angle briefly showed the note from over his shoulder. I paused the TiVo and it appeared that he had written a name. The last name was almost surely Whitman, but it was harder to make out the first name. It looked like Ray or Roy or possibly Kay. Then underneath the name was a smaller scribble that I couldn't make out at all. Maybe a time?I saw Roy or Ray, too.

I wonder if "taking a page from the book 'The Sound and the Fury'" has any significance? Anyone ever read it? Will Don do what the main character of the book did?

Ladd Morse

10-15-2008, 09:17 AM

I paused my HD recording at this point and all I saw was an address, no name.

TiVo'Brien

10-15-2008, 09:26 AM

I paused my HD recording at this point and all I saw was an address, no name.Hmmm...... looks like Don might be taking a day trip in the next episode. If that person doesn't know about Don Draper, I wonder what Don will say about himself and what he's been up to.......

cheesesteak

10-15-2008, 09:36 AM

I'm just trying to figure out how Don is going to explain going to California on a business trip, doing no work and then extending his time away from the office.

BobB

10-15-2008, 10:16 AM

I'm just trying to figure out how Don is going to explain going to California on a business trip, doing no work and then extending his time away from the office.

If you really want to know, there is mention of this in the preview for next week:

Roger says something about Don's absence being due to marital difficulties - which, in large part, it is.

w1ngman

10-15-2008, 11:59 AM

Without quoting others above...I'll add my observations regarding Don's inspection of his mixed drink glass that evening at the pool...

I thought the glass had a 'top-to-bottom' crack running through it. And as Don had just witnessed 'the ugly side' of these folks' devil-may-care lifestyle (divorce, who-owns-the-kids, freak-o-daddy-pimpin'-daughters,...you name it...), that Don saw the crack in the glass as a perception that 'all is not right in this world' of theirs and he should get the hell outta here.

I also think we were to witness Don suffering a bit of post-war PSTS (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) during the MIRV presentation. And I suspect...not unlike his character's reaction to this disorder 10 years or so previously...Don may have 'snapped' into another character when the MIRV presentation affected him again. He's running. He feels the need to change his identity once again.

At the same time...we all have to appreciate that Don's character is too central to this show for him to just step out of the way. So what do I know... ;)

sallypnut

10-15-2008, 12:32 PM

...aren't you clever. I saw it was murky, but didn't get that it was residue.

Barbeedoll

I took the look at the glass to be Don noticing the seam and that it was pressed glass.

TiVo'Brien

10-16-2008, 10:54 AM

My cross post from NJ.com:

From Wikipedia regarding "The Sound and the Fury"

The title of the novel is taken from Macbeth's soliloquy in act 5, scene 5 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth:

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

I interpret that as a restatement of not only Don's life philosophy, but also that of the jet set. Life has no intrinsic meaning and to try and give it meaning is a fool's errand. So, rather than engage in a futile act, live a hedonistic, jet set life, indulging yourself in pleasure, because in the end, life is a pointless exercise filled only with silly human sounds and passions.

USAFSSO

10-23-2008, 12:03 AM

All good points. I noticed at the end after he hung up the phone he put his left arm across the back of the couch. In the credits at the beginning of the episodes he has his right arm on the couch. Right arm-Don, Left arm-Dick.

Definitely heard the bombs sounds during the MIRV presentation, like he heard when he was looking at "Dons" Purple Heart in S1E1, opening scene.