Betty Draper is one of my favorite characters on Mad Men. She's icy, superficial, probably a bad mother. She's also parts responsible and not responsible for her fate. These proportions shift every time a new revelation or plot development moves forward on Mad Men. This is what I love about the show-- conceptions of characters can change drastically, and it never feels forced. The show has evolved with few hiccups over its run-- but let's stick with this episode.
Betty is fleshed out as a character here. It starts out at dinner-- one of the ubiquitous restaurants where Don Draper is expected to be. It's glamourous, but Roger still gets his fried chicken. This is another area where Mad Men shines: every little thing can be thrown against the wall of symbolism, and somehow it sticks. Can you imagine how heavy handed and obnoxious this would be if it didn't work? It would be the ultimate pariah of "intelligent" television, a shining example of how literary profundity cannot be fabricated and assembled. But dammit, somehow it works. Mad Men is LOST for English majors, and we can't help but get sucked in.
I just got a paragraph out of a nice set design and a food order. Of course, it may be a load of drivel, but for every crackpot observation there is out there, there's one that works.
Moving on to the plot of the episode, Betty has a crisis. Who would have thought that housewifes in the 60's had psychological issues? Betty is a mirror of all the flawed values and standards for women. She is perfection, and it cripples her. The seams unravel as she loses control of her hands-- the most important part of being a housewife. No errands, no lipstick application, no control. Betty is given control, but over a small world of her house and social life, and even that goes to hell in a very oddly edited car crash scene. Up to this point, none of her ambitions have been revealed. She's perfectly happy to stay at home and watch the kids, or at least that's what she thinks until her body betrays her.
This episode focuses in on what makes people happy. It's a tough question, and one that's been asked umpteen times. Mad Men makes it work through its setting. It was America in 1960-- as Roger says, "how can anyone not be happy with all of this?" Roger isn't quite figured out in the first episodes, but this was a strong scene that contrasted him with Don. Don isn't sure that material wealth or psychiatry is the answer. Mental health is touched on in this episode-- Roger considers psychiatry a passing fad, and if it makes his wife happy, fantastic. Don thinks that it's a scam. Why can't people manufacture happiness? That's what he does for a living. One of Don's worst qualities is brought out here-- he has no idea what it's like to not be him. For a man who could sell anything, he doesn't bring that charisma to personal understanding. Sure, he's charismatic and a good lover, but he belittles any potential problem and only relents when Betty shows real desperation. He's the perfect man to Betty's perfect woman. (I felt a little dirty writing that, even with the irony).
The other major story is about Peggy and the Junior Account Boys. They are sexist and crude and they make her uncomfortable. The show still didn't have the correct level of subtlety. It was absolutely necessary to show that men did not treat women in an acceptable manner, but the first few episodes crank it so much that it's almost farcical. Peggy is more astute here than in the pilot, deftly maneuvering away from unwanted advances and refusing to be broken down by the office's wiles. It was weirdly heartbreaking to see her friendship with Paul dissipate as her novelty overcame amicability. Her position as the new girl contributed to the overarching theme of happiness-- do we only love things that we don't know? Don certainly follows this ideology, even if he doesn't want to admit it. His fling with Midge shows fizzles as she settles down with a television. You can see the wonder leave his eyes as she describes the banal shows she loves. Don isn't a materialist, but he understands the system that has relegated him so much happiness, and he's stuck in between two worlds. As the divide starts to increase, so does his insecurity.
Final Grade: A-
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