Review: Mad Men "Dark Shadows"

Non Spoiler Review:

Dark Shadows was a heavy-handed episode, requiring little probing to uncover the themes. It was all jealousy and vindictiveness and revenge. The Drapers, the Francises and the players at SCDP all engage in backstabbing and, as Roger sums it up, every man for himself.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the focus is back on Betty, who is still grappling with her weight, and realizes it's not just the food that's the problem. Sally and the boys are enjoying their time at Don and Megan's, and Sally is in the midst of doing a family history project which provides Betty an opportunity to sow some discord. Roger is back trying to woo new clients, which requires Jane's (Semitic) help. Michael and Don begin to compete for pitches.

It remained a satisfying episode, despite that we've had quite a string of these dark chapters showing the underbelly of the characters and their life in Manhattan. While Dark Shadows didn't highlight any future direction for this season, it remained a good one, with more enjoyable stuff for Sally, while updating the status of where some characters are at. 

Spoilers Now!

Pete has an acquaintance at the New York Times who is going to focus an article on up-and-coming ad agencies, which provides SCDP a chance to get some publicity. Meanwhile, creative is working on a campaign for Sno Ball. When Don stays late he happens upon Michael's work folder and is amused by all the man's ideas. That prompts him to brainstorm himself, and comes up with a pitch based around snowball's chance in hell. When creative meets to banter around all the ideas, Don starts to feel that his ideas aren't getting the same attention as Michael's, but they finally decide to go on the two pitches—Don and Michael's, and when they present them to Pete, Ken and Harry, they find Michael's the funny one, but still think presenting two options is best. Michael comments that it's good to see Don can still come up with ad copy despite being away from it.

Bert presses Roger to get back into finding clients, so has set up a meeting with Jewish wine maker, Max Rosenburg, for him to have dinner with. That requires Roger's Jewish wife Jane to seal the deal, only Roger has to remind him that they're getting a divorce. Roger goes to Michael to secure some ideas for the dinner—similar to what he asked Peggy to do on Mohawk. Michael needs financial encouragement, as well, so Roger has to dole out some cash to bribe him to do the extra work (that Roger will take credit for). Michael realizes how much Roger hates Pete.

Roger calls Jane to try to get a favor out of her. She offers a deal that he buy her a new apartment, given the current one has all their memories (plus his mother is her landlord). He concedes.

Betty and Henry pick up the kids from Don and Megan. Sally is in the midst of a family tree project for school, and Megan is busy teaching her some of her acting skills from class. Betty runs up to get them and is let in by Sally, so takes the opportunity to look at the Draper's marvelous apartment. She spies Megan getting dressed through the balcony window, then she comes out and they have a tense hello. When they get home, Betty goes straight to the fridge and sprays whip cream in her mouth, then quickly spits it out. Betty's been attending Weight Watchers, and has only lost half a pound, but confesses to the group she had a bad week and realizes it's not just food that is the problem.

Megan's friend is trying out for a part in Dark Shadows. Her friend is annoyed that Megan makes light of the bad script, and comments that she's got an amazing life where she doesn't have to struggle to make ends meet while she indulges in her acting passion. Megan is offended, but admits she's very lucky.

Sally has questions about the family tree she's working on (where to put Megan and Henry). Betty finds a note in Bobby's homework—a love note from Don to Megan. So she tells Sally not to forget Don's first wife, the one she had before her—Anna Draper. Betty comments she's surprised Don never mentioned it to her and leaves Sally to consider that.

Michael can't keep a secret, so reveals to Peggy he's doing some work for Roger but isn't supposed to tell. He wants to look smart at the meeting. Peggy says she doesn't care what he does, but is angry that Roger went to Michael over her. She confronts Roger in the elevator telling him her work for Mohawk was great, and at least she kept it secret. She tells him he's not loyal. Roger explains it's every man for himself.

The kids are back at Don and Megan's, but Sally is cool to her father and seriously bitchy to Megan, calling her a liar. Megan questions why she's being so nasty. Sally asks who Anna is. Megan wants to know who told her about her, and explains it wasn't her place to say. She concedes Anna and Don got married to help one another and never had any babies, a long time ago. Sally orders her not to tell her father.

When Sally is asleep Megan tells everything to Don and that Betty obviously told her. Don is furious and moves to call Betty. He adds Megan shouldn't have said anything at all. She tells him if he calls her he'll be giving Betty the thrill of knowing she poisoned them from 50 miles away. Sally is listening at the door. Don realizes she's right and apologizes for his reaction. In the morning, Don is woken up by a phone call from Pete who says they're not even mentioned in the Times article. It quickly turns into a blame game, and Don snaps to Pete not to wake him and throw his own failures in his face, and hangs up. 

Sally comes out. Don apologizes to her and admits it's his fault. Betty doesn't care about hurting her, she just wants to hurt Don and Megan. Don goes on to explain Anna was a friend but she died. And they married one another so she could own a house. Sally agrees to apologize to Megan. 

In the cab to the Sno Ball meeting, Don leaves Michael's idea in the car. Sno Ball thinks Don's pitch is great, and Harry informs the team when he returns to the office. Michael is mortified to learn his creative didn't get shown to the client. Peggy is amused.

A proud Betty tells Sally she got an A plus on her family tree, then asks if Megan helped her and if she asked about Anna. Sally cheerfully informs her that they did, and Don showed her pictures and they spoke very fondly of her. Betty sends her to watch television.

At Roger' client meeting, Jane charms the wine maker. Max' handsome son Bernard shows up. Jane finds him very attractive. Roger sells them on a good pitch, though he admits he did engage his creatives in anticipation of the dinner. Afterwards on the drive home, he asks Jane if she'll call Bernard, and to remember everyone thinks they're still married. He wants to see the apartment she picked out and tells her he's missed her and kisses her. They end up having sex. In the morning, Jane is depressed that she wanted the new apartment because she didn't want the memories of the old one, and now he's ruined this one. He gets everything he wants and he still had to do this. He admits she's right and he feels terrible, leaving her.

Pete has a daydream where Beth shows up in his office naked under a fur coat. On the train home, Howard is excited about spending the weekend with his fling in the city, which infuriates Pete. He suggests he should go to Howard's house and screw his wife all weekend. Howard just laughs and thinks Pete is jealous.

Michael confronts Don in the elevator (where all the big conversations are had these days), congratulating him on his successful pitch, but commenting his wasn't even presented, so they have no idea what they might have chosen. Michael muses he has a million great ideas so Don counters that's fortunate he works for him. Michael says he feels sorry for him. Don tells him he doesn't think about him at all.

Megan prepares Thanksgiving dinner for Don and her friend. As Don goes to open the balcony, she warns him there's a smog emergency and they can't open the doors. He looks out at the grey haze over Manhattan.

At the Francis dinner, everyone comments on what they're thankful for. For Sally, it's that she's doing well in school. Betty says she has everything she wants. Then she looks down at the few morsels she's allowed herself for dinner and savors each bite. 

The Verdict:

Sally shines again, this time with the help of Megan's coaching, able to turn the tables on her mother and fire back a damaging shot with little effort. Too bad Don and Megan won't be privy to how she dealt with Betty's questions. Either Sally is going to go completely off the rails as a teenager, or she'll grow up extremely well-adjusted.

Betty's peek into Megan and Don's life was a bitter pill to swallow. It's everything she ever wanted. That's mostly Don's fault for robbing her of her dreams and turning her into the woman she's become, but it was a very effective moment. She still has a relatively loving relationship with Henry, but he's certainly not the dynamic man she wanted in her youth.

Beth's brief reappearance indicates that plot line isn't done with and will have some probable repercussions for Pete.

The atmosphere at SCDP continues to be as toxic as the obvious metaphor of the smog over the city. What a stark contrast to the first season's very rigid power structures. Now Michael and Peggy have Roger over a barrel and can have arguments in the open with their superiors. Perhaps this backstabbing, every man for himself attitude is what is ultimately going to drive the final direction of the season and backfire against the firm. 

Review: Game of Thrones "The Old Gods and the New"

Non Spoiler Review:

The episode kicks off with Theon's successful overthrow of Winterfell, leading to events spinning out of control. Theon's treachery prompts a response from Robb, while a send off for Myrcella in King's Landing shows just how tenuous Joffrey's reign is. Jon is given some responsibility that might be too much to handle. Daenerys attempts to secure allies and ships to cross the Narrow Sea. Arya's situation at Harrenhal grows more tenuous as Baelish pays a visit.

Probably the most tension-filled chapter this season, several characters are placed in jeopardy and there will be some serious repercussions for behaviours and bad choices. It was all a mix of demonstrations of loyalty and nobility contrasted with brutal treachery. On the political end of things, the Lannisters get their eyes opened to just how hated they are.

The remainder of the season is going to be all about escalation. The writers continue to successfully juggle the wealth of storylines and make it all come together each week. And they still manage to give pretty much everyone their due. Arya and Tywin remain the big surprise, as their scenes together are some of the best.

Spoilers Now!

Luwin frantically scrawls out a message and gets it off by raven before soldiers break through the door. Theon arrives at Bran's bedchamber announcing he's taken and occupying Winterfell. Sleepy Bran asks him why. Theon explains he's a Greyjoy and can't fight for Robb and his father both. Bran simply refuses to tell the people he's yielded Winterfell and says they'll fight him and throw him out. Theon points out his yield will keep his people alive and that's what a good lord would do. As Theon leaves, Bran asks if he hated them the whole time, but gets no answer.

Bran announces to the courtyard he's surrendered Winterfell. Theon explains Balon is now king of the Iron Islands. He orders a raven sent to Pyke informing his father of his victory and his sister to bring 500 men to supplement his forces. Luwin obeys, while Osha steps forward and asks to serve Theon. She wants a spear in her hand again. Theon dismisses her outrageous request. As Osha joins him, Bran asks why she would turn on him. She replies that it's his dream, and she's not about to let the ocean swallow her as well. 

Sir Rodrik is led in, thoroughly disgusted with Theon's betrayal and spits on him. Theon orders him taken away, but Dagmer warns he must pay the iron price, or they'll never respect him. Theon abruptly sentences him to death but Luwin urges him not to make a hasty decision given he's worth more alive than dead. The Stark's will pay for him. Theon reminds him to address him as Prince Theon, or he'll be next. Rodrik is taken to the execution stone as Bran begs him to stop. Rodrik is defiant and tells Theon he is truly lost, goading him into performing the act himself. Theon does so, but makes a horrible mess of it to the horror of all watching.

In the north, Ghost seems to be having a mind of his own rather than following along with Jon and Qhorin Halfhand. The Wildings sleep during the day and do their killing at night, Qhorin explains. They take out some Wilding guards, one of whom is a girl, Ygritte. Qhorin advises him not to trust her or put much faith in her interrogation. She suggests they burn the other bodies given they will rise. Qhorin says she must be killed, so Jon agrees to do it.

They leave him to his task, but she sees he's never killed a woman before. She puts her head on the stone for him and tells him to strike hard or she'll come back and haunt him. His sword falls on the rock instead. That gives her opportunity to knock him down and flee, prompting a long chase over the rocks until he manages to catch up and bring her down. The sun is going down and his friends are out of sight. Jon ties her up, but they ultimately have to camp for the night given they can't find Qhorin. She wants to light a fire, but he's adamant they don't. She calls him stupid but brave as they fall asleep together.

Tywin is frustrated by the ineptitude of his bannermen, particular Amory Loch, who has mixed up messages between houses and sent a message to one loyal to the Starks by mistake, given he can't read. He sends him away just as Lord Baelish arrives (with a stunned Arya in the room). She has to clear the table and serve wine as Baelish explains his mission.

Baelish talks of his travels to Renly's camp and rumors of dark forces at work there. After the Lannisters and Starks, the Tyrells command the largest force but have not declared for anyone yet. Loras wants revenge on Stannis, while Margaery wants to be queen. While Tywin wants them punished, Baelish suggests they do so only after Stannis and Robb are defeated. Then Baelish catches sight of Arya and seems to pause. Tywin sends her away as Baelish agrees to ride to Highgarden to meet with the Tyrells. He also adds Tyrion has brought a proposal to Catelyn Stark regarding her daughters.

On the shores of King's Landing, Princess Myrcella is sent off in a boat to Dorne, while Cersei watches, accompanied by her brother, the king and Sansa. She tells Tyrion that she hopes he finds love with someone so deeply that she can take her from him and he might know what loss feels like. Joffrey chides his younger brother for weeping. The group begins their return to the palace, but the city streets are crowded with hungry citizens who begin to hurl insults, and a cow pie, that hits Joffrey in the face. Infuriated, he demands they be killed, which prompts a huge riot and the Hound carries Joffrey away as Cersei, Sansa and Tyrion attempt to follow. The priest who gave his blessings on the shore isn't so lucky, and is literally torn apart. Sansa and her ladies are cut off and she flees into a tunnel followed by some men. 

Within the palace walls Tyrion calls Joffrey a vicious idiot for letting the people starve and calling for their deaths. Joffrey is too angry to reason with, so Tyrion strikes him and asks of Sansa. If she dies they'll never get Jaime back. Joffrey refuses to send his guards in search of her.

Sansa is about to be raped when the Hound finds them and kills all the men, taking her back. He returns her to the palace and tells them to see to her cut and put her back in her cage. Then he adds a comment to Tyrion that he didn't do it for him.

In Qarth, Daenerys awaits to present her case to the head of the council, while Xaro chides her for not taking his offer. The condescending merchant finally appears, and she asks for ships to cross the Narrow Sea, promising to repay the debt threefold when she retakes the iron throne. He points out she can't retake what she never had. She doesn't have an army or powerful allies. She explains Mopatis from Pentos gave her three petrified dragon eggs thought dead, but she dreamed they would hatch in a great fire, a fire that left her unhurt. She is no ordinary woman—her dreams come true. He admires her passion but is ultimately a businessman and refuses. 

Arya cleans Tywin's table and finds a note there regarding Robb. Tywin asks who taught her to read, then muses about the difficulty he had with Jaime teaching him to read. Arya explains her father was a stone mason who taught himself to read, but he's dead. Loyalty killed him. Tywin thinks she's a sharp girl, so she asks him if he knew his father. Tywin grew up with him and watched him grow old, he says. He loved them and was a good man, but he nearly destroyed their house. While Tywin reminisces, Arya takes the note and goes to fetch wood for the fire. 

She runs into Amory Loch on her way to the armory, who sees the note and takes it, despite that Arya claims Tywin gave it to her to deliver to the armory. He doesn't believe her, so she flees and gets away, then desperately searches for Jaqen. She tells him she needs her second choice now, and at last convinces him to go after Loch. Shortly thereafter Tywin's door opens to Loch, who abruptly falls dead.

Robb notices Talisa in his camp and finds her far more flirtatious than their initial meeting. However Catelyn and Brienne make their appearance and he introduces them. Talisa excuses herself, but Catelyn sees her son is smitten and warns him he's inherited his father's responsibilities, promised to another. Robb realizes that, but they're immediately interrupted by news of Winterfell's defeat.

Catelyn and Robb try to digest the information of Theon's betrayal and Rodrik's death (and Catelyn can't help reminding her son she warned him not to trust the Greyjoys). Robb initially wants to march the army back north, but Roose Bolton wisely counsels him they have a war to win, and he doesn't have to do everything himself. Roose suggests his own bastard, Ramsay can rally the remaining soldiers in the north and retake Winterfell, promising to bring Theon's head. Robb agrees, but insists that Rickon and Bran's safety is paramount, and Theon is to be taken alive so Robb can take his head himself.

At Winterfell, Osha visits Theon again, wanting to be of service, suggesting there are other ways to serve than with a spear. She takes off her robe and Theon sends away the guard. She explains it comes at a price—she wants her freedom, so he promises her she will have it if she serves him well.

As Theon sleeps, Osha sneaks outside, only to be stopped by the guard on her way to the godswood. She says Theon has offered her up to the rest of the men and quickly kills him as he falls to her seduction. She whistles for Hodor who brings out Rickon and Bran, and they head off into the night with their dire wolves following. 

Back at King's Landing, Sansa is tended to by Shae. Sansa can't understand why someone would want to kill her and would willingly give them her own food. She hates the king more than them. Shae tells her never to say such things out loud in case the wrong people hear her. Sansa trusts her, but Shae advises her not to trust anyone.

Daenerys and Xaro walk back to her quarters, while she laments that none of the merchants will risk their business interests and support her. Xaro tells her the path from poverty to wealth isn't always pure and honorable. When they get to her lodgings, they find the courtyard full of the bodies of her people. Xaro tells them to bar the gates as Daenerys runs up to her quarters to find her dragons gone and her servants dead. Meanwhile, a man carries the dragons up the steps to a tower.

The Verdict:

There was a great tie in with responsibility and the lack thereof with both Jon and Theon's executions. We have Ned's dutiful and flawless execution of his Night's Watchman in the first episode to compare with his later brutal death, and now Theon's horribly botched one, done only to prove his authority. Meanwhile, Jon demonstrates that he's not yet ready to handle the responsibilities of a ranger by lacking the mettle to go through with Ygritte's.

I'm relieved Robb made the wise decision to not return his army to Winterfell and let Roose Bolton handle it. I don't doubt they can retake the city, but given the Boltons' manner of punishment, things don't bode well for the Iron Island conquerors, least of all Theon. So his days could certainly be numbered. I can't see an escape for his character unless he manages to get out of Winterfell before it goes down.

I wonder how large the Greyjoy rebellion will play out in the grand scheme of things—is it just a minor plot point? It could play a larger factor in the greater war, or it could all come down to Theon leading his family to destruction by bringing Yara to Winterfell just in time to face defeat. Certainly a suitable punishment for his character. Meanwhile, Osha doesn't let us down by playing off Theon's horniness and getting everyone out safely. Odd that she didn't chose to kill him before she left.

How likely is it that the Tyrell's will ally themselves with Tywin? It's very difficult to believe what Baelish is proposing given his motivations are clearly for his own position, and how willing Tywin would be to remove Cersei and/or Joffrey to accommodate. But the scenes at Harrenhal have been surprisingly some of the strongest stuff. The relationship between Arya and Tywin is quite charming (and sometimes chilling). Did Baelish recognize Arya? It appeared he caught a glimpse of her. My only real critique comes with Jaqen, who behaved very much like a deux ex machina managing to dispatch Arya's troubles in the nick of time.

The uprising at King's Landing and the way it came out of nowhere was quite effective. Cersei's wish for revenge on Tyrion is pretty ominous, and it seems Shae has learned the ropes quickly too, given her counsel to Sansa. Ironically, Myrcella is likely the only Lannister in a safe place. I'm still wondering how far Tyrion will go to fix the situation there. Who is he willing to sacrifice? He still wants Jamie back, so his loyalty to his family appears to be his priority. But what happens when that and the well being of the kingdom comes into conflict?

It's convenient that Daenerys has pretty much been freed of her responsibilities to the Dothraki and can do whatever she needs without hauling them along. Does the House of the Undying have her dragons? Yet Xaro's comment that she might have to do dishonorable things to succeed implies he could be involved himself.

What is the nature of the rising dead in the north? Ygritte makes mention that the dead Wildings must be burned. Does that mean the White Walkers have performed some magic on them? And what happens to members of the Night's Watch who might die there?

With all the betrayal we saw, loyalty and nobility does shine through in some surprising places. Osha has remained true to Bran with a scheme to free them, and the Hound obviously has Sansa's best interests at heart (and not Joffrey's, given the king refers to him as dog). Could the Hound ultimately become the new king slayer this season?

Review: The Walking Dead 97

Non Spoiler Review:

Attention returns to Alexandria, as the population await the return of Rick and his crew. Eugene and Abraham go exploring for bullet-making supplies. Maggie's got a secret. And on the road, Rick encounters followers of Negan.

The storyline is kicking into high gear and moving briskly now compared to previous issues. There was a good balance of action, plot development, and some character stuff, making for a dense issue with the promise of lots of twists and turns to come.

There are more and more hints that Kirkman could be making a big paradigm shift in what this series is about. I could be misinterpreting some of the foreshadowing, but it's a really engaging storyline, nonetheless.

Spoilers Now!

Meanwhile, back at home, everyone gathers for church service and prays for the safe return of Rick and his crew. And Carl? He's missing, of course, and Maggie (hopefully) assumes he's with Rick. She's also experiencing some nausea.

Abraham visits Eugene, who has been researching the phone book for possible locations of equipment to make bullets. But he can't help but rub in that he's now with Rosita, only she doesn't feel the same way.

As for Rick, the van is on the way home, only to be halted by an ambush of bikers who order them to stop in the name of Negan. Andrea and Michonne dispatch all but one with ease, leaving Rick to order the survivor to return to Negan with instructions that they will now pay Rick half their supplies, and he'll protect them instead. After he's gone, Carl has regained some memories, particularly of a similar event on the road (when he was nearly raped, and Rick butchered the attackers), giving Rick mixed feelings about his son's memory returning.

The group gets back to Alexandria and bring everyone up to speed, the majority of whom are excited and agree that they can provide protection for the Hilltop in exchange for supplies. Maggie reveals she's pregnant. Andrea and Rick decide that the future is starting to look pretty hopeful and perhaps they could try out a relationship. While keeping the perimeter clear, a particularly rotted walker is discovered.

Abraham and Eugene go exploring for supplies, with Eugene subtly taunting him that he's Rick's lapdog. Meanwhile, some armed strangers are watching them from behind a building.

The Verdict:

Given my occasional complaint that the storyline was moving slowly, Kirkman brought Rick and Negan on a collision pretty quick. I have a sinking feeling that Rick's hubris is a bit out of control and he's horribly misjudged Negan. His manner of dealing with his followers was pretty brutal (but that's who they've become, I guess), but I don't doubt it's going to backfire (and perhaps against the Hilltop rather than Alexandria). This other group spying on Abraham and Eugene could be entirely unrelated to Negan, or part of his group. Hard to tell at this point.

Eugene is the other interesting variable this time as he seems eager to sow discord at every opportunity with Abraham. I don't believe he has a particular agenda, but just a need to show his worth now that he seems to be doing something for the community, and having Rosita staying with him appears to have fluffed his ego.

That wasn't the only character drama. Finally some movement on the Rick and Andrea kiss, too. It seems odd they've not talked about it in all this time. How will Maggie's pregnancy turn out? Her stomach problems had me initially musing about non-zombie maladies in general. We haven't really seen any of the characters come down with a serious disease like cancer or diabetes. It would certainly be tragic to survive the apocalypse only to succumb to cancer. Given how impressed Glen was with the Hilltop, I'm wondering if he might now want to move his family there?

Also of note was the rotting zombie Abraham and Eugene discover, which calls back to a similar curious walker they found on the road a ton of issues back. That makes me wonder if Kirkman could be winding down the zombie apocalypse—that the walkers have a lifespan before they just rot away. That's an interesting development, if, in a few years we find the survivors existing in a world with far fewer walkers and simply managing the situation. That would be quite a change in direction, but one that would flow logically with all that's gone before. Regardless, I'm back to anticipating each issue to see where it all goes (especially coming up on the 100th).

Review: Mad Men "Lady Lazarus

Non Spoiler Review:

Lady Lazarus revisits Pete's marital infidelities, but illuminates his misogynist motivations as he's presented with an opportunity with a lonely housewife. As the creative team works on a Cool Whip campaign, a secret Megan is harboring begins to infect the office (and Peggy), leading to a surprising outcome for SCDP.

Lady Lazarus refers to the suicide-themed Sylvia Plath poem. The Megan situation brought plenty of tension, and it's not what one initially thinks it could be, but there continues to be this ongoing string of death imagery that casts an unsettled tone over everything. Don and Roger again debate the generation gap, which has become the primary theme for this season. There was plenty of good drama, and a great fight between Don and Peggy, ending on yet another catchy and memorable musical montage.

Spoilers Now!

Pete shares the train with Howard, who tries to sell him life insurance but ends up talking of his affair in Manhattan. Pete's only comment is if he's worried he'll get caught.

With Don present Michael sells a pitch to Chevalier Blanc that hinges on using a song similar to the Beatles. Don asks Megan what song will fit the campaign rather than the others in creative, and he can't understand why people now want songs rather than jingles.

The next night Pete gets off the train and Howard's wife Beth meets him, explaining she locked her keys in the car and Howard wasn't on the train. He drives her home, and she says he's staying in the city given they got an apartment, though she knows what that means. She mentions Pete's awful driving, too.

He gets her home, but she laments Howard likely doesn't care if she's alive or dead. He boldly goes in with her but she protests she wants to be left alone. So Pete kisses her and they end up having sex. As much as she liked it, she says it can't happen again.

Megan gets a mysterious phone call, then later sees Don off on a client dinner. Peggy thought they were working late but Megan tells her Don has asked her to attend the dinner. Unfortunately Don calls Peggy looking for Megan so she explains she went to meet him at the restaurant. Don says he never called and is, in fact, at home. He phones Peggy again, but she doesn't answer and leaves given she doesn't want to be put in the middle of them.

Megan returns home explaining she went out for a drink with friends. The next day Peggy asks her what it was all about and doesn't want to be put in that position again. It turned out she had a callback for an audition for a Broadway show but didn't get it. Megan didn't tell Don because she doesn't want him to know she still wants to be an actress. She's finally realized she wants to quit. That makes Peggy furious given people are killing to take that job and she doesn't even want to do it.

Peggy goes on to her creative meeting for Cool Whip with Don, Ken and Stan. She's only further irritated when Megan joins them. She and Don have come up with a charming husband/wife bit for the campaign that everyone (but Peggy) thinks is adorable, and they're to present it to the Cool Whip chef at their kitchen.

However, Megan wakes Don up in the middle of the night to explain where she was and that she misses acting. Don isn't very alarmed that she lied, but tells her sometimes they don't get to choose where their talents lie. She claims she felt better failing the audition than succeeding with Heinz. She's never tried as hard at acting as she did at advertising and she no longer wants to do it. Don's upset that she wants out of the business, but says he understands and doesn't want to keep her from her dream.

In the morning, an uneasy Don speaks with Joan about Megan quitting. Joan suggests the girls take her to lunch, but she'll take care of everything. Megan announces in creative that she's leaving but has difficulty saying good-bye. She hands over her work to Peggy, who asks if she's sure about it. Joan tells Peggy she didn't see it coming, and thinks Megan will ultimately be a failing actress with a rich husband. Peggy thinks she's good at everything and feels guilty for being too hard on her. Joan reminds her Don met Betty doing a print ad and that's the kind of girl he marries.

All Harry can think is how nice it will be not having to watch what he says around Megan. Pete doesn't care and is bitter about women in general and why they get to control everything. Pete had contacted Beth and wanted her to meet him in the city but she asked him not to call again.

Don sees Megan off for lunch, then thinks about following, however the other elevator door opens and he stares down an empty shaft, which proves unnerving. He goes to have a drink in his office (rather than report it to maintenance!?). Ken marches in to tell them they found a song for Chevalier Blanc, which sounds nothing like the Beatles, and Michael is aghast that it's thirty years old.

Pete finds Howard on the train home again, so he lets him know he decided to get a new policy and already contacted his broker. Howard wants the chance to sell to him, so invites him over to discuss it at dinner. They arrive to a shocked Beth who feigns an introduction. As Howard goes upstairs Pete grabs another kiss and wants to meet her again. Pete ends up staying for dinner, though Beth claims she has a headache.

Without Megan, it falls to Peggy to fill in for her at the Cool Whip meeting, but Peggy isn't on her game as much as Megan was. The two lack the same chemistry—Peggy comes across as an angry wife while Don is just passive aggressive. Ken and the others watch the awkward pitch, and the chef is disappointed and excuses himself. Don chides her for not knowing her lines, and when she balks abruptly exclaims she felt threatened by Megan. Peggy protests that she defended her all the time and accuses him of taking out his anger at Megan on her.

Pete waits in the hotel room for Beth who never shows, and angrily leaves after smashing a glass.

Roger and Don discuss Megan's departure. Roger thinks she just wants a baby, but Megan has said Don's kids are enough. Don doesn't want her to end up like Betty, so she should do what she wants.

Don goes home, and Megan has recommended a song for the campaign before heading off to acting class—the Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows. He puts it on and it's far superior than Ken's choice. The episode ends with the song playing out over Peggy and Stan working late. Megan is enjoying her acting class. Pete sees Beth picking up Howard at the train station. She draws a heart in the condensation on her window. That just enrages him. Don doesn't like or understand the music at all and turns it off.

The Verdict:

Megan's departure wasn't entirely unexpected, though I'm pleased to see it was in this form, and not something related to the marriage. Don has certainly grown enough to realize his role in making Betty unhappy by robbing her of her own life, so he's wisely not going to make that mistake with Megan again. 

The plot was capped quite nicely with Megan providing the perfect music for Don at the end, despite Ken's horrible attempts to chose himself. Don's bickering with Peggy was a great (and funny) contrast to the initial amazing pitch. It seems Don can only be honest with Peggy, and not his wife. He certainly revealed his emotions to her, and she's come a long way that she can tell Don to shut up in front of Ken.

Pete's little fling really illuminated his character and his need to dominate women. He continues to attempt to emulate Don and fails miserably, frustrating him to no end. Beth was a bit of a kook, and it looks like she used Pete to get back at Howard as much as he was using her, but she remained in control of the situation despite all of Pete's best efforts. I get a sense that if Pete were to suffer a serious humiliation he could opt to off himself.

Don and Roger continue to struggle to understand the new generation they're selling to. After seeing Don grapple with the Beatles song (and even younger Ken not getting it), I'm wondering if SCDP can manage itself in this new era. But we got another great musical send off for Lady Lazarus, complete with archetypal brooding Don in chair with drink image.

Finally, the sense of impending doom continues to hover over the series, this time with Pete's (lack of) driving skills leading me to think he was heading for a nasty accident, as well as his discussion of life insurance. But then we get the elevator shaft scene with Don that was pretty chilling itself. Obviously it  brings a lot of stuff to mind (including the opening sequence), but very symbolic of being cut off from Megan. I'm pretty certain this means someone is going to die, and if not Pete, I now wonder if it could be Megan. It would definitely take Don's character in new directions if he were to lose her like that.