After every Mad Men episode, I try to think of one word, one theme that best defines the plot as a whole. This week? Oddly enough, the best word I could use to sum it all up is "loyalty." It seems like every character, hell, every person, is a slave to the groove in some form or another. This theme plays out in this week's episode of "The Runaways" through marriage, brands, father figures, patriotism and comically, (read: tragically) through mental instability.
Stephanie, the niece of Anna Draper calls up Don looking for help. She's pregnant and alone in LA and needs some cash to get her to Oakland where she'll be with friends and people who can help her through her fast-approaching labor. Don is delighted to hear from her and relishes the fact that he can play the role of a gracious Uncle to a family member whom he actually loves. Stephanie is probably the most stable family member he has and loves him despite his secrets. After all, she knows him as Dick Whitman, the loving companion of her favorite and beloved aunt.
Don sends Stephanie to Megan's place to a shockingly warm and welcoming Megan. Stephanie is dirt-covered, yet radiant and all smiles. The two proceed to awkwardly comment on each other's magnetic beauty and share a hug. Megan seems totally okay with Stephanie taking a shower, wearing her robe and making her whatever she'd like to eat. They even chat about Anna Draper, Don's secret first wife and Megan remains the ever-calm presence. But when Stephanie jokingly mentions that she knows all of Don's secrets, (which, c'mon... Megan knows the exact same secrets!) Megan reacts very coldly, completely changing the temperature of the conversation. She scolds Stephanie for her "disorganized plans" and Stephanie graciously takes it on the chin. Megan writes her a large check and sends her on her way.
Meanwhile at the office, Michael Ginsberg is quickly unraveling over the presence of the looming computer, claiming that not only has the radio stopped working because of it but the computer has the ability to turn people "homo." No one seems to notice but Peggy who is understandably concerned and worried for him. Stan and company are having a field day with the discovery of Lou's off-hours hobby - the creation of "Scout's Honor," a humorous political cartoon about a monkey serving for the war effort. Lou finds out that he's become the butt of everyone's joke and takes it out on his staff, making them work late and giving them a speech about patriotism and idealistic dreams.
Don is rightfully upset when he shows up in California the next morning and discovers that Stephanie has already left. While he doesn't know what exactly happened, and Megan isn't telling him, he's upset that Megan didn't call him earlier to let him know Stephanie was leaving or even get a chance to talk to her. Before leaving for the market with her dopey red headed friend Amy, ("Hi, we met on the phone!") she tells Amy not to worry about what to pick up on their errand saying, "I know what he likes." It's just such an odd little moment of Megan claiming her rightful place as leading lady in Don's life.
That night at Megan's party, Don is the odd man out, serving as the dud in the dinner jacket as his wife dances freely with her fellow misanthropic free-spirited friends. Ironically his saving grace is the arrival of Harry and the two escape to a bar to talk shop. Don learns that SCP is secretly advancing towards winning the business of General, the cigarette company, which would mean that Don would find himself without a job. We learn later that this would in fact be the case after his very public temper tantrum written in letter-form and published in the New York Times. With this knowledge, he grumpily returns home after the party has ended and most of the guests have gone home. "You know what would make you feel better?... Drugs!" offers Megan's dopey new shadow. (Was it strange that we first see her painting Megan's toenails and answering her phone? It feels like she's Megan's lapdog, answering to every beck and call. "Paint my nails! Answer my phone! Leave the room! Sleep with my husband!") Megan sends Amy to "tuck Don in" and the three warily engage in a threesome. While it was an incredibly risque move on AMC's part, how awkward was it that this was least sexy threesome ever portrayed on TV? I felt downright sorry for all of them.
In the morning, Megan clearly didn't win at her attempt to keep her husband interested, as he is delighted when Stephanie calls letting him know that she made it to Oakland. Megan childishly bangs around the kitchen, angry and jealous. (Why?!) Don needs to return to New York to deal with the cigarette business and quickly kisses Megan goodbye. Megan sadly stands in the kitchen alone, hungover and wearing the same robe that Stephanie was seen wearing the day before. How did she think that a threesome would keep Don interested or bring them closer? Maybe it wasn't her intention, but I felt like it was all a play in her inability to be "as important" to Don as Stephanie maybe is? I don't know. And did anyone else feel like Stephanie was the one Megan really wanted in this inner bedtime circle?
And how, oh how, am I just mentioning the great Betty Francis debacle? Betty is psyched to be the first stop in a neighborhood mixer party and excitedly gives homework duties to the maid as she prepares the silver and plans the menu. She is over the moon to be the wife of an important public figure and relishes every chance she gets to show off how important they are. (Like walking in to the conversation about the streetlights, "And you want Henry to fix them?" Listen, Sweet Valley High! How bout you let other people finish their sentences!) But Henry and Betty butt heads after they realize they're on the other side of the fence over the issue of the Vietnam War. Betty remains a loyal patriot, supportive of the current war that she knows nothing about, while her husband believes the war needs to end. While the Vietnam War was clearly the most unfounded war to date, (*coughcough* present war(s) excluded), I was a little miffed for her that Henry threw out, "Leave the thinking to me!" later that night. The next day, Betty throws a temper tantrum in the kitchen after Henry returns from helping Sally get her poor almost-broken nose fixed. Let's all say it together, now: "I'M NOT STUPID, YOU KNOW! I SPEAK ITALIAN!" Oh, Betty. Oh, Betty Francis, I can't help it, you are truly my favorite.
And then of course, we come back to Ginsberg and the scene that's left me tightly crossing my arms since I re-watched this episode. After stopping by Peggy's house over the weekend and claiming with certainty that the computer is to blame for the bizarre sexual feelings that he's having for her, Peggy is rightfully relieved with a seemingly normal Ginsberg walks into her office on Monday morning. He said he'd found the valve to release all of these negative waves that he's receiving from the computer and hands her box, a token of his gratitude. Or what Peggy quickly learns is, "the valve" that Ginsberg speaks of. It is his nipple. He cut off his fucking nipple and put it in a box for her. What's even more horrifying, is that I was eating Pepperoni Pizza while watching this and have remained emotionally scarred since. We see Michael being wheeled away on a gurney as a crying Peggy looks on, taking one last turn to the massive computer and giving it the stink eye.
And Don, as we suspected, shows up uninvited to the secret cigarette meeting clearly trying to keep his foot in the swinging door that was once his company. Don states that he knows how to beat the opposition and raises fair points in why General should consider him to be part of their team. The men ask him how loyal he is if he's selling out his own friends. Don replies that he wasn't trying to sell out anybody, he was fighting for his own business.
Everyone in this episode remains loyal to something, if not blindly so. Don is happy that a family member could turn to him in a time of need and wants to dutifully play out the role of Uncle while vying for his position of power in a company that wants to kick him to the curb. Betty remains loyal to her country and the image of power from being the politician's wife yet turns a blind eye to the love and attention that her children deserve. Lou insists that all these "flag-burners" could learn a thing or two about patriotism and loyalty from his beloved cartoon character. And Megan Draper remains loyal to herself. This has to be the most attention I've ever paid to a Mad Men episode and even after a second viewing, I can't stop thinking about all the ways I want to keep talking about it.
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