MAD MEN: “The Gypsy and the Hobo”

Read on for my recap & review of Mad Men 3×11, “The Gypsy and the Hobo,” aired October 25th, 2009.

This week, Mad Men outdid itself.  “The Gypsy and the Hobo” was written by Marti Noxon (former writer and executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Cathryn Humphris, and Matthew Weiner (the creator and executive producer of Mad Men), and was directed by Jennifer Getzinger.  The fact that this episode includes two women in the writing credits, and was also directed by a woman, demonstrates just how unusual Mad Men is on television.  This show that looks at gender inequality in such a note-worthy manner, and depicts a male-dominated world, is in fact staffed by a far larger percentage of female writers and directors than most other shows on television.  This gives the show a fascinating depth of perspective, and while the show always remains true to its subtle form, it provides additional layers of meaning.

After last week’s episode I expected that Betty would keep Don’s secret bottled up, and that she would bury it like the non-perfect part of her life that it is.  Instead, Betty shocked me beyond belief by actually addressing a problem in her life head on, and honestly communicating with her husband.  I find myself liking Betty’s character more and more as the series goes on, and liking Don’s less and less.  For the first time on the show, the power balance in the Draper family was completely overturned, with Betty taking the dominant role, and taking a strong hand in guiding her family.  Kudos to January Jones, for putting heart and soul into the initially childish character of Betty Draper.

The episode opened up on Betty packing a suitcase.  She sits on her suitcase to close it, which I love.  Then she yells for the kids to come help her, and complains when they don’t.  Sally and Bobby are too excited about Halloween to focus on such mundane tasks as packing and carrying suitcases.  There’s an interesting conversation at the breakfast table about the advent of pre-packaged Halloween costumes for sale, at a department sale.  Don is a bit resistant.  Betty and the kids are setting out to go to Betty’s childhood home.  The kids are worried about missing Halloween, but Betty assures them: “They have Halloween there.”  Hehe.  She pointedly asks Don for more money, but he acts like he doesn’t have a whole drawer of cash in his office desk.

When she gets home, Betty meets with her brother and the family lawyer, Milton.  She wants to know what the house is worth, and her brother takes offense to the terms of the will.  As he sees it, the terms basically give Betty the house, as she has money and he doesn’t.  Betty just recently found out that her husband is a fraud, so she doesn’t have time for her brother’s bulls#@t.  She asks to talk to the lawyer in confidence, and decides to tell him about her recent discovery about her husband: “I just found out some compromising facts.  He’s been married before, and it’s not even his real name, and he bought her a house.”  The attorney asks her what she wants to do, and she is uncertain.  However, it is surprising that she is definitely leaning towards wanting out of the marriage, and she certainly wants to know her options.  Milton warns her of how bad it could be for her—she can only get a divorce if she can prove adultery, and actual proof is tough to get, and Don could take the kids (I’m not so sure that last one was really a factor for Betty).  He asks if Don makes her afraid, which she denies, and whether Don’s a good provider, which she affirms.  However, she explains: “That’s not the point.  It’s a lie so big, Milton.”  He reminds her of the children, and advises her to go home and give it a try.  Oh, 1960s, I’m so glad you are over.  The fashion and music were nice, but that is all.

Meanwhile, Don is with his school teacher mistress, Suzanne Farrell.  She’s making spaghetti for him, and waxes poetic about Little Italy, and how she wishes she could take Don there.  Worried that she’s gone too far, she adds:  “Don, I swear, I’m not talking about our future.  I entered into this with my eyes open.”  She tells him that she sees a man who is not happy, and she is clearly not happy either.  Don, always wanting to avoid the hard stuff with his paramours, goes to take a nap, and tells her to get him when she’s done.  Ugh.  Not a fan of Don lately.  Suzanne is pretty annoying too, but at least we don’t have to deal with her for much longer.  Later that night, Suzanne gets in bed with Don:  “I just wanted more than I thought I would want.  But it will pass.  In fact, I know that it will.”  Way to settle, Miss Farrell.  Shudder.  Don is suddenly inspired and romantic, and talks about running away together.  He wants to take a trip, and he says that he’s serious.  She says OK.

The next morning, Don and Suzanne set out for their ill-planned trip.  He needs to stop home to get his stuff, so he leaves her in the car while he goes inside.  When he enters the house, he’s surprised to see the kids and Betty home—they returned from their trip early.  Don tells Betty that he left his hat (apparently the new euphemism for mistress) in the car, but Betty forcefully tells him to get it later, as she needs to talk to him.  She tells him that she needs to show him something, and leads him into his office.  She tells him to open the drawer, and he gets angry and refuses.  Betty stands her ground: “Open the drawer or I will.”  He stops her before she actually does, and asks where she got the key.  She explains, and tells him that she respected his privacy too long.  ”You know I know what’s in there,” she says matter-of-factly.  His face is just a wonder to behold, going through several levels of shock and disbelief.  “I can explain,” he feebly interjects.  “You didn’t have to look in my things.”  Betty, again, does not back down: “Which things, Don?  The pictures covered with other people’s names?”  She brings up his ex-wife Anna, and other tidbits from the secret box.  As for Don explaining, she retorts: “I know you can, you’re a very gifted storyteller.”  Wow.  Don can’t breathe, and he stumbles out to the kitchen and splashes water on his face.  Betty follows him out there: “Are you thinking of what to say, or are you just looking at that door?”  Don makes a snap decision: “I’m not going anywhere.”  Um, hello, show?  That is my jaw on the floor there, and my mind blown.  The way that Betty handles this confrontation, once she makes up her mind to have it, is so powerful, and Don’s shock is so masterfully portrayed by Jon Hamm, that I was just completely enthralled.

Don and Betty sit down in the kitchen, and begin to talk this out.  Betty: “You bought her a house?”  Oh, there’s the Betty we know and love—the one who cares most about the purchase of a house, in the midst of all this mystery.  Hehe.  Don: “Where do you want me to start?”  She continues with the interrogation: “What’s your name?”  Don: “Donald Draper, but it used to be Dick Whitman.”  Betty: “And who’s that woman?  Your wife?”  Don: “It wasn’t romantic.  I ended up married to her because I ran away to join the army.”  He explains the events of the identity switch, which we the viewers are already familiar with from the previous seasons.  Betty asks the best question ever: “Isn’t that against the law?” Oh, Betty.  Don: “Yes.  I found it was easier to be him.”  Betty is upset about the ex-wife, and Don begins to ask how he was supposed to break this news to her.  Betty: “You don’t get to ask any questions.”  I love take charge Betty.  Betty begins to say all the things she’s thinking: “You have a family. All this time, I thought you were some football player who hated his father.  I knew you were poor.  I knew you were ashamed of it.  I see how you are with money—you don’t understand it.”  As Don elaborates on his hopes and fears, he is an increasingly sad figure.  Betty refuses to give in: “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”  Don: “I don’t know.”  Betty proves how insightful she is: “You obviously wanted me to know all this, or you wouldn’t have left those keys, you wouldn’t have kept all this in my house.”  Don: “I didn’t think I had a choice.  And I don’t know what the difference is.  This is our house.  Those are our children.”  Betty is not to be swayed by such insane troll logic: “Oh, there’s a big difference.  You lied to me every day. I can’t trust you. I don’t know who you are.”  Don: “Yes you do.”  Oh, that is the ultimate question of the episode, isn’t?  Who is Don Draper?  Do we know him?  The conversation is interrupted by baby Gene crying.  Betty gets up to tend to him, but not before forcibly telling Don, “We’re not done.”  Wow, I feel like I need time to recover from that scene.

Don however, gets only a short respite.  He sits alone in his bedroom, waiting for Betty to come upstairs.  He asks her to sit with him, and begins pointing out the people in the photos: “My mother was a 22 year old prostitute who died having me.  This woman, Abigail, Archie’s wife, raised me.  When I was 10, Arch died and we moved, and Abigail took up with him, Mac, uncle Mac.  He was nice to me.”  Betty: “What happened to them?”  Don: “They’re all dead.”   Then Betty asks the hard question: “Even Adam?  The little boy in all the pictures.  I assumed he was your brother.”  Don: “He was my half brother, and he died.  He killed himself.”  Betty begins to have sympathy, despite herself.  He tells her how his brother came to him and wanted help, but Don turned him away.  And he hung himself.  Betty comforts her husband, and says she’s sorry. This is perhaps more unselfish and mature than Betty has ever been portrayed.  Wow, she is a real grown-up in this scene.  What a turn for her character this season.

Meanwhile, the hat in the car—Suzanne Farrell—has been forgotten.  We finally see her exit the vehicle, and slowly walk home with her suitcase.  At least we know that she lives close, right?  And she does like to jog.  Too harsh?  While I should probably feel some compassion for her, I have none to spare—my emotions are still too wrapped up with Don and Betty.  Plus, Suzanne is one of the most annoying characters on the show, and I’m glad to (hopefully) be rid of her.

The next morning, Don goes through his normal morning routine.  When he comes downstairs, Betty is there, and she is nice enough to offer to get him breakfast.  He is polite, and kisses the kids goodbye.  The couple, remarkably, seem to be in a good place.  Don tells Betty that he’ll see her tonight, though he neglects to say, “instead of going to see Suzanne like I’ve been doing for the past few weeks.”  Sorry—Betty may be forgiving Don, but I’m not quite there.

When Don gets into the office, his secretary is surprised to see him—oh yeah, he was supposed to be going out of town, with the hat.  He finally takes the time to call poor Suzanne, who is naïve enough to be worried about him: “What happened?  Did you get caught?”  Don explains, “It’s more complicated than that.”  She asks him if he’s OK, and realizes the obvious: “So I suppose I’m not going to see you anymore?”  Don is not firm enough on the NO WAY for my taste.  Uh oh.  Let’s hope the writers stay away from the endless monotony of Don’s affair(s).  Then Suzanne asks a question that kind of breaks my heart: “Do I have to worry about my job?”  Don assures her no, and says goodbye.  One chapter closed, hopefully.

At the end of the day, Don goes home, like he promised.  The kids are dressed in their Halloween costumes: Sally is a gypsy, and Bobby is a hobo.  I was a gypsy one year, and my costume was fabulous, so I like that detail.  I’m not sure if the hobo was meant to have any significance, but Don is certainly no stranger to hobos, if you recall the season one episode, “The Hobo Code,” in which Don learned that his father was a dishonest man.  Hmmm.  The family all goes out to trick-or-treat together.  They stop at their neighbors the Hansons’ house, and Carlton (recently seen on Dollhouse) is at the door.  In an anvil-licious moment, dripping with subtext, he asks: “Well, look at this: we’ve got a gypsy and a hobo.  [Then turning to Don] And what are you supposed to be?”  The camera closes in on Don, and we end the episode.

Of course, that’s not the end of this recap, because there were so many other goodies in this episode.  We learned that Roger Sterling had his very own Casablanca-themed love story, and may possibly still be in love with Joan (and who could blame him?).  The Roger story-line really lit up the episode, and his character has been far too absent from the screen this season to fit my taste.  I must admit that I like Roger more than Don most of the time.  John Slattery just elevates the reprehensible Roger to such an enjoyable level.  I can’t help but love him.  And I can’t help but pull for him and Joan, no matter how unrealistic.

So, in this episode, Roger’s world was turned upside down with the reappearance of an old flame, Annabelle Mathis. Roger and Mrs. Mathis have a lot of history, and a lot of chemistry.  Her husband, David, recently died, and she is trying to maintain her family company, a horse-farm that makes dog food.  Ick.  Annabelle wants the brains at Sterling and Cooper to come up with another word for horse-meat, which will win her company back its good name.  After the meeting, Roger and Annabelle make a date for later that night.  Annabelle comments on his recent marriage to Jane: “I heard she’s a teenager.” Ha!

Meanwhile, Joan is dealing with her idiot failure of a husband.  She helps him practice for an interview in the psychiatry field, and coaches him to be his best.  She has a lot of insight, so now I really want Joan to coach me in my next interview.  Dr. Rapist (as the internet refers to him) tells her a story about his dad having a nervous breakdown.  I don’t care, because he’s Dr. Rapist.  Despite Joan’s coaching, his interview goes terribly and he takes it out on her.  Joan snaps: “I don’t care what you do, as long as you do something.  We need money.”  She thinks he needs to move on, beyond medicine.  He tells her:” You don’t know.  You don’t know what it’s like to want something your whole life, and plan for it, and count on it, and not get it.”  The irony is overwhelming.  She knows exactly what that’s like, as he is the dream that did not come true.  Joan had been planning to get married to the perfect man her whole life, and this is what she got.  She knocks him over the head with a vase.  I cheered, along with the rest of the audience.  Awesome moment.

Since Joan needs to get herself a better job, to support her and her husband, she decides to call Roger.  In true Joan form, she masterfully arranged the time of her call for when he’d be secretary-free, and puts off his questions about her husband.  He’s glad that she called. She’s sorry that it had to be for a favor, but he doesn’t mind.  Roger then says one the best line of the episode: “You want to be on some people’s mind.  Some people’s you don’t.”  It was all in the delivery.  Roger posits the steps he should take in getting back to Joan, and she adorably comments, “Look at you, figuring things out for yourself.”  Hehe.  You can tell that Roger doesn’t want to let her go, but he does: “Goodbye Joannie.”  There’s just something about the ways he says her name, that makes me think she’s his one.  This suspicion seems to be more and more likely later, when we hear Roger recommend Joannie to a prospective employer: “I want to help her out.  Kid’s important to me.”  Hmmm.

Meanwhile, Roger still has to deal with the other woman from his past, Annabelle.  The two have dinner and reminisce.  It has been more than 20 years since they last met.  Annabelle is all nostalgic, but Roger not so much.  Annabelle mentions Casablanca and seems to think that her relationship with Roger is similar.  Roger: “The only similarity is that you left me for another man.”  Ha!  He doesn’t want to listen to her reasons for leaving, because he remembers them.  Cut to later and she’s super drunk. “yeah, I don’t understand that.  Roger wonders why it took so long to invent peanut butter, and I concur.  Annabelle moves in, but he tells her to stop.  He tells her that he’s married, and still honeymooning.  She says that she was there first, and he tells her to get a cab: “It’s different with this girl.  I’m sorry.”

The next day, Annabelle comes to the office for a focus group with three dogs tasting her dog food.  When the dog owners learn the name of the company, they’re very upset that it’s made of ponies.  Annabelle tells them to turn it off, but Peggy exclaims: “I can’t turn it off—it’s actually happening.”  Now that is the best line of the episode.  Hehe.  Don explains that the name has been poisoned, but Annabelle refuses to listen.  She wants another agency to solve her problem and storms out.  Roger follows after Annabelle and they have a moment alone.  Annabelle says that she doesn’t remember last night, but Roger is ready to fill her in: “Well, you threw yourself at me and I turned you down.”  He explains: “You wanna know if it was a good time?  It was.  You wanna know if you broke my heart?  Obviously.”  Agh!  Such a great line.  I’m telling you, John Slattery is genius in this role.  Annabelle tells Roger that he was “the one,” and he says “you weren’t.”  So, is Jane “the one” or is it Joan?

Speaking of Joan, this episode had one last bombshell to drop.  Greg comes home with flowers, all apologetic.  He tells Joan that he want to be able to buy her everything she wants and needs, but Joan explains, “It’s not about buying things.”  Greg: “I know, but I was an ass.”  He’s not wrong.  He also joined the army.  He’s thrilled because he can be a surgeon, and they’ll be financially stable.  He mentions Vietnam, and we suddenly all know how this will turn out.  Joan says it’s wonderful, so I guess she wants him dead as much as me.

Thoughts?  Reactions?  Comment below.  Also, remember that there are only two episodes left of Mad Men this season.  Sad.

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